“PANG. MARCOS: PAMANA NI BONIFACIO BUHAYIN AT PANINDIGAN.” “VP SARA: DIWA NI BONIFACIO ISABUHAY,” “ROMUALDEZ: MGA SAKRIPISYO NI BONIFACIO KILALANIN.” – highlighted news on TV.
Wow, big words from the country’s top political leaders for the people to take to heart on November 30, 2024 – Bonifacio Day! But how sincere were these public statements made?
The truth is “actions speak louder than words,” but TRUER rather, “ACTIONS tell the real hard TRUTH!”
What are the track records of these top three public officials? What have they done to serve as public officials for the Filipino people the past more than two years, in the heroic spirit of the courage and sacrifice of Andres Bonifacio in the face of the oppression of the Spanish colonizers in his time?
Mired In Debt
The Philippine economy is down: the longed-for P20/kg of rice is still missing; 12 million Filipinos are experiencing extreme poverty – homeless, landless, jobless; countless millions are unemployed and searching for employment or livelihoods; laborers, farmers and IPs have yet to enjoy fair and decent wages, or appropriate government assistance; health workers who were promised extra allowances while serving during the pandemic have not yet been properly compensated; the drug problem has not been solved; billions of PhilHealth budget are being diverted to some unprogrammed government projects instead of improving the health system to aid millions of poor Filipinos needing decent healthcare.
The confidential funds of P612.5 million budgeted under VP Sara Duterte’s Office of the Vice President and her Office of DepEd when she was secretary have yet to be explained to the Filipino people, since such was their hard-earned money.
How will the country manage with its more than P15.8 trillion debt, seriously affecting its plans and programs to uplift the lives of millions of Filipinos? Will the grandchildren of the Filipino youth today suffer paying this huge debt in their time?
Who Are Accountable?
The country’s education system has not been given the important attention as the UniTeam administration has failed to upgrade the knowledge and skills of Filipino students in math, science, language proficiency and critical thinking to international standards.
Regarding the country’s justice system, families of more 30,000 victims of extra judicial killings (EJKs) and those red-tagged and killed, or illegally arrested, or have become victims of enforced disappearances, and the more than 750 political prisoners suffering in various jails nationwide, as instigated by the NTF-ELCAC, have yet to find justice.
And all those responsible public officials, PNP and AFP officers and ground personnel who were the perpetrators of such injustices have yet to be held accountable and penalized according to the Constitution and Rule of Law.
The coast guard vessels of China have continued to harass our fisher folks and maritime researchers in our territories in the West Philippine Sea, encroaching on our sovereignty.
Public Trust And Integrity
To all Filipinos of goodwill, the public statements issued by the current top 3 government officials of the land, apparently as an advice to the Filipino people, can only be taken as hypocritical.
Are they just following the lies-filled lead of the former president, VP Sara’s father?
As officials holding positions of public trust, they should issue public statements that are honestly backed up with track records of genuine effective service as servant-leaders to the Filipino people.
Such is their mandate “to build a just and humane society.” And not to fool their constituents with nice hypocritical words. They simply have to do their jobs with integrity, for the people to enjoy a reign of justice, peace and real progress as a sovereign nation, hopefully soon. Possible?
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