A Modern Malolos Republic

Pia A. Kasaysayan 1 Philippine History grammatical construction Paper A Modern Malolos Re humankind A Reflection on M. Guerreros The Underside of the Malolos Republic Its generally acknowledged among Filipinos and some spate around the globe that the Philippines is among one of the well-nigh corrupt countries in the world. In 2012, the Philippines ranked 105 with a 3. 4 Corruption Percentage indicant in Transparency Internationals compilation of data from 176 countries.The cost-of-living index score ranks countries from 0-10, with 0 indicating that a country is perceived to be extremely corrupt, and 10 means that a country is perceived to be precise clean (Transparency International, 2012). Corruption proves to be that longstanding problem that Filipinos and Filipino politicians unceasingly face. Of the many means of political corruption in the Philippines to twenty-four hour period, believed to be among the most uncontrolled are graft, bribery, embezzlement, electoral fraud , backdoor deals, cronyism, and nepotism (Conde, 2007).Just by taking a intuitive feeling at the politicians currently holding chest can the last instance be evident. One family sometimes holds a seat in office for generations, ranging from barangay captain to the presidency. The political arena in the Philippines is largely comprised of and governed by impression political dynasties, instead of political parties (Eder Vallarta, 2007). Corruption truly remains rampant in the Philippine society. What astounds me is the fact that it has been so rampant for so very(prenominal) long.According to Milagros Guerreros The Underside of the Malolos Republic, political corruption has been with the Filipinos since the very establishment of a republic in our country. Emilio Aguinaldos barrier as presidency seemed at-par with that of present-day(a) Filipino presidents like Joseph Erap Estrada or Gloria Macapagal GMA Arroyo in terms of its cleanliness and transparency. Where Aguinaldos ter m exhibited cronyism, or appointing longstanding friends into positions of authority regardless of their qualifications, so did Eraps and GMAs.Eraps infamous Midnight Cabinet consisted of shady characters with which he would spend the night inebriety liquor with. These men were often powerful players in society, both from the public and private sectors. This group of men, from politicians to businessmen, often won favor and other perks from the Estrada administration. another(prenominal) example of cronyism is GMAs alleged midnight appointment of former Chief arbiter Renato Corona just before she was to step d give from office. This mirrors Aguinaldos own treatment of his former generals and comrades at arms in the revolution.These men were short elevated into positions of high rank, taking advantage of the sudden absence of the Spaniards to flow on unsuspecting fellow Filipinos. It was also from cronyism that came graft and embezzlement, manifestations of a politicians greed fo r more power and personal belongings. Graft is the unprincipled use of a politicians authority for personal gain. Embezzlement, in the context of political corruption in the Philippines, is basically taking property for personal use in violation of a trust, such as the tax law.Among Aguinaldos cronies and supporters, there were quite a few who use their name and political power to exhort Filipinos into giving up devour and money. As governor of Cagayan, Daniel Tirona swindled the town of hundreds of thousands of pesos. This is no different from modern day governors who seek turn out the favor of the current president in office, in order to gain more power. Embezzlement, when committed by high government activity officials, becomes an even graver crime against the state. Pres.Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and some officials of her government were often surmise of embezzlement. There were a number of notable political scandals during her tenure as president, two of which were the noto rious Fertilizer Fund Scam and the NBN-ZTE Deal. Even until like a shot are Erap and his indulgent lifestyle become the stuff of urban romance and stigmatization. While Aguinaldo himself is in general spared from such a demeaning legacy, as he is often lauded as the hero-president of the Philippine Revolution, his colleagues and supporters simply cannot be awarded the same protection.Jose Ignacio Paua, Aguinaldos brother-in-law and general, was not well received in Albay and other Bicol areas where he milked his constituents out of home and land. Mentioned above, the infamous Daniel Tirona was hardly also the symbol for political and fiscal cleanliness. While it is our politicians ongoing promise to eradicate corruption, its obvious that with its root so deep into our history, it will be no easy task. In order to truly have a clean, just government its up to the people to vote for whom they think deserves it and for those politicians to serve the people fairly and selflessly.As simple as it is, this conduct is often forgotten due to mostly selfish reasons. While corruption in the time of Aguinaldo and that of past presidents carry indelible stains in the history of the Philippines, our only solace is in the commit that future generations will not have to experience the same things. whole caboodle Cited Conde, C. H. (2007, action 13). Philippines most corrupt, survey says The New York time. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from The New York Times http//www. nytimes. com/2007/03/13/business/worldbusiness/13iht-peso. 891792. html? _r=1 Eder, E. , Vallarta, A. (2007, April 20). GMA news program Research policy-making families reign in almost all of RP News GMA Online. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from GMA News Online http//www. gmanetwork. com/news/story/39187/news/specialreports/gma-news-research-political-families-reign-in-almost-all-of-rp Transparency International. (2012). Research CPI Overview. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Transparency International htt p//www. transparency. org/research/cpi/overview