Not so long ago I swore to my darling wife that I wouldn't write any more blogs about politics - it's just too negative she said - and she was right, but sorry honey, sometimes circumstances dictate what you must write about. I am prompted to write this blog because of some comments made by a Facebook "friend", who chooses to operate on Facebook under a nom-de-plume, which I guess makes him/her an UnFacebook "friend". His/her beef appeared to be with the continuing Senate inquiry into the allegedly over-priced Makati City Hall II Building. 

Let me start by noting that for years Filipino's have been demanding more accountability from their elected officials. They have complained bitterly about endemic corruption and the environment that promotes and encourages self-serving leaders, politicians and political dynasties. As an outsider I have been thrilled and excited to witness the beginning of the change in this attitude of acceptance of corruption. In 2010 the people of the Philippines finally elected a rare beast as their President - an honest man! Now that this attitude of non-acceptance of corruption and self-service is becoming part of our everyday life - it beggars belief that people are now complaining about "selective justice" and "demolition jobs" on public figures. Corruption is Corruption - wherever it exists. If someone is demonstrably corrupt, why would you rush to their defense and claim bias or self-interest on the part of the inquisitors. Whatever their motives for exposing particular instances of corruption - it doesn't change the basic fact that corruption allegations need to be answered - they cannot just be brushed off as political chicanery. 

NOBODY is above the law - PNoy has been adamant about that - and that includes everyone. The Supreme Court this week dismissed Sandiganbayan Senior Justice Gregory Ong for conduct unbecoming a Justice. What a fantastic move on the part of the Supreme Court. SC Chief Justice Sereno has always maintained there must be integrity in the Justice System and has acted swiftly to prove this is the case - Kudos to the Supreme Court and long may you continue to lead the way. It is marvelous that the Chief Justice is determined to operate at a higher level of integrity than the rest of society, because she firmly believes that is what is necessary to maintain the public trust in the Judiciary. This country is very fortunate to have a young Chief Justice at the helm who will be able to imprint her own personal integrity on the judicial system for many years to come.  

If we look at the particular issue that seems to have riled my Facebook "friend" - the Senate Inquiry into the over-priced Makati Parking Building (For despite claims to the contrary that is essentially what it really is - just a parking building, with a few floors of offices on top), we can evaluate what the inquiry has determined to date. First and foremost - NO clear, right thinking person can possibly argue that this building was not over-priced. Numerous experts have testified that this 2.8B peso building should have cost no more than 1.2B pesos. The building is not "green" (as claimed) - it is not "world-class (as claimed) and it is certainly nothing more than an average building, finished to an average standard. This has been independently verified by several quantity surveyors and valuers. So, what happened to the extra 1.6B pesos?  

The question therefore has to be this: Is the management of Makati City corrupt or is the management of Makati City incompetent? Either way - it is unacceptable to the people of Makati City and indeed the people of The Philippines. We have heard other testimony at the inquiry that suggests that there was an systemic environment of corruption within Makati under the Binay family. Much of that evidence has yet to be tested, so although compelling I will ignore it at this point. Remember though that we heard sworn testimony from a building contractor who stated unequivocally that his company had NEVER bid on any Makati City Government project ever and yet we discover his company listed as a losing bidder in a number of projects (Food for thought certainly). 

My Facebook "friend" even had the temerity to call Alan Peter Cayetano "a mestizo talking bird who tweets every-time someone is planning for the Presidency". I have no idea if Cayetano's motivation is driven by personal desire, but what I do know is it DOES NOT MATTER. The charges and allegations of corruption and / or incompetence are real and need to be addressed by the people they are laid against  - i.e. the Binay Clan. As for using the race card - "mestizo" - I find that reprehensible and ignorant in the extreme. I would suggest that most Filipinos are mestizo to some extent. Most families have Chinese, European, American, or other blood in their line - why should their heritage make any difference to their performance of their public duty. My impressions of Alan Peter Cayetano (mainly gained from the impeachment trial and this inquiry) are of an intelligent, erudite and passionate individual who believes in what he is doing and does it with style and insight. He is a duly elected Senator of the Philippines and it seems to me he performs his duties admirably. But then, what do I know - I'm not even a "mestizo", I'm just a foreigner. 

