Nepo babies

Let’s talk about numbers.

There are nearly 250 families that control the politics of all 82 provinces of the country. In fact, the so-called fat dynasties, or those that simultaneously hold multiple posts at all levels, constitute 80 percent of governors, 67 percent of congressmen, and 53 percent of both municipal and city mayors. Interestingly, of the 18,000 positions contested during elections, 800 are usually occupied by warlord political clans against whom no one dares to contest.

Incidentally, some political dynasties also come from mixed political and business oligarchs who not only control politics but also own significant capitalist businesses, such as the Villars. Below that tier are political families who, through dummies, also double as contractors of their own infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, those tycoons and taipans who wish to protect their businesses are simply content to bribe their way into getting things done in their favor. They routinely hedge their bets by donating campaign funds to all candidates, so whoever wins becomes heavily indebted to them.

If you look at the list of big-time tax evaders in the country, most of them are influential tycoons who, by some stroke of “luck,” manage to continuously evade payment without any accountability. As kingmakers, they put their own people in government and consequently advance their business interests — of course, through patronage and accommodation.

This vicious cycle is clearly deep-seated. As every stakeholder is in cahoots and reaps the benefits of this connivance, searching for answers is a tall order.

Expectedly, we cannot eradicate corruption overnight, albeit we push for genuine reforms. The fact that current efforts are merely designed for political gains, and that the people, due to personality politics, are happy to join the ride, certainly exacerbates the situation.

I’m not really sure whether we can get out of this mess. To begin with, we Filipinos are mostly reactive. We are easily swayed by emotions but do not have a deep understanding of issues. This is why we easily move on from controversies, one after the other. A month ago, it was all about the impeachment. Now, it is all about the nepo babies.

And this pattern goes on. Those with vested interests simply utilize their resources to create narratives that trigger reactions but also make the people myopic to real issues in the process. Hopefully, those who claim to truly understand can really help educate instead of allowing themselves to be used as clout chasers by political opportunists through their partisan demagoguery.