24/09/2025
๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ
By Jesselle Barcelona
Every election, every vote, every ballot that should determine who we wish to win is twisted into a never-ending cycle of cheating, scandals, and being robbed in broad daylight. Corruption is no longer just an issueโit has become a tradition.
For years, Filipinos have been silenced by the sickening greed of politicians who promise a world of new beginnings. Yet now, they have shown us who they truly areโthey are no longer leaders but criminals in this doomed society.
Generations have passed, yet the same bloodlines continue to occupy the same positions once held by their fathers. They join mandates carried by the same surnames, and even the most incompetent manage to take a seat in what they claim is governance for the people. It doesnโt take a genius to see how they have abused the power vested in them.
Laws are manipulated to cater to their needs, with justice taking years to be served. Take former President Rodrigo Duterte, for example. His war on drugs campaign, which killed thousands without due process, spanned his entire term as president and his years as mayor of Davao City before he was finally considered guilty of his crimesโrecently being charged with just three counts of murder by the International Criminal Court.
Meanwhile, as cyclones continue to batter the Philippines, anomalous flood control projects are still being โinvestigated.โ Despite revelations that numerous contractor companies, government officials, and engineers pocketed billions, they still spend that money freely. In fact, Bulacan's former District Engineer Henry Alcantara, former Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez, along with Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, and Edrick San Diego, were caught gambling away billions.
The money they squandered on their guilty pleasures is something the majority of Filipinos can only dream of. While they indulge in luxuries that ordinary citizens pay for every day, we Filipinos are sick of their antics. Despite their constant manipulation, we have not given up. The Trillion Peso March last September 21 was not just a protestโit was a challenge to those responsible for our suffering to prove that they can and will be held accountable.
Our freedom of speech, fueled by the burning realization that this country is not poor but deliberately plundered, will continue to push us to fight for a government and a nation that listens to its people, uplifts the marginalized, and delivers justice to those who have never tasted it. This will not remain a dream if we force it to become reality.
Every ballot we cast determines the future, every voice echoes a desire for change, and every broken cycle is a society waiting for reversal. Although the damage has been done and the corrupt may no longer be redeemed, we hold a power they cannot wieldโresilience, hope, and integrity.
The Philippines is doomed if we continue to vote for colors instead of competence, surnames instead of qualifications, and popularity instead of transparency. A corrupt official will never listen if it does not serve their private interests. If determination alone cannot turn the tables, then our collective decisions can.
No amount of money can buy back the trust corruption destroysโdo not let yourself be bought by it.
