“When all is said and done, our lives are like houses built on foundations of sand. One strong wind and all is gone.”—Hanshiro Tsugumo

JUSTICE is slow if not elusive in the Philippines. 

The moneyed sometimes escaped accountability—but not guilt—like Houdini escaping handcuffs, straitjackets, and other restraints in daring public stunts. Arcanum effugium.

If the monolithic flood control project anomalies occurred in Japan, dead bodies of politicians and even government-funded project contractors would have strewn in the rivers, sidewalks, and railroads.

No, the taxpayers wouldn’t commit the murderous binge yet; it’s the politicians and contractors themselves who would violently end their lives via harakiri, a historical form of ritual suicide. 

The shame and humiliation after being exposed as plunderers and thieves in government are unbearable and unacceptable. Japanese would prefer to “die with dignity.”

The phrase “death with dignity” is understood as the right to end one’s life with minimal suffering and to have one’s wishes for end-of-life care respected, which can involve withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, particularly in terminal cases among Japanese.

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This concept is evolving from traditional cultural views emphasizing harmony and a peaceful transition, to a modern emphasis on individual autonomy and patient rights, influenced by Western concepts of individualism and the right to refuse treatment.

We don’t have it in the Philippines. Filipino thieves in government will even deny to death—and they are the ones who have the temerity to get mad and act as the victims.

Rapacious politicians don’t feel any iota of shame and embarrassment even if they are regularly bombarded with negative and slanderous commentaries in the social and mainstream media.

In Hiligaynon, it is called kabalan or mga kabalan (thick-faced or thick-skinned), which describes someone insensitive to criticism or insults, unbothered by embarrassment, and not easily offended.

Look at this kabalan Joel Villanueva. He even threatened to sue his accusers and the netizens who criticized him after a DPWH contractor revealed his possible involvement in the P600-million worth of questionable infrastructure projects in Bulacan, where his family members are being hailed as demigods.

If the flood control project anomalies happened in China, dead bodies would be strewn in the Tiananmen Square in Dongcheng, China where corrupt individuals—politicians and private individuals—are paraded for all the people to watch and mowed down by firing squad. 

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In the Philippines, the rascals are able to fly abroad for medical check-up, among other absurd alibis; they are able to create fake media accounts to belie accusations against them even if the accusations are backed by damning pieces of evidence.

They can call a press conference and even bribe some equally corrupt reporters to slant their stories in favor of these hooligans in public service.

They can finance a band of gangsters to participate and disrupt a peaceful protest rally to divert the people’s attention from their shenanigans.

Or they will just give up their positions like Martin Romualdez, the “bondying” (this isn’t our word) of Philippine congress. 

If bondying and his ilk Zaldy Co, et al won’t be jailed, the bondying’s cousin, President Bonget, will most like incur the wrath of irate Filipinos.

Heads must roll. It’s not enough to condemn the gigantic thievery that could reach staggering trillions of pesos if proper accounting of taxpayers’ money stolen by the crocodiles in government has been completed.

Also, it doesn’t mean the alleged malfeasance of the second highest elected official of the land, Sara Duterte, will be forgotten because the people are now laser-focused on the flood control project anomalies. 

All crooks must be exposed and sent to jail. There should be no exemption. There should be no holy cows.

Alex P. Vidal, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Editor