Our political leaders have failed us

Another year passed and a new one is before us. There's no better time to take stock of where we are as a nation than now.

- ANDREW J. MASIGAN

The urgency of the situation leaves no room for tact. So I will be direct.

Our political leaders and the system they created have failed us. We may not have noticed how much we have deteriorated in development indices since the erosion has come in small increments. But viewed from the lens of decades, you will see that the damage wrought by our politicians has been enormous.

At the heart of our problems is corruption and impudence by our political leaders themselves. Every politician claims to love his country but when faced with a choice between self-gain or national gain, the former always wins. This is why "SOPs" (a colloquial word for 20+ percent commission for the chief) has become a fact of Philippine life. The same with nepotism, kickbacks and outright theft. The Vice President's Mary Grace Piattos scam eloquently exemplifies this. Our political leaders have become scandalously rich by corruption, while the rest of society is left with no social safety nets. The quality of social services and infrastructure is maintained at its barest minimum. Institutions like the Commission on Audit hardly mitigate corruption. They only become relevant when used as a political weapon.

And then there is the consolidation of wealth and power by political dynasties. Incumbent politicians use their influence and government's money to get family members elected, even if they edge out better talent. Inexperienced relatives always win. Studies show that political dynasties erode leadership quality and promote corruption. Political dynasties are the principal cause of our retarded development. They are to blame.