I continue to make the point that these allegations, baseless or not, have to be answered by the Binay Clan, whether they like it or not. The Filipino people deserve better than to have their elected representatives ignored by truculent children who have a known history of considering themselves above the law. I saw Jun-Jun Binay on television last night trying to justify his direct challenge of a Senate subpeona. He came across as what I've always suspected he was - just another political dynasty's child thrust into a job well beyond his capabilities, experience and age. Regardless - you are not above the law Mr Binay and you very much need to front up and explain to the people of Makati and the Philippines where the extra 1.6B pesos that was overspent on the Makati Parking Building went. It is even possible that there may be other examples of overpriced capital works in Makati that you may have to explain also, but regardless you do need to front and account for your actions / or in-actions to the people of this country. 

Might I humbly suggest that if you think you are going to be ambushed by the likes of Senators Cayetano (and he is pretty sharp) or Trillanes, you bring your Father along for support. To date the committee has shown the greatest of respect for the position of Vice-President and refused to subpoena him. In fact, I should commend the committee chairman Senator Pimintel for his control and restraint during a difficult inquiry. You and your Father would make a fantastic statement to the people (that you both serve), by fronting up together next Thursday (Give it some thought).               

Finally, to my Facebook "friend" (whoever you may really be) - You can't have it both ways! If you want an end to corruption, to self-serving leaders and to the attitude that there is no way of changing the political environment, then you must accept that anyone, whoever they may be, must answer to allegations and must front up. If they are not capable of explaining themselves to the people, then perhaps they were never capable in the first place of being our leaders. Being a relative of a leader does not automatically give you the ability to lead. Leadership is not an inherited trait - Leadership is learned and earned. Too often this appears to be forgotten in politics. 

But, then what do I know - I'm just a foreigner :-) and darling, I promise this is my last political blog...............................................................................................until next time (hehehe).     

There is a blog making the rounds of social media at the moment, which I understand is a, clearly disillusioned, young girl (23), professing her hatred for her country, which just happens to be The Philippines.

In her vitriolic rant she says among other things that since she graduated from college, with idealistic dreams and plans to "change the world" she has become so disillusioned with her country that now, at 23, she writes how she hates everything about it...from the broken infrastructure, to the rampant corruption, to the lack of attention to anything and everything outside of Manila. She says she is sick of making excuses to people from elsewhere about the problems that this country faces.

I was saddened when I read this blog, for a number of reasons: 

Perhaps it is my cynical nature, but as I read the blog I began to think about a previous blog that had been written by an American girl, I think, about Philippine food, and specifically Philippine street food. There seems to be a general acceptance now that the blog was written, the way it was written, for one reason and one reason alone...to get noticed...especially in Social Media. It seems these days that reason, objectivity and balance are not enough to get attention in the cyber-world, which of course is what most bloggers (me included) seek. The only way, it seems, to get noticed is to adopt an extreme posture at one end or the other of a topic's spectrum. This is the only way to go "viral", I'm reliably informed by my 14-year old daughter. As an ex-journalist, who cut his teeth on balance, context, and fair reporting, I'm disappointed that some people think that is they only way they can get noticed in the cyber-world. I for one don't accept it. Well, I just hope that this young lady's rant about how much she hates her country was not driven by the desire to "be noticed" or to have her "fifteen minutes of fame". That would be disappointing!

If her reasons for writing the piece were motivated by a genuine anger and frustration at the conditions in her country (our country), I would first of all agree with many of her sentiments. The Country does have a lot of problems. I would just add these few comments as food for thought on the issue:

1/ You are 23 years old. You say that when you graduated you were full of ideals and dreams of making a difference. Now, if we assume you went to University at 16 which many kids do here, and that you did a four-year degree; that would mean that you had been in the "real world" now for all of three years! I doubt that three years is anywhere enough time to have formed such an entrenched and angry position on any subject, let alone a subject with which you speak with such absolute indignation. 

2/ Change is effected only by people prepared to work, and to work hard, from WITHIN the system. Change that comes about from without the system, only comes about through violence, suffering and repression. I would just ask you, if we really want to go back to the days of personal restraints and lack of freedoms that typified the Martial Law years under Marcos. You have a freedom to express your opinions now that would have not been available to you during the years of Martial Law. You would have been arrested, detained and even tortured for the type of comments you made in your blog. To retain these freedoms, and still change the system, it must be changed from within by a new generation of young leaders. We need strong, hard-working, committed young leaders - not quitters. 

