Photo credit: Aclex
By Adewale Sobowale
Neri Javier Colmenares is a human rights lawyer and served as senior deputy minority leader in the 16th Congress during his three terms as a member of the House of Representatives in the Philippines.
With an enviable academic foundation, he could have rested on his laurels and let the status quo remain the same while wallowing in the murky waters of corruption in his country. Still, like all men of history, he chose to say no. He has been involved in litigation against the government in support of the masses.
He came to spread the call for justice at the “people’s forum on corruption, impunity, and the ICC case” on Saturday at the OPSEU Hall, Wellesley Street, Toronto.
Thankfully, he spoke in English. In an address interspersed with a lot of humour, he made his points:
He stated that 7.5 million people are suffering from hunger.
6.9 per cent of the people, or 3.6 million, are unemployed, while millions and millions of people don’t have social security.
Meanwhile, billionaires who do not know where the shoe pinches are in politics. They didn’t get there because they were elected, but because they belong to dynasties. Their family names are enough to keep them in power.
A group performing at the event
The masses lack access to governance.
The nation owes 17.3 trillion pesos in debt. When divided, it comes to 153,175 pesos each, or 630,640 pesos per family.. According to him, the government spends 3.1 trillion pesos to service the loan.
People protest, but their protests amount to nothing. In several cases, their rights are violated.
According to him, the government makes a mess of the budget to the extent that, at least, 187 billion pesos is lost to corruption in the budget.
The government pads the budget. They fail to invest in schools, hospitals, and potable water.
Most of the budget is wasted on unprogrammed funds and confidential funds, rather than being used for worthwhile things.
He said, “If corruption is systemic, the solution must also be systemic.”.
He then reeled out the steps to be taken:
# Budgetary reform and electoral reform.
# Prohibition of pork barrel
# Transparency
# Participation
# Freedom of information law
# Anti-dynasty law
He concluded by saying that there should be real social and economic reforms in the country by building industries, developing the countryside and providing education, water, health, housing and electricity to all Filipinos.
