Cartoon by: Yui Jamila D. Roxas
Published by: John Kurt Gabriel Reyes
Date Published: September 13, 2024
Time Published: 8:53 PM
The Philippines has always been notorious for its politicians, from the never-ending poor choices of elected leaders to the catastrophic events that follow their actions. That is why many Filipinos suffer from bad administration. Politicians hold a huge role in running our country, but why can't we move forward despite voting for leaders we think will be better for our future? What happens when a leader is a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Guo’s arrest comes after the Philippines’ Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and other agencies filed several counts of money laundering against her and 35 other individuals with the DOJ due to their alleged links to illegal operators BAOFU Land Development Inc, Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc, or Zun Yuan Technology Inc—the latter of which was raided by authorities earlier this year on suspicion of being involved in human trafficking and cryptocurrency scams. While this highlights the significance of our role models, voting wisely is critical, especially when it affects us and our environment. Not only does it give us an idea of what to look out for, but we also need to check if our leaders are really fit for the responsibilities they are going to take on. This helps us Filipinos as well as our growth as a country. While our judgment is diverse as a community, it is still important to consider how this will impact us.
Philippine law enforcement agencies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), in August, jointly filed multiple counts of money laundering against Guo and 35 others before the Department of Justice. They accused Guo and her co-conspirators of having laundered criminal proceeds amounting to more than 100 million pesos. It is frightening that we can never guess what these politicians might do with their power, especially when it is used in a bad way. Our leaders should provide good governance as they are the face of our country and our international representatives, yet we endure poor conditions because of their poor accountability.
The Philippines is perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Out of 180 countries, the Philippines ranked 116 in terms of being least corrupt. This means that the country is almost in the top one-third of the most corrupt countries, based on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by Transparency International. Our country has suffered numerous times from substandard politicians handling our economy from the past to the present. It has remained the same throughout the years. Why can’t we ask ourselves why this keeps repeating? Why can’t we progress as Filipinos in our own country? Why do we tolerate these things despite the fact that we know we can do better?
Our country needs our unity as Filipinos because this will never change if we keep constantly ignoring the problems we face. Even as citizens, we can do small things to create opportunities to help ourselves against these so-called leaders.
It is our own integrity to know what is right; it holds us accountable for our own choices as to why we need to wake up from this rabbit hole full of corruption. As citizens, we can stand together to make a change for our suffering country and progress. Alice Guo is a powerful reminder to check your leader’s background and capability to ensure they are qualified and fit to govern us. It shapes our future and prosperity for upcoming generations.
REFERENCES:
Philippines Department of Justice confirms arrest of “POGO Mayor” Alice Guo in Jakarta. (2024, September 4). IAG. https://www.asgam.com/.../philippines-department-of.../
Fugitive ex-mayor from Philippines, Alice Guo, arrested in Indonesia. (2024, September 4). The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/.../fugitive-ex-mayor-from...
Abrea, R. A. (2023, March 13). A look at how corruption works in the Philippines. INQUIRER.net. https://business.inquirer.net/.../a-look-at-how...
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