Controversies have always been part of politics. Relaying from a historical standpoint, it is prone to abuse as people with power manipulate its system. From barangay chairman to Presidents stealing government funds. From leaders to their cronies appointed with authoritative positions. Filipinos have been witness to blatant abuse and hunger for power. Causing a recurrence in a kind of administration that prioritizes money over anything else.
Although the Philippine justice system gradually makes ways to investigate politicians and reveal their anomalies, abuse of power still exists. There have been numerous politicians who went through trial and some were convicted guilty behind this scheme. For instance, former President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo went to trial for plunder and vote fraud. After the Supreme Court junked her case, she won a seat as a congresswoman of the second district in Pampanga. Former President Joseph Estrada, convicted for plunder in 2007, became the mayor of Manila in 2013. Sajid Ampatuan ran for mayor in Shariff Aguak despite the charges on Maguindanao Massacre. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on the other hand was convicted for tax evasion yet still runs for the presidency. Currently, he has the highest number of votes in surveys despite the controversies that his family is guilty of during Martial Law.
If they have been subject to investigation and are guilty of charges, why can they still run for the national positions? The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) stated that a convict who has been jailed for not more than a year and a half can still run for public office. Some candidates won’t be disqualified as long as the crime does not involve moral turpitude. As normal citizens, we try our best to avoid breaking the law because there is no other way around but to face it. Yet, people in power and substantial sources of wealth get to file for candidacy despite facing issues on mismanagement.
The corrupt system will prevail if some individuals utilize elicit means for personal gains. If convicted politicians are not apprehended and are allowed to run for government positions, the idea of corruption will become normal. The Philippines will undergo a dangerous game. Risking the quality of life that normal citizens and the working class would suffer from. Where the rich will become richer, and the poor will become poorer.
As registered voters, everyone should be responsible for choosing which politicians provide a clean record that makes them deserving of a seat. Their backgrounds are a representation of past actions that may or may not dictate future dispositions. Are you as easy to forgive a notorious thief who stole a kilogram of meat from your local market, and if not, how different is he from a convicted plunderer?
So this coming May, Filipinos must analyze the cases and issues that surround their chosen candidates. Lives of our fellow kababayans must be considered as one shades names in the ballot.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of POLITICO.PH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristine Mae D. Cruz is a senior student of Communication at Far Eastern University-Manila and is currently an intern at Brown Bag Communications Inc. under PageOne Media. As a student, she has developed skills in research and writing articles for websites and magazines. Writing has been a passion of hers as well as the occasional binge-watching of historical documentaries. With media as her line of industry, she intends to seek the truth and create unbiased content as a representative of the Fourth Estate.
