Ethical vacuum

Justice appears selective when the powerless and less fortunate are on the receiving end. After the revelation of the corruption in flood control projects, the question is not whether graft exists, rather it is whether the powerful will ever be held accountable. What it appears to be is a justice system bending to political survival where truth is a mere instrument of leverage rather than an expression of principle.

In a political landscape dominated by factions rather than ideologies, justice seems to be a matter of strategy. Those in power deploy accountability as a weapon against rivals while shielding their own allies or obfuscating their very own misdeeds by hurling more exposés, true or made up, against their detractors. Investigations pass through the lens of political convenience where scandals are hardly resolved; they are recycled, each briefly weaponized before fading into the next.

This is why corruption persists despite the national outrage. Accountability depends less on evidence and more on alliances among the elite and the powerful who use morality as political currency.

The Philippine political spectrum is divided among the Marcos administration, the remnants of the Liberal party composed of yellow and pink reformists, the resurgent Duterte camp, and the small but pragmatic Left.

The yellow and pink, once fierce critics of Marcos Sr., now find themselves cautiously aligned with Marcos Jr. Uneasy alliance is seen as a lesser evil, preferring Marcos Jr. over an environment that could bring vengeance and political persecution with a Duterte comeback.

The left has learned to navigate power through tactical accommodation, gaining limited access and even funds under the acquiescence of Congress or their silent sponsors.

The business elite, on the other hand, completes the cycle. Many of them see political stability as the cornerstone of growth, even when the stability rests on moral compromise. Most look at predictable corruption as manageable, but political upheaval is a significant disruption.

It would appear that the ruling elite, regardless of faction, does not have much appetite for a genuine reckoning. The web of shifting loyalties seems to ensure that no faction pushes accountability too far, and justice remains a hostage of mutual interest.

The middle class, the supposed moral backbone of the nation, is showing signs of restlessness. Once content with social media outrage and small-scale activism, they are now confronted with a crisis impacting their livelihood, rising prices, unstable employment, and the visible decay of governance which strips away their sense of safety.

The working class and the poor, on the other hand, see the consequence of corruption as real rather than theoretical. The recent spate of calamities has turned graft from a moral issue to a matter of life and death. Each collapsed bridge, every flood control project stands as a monument to negligence and greed. Families that once relied on local patrons now question why promises of resilience turned into cycles of displacement and loss. Disaster victims are now becoming politicized as their pain amplified in social media and local advocacy is transforming into a collective demand for justice.

The convergence of the middle class’ frustration and the working class’ anger could evolve into a new civic force — one that transcends elite politics. These groups, united by shared disillusionment, hardship, pain and loss, represent the country’s most authentic energy. If properly organized, they could challenge the entrenched system of selective justice and demand transparency as a civic right, not a campaign slogan.

The ongoing rivalry between the Marcos and Duterte camps has turned justice into a bargaining chip. Probes, exposés, and even court rulings are wielded as tools of intimidation or negotiation. Even a number of those who were icons of transparency now operate in the marketplace — condemning corruption when it weakens their rivals but overlooking it when silence ensures survival. The result is an ethical vacuum: endless scandals without resolution, accountability without consequence.

The Philippines stands at a moral and political crossroads. Elite fragmentation has rendered justice conditional and democracy shallow. Selective justice will endure as long as the elite define what accountability means.

Yet, beneath the surface of exhaustion lies a growing movement — the awakening of the middle and lower classes who directly bear the cost of corruption and calamity. If those who continue to pay their taxes, rebuild their homes, and bury their dead after every flood can transform their pain to civic unity, the balance of power will finally shift.

Whether this awakening becomes a turning point or another lost opportunity depends not on 2028 but on whether the people themselves decide that enough is enough.