3/ Yes, there are a litany of problems that can be attributed to this country...as there can be to most countries anywhere around the world. You talk of hating the fact that the only thing Filipinos are noted for in the international community is their resilience and fortitude in the face of natural disasters. I say that you should be immensely proud of your fellow countrymen. Nowhere in the world have I ever encountered such a staunch people who can keep their spirits high and their dignity intact in the face of such horrific natural disasters. This country will always be the recipient of the worst that nature can throw at us; such as typhoons, earthquakes and volcanoes. That is just the reality of where we live; a group of islands in the middle of the tropics, sitting on the "Pacific Rim of Fire". There's nothing we can do about nature, it will always do its worst, no matter what we do. All we can do is try to mitigate its effects. To be fair; we have often been poor at this in the past - but things are improving; albeit maybe too slow for you. What I am asking you to accept is that we are now on the right path. We are now doing the things necessary to respond, and to respond quickly to natural disasters. Filipino people, by dint of their incredible courage and resilience are as best placed as anyone, anywhere to deal with the aftermath of calamity. Be proud...don't hate! 

4/ Corruption, greed, extreme poverty and self-serving leaders; have and continue to be a problem in this country. What we need to understand is that short of violent revolution (AND NOBODY, BUT MADMEN, WANT THAT!) reforms take time. The elimination of poverty and corruption are inter-generational. The ills cannot be cured overnight. What this administration has done (and some would argue it has done little enough), but what it has done and this is the start of change...it has woken the sleeping giant...the Filipino people. For the first time since I've been involved in this country, I see a change in mindset. I see a non-acceptance of corruption and poverty. For the first time, I see an unwillingness, among everyday Filipinos, to accept that poverty and corruption are endemic and not fixable. This is the start of the revolution! This is the start of the change! This is the point at which Filipinos say...enough! This is the point at which we no longer accept mediocrity and theft from our leaders! Whether you support or decry President Aquino's performance, is actually irrelevant. His legacy to this country is simply this...He has changed the mindset of an entire nation to believe that change is possible and that we, as individuals, can contribute to that change. I reiterate - what this country needs is committed dynamic, free-thinking, YOUNG leaders who are not tainted by the familial ties of the past and who can act in the best interests of their country. To our young 23 year old blogger, I say, be one of those young leaders...don't be a quitter. 

5/ Social Media has become and is becoming an even more vital cog in the push for change. What our politicians, civil servants and civic leaders are slowly coming to realize is that they just can't get away with it anymore. Everyone has a cellphone with a camera; everyone has a device that can record audio; and anyone is capable of being "your" whistle-blower. There is a coming awareness among the entitled elite that their days are numbered. That is why you currently see such fear, such violent reactions and such vehement denials from those caught up in the current scams. They are scared! They can see the writing on the wall! Their days are numbered and they know it! Don't give them comfort by relaxing the pressure on them. Use the power of social media to expose all and every case of corruption you come across. Only then will we see change. 

6/ My final plea to our blogger is that she considers what has been achieved in the four short years since the drive to clean up our country started. Much has been achieved, whether she admits it or not. They key to success now is continuity. As a Country we must never go back to the status-quo. We must never go back to politicians that will serve themselves. That is exactly what the current bunch of miscreants are hoping for. They believe that come 2016, the new government (led no doubt by the cunning little man himself - the do nothing, keep quiet, upset nobody and I'll get elected President, man - you all know who I mean), will forgive them. Don't believe it? Just look at Erap Estrada...pardoned by Arroyo...now Mayor of Manila and apparently considering a run at the Presidency in the 2016 elections. Please, tell these people NO! Their time has come and gone (thankfully). It is now time for a new generation of honest, dedicated, committed, young people to take the reigns. To our blogger...be part of that revolution. 

The thing that sustains me the most in my hope for this beautiful country (and don't ever forget that - it is a truly wonderful country!) is one exciting fact: Over 50% of the population of this country is under 25 years of age. 


Young people - you ARE the majority. You can effect change. You have the power. To all young people, especially our 23 year old blogger...


