DOMINATION OF THE OLIGARCHS AND THE POLITICAL ELITES

 It is the domination of the oligarchs and the political elites which is the root cause of everything bad happening in our political and economic system, and this result to the non-functioning and the irrelevancy of democracy to our nation’s growth.

Not only are our economic portions are affected by this domination but also on the disrespect on human rights, dignity, our freedoms and liberties.

The oligarchs and the political elites are not only the ruling class but also those who are against them like the insurgents, the rebel groups and others who are opposed to the present administration and government.

Like the previous colonizers, they dominate to protect and preserve their vested interests and accumulate wealth as much as possible with human and environmental oppression and degradation.

As pioneering leaders since the commonwealth period, they have access to governmental powers and its economic opportunities. We call them as rulers when in power or opposition or insurgents when not, and vice versa.

They established our defective system of government and impose many distorted policies. Hence we have a weak state where laws are not for all citizens, but for the few. Their resources paved to the elections of our leaders through their campaign funds, and the insurgents through their permit to campaign.

Every elected leader financed is beholden and has the obligation to reciprocate their support by retaining the distorted policies and defective system of governance to continue their plunder.

The policies influenced are available at high prices, as consequence a highly corrupt bureaucracy. A government employee involve in corruption will be assigned to another office or location but the system of corruption will remain despite the removal because the one controlling the system remains undamaged and not affected.

The expensive policies result to utmost monopolies, hence less economic investments. With an economy whose fields are uneven as the political landscape, there’s less opportunity or none at all for Filipinos to grow and be economically productive. Our best and brightest have no place in this country but abroad bringing with him aside from his talents and skills, the fear in a foreign land and a broken family. To remain here is to buy expensive policies for employment or to do businesses. Whatever plans you are going to undertake, you must not disturb the powerful oligarchs and political elites of the country. Hence, this economic system puts us as one of the poorest in the world.

If you want to rebel, the existing insurgents are of the same circle of family, lineage, friends, classmates, fraternities, business and others. That is why insurgency cannot be stopped by our government and why there are those who are making money in peace negotiations, insurgencies and in rebellion. None are compatriots but rather oligarchs and political elites in the same circle.

There are conflicts within this circle and these are only façade to their continuous plunder, a drama sort of. There’s no justice or even a sense of vindictiveness against the previously ruling oligarchs because these travesties are made to give false hopes to the Filipinos as audience to the never-ending, repetitive soap opera.

The Hacienda Luisita and the CARP during Cory’s time, the mega corruption of the Clark Expo during Ramos time and Erap’s and jeuteng. There’s no justice, and GMA, with her super plundering, will remain free for they belong to the same circle of oligarchs and political elites.

The Senate investigations on corruption are of this charade. Why they are not using their constitutionally guaranteed power to check her during her tenure? Because the Senate as an institution is a beneficiary and instrument in order to retain the legitimacy of the distorted policies by tolerance. The rewards are played through the pork barrel politics.

We who are outside of the circle have no place to play their games. The rules of the game and the playing field are absolutely uneven, favored only the few and designed solely for them. We are what we called the sacrificial lamb, the pawns, the activists or collaterals.

To be hero for a new chapter of our nation’s history, the President must take a lead in closing the one on conquest and colonialism of his people by his own class. He has to be radical to dismantle the oligarch and the political elite. Their exclusive circle must be deleted and let the rules of the game and the playing field be for everyone not only for the limited crannies of the few.