Letters to the Editor
Letters to the
editor are welcome on this page. Only those with complete name,
signature, contact number and return address for verification
shall be considered for publication, subject to editing and space
limitation when necessary - Editor-in-Chief.
‘Wolves’ in pols’ clothing
Like the other calamities that befell this godforsaken country,
last Saturday’s deadly stampede that killed and maimed hundreds
from among a multitude of “desperate” people scampering for
fabulous prizes dangled over their noses at a noon-time TV show at
Ultra will soon be forgotten. All the grieving, finger-pointing,
aid-giving, posturing and probing frenzy that usually follow such
a tragedy would in no time die down. And, as expected, life will
again have “to move on”.
But how about the lessons such a fiasco may have raised for us to
learn from? Can we just shrug them off and go on with our
disturbing apathy and foolhardiness?
The Ultra tragedy didn’t seem to happen for nothing. The message
was clear: poverty - or man’s desire to bolt out of it at any
slightest (or easiest) opportunity - could turn out to be
disastrous. Hence, something should be done – and fast – to
address this pressing concern. Our so-called leaders should not
merely keep on talking and promising. They’ve got to deliver
tangible results by way of providing employment, housing, quality
education and health services for the people, particularly the
poor, before they become more desperate and restive.
Instead of changing or writing a Constitution, or even thinking
about it, our politicians should change their crooked ways and
write finis to their greed. Funding vital government programs to
alleviate the plight of the poor couldn’t be any problem at all if
only the public coffers are kept strictly off-limit to pillagers
or looters. The millions or billions of public funds that tend to
get waylaid in high and low profile scams (fertilizer, Marcos’
ill-gotten wealth, military, road projects, pork barrel, ad
nauseam) could have been used to at least help solve the lingering
ills of poverty. Corruption breeds poverty, deprivation and
discontent. It’s high time we rid ourselves of this scourge.
Or, are we going to wait until some pack of hungry and desperate
“wolves” find no other recourse but shove their way through and
past some highly guarded gates, this time, not to grab a few
tickets for some flaunted prizes, but to demand the calloused or
thick skulls of those in power?
MANUEL A. COLLAO, via e-mail.