DON'T HATE - MAKE A DIFFERENCE!                               

People, it would appear have very short memories and it is this which prompts me to write my blog this morning.

It was Edmund Burke, a renowned Irish philosopher and statesman, of the sixteenth century, who once pronounced; "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it". As a quote it is probably one of the most bastardized quotes ever. Many have taken it and re-applied it to their own personal agendas. Still 300 odd years on, it rings as true today as it ever did back then. 

What prompts this focus on history and its importance to us today? In the past week I have seen one television interview (with Imee Marcos) and read three separate commentaries on social media that are attempting, in my humble opinion, to rewrite history. We are being told that the years from 1965 to 1986 under the Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos were great years for the Philippines. Further, that in those 21 years, great achievements were made in this country in education, social change and in technology and infrastructure. We are now being told that the excesses of the Marcos regime and his family were nowhere near as bad as they have been portrayed. 

Mr Marcos and his good wife Imelda, we are now led to believe, were misunderstood and that their actions were for the good of the Filipino people. When I read this stuff I recoil in horror. Can our memories really be that short? Do people genuinely believe that a murdering, thieving, lying, ruthless, incredibly corrupt Government led by Mr Marcos had the best interests of the Philippine people at its heart? Are we really all that gullible? In short, is this an orchestrated propaganda campaign to lift the Marcos name, in the Filipino psyche and to rewrite history. 

The fact that Imelda Marcos, a co-participant and some would say the driving force behind the throne of Ferdinand Marcos, can still sit in the 'People's House' the Congress of the Philippines and represent the Second District of Illocos Norte...coincidentally not her home district, but that of her late husband, and a seat previously held by her son Bong-Bong Marcos, is in my mind scandalous. Sadly that is the nature of politics in The Philippines. That she is the second richest congressperson behind, of course, Manny Pacquiao should be an even greater reason for horror and disgust. Did that wealth not come off the backs, the blood, the sweat and the tears of millions of poor Filipinos? Clearly Filipinos are the most forgiving of people...a trait that will always make them vulnerable to scalawags and rascals.

I would ask people to remember that MANY of these supposed great infrastructure projects of the Marcos era were not promulgated with the needs of the Filipino people in mind. They were created for one reason and one reason alone...to enrich the already wealthy supporters and allies of the regime. There is a reason, for example, why so many cement factories made billions during the Marcos era. They were owned by supporters and allies of Mr Marcos and they received Government contracts in much the same way as children receive lolly's at a lolly scramble. 

I can accept that if it is the will of the people to continue to elect known thieves, liars and celebrities as their politicians, then so be it (see my previous blog). That is the nature of democracy. What I cannot do, however, is sit idly by whilst the Marcos Clan, their cronies and their political allies attempt to rewrite history. 

For 14 long, painful years this country was strangled by the economic rape of the ruling elite. When Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972 he assumed absolute and complete control over the destiny and direction of The Philippines. During those 14 years there was a succession of political assassinations, illegal detentions, torture and the simple mass disappearances of opposition or political activists. Now you try and tell me that the wives, the husbands, the children and the other relatives of these people consider the economic progress made by this country during Martial Law was a fair recompense for the loss of their loved ones. 

Now, many economists would indeed argue that the best political mechanism to lift a developing nation out of poverty, is a benevolent dictatorship. The economists argue that a benevolent dictatorship allows decisions on resource allocations to be made quickly and efficiently. This is true...BUT HERE'S THE CRUNCH! No dictatorship, benevolent or otherwise has ever stayed benevolent for long. In 1887 Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Creighton stated: "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." 

Most, if not all dictators started off with good intentions. After all, Mussolini made the trains run on time...even Hitler created many great things for Germany. He got employment back to the people, with his great industrial war machine. But all people who crave power and the wealth that goes with great power will inevitably fall to the human nature of greed. There is little doubt in my mind that one Ferdinand Marcos, his family and his cronies succumbed to that belief that only they could be right...only they knew what was right for the people. 

