Wolves among Us

Posted on November 27, 2013 Updated on November 27, 2013

by Liza Gazpar

CLOSE to 94% say SSS hefty bonuses ‘immoral’ – Inquirer News
Corruption in Customs systemic – ABS-CBN News
Anomalies mar DSWD rehab effort – http://www.rappler.com
How will all this corruption end? – Manila Standard Today
Napoles issues blanket denial at senate hearing – Manila Bulletin
PNP most corrupt agency – survey – Philippine Star

These and more are served daily to Filipinos. With Internet technology, we hear of how rampant corruption is in every corner of the government anywhere we are. When do we, the real Pinoys, say, “Enough!” and actually do something about? Something that is much more than and beyond the grandstanding calls for change we see every day alongside these headlines on how croaked the matuwid na daan really is.

Where the Heroes Have Gone?
Why is it that for a nation which produced nationalists, who were more than willing to shed blood for it with several who died for their efforts, such as Jose Rizal, Gabriela Silang, and Andres Bonifacio, can spawn and nurture people who have no qualms about pocketing what isn’t theirs? How can such a noble nation endure for so long families who have perfected birthing sons and daughters who are more corrupt than their parents? How can such a proud nation stand the repeated rape of its lands?

How can we endure all these? How can we not get tired hearing all of these exploitations?
I am certainly tired about so and so is corrupt or how the system is rigged licensing every wolves in sheep’s clothing to convert public funds into their very arsenal. But honestly, no matter how tired I am, I don’t know what to do to make all these go away?
Do you?

True Pinoys
I may not know how to solve our country’s problems, but I do know that together we can do a lot. Worst, together, we can at least lessen the appearance of the above headlines – maybe from every day to every other day. That would certainly be an improvement, don’t you agree?
I call on my fellow young professionals, the very youth that Jose Rizal once said as the hope of the nation. Arguably today’s crooks and cheats of the very first order were once part of this hope and that a few of us turn as bad. Still we, the young and the brave, have the energy to say, “Enough!” and actually do something about all these.

I call on my fellow true Pinoys to make a stand, to add their voice to the growing discontent around the country. Each voice added to the collective will eventually become so deafening these goddamned corrupts will fear their lives, cower like the cowards they are, and cough up a cc of blood for every peso wrongly gained.

Discontented Nation
As the national discontent grow, let us not remain just discontent. Let us nurture this discontent. Let this discontent grow into something revolutionary that, if alive today, even Jose Rizal, Gabriela Silang or Andres Bonifacio is proud to call us brothers or sisters-in-arms.

Let us write a better history. Don’t we deserve something better than being told whenever you go to another country after you introduce yourself as coming from the Philippines, “Ah, pork barrel.” (This actually happened to a dear friend when she went to Vietnam for a business trip.

Let us find our time’s equivalent to Pugad Lawin’s pagpupunit ng mga sedula to start the revolution not against a foreign invader, but against our very own people who have done incalculable abuse to our beloved country.
It is time.

Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa? Kung hindi tayo, sino pa? – Abraham P. Sarmiento, Jr., Philippine Collegian
***
Stealing*
American: In the US, stealing is against the law. If you steal, you will be jailed.
British: In the UK, foreigners who are caught stealing are deported.
Saudi Arabian: Do not steal or your hand will be cut off.
Japanese: Stealing brings dishonor to family, we make hara-kiri.
Chinese: If caught stealing, you face firing squad.
Filipino: Stealing is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY!

*From a friend’s text message

Liza Gaspar is a wealth coach and personal finance enthusiast. She spends her free time helping out with the projects of the Rotary Club of Makati McKinley (www.rcmmckinley.org) and the Gerry Roxas Leadership Awardees (www.grlawardees.org). Visit her Web site at http://www.thegirlninja.com or email her at liza@thegirlninja.com.