By Monsi A. Serrano
I don’t want to deal with the obvious in the issue of Pharmally, but one thing is certain at the end of the day – the real losers are the Filipino people and a Filipino by the name of Krizle Grace Mago who was lured by the triumvirate Fil-Chinese-Indian mafia.
Good for Pharmally, it has the pro-bono service of the highest-paid lawyer of the country (hope he has won some cases during his stint as a lawyer), President Rodrigo Duterte, for taking the cudgels for them and using all the legal remedies albeit ridiculous just to defend the glaring mother of all corporate corruption in the country.
While they can play in the legality of the action taken, it is morally wrong and would shame even the most callous Yakuza or Mafia that ever existed.
As early as last year, I already sensed that this pandemic is a money-making activity for this administration and its allies. As what I’ve said before, may pera sa pandemya at may yayaman sa pandemiya. Perhaps, these people have mastered the economics and marketing that would shame the illustrious authors like Economics book author and professor Paul Samuelson, and Marketing book author and guru Philip Kotler.
Can you imagine, the Philippines implemented the most stringent quarantine measures via all means such as the mandatory use of face shields and yet as of this writing we landed as number 53 (last among 53 countries) in the world of having the worst COVID response. Does this not insult the best and the brightest of our country?
As long as there’s manna from the pandemic, there’s more fund in the Philippines.
2020 Mandatory face shield implementation
In July last year, I thwarted the plan to implement the wearing of face shields when I got a tip from a known personality in the business that Malacañang was to announce on Aug. 15, 2020, the mandatory use of face shields. Back then there was a scarcity of supply in the market but the syndicates had stocked up millions of these already.
Warehouses of the enterprising syndicates were ready in Paranaque, Taguig, Manila, Valenzuela and Quezon City. According to my source, someone powerful cornered the face shield importation, release and distribution in the Philippines.
I posted and informed level-headed Cabinet secretaries about this info, and told them that the people were already struggling to find their food and there was another nonsensical and moneymaking burden that was already in the pipeline. This also has caused uproar from the netizens and Harry Roque’s planned announcement last August 15 stopped the implementation.
Why did we fall on the last in terms of our COVID response?
Of course, they are called the best and the brightest right, or creme de la creme. They were retired generals who are willing to die for the President but not for the COVID19. They have guns, armies, tanks, and all the artilleries ready. But the question is, did they ever shoot one virus since they were appointed to be part of the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolutions?
What was the plan in dealing with the pandemic? Why do they keep insisting on the “Russian Roulette” type of public health guidance for operations and mandated orders that pushed us down in our response and also our economic recovery? Is it because the appointed retired military generals are used to tactical planning than strategic? Only heaven knows.
But one thing is certain, those who are fairing well did not appoint retired and jobless military men, but health experts from private and medical fields who have a better understanding of the crisis, than those who have gained stars on their shoulders. Who do you call when you have car trouble, a chef, or an auto mechanic? When you have a tooth-related problem, do you call an oncologist or a dentist? This is a no-brainer question, right.
The Dolomite Beach ‘bitches‘
Another appalling money-making scheme is the Dolomite beach, which I fondly call Dorobomite bitch because I feel that the government is robbing the Filipino people of the money intended for “mental health” as Duterte’s mouthpiece, Harry Roque said.
The whole world is suffering economically and the nationwide lockdown forced upon us by the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the lives of everyone we know. It has caused anxiety as health and safety concerns coupled with economic and income uncertainties weighed down every Juan and Juana, setting back a broad spectrum of businesses. And here’s Duterte and his minions, ostentatiously spending ₱397.897 million for dolomite with a rationale of “good for mental health”! What is the scientific foundation for this assumptio non probata? (Assuming without a proof!) What is the correlation between Dolomite Beach and mental health? Good for mental health, or good for the pocket of the crook people in the government?
Commonsense dictates that in this time of global economic woes, frugal spending and not whimsical must be the primordial concern of this administration. They should conscientiously think about how to provide food for those Filipinos who lost their job for the time being. Where is the Tapang at Malasakit (Courage and Concern) that this admin used to trick the voters during the election campaign? Perhaps, the Tapang and Malasakit they brandish are made in China.
Not only is the Dolomite beach impractical, but the danger it poses to people’s health should make others carefully evaluate if it is really worth pursuing. Already, health experts gave their caveats about the health hazard of the fake white sand (dolomite) on humans.
Mind you, this is just the first phase, expect more phases and the maintenance cost (obviously hundreds of millions again!) that it will be needing to rehabilitate when dolomite is blown away by the wind or eaten up by waves of Manila Bay. Need I say more? Ad nauseam maxima.
Let positive change happen
With the debt ballooning to 13T not to mention the grant loans from many countries that remain unaccounted for all in the name of COVID response, I wonder how the generous benefactors of the Philippines would think about the money they give to us, do they also feel scammed?
Of course, Duterte’s grim regime is soon ending and Filipinos are in quest of a leader who will advance the interest of the country and of the Filipino people. In fact, for some high-ranking military friends, they call him a lame duck now. Well, true not just for Duterte for all the past presidents who are bound to be replaced in the coming election.
I know a lot of brilliant people who were in one way or the other were scammed by the flamboyant kissing of the flag, jetski, drug eradication in 3-6 months and prosecution and persecution of those who are involved in corruption allegation even just a whiff of it. Sounds inspiring eh. But as the Latin axion says, “Verba movent, exempla trahent”. (Words inspire, actions influence).
How many of the promises of changes have been realized? That is something for everyone to find out.
The 2022 election is the chance for the Filipino people to choose their leaders. I do hope and pray that when we all cast our votes, we will keep our minds and hearts that this is not about personality of political parties or leanings. This is about our welfare and the welfare of our country and of the next generations to come.
Let this election be the change that you want to happen and not a change that has scammed everyone out there.
Just choose the leaders who can extricate us from the great abyss. The most dreadful forecast is that it would take 10 years (I would assume conservatively) for the Philippines to achieve the economic rebound that we need. Choose also the right representatives and not representa-THIEVES, who would advance our interest and welfare as we move forward and hope for the post-pandemic recovery. Don’t choose the ones who were so busy pushing for the e-sabong, because by all indications they’re already gambling for our future. Choose someone based on their track records and show palpable love for our country.
As for me, I have narrowed down the candidate I have in mind. He or she must have the 8Cs of Leadership that I coined several years ago and these are Character, Commitment, Competency, Capability, Clarity, Communication, Courage, and Compassion. He or she must have a SMART plan —- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound.
What do you think?
Read related columns:
http://thephilbiznews.com/beyond-sight-milking-inbound-passengers/
https://thephilbiznews.com/beyond-sight-frontliners-deserve-the-best-shot/
https://thephilbiznews.com/beyond-sight-sit-back-relax-and-get-covid/
https://thephilbiznews.com/beyond-sight-mgcq-think-again/
https://thephilbiznews.com/beyond-sight-despotism-in-time-of-pandemic/
https://thephilbiznews.com/beyond-sight-wanted-real-heroes/
