A Decade of Decadence

Panfilo Lacson delivered a speech in March 2003, ten years ago, calling for the abolition of the pork barrel. He detailed how the thieves divided the spoils among them; how the opportunists, both public and private, pocketed money paid by taxpayers, meant for the citizens of this country. He practically begged his fellow legislators in the Upper House to do what was best for the country and to actually fulfil their sworn duty to put the interests of the people over their own.

Ten years later, the legislators remain deaf. It is as if the Lacson privilege speech did not happen. It is as if they did not hear anything on that fateful day in March 2003. Ten years later, the greed and audacity in misusing the pork barrel have gone worse beyond belief.

Below is the Lacson privilege speech delivered during session in the Senate on March 11, 2003:

No Different

They met online. 13 years ago. Both bored out of their wits, looking for distraction from monotonous work. They resorted to the Internet for entertainment, recreation, any form of relaxation that it afforded them.

While other people met in cafes or restaurants for the first time, Sam and Gina (names changed to protect their privacy and identities) met in a chat room. Call it cyber blind date, if you will. As in any other blind date, it was awkward at first. Neither of them knew the other, much less their interests, hobbies, greatest hopes and dreams. They forget now what the first topic was. But each vividly remembers how, after only a few minutes of chatting with each other, both of them instantly fell into the rhythm of the familiar, like they had known each other for ages. What began as one-hour midday chats during lunch break (having cyber lunch dates) became nightly heart-to-hearts, often extending until the wee hours of the morning.

Thieves

We see them everyday. Everywhere we turn. Myriad reasons why we question the government, why we distrust people who possess, nay brandish, political power, why we look with suspicion at every public officer. Epaliticians. Kotong cops. Wang-wangs. Fixers in government offices.

But these are small-time; nothing compared to the massively corrupt who go scot-free, whistleblowers and tons of evidence notwithstanding.