by Boldstar
Martyrdom is endemic in every Filipino. And patience is its sidekick. Though thousands are now homeless as a result of the super typhoons, many are patiently waiting, accepting charity given by those who are able at the same time bracing for another storm to come. Many have banded together to survive, drowning in instant noodles, and adding an extension higher than the previous, well at least above water. And what is astoundingly stupendous is the spirit of many Filipinos to rise above it all and adapt by making a water raft to get from point A to B where it used to be paved road over garbage. They can’t move away from the flood plains, but they can build a higher floor. Admirable, but to me it is the ultimate cost of a system flawed by corruption.
No one is rioting for lack of organized help from the authorities, no mass protests from the victims because of atrocities committed by the Republic and no demands of a Senate inquiry regarding the catastrophic failure by this administration to protect its citizens. Why? Well, the Filipino citizenry has completely embalmed itself in martyrdom. Anointing itself with every typhoon Ondoy’s that come. Like survival zombies, onwards and upwards seeking satisfaction because it is courageous and ones right to show that one can survive the trials and tribulations of nature. Some even welcome the profundity of fate by staying put in homes teetering on landslides.
This is the price we all pay for an utterly corrupt system. Because the system cannot cope, many people are left to make do with what’s left of their lives and properties. There are no alternatives or a glimmer of hope. In other civilised countries people would be forced by the authorities to leave for their safety. The obvious apathy even in the midst of a miserable calamity is objectionably shocking. It’s like we all are waiting for every miserable thing to entombed us all eternally in misery and filth?
Corruption sucks and it kills.
What we need to do is look at how are these people for instance able to move some of the 56.5 DPWH billions into multi-currency bank accounts and complex asset management. Thereby, establishing complex structures of offshore companies and trusts spread across several different offshore opaque financial centres with ambiguous jurisdictions. I am only insinuating the former. But it is a fact that in the
to D to W to X and finally back to
A. How do you do it?
(from the Files of Mr. Jarius Bondoc http://www.philstar.com/ArticlePrinterFriendly.aspx?articleId=495192 )
EXAMPLE: (from the Files of Mr. Jarius Bondoc http://www.philstar.com/ArticlePrinterFriendly.aspx?articleId=495192 )
The Dept. of Agriculture’s P728-million fertilizer scam in 2004 is a case in point. Nine of the 13 NGOs that received multimillion pesos were inexistent. Yet the DA repeated the scam in 2007, another election year. Seven of the ten NGOs were dubious. Sen. Noynoy Aquino’s staff noted that three of the fake NGOs in 2004 got money again in 2007, as reported Monday.
Other NGOs that received fertilizer funds in 2004
• Aaron Foundation (
• People’s Organization for Progress & Development Foundation Inc. — received P13 million, with COA reporting “found in address and equipment and personnel”;
• Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. — got P28 million, “found in address but was closed”;
• Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. — got P11.5 million, “found in address but was closed”;
• Sikap Yaman Foundation Inc. — got P4.9 million in an office with “no signage, unknown in residential neighborhood”;
• Philippine Environment & Ecological Development Association — got P1.95 million in “multi-story building occupied by RMN Network”;
• Bukid Tanglaw Livelihood Foundation Inc. — got P10 million, “no signage, unknown in the area”;
• Ikaw at Ako Foundation — got P8 million, office in Camarines Norte has “no SEC registration”;
• Kabus nga Mag-Uuma ug Managat Foundation Inc. — got P.5 million, address in
• Workers Cooperative of the
NGOs that received agricultural pork barrel in 2007
• Antipolo Philanthropy Foundation Inc. — got P146.6 million in address occupied by a school, “unknown in the area”;
• Commoners Foundation Inc. — got P9.13 million, address occupied by commercial establishments, “unknown in given address, no SEC papers;
• Coprahan and Gulayan Foundation Inc. — got P31 million, “no office or signage at given address”;
• Samahan ng Manininda ng Prutas at Gulay sa Gabi Inc. — got P20 million, “no office or signage at given address”.
That’s why behind any foundation is a millionaire politician. Yes, most trapos have their own “Foundation” as a front for money laundering until emerging as a mansion on
Placement stage where illegal funds are introduced into the financial system and broken down into a number of different financial packages. 728 Million dispersed legally out into multiple foundations.
Layering stage. This is where chaos is introduced. Lack of paperwork and undocumented funds transfer. Each individual foundation goes through a series of conversions and/or movements of the illicit funds. This is designed to create a buffer of opaque activities to distance them from the source and make it more difficult to track. And then shut shop.
Integration stage is the last stage where a proportion is kept and the rest is funneled back into the source hence bagful of cash at the Palace by the river or from the provincial governador. Funds are re-integrated into the legitimate economy by, for example, buying American real estate or investing in a club where the trapo is one of the proprietors which also include a brother or sister or an uncle or a cat and dog.
And there you have it martyrdom and corruption gorging on each other, nourishing on what’s left of the carcass of the nation.
It is a byzantine power struggle.
But it’s time to end it.
Soon I hope.
Boldstar,
You have a penchant for hitting the nail right on the head. I, for one, believe that the Filipino "talent" for martyrdom is and will always be our own undoing.
I, for one, believe that the CHURCH should be RESPONSIBLE enough to SHUT UP about all the lies that the poor must endure hell on earth for a place in heaven; all it does and continues to do is proliferate a numbing sense of resignation and powerlessness which we all so bravely disproved in EDSA.
More power to all of you for your vigilance. May whatever higher power that exists FINALLY enlighten the Filipinos.
Go Boldie...picture please!
