Where is government? The People's response to Tony Meloto's appeals

I think my previous entry is not enough to really hammer the point--yes, it is admirable to say that every Filipino should do his responsibility for the Nation. And yes, it is very easy to say that every single one do his little duty to help the government, especially this new administration.

However, if government fails to provide the necessary conditions for the people to really do his "small" or "little things", translate: duties, how then would these little things amount to anything?

One example--manage your garbage properly. Okey, you know that perishables go to the perishable black trash bag and the unperishables go to the other, and then you then put it in a big trash can for collection. You did your "small thing" already. What's the response of government?

Response:there is no one to collect that big trash can. That happens a lot. What do you do? Tell government especially the local government unit to do its job? Frankly, citizens have been doing that for centuries! Despite that, no efficient trash collection system has been implemented especially in Metro Manila.

Okey, so your trash is collected, where do the LGU put your trash? They carve out a section of a lush mountain, cut all those trees and give it to the illegal logger and sell the soil to some contractor. Government then puts your trash there to rot without necessarily constructing it as a good and viable dumping site. It then affects the environment. Your small thing leads to nothing while the government's "small thing" even leads to environmental destruction. Touche.

Another example---follow traffic rules. For the sake of those who don't know, every single Filipino driver, I believe, wants to follow these rules. In fact, this appeal is just for the sake of those who have cars, not to the majority of the Filipinos who use public transport and can't afford one. Some of those who don't, and most of them are bus and jeepney drivers do so not because they are sociopaths, they are constrained by the conditions on the road to violate rules.

For those who have cars, they really want to follow traffic rules. Yet, most of the time, traffic lights do not function, there are inadequate road signs along avenues and national highways, there are no traffic enforcers in the area since most of the time they are concerned about where they'll get their next merienda and worst, roads are potmarked with craters.

We do our small thing and even pay for that road tax, but where is government? You want to do your "little thing", but the conditions on the ground is not there for you to religiously do that every single time. The solution lies not on the people, but on government to do its share.

The third example---pay for the education of a poor kid. That is an admirable trait. Yet, most of the time, you finance the education of some poor kid who is not really that poor. I mean, those really poor would simply not go to you for help simply because of hiya. And why is this included in the little thing anyway? Because the elite felt responsible that the reason why these poor kids cannot go to work is simply the lack of jobs or that workers are not being paid decent wages. If the parents of these poor kids are being paid enough, and if most have jobs, then, would it be necessary for you to even finance the education of poor kids? No.

Free education in the Philippines is just an advertising slogan, even an empty one. The education department complains of poor or inadequate budget. Yes, it is inadequate simply because the bulk is being pocketed by unscrupulous education officials and their syndicates. If government does not do its job of firing these unscrupulous officials, then, what would happen? We will just dream of giving free education to the next generation.

Sixth example---demand for a receipt whenever you buy something. I know a lot of Pinoys do this already. Even jeepney drivers. But what happens afterward? The company fails to remit their receipts. They ask their trusted BIR collector and examiner to just let him scot-free. The owner commits a small cheating. But, this is not small. Thousands do this. And the BIR just lets them be. The BIR do not go after big-time tax cheats and why? Owners of these establishments are connected one way or another to a high-government official or a politician.

Seventh example---follow the law. Every single Filipino, I really believe, wants to follow the law. In fact, whenever a Filipino is in some foreign country, he behaves even better than the citizen of that country. OFWs are examples. Expatriates are another. There are about less than 1% of our population who are really what we call sociopaths. They are the certified scums of this earth, what we call the lumpen proletariats. Some who commit petty crimes do so out of desperation. Most, follow the law.

However, what is government's response to the law-abiding citizen? A justice system that is as fractured as our earthquake faults. The law-abiding Filipino sees justice as something for the elites, not for him. Imagine the Joc-Joc Bolantes running around with their smiles and their stash hidden away in some Hongkong bank. Imagine a Cito Lorenzo, a former government official, hob-nobbing with the President, after his brother gave 20 million pesos during the last elections. And even imagine, many drug lords doing their thing with impunity after cops bungled their jobs of prosecuting them.

Mr. Meloto, how then can an ordinary Filipino like me do these little things as religiously as what you and others want, when the very same government who is expected by us to lead by example, and lay the very conditions for us to accomplish our small tasks for the sake of the country, is, itself, deficient.