It's called megalomania and it is the most common form of political disease anywhere in the world. The Philippines is no less immune to megalomania than say New Zealand. In 1974 New Zealand also had a leader who came to the conclusion that he was more powerful, more important than anyone else in Parliament. He came to believe that only his opinion counted. His name was Sir Robert Muldoon and he displayed all the classic symptoms of a megalomaniac...distrust of others, suspicion of motives of others...in short paranoia. Fortunately we had an electoral system that allowed us to easily remove him from office, which the people did in the 1974 elections. Sadly, for The Philippines, it took the People Power Revolution of 1986 to remove their megalomaniac from office. 

My point of this blog is simple...do not allow a recitation of the achievements of Ferdinand Marcos, his lovely wife and his cronies to cloud the memory of what those 14 years of martial law and ruthless dictatorship did to this nation. 

When I talk to the young people of this country it disturbs me that they really have no concept of their political history. They know of "People Power" of course, but they have very little idea or concept of what prompted the people's revolution. They know a lot about the early heroes of the first republic...Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emile Aguinaldo, and others, but I find their understanding of and appreciation for the years of Martial Law, to be sadly lacking. This is a clear gap in the current education system. It was those years under Marcos that shaped where we are today and we must never allow the passing years to dim the evil aspects of that regime. 

I don't for a second suggest that The Philippine democracy is anywhere near perfect. It is still beset by self-serving cronyism that puts wealth and power far above service. We only have to look at the current PDAF scam debacle to realize that as a democracy we still have a very long way to go. What I do suggest is that what we have today is far, far, superior to any dictatorship. At least we can hold those who have cheated us, accountable. For that we need a strong Leader (we have one), a strong Justice Secretary (we have one), a strong Ombudsman (we have one) and a strong leader of our Court System (we have one). The fact that three of those four leaders are woman, just adds to my certainty that in this issue justice will eventually be served on these greedy, corrupt people. 

Winston Churchill once famously said; "Democracy is the worst form of Government - except for all the others that have been tried from time to time." I'm a great believer in that statement. Until something better is discovered I would rather live in a democracy, no matter how imperfect it is...than any other form of autocratic rule. 


We must not forget, or allow others to sanitize, the past. It was what it was. 

Learn from it and vow to never allow it to be repeated! 

Two years ago, that fine institution: The Senate of The Philippines impeached Chief Justice Renata Corona for a false declaration in his statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). Despite, at the time, there being underlying suggestions that there was ill-gotten wealth and corruption afoot; at the end of the day, it was his undeclared bank accounts of US dollars that saw the demise of the Chief Justice. 

I have absolutely no doubt that today former Chief Justice Corona is now sitting back, in one of his luxurious armchairs, grinning to himself as he contemplates the total humiliation and potential destruction of the very same institution that so happily judged and impeached him just two years earlier. 

In what must seem like a delicious irony, to the former Chief Justice, so many of his "Judges" from the Impeachment Trial, are now themselves facing allegations of corruption on such a grand scale that it actually has the potential to topple the institution itself. The "Napoles" list, The "Lacson" list, the "Luy" list may well all differ slightly as to the names of the Senators, Congessmen and Public Servants who were involved in what now appears to be a much greater scam than the initial P10 Billion scam of Janet Lim Napoles. One thing is for certain many, many public officials were in collusion with Ms Napoles and her cohorts as they blithely robbed the Filipino people blind of so much of the country's wealth. Only criminal trials will ultimately determine for sure who was actually involved and who should serve time for the heinous crime, but one thing is certain, many, many head should and will roll over this scam.     

The only question I want to raise at this point is this: Who is ultimately responsible for this horrific betrayal of the Filipino People? The answer to that question, in my mind, is as sad, as it is simple. The answer is YOU! There is an old quote from a French philosopher called Joseph de Maistre which goes; "Every Nation gets the Government it Deserves" and Philippines, you have got the Government that you voted for and deserved. 

In my mind there are three distinct reasons why The Philippines ended up with the Government it deserved: 

The first reason that springs to my mind is: "The Cult of Celebrity". Why is it that sensible, smart people somehow seem to believe that being a singer, an actor or a comedian is either a good training ground or a qualification for running a country, province or a city. The Senate, The Congress, The Governorship's, The Mayoralties, and even the local town boards are literally awash with has-been actors, wannabe singers and local "celebrities". Don't get me wrong, I'm not decrying individuals here. I have no doubt that there are some fine politicians who have come through the ranks of the arts; but what concerns me is that when it come to the Polling Booth, so many people vote on name alone, and having a "celebrity" status seems to be almost an automatic entree to the political system. The reason I put a photo of Erap in this section is because, in my opinion, he epitomizes the malaise that lurks in the political system here. He was elected from Actor to President in a blaze of reforming glory in 1998; yet two and half years later he was impeached; proven to be corrupt and fraudulent and thrown out of office. Yet, here he is 13 years later, still a powerhouse in Philippine politics, elected by the voters of Manila as the Mayor of our capital city. To me, it beggars belief!     