Nice blog. For the AML-CFT and Corruption news please have a look at http://aml-cft.blogspot.com
Martyrdom is learned early in this country; often the wives just suffer and tolerate their husband's cheating and philandering. Corruption is also learned early, instead of waiting for their turn, people will pay or call anybody they know with connections so that they won't need to wait or queue up. These are the things that the children learn early in life; what change can we expect?
Boldie, you are soooo spot on mate.
We should have more T-shirts made of the other heroes: like bonifacio, and Antoinio Luna you know the ones killed by other filipinos because of in fighting, power plays, and politics.
Rizal and Ninoy are great and all, but the spectrum of circumstance the other heroes died in should make people ask some questions about the cost of our disunity.
MARTYRDOM, SELF PERSECUTION, APATHY? NO. VERY LOW SELF ESTEEM. CULTURALLY! WE HAVE NOT GAINED A NATIONAL IDENTITY AFTER 300 YEARS OF SPANISH RULE AND 50 YEARS UNDER AMERICAN IMPERIALISM. ABOUT TIME TO SHED BLOOD... A REAL REVOLUTION... TO FINALLY ACQUIRE A TRUE IDENTITY. NO GUTS, NO GLORY!
bahala na (fatalistic attitude); bukas na lang (procrastination); talagang ganyan (resignation).. these are examples of filipino traits brought about by centuries of colonial enslavement which have to be kicked to the curb. about time we be motivated to create a strong national character. enough of the "kawawa naman ako" syndrome. we filipinos are survivors. it is amazing that a filipino can be found even in the remotest corner of the planet. let this resiliency in spirit and ingenuity be used positively as a barometer in building our true character.
good one carlitoz!
I just saw this blog on Catholics against Mojo Jojo billbiard ... http://images.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_45DYNsGLkkM/Sp3K3czlexI/AAAAAAAAAso/508beoy6CGk/s400/glutamax-ad.jpg&imgrefurl=http://dontgimmeanattitude.blogspot.com/2009/09/on-mojo-jojos-billboard.html&usg=__nZa_aLTvB09KloAudQkJHFYN_yU=&h=319&w=400&sz=24&hl=tl&start=46&um=1&tbnid=aL9Acer4_3k8TM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmojo%2Bjojo%2Bmagic%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dtl%26sa%3DN%26start%3D40%26um%3D1
I want to change my citizenship...
I'm not proud of being pinoy anymore. Our country is full of greedy people. That's our problem here: GREED!
The second paragraph is a general statement that does not provide any proof. As far as we know Technology such as the internet has been a lot of help.
Besides why would you RIOT for a lack of organized help, they were basically asking for help.
Using the word "embalm" to describe the people's martyrdom does not make sense. Bakit patay na ba sila? Sometimes kung sumulat po kayo, try to make sense, para ma-intindihan po kayo. Play with words if you are good at it, if not, then it is all nonsense and in other words "it's all crap!".
For change to really happen, where does one even begin?????? Corruption is EMBEDDED SO DEEP in our system and culture, it will not take years, BUT GENERATIONS TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS!!!
For the life of me, I can't understand how these politicians can eat and sleep well at night knowing their citizen's welfare is in their hands. Mga manhid at makakapal ang mukha! Lasing na sa pera!!!
Kumain lang ako sa fast food chain at may malimos lang sa kin na batang uhugin, my stomach turns and i lose my appetite - not because of the poor kid, but knowing that the damn poor kid didn't have to beg if we had PROPER SOCIAL SERVICES, THAT ARE PROPERLY FUNDED, BY THE GOD DAMN GOVERNMENT!!!!
"For the life of me, I can't understand how these politicians can eat and sleep well at night knowing their citizen's welfare is in their hands. Mga manhid at makakapal ang mukha! Lasing na sa pera!!!"
...Hindi ba nag-uumpisa uli ang mga buwitre na magpalapad ng papel after Ondoy at the expense of the masa dahil sa nalalapit na eleksiyon? Ang mga symptoms and signs na nabanggit ay part and parcel ng isang sakit - Kanser. Talamak na masyado sa atin at sa lipunan. Saan nag-umpisa at paano tatapusin? Apathy is not totally to be blamed. Kung gusto naman kasi natin ng pagbabago, tayo ay kumikilos. Pero bakit parang hindi tayo umaabante? Does it really go back to apathy?
I agree that corruption sucks but disagree that martyrdom sucks too.
Corruption is the cancer that is slowly killing this country. The ineffectiveness of the government's response is a crystal clear symptom of a stage 3, 4 or somewhere in between. If nothing changes, the country shall simply expire.
Charity is the main driver of martyrdom; the two are very much connected. Perhaps we have a different understanding of the concept of martyrdom. I think, what really sucks in this country is the stench of national apathy, which has its roots in the lack of real patriotism.
Cool website. Cheers.
Marion
Filipinos lack of self-esteem. They are easily intimidated by the rich people or people with power. It's usual for them to flatter any important persons. They're very timid to ask and demand for their rights and what they need.
They feel so helpless that they're numb and rely everything to God.
What really annoys me is the over-used phrase- "help from/of the government" Government sucks money of every working Filipinos and if they will do something (at last) for the Filipinos, it's their obligation and their function and not a help.
agreeeeee ... watch out for people who do charity, and get charity!
Did you know?
The congressional justice committee cleared Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez of all her alleged offenses that her accusers said constituted clear grounds for her impeachment, including her “gross inexcusable inaction” on the P728-million fertilizer scam. the whitewash happened when all hands were busy with Ondoy.