How much more do you want us, the People, to give to this Republic? How much taxes do you want us to give from our pockets so that government will finally do its job? How much sacrifice do you want us to do when from the very beginnings of this Republic, we have invested all our lives to make it the best there is in this continent?

You demand that citizens be engaged when we, in our small ways, have engaged government for the longest time, yet the simplest demand for this government to do its duty, remains unresolved and unanswered.

You want to follow traffic rules, but there are no signs to begin with, no order in the streets. You want to put your trash in the proper place, but there are no trash cans nor collecting agencies of government who do their duties. You follow the law, but when you demand justice and you're just a poor fella, you are expected to suffer jail time.

You want to share the beauty of this country to other races, but what images do they see? A greyish Metropolitan landscape that mirrors the slowly diminishing hope of its citizenry. News of how governments bungle their jobs and how government officials steal the citizen's monies with impunity and get away scot-free. Of, vicious clashes between troops and rebels occuring every single day in Mindanao and of foreigners being kidnapped in Sulu and Basilan.

How then will you share the beauty of your country and be proud of being Filipino when the government fails in its primary duties?

Will you lie and say that you live in a beautiful country?

Our country is really beautiful, the Filipino People is the greatest in the world, and I sincerely believe that. How beautiful this country is beyond words.

Yet, marauders roam our streets, thieves dominate our government and uncaring elites oppress our people. The beauty of our country is slowly being erased by the very actions of these people. The greatness of the Filipino is now, a distant memory.

We ask this government to fully commit itself of really fixing its act together for the sake not of this generation, but future generations. If we love our fellow Filipino, we demand government to do its share in nation-building.

Demand from government, Mr. Meloto would probably burst in disgust, why will you demand from government? The least that you could do, says Meloto, is demand that government be faithful.

Mr. Meloto, as Citizens of this Republic, it is our right to demand from government. If this government expects us to do our little things, then, let it be the primary body to create the conditions for us to live respectably and decently.

Government should be the bridge that would ask big companies to give us decent wages. Government should be the one who will say enough of oil cartels and give the people just gasoline rates. Government should be the one who will tell Meralco, enough of your greed and give the people their just electricity rates. And government should be the one to go after big-time smugglers, grafters and tax cheats, haul them to jail, execute them if the law warrants and parlay their faces before the TV cameras and shame their families.  

If the government does not do these things, what is the purpose of a government? Even if we the People support the government, but the government continues to be irresponsible and unresponsive, what then would happen to us? If we don't demand from government this thing called social justice, how then will democracy thrive?

How would this happen, when this new administration continuously appoint old, recycled talents in its cabinet? If this administration does that, we then get old and recycled ideas and solutions.

How would change really happen when this administration appoints members of the Old Boy's Club, those who, for two decades, already knew the inner workings of the corrupt government, yet, did not lift a single finger to address them. Their records speak of who they really are.

Citizen engagement begins even when government services fail. When government fails, it is time to admit that the very system which a government relies its existence, is not responsive, and therefore, fit to be overhauled.  

Tony Meloto is one fine gentleman, a true Patriot of this new generation. And I believe that, for him to really accomplish greater things, more than what he is doing right now, he has to be transformed into a true "bridge" for the Filipino.

Meloto must be the voice of the Filipino People. He must articulate what the poor Filipinos want--an improvement in the quality of their lives. This is just a simple thing, but entails a lot of hard work.

Meloto, like Nicanor Perlas, knows the yearnings of the poor. Working within the system slows them down. It is time for Mr. Meloto to really do greater things by articulating the Filipino Dream, and that dream is really simple---make us live decently and honorably by giving us what is due to us---a true, just and humane society.

The onus lies not entirely on us, the Filipino People, but in this government whom trust and confidence were reposed.

It is time for government to work, para naman patas ang laban, dahil matagal nang engaged at nagtratrabaho ang mga Pinoy upang manumbalik ang kagalingan ng lahing ito.

(By the way, the famous adage " Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" and " work for your country despite or inspite of government" only applies to Americans. Most Americans have money. Before JFK said these things, the US government already made life comfortable for Americans. Meaning, the US government did its part. That's why JFK asked his fellow Americans to do their share. This does not apply to us, Filipinos. We have been doing our share in Nation-building. All our efforts however, fell by the wayside because government remains unresponsive.Or, moving at an opposite direction. We do our duties as citizen and strive for a better society, government moves in the opposite--they just want the Old Boy's Club to improve the conditions of high society.)

