Our horror story

There is a horror movie currently showing in Philippine theaters. I don’t know its title, but I might call it “This Is Us, the Philippines.”

There must be a hefty budget from the Department of Tourism dedicated to highlighting the best of the Philippines. Additionally, I believe various agencies, some with larger budgets than others, also allocate funds to promote their achievements and enhance the positive image of the Philippines. In other words, as a country touted as the social media capital of the world, I am sure the government is actively promoting our nation to the world.

Unfortunately, the ongoing political turmoil, news of criminality staining the government at all levels, and the armies of trolls hired by partisan political groups and personalities far outweigh the beautiful imagery we wish to project to the world. The impact of this is reflected in our share of direct foreign investments flowing into the region. As we continue to fall behind almost every other country, it seems negativity dominates our national aura.

Mainstream media is no match for social media, so much so that traditional media has already adapted to having its own version of social media. In this digital arena of information, most Filipinos are captivated by entertainment and politics. The spirited live hearings in the Senate and House of Representatives are a continual source of news, primarily focused on corruption and political scandals.

Then come the trolls from all sides, though they are dominated by Duterte and Marcos forces, which provide constant sources of funds and authority. Since Duterte’s presidential campaign in 2016, a powerful social media network has been established. The Marcoses have caught up as well, and the dirty tirades on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook spread new information and disinformation at speeds and volumes that we have never experienced.

I referred to this as a purgation in my last article. I had also hoped to focus on other topics, and in fact, I have tried several times. But I must admit defeat. No matter how sincere the intentions to write about the good and the beautiful, politics and governance seem to constantly engulf any noble effort. Both our political and governance systems are ugly and frustrating, fostering a defeatist atmosphere for all of us.

Our only escape is to avoid the national scene and focus on the local — and the more local, the better. Thank goodness that most Filipinos are primarily attuned to their daily lives in their efforts to protect the survival of their families. As we rise above mere personal and selfish interests, we find ourselves drawn into community dynamics. From the barangay level and upward, we enter increasingly gray areas until the environment becomes mostly dark, and our enthusiasm begins to fizzle out.

What Duterte’s forces have called Marcos Jr. is so ugly that I cannot even repeat it here. Yet, you will find these videos, photographs, and memes on social media. What the Marcos Jr. forces have called Rodrigo Duterte is just as ugly, and I cannot repeat that either. However, because they once loved each other more than they loved the Filipino people, I give some amount of credence to what they each say about the other. They know themselves better than we do.

I am a baby boomer. I remember past presidents from the early ’50s as a boy. The worst times have been marked by death and plunder—the deaths of thousands from abuses of power and the plundering of people’s money due to wanton greed. The current political protagonists have a family history of both death and plunder.

As Filipinos, when we wish to point to our leaders, either to our children or to foreign guests and friends, what can we highlight without feeling shame? They are not role models and can never be; they carry too much blood on their hands as well as the wealth of the people. Good, law-abiding Filipinos with bright dreams for themselves and their families cannot take pride in them.

The evidence of this wantonness of death and plunder is reflected in the number of individuals close to them who are accused of the same abuses. In other words, this is not just a normal scenario where public officials lie, steal, or kill, because government officials are also human and can commit crimes. Rather, it becomes a culture when criminality and thievery originate from the very top, sending a signal to all below them to follow suit.

In the last years of Marcos Sr.’s presidency, the Philippines became bankrupt. The Philippine peso lost its acceptance in the international market and was deemed unacceptable by all those we engaged in trade with. During Duterte’s term, the Philippines turned into a killing field, not of militants, but of civilians suspected of being drug users or pushers. Both leaders have either bankrupted the country’s treasury or led to the massacre of the sons and daughters of the motherland.

Did Marcos Sr. and Rodrigo Duterte ever do any good? I believe so, and millions attest to that sentiment, even supporting and voting for his son and her daughter as partners in politics and governance. However, the amount of good accomplished and the number of citizens helped are not legal justifications for the crimes they may have committed. After all, Bilibid prison is full of Filipinos who committed only a single crime. The good they did did not stop their imprisonment.

Our situation becomes more complicated when our personal opinions seem insufficient in shaping the collective reality. We are who we are, mostly ordinary, and often poor. Some are rich, a few are very rich, but the majority of us accept the leadership we have, no matter how flawed the political personalities may be. We must expect to bear the consequences of our choices.

Our last recourse is to live through the purgation, be as faithful and productive as possible, and serve as better role models to the next generations.