FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN/01/23/06

By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio
junpolicarpio@yahoo.com


“CRYING OUT FROM THE GRAVE”

Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao’s recent knock-out
victory over Eric Morales, who is considered the best
boxer in M exico and one of the greatest boxers in
the world, once again proved that the Filipino race
can produce the greatest in any field of endeavor.
For the record, out of this Asian nation, the
Philippines, came a universal genius in the person of
its national hero, Jose Rizal. As for me , I would not
exchange Juan Luna’s paintings with that of Leonardo
da Vinci’s or Michelangelo’s. And the list of
Filipinos who have excelled in their areas of
specialties continues to grow longer and longer.

Yet it is ironic that the Philippines for so many
years has been deprived of the kind of national
leadership that could develop and utilize more of its
human resources, notwithstanding the failure to
develop and utilize its natural resources. If given
the proper resources and opportunities for development
and productivity, the Filipino people can even surpass
Japan or America economically, socially, and
politically.

Just consider the financial output of the overseas
Filipino workers that is now generally considered as
the saving grace to stop the Philippine economic
downfall. Most of these highly-skilled workers have
been forced to accept menial jobs abroad that somehow
pay much more than what they can receive in the
Philippines. Worse still, most of the time there are
no jobs available for them in their country. Imagine
their economic potential that could turn their
impoverished Philippines around if given the same
amount of opportunities and compensations the Japanese
and American workers enjoy in their own countries.

For years, the Filipino people have been innocently
caught in a vicious cycle of corrupt leadership.
Running for public office has been the favorite
investment vehicle of those with money to buy or rig
the vote. Once fraudulently elected in office, the
candidate’s normal return of his or her 10 million
peso investment is on the average 10 times as much.
The plunder of the Filipino people’s money has been
clearly exposed during the last 2004 presidential
elections. More of the same definitely did happen in
other past elections. But paraphrasing a biblical
passage, now the blood of the Filipino people is
“crying out from the grave.” So likewise as in the Old
Testament days those who steal, cheat, and lie should
be banished from the land.

Only God knows what will happen in the Philippines in
the next few months. Only He can choose the right
leaders to save this poor country from
self-destruction.


End