29/09/2025
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ค
Corruption has been rampant in the Philippines for centuries already, and we Filipinos may have been desensitized to such fraudulency. Forced to be contented with short-term solutions rather than reaping the benefits of a long-term one, this may be our wake-up call to use our voice, even when being suppressed by the powers that be. From one term to another, administration after administration, the headlines shift but not the narrative. Yes, the Filipinos are already struggling with finances, adapting to unpleasant living conditions unwillingly, and these recent September 21 protests are the final straw that broke the camel's back.
You may not notice it, but every Filipino is being taxed. From purchasing goods to paying up fees and taxes directly, they are getting a percentage from your hard-earned money. But what if it handicaps your daily lives? Prices are going up, your one thousand pesos can barely cover your weekly needs, and what do you see on the news? Blatant corruption from the uniformed personnel who are supposed to be public servants, entrusted to make this country a better place.
From questionable infrastructure deals to the misuse of public funds, it is clear to us that corruption is feeding and filling up the wallets of the higher-ups, while we are being fed with nothing but sugarcoated speeches and empty promises. The irony is that these issues are often met with absolute silence, delays, even the ongoing investigations, and every initiative that rarely led to accountability for those involved, and it is a reflection of our broken justice system. Or, as Iโd like to call it, the Injustice System. Cases are filed, press conferences and hearings are held, but when it comes to justice, the system moves painfully slow, if at all.
The real victims of these unlawful actions are the everyday Filipinos, not the politicians involved in such controversies. The students in overcrowded classrooms with little to no ventilation and equipment for optimal schooling, the families waiting for hours in hospitals with minimal funding without any healthcare insurance at all, and every community and corner being flooded due to unmaintained drainages and missing flood control projects. Their inhumane actions are bottlenecking our potential as a country, and these anomalies from the government should not be enabled. We are Filipinos, not martyrs, despite what our history led us to believe.
Then again, public service is not a privilege; it is a responsibility. The victim culture and the impunity must come to an end. Leaders must not use the idea of good governance to push their campaign further during elections when they should be practicing better governance in the first place. Transparency is not optional when it comes to matters regarding our public funds, and to those leaders who are consumed with greed and gluttony, you are making it hard for each and every one of us.
As college students and future leaders, we must not practice these anomalies. We need to speak up, be the voice of the voiceless, and take the power back. Let us end this toxic cycle of remaining silent in times of crisis and unjust actions, because there is nothing to be afraid of. Itโs our right to voice out our concerns, and remaining silent only empowers those who treat public office like personal business ventures.
Simply put: The Philippines cannot progress further, as corruption is holding it back. We are simply rejecting this system to govern us. I would not subject the future generations to see this kind of leadership from those in the office. The time for real change isnโt someday. Itโs now.