The second issue as I see it, is the thorny question of Political Dynasties. I say it is thorny for one reason; I am not a supporter of the "Anti-Dynastic" Bill, which seeks to exclude people from public office just because they have relatives already serving in public office. To me this is totally undemocratic and should be thrown out. Our current President himself; who I do support, is part of a political family. His Mother was President, his Father was assassinated for his political beliefs and many members of his extended family already serve in various public offices. 

What I am saying here is that being born into a political family does not necessarily qualify you to be a politician. Voters need to look beyond the name and vote on issues, not family name. Why did I pick Nancy Binay's photo to highlight here? I would just pose the question: What experience and qualifications does Nancy Binay have to serve in The Philippine Senate? From what I can gather her experience is limited to helping Mummy out when she was Mayor of Makati, an office now held by her Brother Jejomar Binay Jr. In fact the City of Makati has been governed by the Binays for almost 30 years now, first by Jejomar Binay Snr, then by his wife Elenita Binay and now by the son Jejomar Jr. Do I see a pattern emerging here? Oh, I almost forgot she also apparently helped Daddy out in his role of Vice-President. 

Before I leave this section there is one other issue I consider highlights the importance of "family name" in Philippine politics. Two of the latest and highest polling senators in the 2013 Senatorial Elections were Grace Poe (Daughter of Actor and Politician the late Fernando Poe Jr.) and Nancy Binay (Daughter of the Vice-President), who were the highest and fifth polling candidates respectively. My only issue here was their names. Prior to the elections these two ladies were known as Grace Poe-Lllamanzares and Nancy Binay-Angeles respectively; both used their married names. Yet come the election campaign they morphed into Grace Poe and Nancy Binay. The power of the family name comes to the fore! I wonder what their husbands thought about it? 

To me, the Senate, beyond the Office of the President, should represent the cream of Philippine politics, but given all that has happened in the last few years, we have to ask the question: Has the cream curdled?   

The final big issue that faces voters in Philippine politics is the age-old issue of Patronage; politicians buying their seats by giving money to voters to vote in a certain way. This can also extend to politicians setting up vast electoral networks that ostensibly "employ" lots of volunteers to drum up support for them, in that elector's regions. Both these practices are undemocratic and corrupt and should be eliminated. 

To my way of thinking an elector has a simple choice; take the money if its offered and still vote any damn way you please. Vote for the candidates that offer something real and tangible to the Philippine people; the candidates that offer a vision for the future; the candidates that really do want to change this country for the better.

If everyone does that, we might have a chance to never have to go through the humiliation and shame of yet another "Pork Barrel Scandal" As 2016 approaches it behooves every Filipino voter to cast his or her vote responsibly. Consider the candidate's qualities, their experience, their plans, their visions for the country and vote accordingly. The six years of the Aquino administration will have been far from perfect, but remember this; a start has been made to break the decades long presumption of corruption and self-serving public officials. Please let's not go back to the "bad" old days. Let's build a democracy to be proud of! 

You may well ask; why do I care? I'm just another foreigner; what's it got to do with me? I may be a foreigner but I would say this: 

1/ I have a love for and a fascination in the political process; not just here, or in New Zealand, but all over the world. 

2/ This is my country too now, I'm a permanent resident here and I intend to be here for many, many years...but I am not allowed to vote here. 

3/ I'm not allowed to vote in New Zealand either, because I've been away from there for over three years, so essentially I'm stateless.
 
4/ I haven't been here long enough to get citizenship, but even if I want to, I'll have to renounce my New Zealand citizenship; which will be a big decision to make in the future. 

It's ironical isn't it; The Philippines now allows its Pinoys overseas to have dual citizenship, yet they won't allow foreigners living here to claim dual citizenship...but that's a story for another day...