Kleptocracy

Let's call a spade a spade: what we have is a kleptocracy, not a democracy. Political power is held by thieves.

- ALEX MAGNO

It was acquired by buying elections, using funds stolen from taxpayers. The monopoly on power is maintained through the levers of patronage politics, greased with even more taxpayer money.

The stealing permeated every aspect of our government. Funds for education or health were diverted by our legislators to projects where stealing is easier. Key parts of the bureaucracy have been coopted into conveyors for ghost projects.

Local governments did not let the action pass them; they mulct businesses daring to invest in their fiefdoms. They clog the dispersal of investments to communities that need them direly.

There are generational costs inflicted by the kleptocracy. Our health system is seriously incapacitated. Our educational system has failed our young. Our logistics system is decrepit and unable to support our economic growth.

It is hard to be proud of our country these days. Even harder to be hopeful about the future—whatever the hype is about "Bagong Pilipinas."

Whatever we try to do to push development forward—be it building our tourism industry or preparing a highly skilled workforce capable of competing globally—has been thwarted by corrupt government. Our ability to move forward is stymied by unbridled looting everywhere.

The growing scandal over the corrupted flood control projects will just continue ballooning over the next few days. Any credible inquiry conducted into this most flagrant theft of public funds will be staring at a bottomless pit. The thievery related to these projects is a many-splendored thing.