Issues, issues

Just recently, our country has faced the two biggest controversies and issues that the current administration has faced, namely: a) President Estrada's conviction of Plunder over the Sandiganbayan; and b) the National Broadband Network (NBN) - ZTE Corporation scandal. Both issues have a common theme: graft and corruption. The former, a recently-concluded issue which has proven beyond reasonable doubt that indeed, President Estrada committed plunderous acts, biggest of which are the Jose Velarde accounts and the GSIS and SSS kickbacks. The latter is a plunder case in the making. The only question is who to charge.

However, despite these remarkable developments in our country's political climate, our markets have remained resilient and economy is still on the go. Peso is recovering, the stocks are recovering, investors, still coming in.

This somehow reflects the fact that the Philippine populace has been numb and jaded with the current system and is no longer interested in political bickering, mudslinging, debating, and blame-throwing. The Philippine people just want a better way of life, steadfast developments, and poverty alleviation and these issues no longer serve these wants and needs. Thus, less social impact.

Whatever the opposition is brewing next with regard to the ZTE scandal could just be another futile attempt to overthrow the administration they abhor since FPJ's loss to the 2004 elections. To the common people, politicians now look the same. Thanks so much to the fence-sitters and double-crossers.

Hopefully the crooks behind the scandal will be punished soon, just like how the Estrada Plunder case has been vindicated. Alongside this, I hope the populace would be more aware, alert, but resilient to political developments mostly dictated by power hungry politicians and opportunists.