Tony Meloto's challenge and our Response--the Filipino

Tony Meloto's article today at the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) (titled "The Challenge of a 100 days") makes one think of how people should act in these 100 days of the Aquino administration. As early as the eighth day though, thousands of people are already starting to complain. Some are questioning the wisdom of the President in appointing people tainted with graft and corruption, while others say, the President is not really serious in creating a new government out of the old and discredited one.


Meloto's advice for Filipinos is simple---do the little things, be honest and therefore, contribute to nation-building. But, is that really nation-building, in the first place?

We don't need to tell Filipinos to be honest--most of us are. We don't need to tell Filipinos to be like this and that because most are already hard-working, patient, and doing their small or little things in their own and simple ways already, Mr. Meloto.

It is like we are blaming the rest of the Filipinos for the monumental ills of this country when everyone is really contributing his share towards maintaining the stability of this small republic.

Consider this---70% of the revenues collected by government comes from personal income tax. The 30% or so left are supposed to be the burden of company owners. But, what do these company owners do? They cheat. They don't give those taxes they are supposed to give to the government.

Some, like Lucio Tan, were able to go scot free from his 23 billion peso tax obligation. And there are others. Maybe Mr. Meloto should direct his appeals and pleas to Tan and the rest of those other tax cheats, and not to the ordinary Filipino who religiously pay his taxes despite the very threat in his daily existence.

We pay our taxes, yes, even that stupid VAT. That VAT, by the way, was imposed on us because the previous government stole the monies of the Filipino People. Those "honorables" and "his" and "her excellencies" and those "technocrats" and "Harvard" and Oxford graduates or graduates of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) were so intelligent and so greedy, they pocketed much of the collected money, therefore, creating that humongous budget deficit.

Government needs to plug the hemorrhage and what they think was the best way to do it? Impose higher taxes or some tax measure like VAT to the ordinary Filipino, who did not cheat, nor stole a single cent from the national coffers.

What others stole, the hapless citizentry pays back with his hard-earned money.

Those big loans and budget deficits were not supposed to happen if our government, especially these "honorables" had the decency of not stealing from us and just keeping their promises of austerity and living within their means.

Mr. Meloto, ordinary Filipinos do not cheat their wives--it is those moneyed people who do. What these people do with their stash? They buy luxurious condominium units for their paramours. The money that is supposed to build hundreds of low-cost houses for us, the ordinary Filipino, are being used to purchased luxury items, such as houses and condominiums.

And what Mr. Meloto thinks of nation-building? It is bridging gaps.

To build a strong nation, we must learn to engage everyone, bridge gaps that divide, and leverage limited resources by encouraging those who have to give more to those who have less.

While we must engage every politician without judgment and without compromise, our cause of nation-building must transcend politics. Politics is for politicians, nation-building is for everyone—from the highest leader of the land to the weakest squatter in the poorest slum. It is for ordinary citizens like me to help provide connectivity to the un-reached, build trust among the wary and give hope to those in despair.

In the first 100 days, let us be a people of faith.

It is very easy for Mr. Meloto to say that "in the first 100 days, let us be a people of faith" because he is not as poor and as desperate as many of us. He can still wait for changes. He can still say that nation-building should transcend politics, that it should be apart from politics.

Nation-building has always been, and will continue to be, political.

This is how his social class wants us, ordinary Filipinos, to do---wait patiently while they, the ruling class, fix their acts together.

Mr. Meloto, we have waited for decades. The poor has waited for nine long years for change to happen. Actually, even prior to Mrs. Arroyo's time, the poor has waited and has been patient. Hope started to flicker when Cory Aquino transcended the presidency. That hope lingered for six more years, and nothing substantial happened, no change that would benefit every single poor folk out there.

When you came out to our communities in the late 90's Mr. Meloto, what you saw are patient and poor Filipinos who hoped for change and received loose change instead.

Mr. Meloto, how can we unite the rich and the poor when their interests vary? Will they unite seriously by just giving the poor their houses through the generosity of the rich?

How will engagement happen when the very members of your class, refuse to even see us in our misery? We constantly engage government in our daily lives and we always appeal to the rich and the powerful to help us, since we suffer in poverty due to the inequality they so bestow and reap in this beautiful land. The reason we are poor is not on our own making, oh no.

We are poor because the money that we are supposed to have are not being given to us. Look at our pay slips. The ordinary Filipino worker is the lowest paid among Asian workers.

