The system is rigged

THE CORNER ORACLE

- ANDREW J. MASIGAN

Public fury is swelling over the hundreds of billions lost through bogus flood control projects and other forms of corruption. The rage is rising and those implicated in the House, the Senate and the Executive branch are now in a grotesque frenzy to cover their tracks. The orgy of finger-pointing, deflection and self-proclamation of innocence has begun.

In Congress, the Speaker declared that "the House will not tolerate corruption." Such pompous words insult our intelligence — as if we do not see what's really going on. After all, it was the Speaker himself who presided over the 2025 budget, a spending plan that watchdogs flagged for embedding nearly a trillion pesos in pork. By controlling the release of pork, he keeps lawmakers on a tight leash. It strains belief that any financial machination could operate without his knowledge. Besides, Congress is revealing itself as the epicenter of corruption — a national liability.

The Speaker's budget co-architect conveniently flew to the US, citing medical reasons. It is an act of a coward — an old trick to shield himself from scrutiny. It smacks of evasion from accountability. Meanwhile, other implicated congressmen have gone conspicuously silent, keeping a low profile as they scramble to cover their tracks.

Meanwhile, one senator thundered on the Senate floor with a fiery speech condemning corruption. Yet, his name keeps being linked to ghost projects. He parades as a righteous man but was caught in a lie multiple times. To many, his speech about corruption felt less like a call for honesty and more like sanctimony. His moral posturing reeks of a Pharisee.