PEOPLE obey laws. People break laws. Some respect them; others despise them. But what is really happening in our country today?
This time around, the Coffee Talk group had a law student, a retired banker, a sugar planter, and a lady blogger at the table.
“What’s on the menu?” asked the planter.
“Subject? Let’s listen to lawmakers who are also money-makers.”
***
The retired banker started:
“Isn’t it true that the Filipino people—more commonly called Pinoys—vote for leaders they expect to craft laws that will push our nation forward? That’s why we elect congressmen to represent our districts, and senators to make laws, just like councilors at the local level.”
***
The sugar planter disagreed:
“Yes, we vote for our congressman to represent us. But once in office, he never consults the people about his decisions. He does whatever he feels benefits him, not his constituents—especially those who already sold their votes to him during the election.”
***
The lady blogger joined in:
“I believe the voters themselves are to blame. They sell their votes to the highest bidder. At the end of the day, the winning politician feels entitled to say, ‘I already paid for these votes,’ and that’s the end of the story. Amen to the winner.”
***
The law student added:
“The seat of power is literally sold through votes. Once a candidate pays for the ballots, the position becomes his ‘property.’ Simple as that. It’s the mentality of voters—nadadala sa kaunting pera.”
***
The law student pressed further:
“The best way to stop thieves in government is to remove the privilege of congressmen and senators to handle projects where they can hide and steal taxpayer money. Just give them fixed salaries and allowances, nothing more. Leave infrastructure development to the mayors and governors, who are the real executives of the land.”
***
The banker slammed the table:
“What happens in this clownish country called the Philippines is that legislators decide what roads to build or demolish, what bridges to repair, what buildings to put up, and more. They’re focused on making money rather than making laws. How stupid is this system!”
***
The blogger laughed and shot back:
“And these idiots at DPWH shouldn’t even hold the budget! Give the funds to the local governments instead. DPWH is just a wasteful department stealing people’s money. Congressmen and senators should stick to lawmaking—nothing else. If their income is fixed, let’s see if they’d still run for office.”
***
The sugar planter chimed in, laughing:
“These politicians should remain lawmakers, not money-makers. That would minimize corruption in this country. Imagine: if they can’t enrich themselves in office, they’d be wearing Seiko watches, driving Vios or Innova cars, eating at fast-food joints, and maybe taking a Grab ride once in a while. The only reason they run is because big money awaits them.”
“Karma is waiting for them. Amen,” the banker concluded./PN