We spend our hard-earned monies trying to pay for those exorbitant Meralco rates, the highest in the region. We buy food stuffs priced higher than what our Asian neighbours pay for. We even pay for higher priced water, which runs abundant deep in our lands but exploited and transformed into a commodity by "intelligent and greedy" technocrats like Babes Singson and Ping de Jesus, who now run our DPWH and DOTC.

Mr. Meloto, be our bridge by asking owners of companies to pay us decent wages, the correct ones. Mr. Meloto, be our bridge by asking food manufacturers to lower their prices and for giant oil companies to give us what is our due. Lower gasoline and diesel prices and we can save some of our hard-earned monthly wages for the education of our kids.

Meloto’s appeals are just being used by the ruling class, the elites, to manage the raging anger within the breasts of every ordinary Filipino against the ruling order. While we pray, and wait, governments steal, cheat and lie before us.

Meloto's appeal to those who believed and helped Noynoy Aquino ascend the highest rungs of power is this:

Let us not trivialize the opportunity to start right with our petty politics nor be influenced by ugly cynics who do not see anything good in this country or in this life. Let us be radical optimists and hope-weavers for a change, to give our new leader and our country a chance.

It is imperative for those who worked hard for his victory to remain noble and true by not expecting any favors in return for their efforts. Great leaders are often pulled down by followers who demand their share of power. Great chances to do great good are spoiled when nobility is exchanged for the spoils of victory. On the other hand if asked by their leader to do a crucial task, they must also be humble enough to accept.

From our new President, let us demand nothing but faith in himself that he can be faithful to his covenant to govern with integrity, courage, and justice.

Mr. Meloto, every poor Pinoy is a cynic, so the poor Pinoy is ugly? I thought you want to be the "bridge" between the poor and the rich? Why describe cynics ugly? Is Patricia Evangelista, for example, ugly?

Are those people who demand and hammer out the demands of the people before this new administration, ugly because they don't believe in your appeal for them to just sit back, relax and have faith that everything will correct

And who, among us, ordinary and poor Filipinos who trooped the polls last May 10, and voted for Noynoy wanted anything from him, except social justice? Meloto's appeal is for those of his own class who gave their monies to fund Noynoy's electoral machinery. The appeal fell on deaf ears, as members of Hyatt 10 and others are now occupying positions of power. They were not humble though, Mr. Meloto. They scrambled for and lobbied to be appointed.

It is easy to say, Mr. Meloto, that the least we can demand from our new president is faith. No, Mr. Meloto, I do not agree.

We, the ordinary Pinoy, demand loyalty to the promises he eloquently delivered in his numerous speeches, particularly that one last June 30. We demand swift action to the ordinary problems we so face. And Mr. Meloto, it is our right to demand to this new administration things which past dispensations have so long denied us.

Mr. Meloto, you can sit in your chair and think of things of how to give houses to a select few of us, but, for us, we cannot do that. We cannot sit idly by and wait while manna falls from the mahogany dinner table in Malacanang. Oh, no.

The elites, the ones you regularly hob-nob, promised change. And we, the ordinary Pinoy, want nothing but demand these elites what they so promised.

Lastly, we find Meloto appealing this to us, ordinary Filipinos.

"From every Filipino, let us also demand nothing less than faith in ourselves that we can transform an entire nation—slum after slum, barrio after barrio—by transforming ourselves first. Let us not simply depend on the awesome power of the President and blame everything on him if he fails to deliver. Rather, let us harness the awesome power of the people, united and committed to do good, to help the President deliver."

Mr. Meloto, where were you in the last couple of decades? We, ordinary Filipinos, have been helping our government for decades. Instead of helping us and correct the ills of our nation, these administrations have been helping themselves.

We, the ordinary Pinoy, have always been united in just one cause---SOCIAL JUSTICE. This term has been inscribed in our charter and repeated so many times in various provisions of the 1987 Constitution. Yet, what do these ruling elites do? They simply don't know what social justice means! For them, it is as empty as the promises they sow during elections.

We, the ordinary Pinoy, have been paying our taxes, buying those food stuffs and higher prices of gasoline and diesel and trying hard to save money so that we avoid getting our electricity services cut. We follow traffic rules. That wangwang appeal is not for us, but for members of the elite who have one. We follow the law, and what do we get?

Poorly constructed roads and bridges. Are we supposed to help government do its job of making sure our roads and bridges are at least of local standards?

Not enough money to give free education to our kids. Are we supposed to help our government pay for the “free education” of our kids when we already did that thru payment of VAT and income taxes? How much more, Mr. Meloto?

Inept public service when we go to government agencies to get our passports, our land titles, our birth certificates and even the death certificates of our kin. When we ask for police assistance, no one goes and attends to our needs because of lack of police personnel. Are we supposed to just pray and wait for all these things to come when we, ordinary citizens, have been paying government religiously for all our lives, for them to just do their work and give us the things we so rightly deserve?

No, Mr. Meloto. We have waited all these years. Who do we blame but ourselves eventually when the dust settles down and after six years, we find ourselves still under extreme conditions? When all are finished blaming Arroyo for all these miseries and we find Aquino responsible for exacerbating our condition, who do we blame but ourselves for being cynics?

I was once a revolutionary optimist, Mr. Meloto. I have been so faithful and patient. Are you saying that we, ordinary Pinoys, are supposed to wait for the ruling class to have an epiphany just for our sake?

No, Mr. Meloto. Like other “public servants” before him, Noynoy Aquino will not get our praise when we see that he bungles his job like others before him. We will definitely blame him if the social conditions continue the way they are right now. Blame ourselves for the erring ways of the elite? No, Mr. Meloto, we will not fall to this friar-inspired pathological trap you want us to fall into.

Noynoy Aquino, if he continues to succumb to the wiles and wills of the elite and will just be someone who will continue the policies of previous administrations, will suffer the brunt of the people's anger.

My 12 Senators (if the elections pushes thru)

Honestly my friends, I only voted once in my life---and it was for Jovito Salonga as president. Salonga lost but at least I stood up and counted myself in those millions who believed in him.

Now, should the elections push thru as planned, though I still believe that elections are being used as social tranquilizers to lull the great masses to sleep, if asked, I'll vote for these people. I remember my colonel friend asking me if I have a list of people in my mind who deserves the support of the masses. His request was about two or three months ago. I decided now is the time for me to reveal my list.

Brigadier General Danilo "Danny" Lim deserves to be elected either as a Senator or a Vice President. He fits into what our group, the Maginoo Movement, describes as the New Patriot. He has Integrity. He has a very good track record of government service. He has a good platform of government and his chances of winning is high. Should Gen. Lim really participates in the 2010 elections, I'll vote for him. We deserve someone who has the fortitude of Spirit and the Vision to lead this nation to glory.

However, Danny Lim and his group should not allow join Villar's Nacionalista Party. No. If they decide to do so, then, I'm sorry sir, I just have to set my sights somewhere else.

I would also vote for Cong. Darlene Antonino-Custodio should she decides to run for the Senate. Custodio has the brains, not just the beauty. What more, Darlene has the right political attitude. However, I hope she does not go the Chiz Escudero route. She must always be consistent on pursuing the Cause.

Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga is one such guy who deserves our support in case he runs for the Senate. Meloto's work is world-class. He could provide valuable knowledge in solving our housing problems. His insights into poverty alleviation are gems that deserve national attention.

Teddy Casino says he wants to run for the Senate. I will support him because he has the right frame of mind and he has the fortitude of Spirit, just like General Danny Lim.

Susan "Toots" Ople deserves a Senate slot due to her relentless passion for the plight of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). Its high time that a pro-labor Senator be elected in the Senate.

For all his faults as a pro-Gloria, Gilbert Gibo Teodoro actually deserves a Senate slot. If he abandons his ambitions for the presidency, Teodoro is a fine addition to the roster of senatorial luminaries.

Ka Satur Ocampo is also a revolutionary all his life and deserves to leave a lasting legacy as a Senator. He has passed so many laws that improves the lives of his people and voting for him is both a responsibility and bears urgency.

Atty. Harry Roque is a fine example of a principled barrister. He fights for the weak. He has so many ideas on how to reform this country. He deserves to complete his service in the Senate.

I heard so many good things about Cong. Roilo Golez and analyzed all his statements and concluded that he deserves a chance for the senate.

Another person who deserves a Senate slot is Amina Rasul. She ran for the senate once and lost because she does'nt have enough funds. Nonetheless, we deserve someone like her who fights for the Bangsamoro. She's very intelligent and has the right nationalist frame of mind. She deserves support.

Of course, re-electionists Jamby Madrigal and Juan Ponce-Enrile, should they decide to run for re-election, deserves our support. Madrigal is a fighter of lost causes. Madrigal deserves another term.

Enrile has been doing the right things lately and he deserves another term.