By Monique Arrojo

By Jelena Villorente

From flashy cars to grandiose mansions, the lavish lifestyle reigns at the top of the social ladder with a brooding superiority, tucked away in satisfied seclusion. The reward of being decked in riches, it seems, is the comfort of being apathetic to societal turmoil — the privilege of being able to sleep with a smile on your face while everybody else lies awake, disturbed by tumultuous showers and the prospect of floods rising into their homes.

As inclement weather continues to sweep through the weather charts, the famed topic of flood control projects remains a staple in daily discourse, taking over protesting posts and reels on TikTok and dominating shared story templates on Instagram. After all the probes and investigations, all these call-outs amalgamate to share one brazen goal: to point a joint finger. 

The finger in question? Its bold index is now directed at the very faces personifying the corruption so prevalent in our country, the families of businesses tasked with implementing the flood control initiatives being lamented at current.

As of late, social media has been circulating a lot of controversy in relation to the execution of these projects, most especially given that the lack thereof has caused Filipinos to suffer not only the grave impacts of flood, but also reel from the sting of betrayal. The promises that have been made are slowly revealing their true natures — mere statements made on the whim of a performance.

While speaking out against the corrupt is inherently a great sign of societal proactiveness, this whole situation is reflective of various noteworthy points, all significant in the name of Philippine governance, societal implication, and online controversy. Are we truly blaming the right people? And do these people even care in the first place?

Of Spectacles and Scrutiny

All this discourse began when a connection was made, one that linked the failure of flood control projects to certain families belonging to the upper class of Philippine society. These very families, people found, bear relation to corporations tasked with the execution of these flood projects — corporations who vowed service to the public yet failed to meet the most basic threshold. 

While the government has yet to spearhead an official probe into the flood control projects, especially those that have been “ghosted” by their contractors, the people have already been doing that very job, even while the delay in a formal investigation itself already speaks volumes of how seriously this issue is being taken. This mass-led scrutiny spearheaded by the public has cost the reputation of some of the most affluent families in the country with the exposure of their ill-gotten wealth, and the reigning frontliners are the nepo babies plastered on every thumbnail and reel — in other words, the children of these famed figures obtaining success by means of nepotism and familial connections. 

One example that showcases just how great this spectacle grew to become was how it shed light on the name of Claudine Co, a well-known Filipina vlogger and influencer. She was born into one of the most influential families in Bicol, easily granting her every gilded opportunity the average Filipino could merely dream of. Her father is Christopher Co, former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative and the co-founder of Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corporation. She is also the niece of Congressman Elizaldy Co, who is the chief executive officer of Sunwest Group of Companies. 

Another example could be Cezarah Discaya, who was found to be affiliated with nine construction firms linked to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and bid for the same projects. One prominent takeaway a spectator could likely carry would be that her family owned an abundance of luxury cars, twenty-eight of which are currently under the care of the Bureau of Customs (BOC). Parading her Rolls-Royce, Mercedes, Cadillac, and a plethora of other opulent vehicles in her collection as if the world weren’t burning around her reveals the sheer absence of shame — and as investigations continue to zero in on alleged corruption, she remains obstinately defensive of her family’s means of accumulating wealth in spite of glaring truths that continue to be unveiled.

Long story short, these aforementioned enterprises were tasked with the implementation of flood control projects within their respective regions. Everything could have ended on a better note if these projects were actually a success — but reality can only beg to differ.

The failure of these flood control projects at the hands of Hi-Tone and Sunwest only implies that a stark connection can be made between the affluence of the Co family and the glaring reality confronted by these failed projects, fervently underlining the fact that they are corrupt and that they benefit from this nefarious scheme, most especially with the fact that this also presents a link to someone currently seated in the government. Claudine Co shoulders much of the hate as a perceived nepo baby by the media — and it is no surprise that other influencers are undergoing the very same, too.

Observing the content being made about these figures as of late, most, if not all, like to point out the fact that these influential figures are always inclined towards flaunting their wealth and luxurious lifestyle, whether it be through flexing another private family vacation abroad or showing off another branded product, rather than staying grounded to the reality being faced by the Philippines at present. It becomes a point for discussion that these very nepo babies remain deaf to the actuality plaguing the average Filipino today, a fact that is highly concerning.

Many have expressed disapproval at this culture, spreading copy-paste messages and story templates that continue to circulate online as if they were a scream in our faces. “Never stop sharing, never stop bringing it up,” they’d often read. Nevertheless, these children of corrupt families are constantly being made the target of criticism — and this initiative of targeting shared flak is justifiable, as it is through these very figures that the culture of corruption and betrayal continues to be tolerated and perpetuated.

While this makes sense, however, a worthy line of inquiry still deserves to be trod upon, one that asks: Are we truly making a difference in our shared scrutiny? Are we even pointing fingers at the right people?

Unmasking the Real Thieves

Amidst all the criticism that continues to decry public duplicity, it truly cannot be denied that these influencers deserve to be perceived with shame. They are meant to be guilty of turning a blind eye to the public’s suffering as if it were a measly fly. What can be questioned in this situation, however, is how the shaming movement would actually make a difference besides mere awareness — especially knowing who the prime targets are.

Simply speaking, the nepo babies bearing society’s hatred are just heirs of wealth — the kind of wealth accumulated not by them, but by their more authoritative elders. They are descendants of these very perpetrators, children of parents or relatives of aunts and uncles who keep the gears of deceit running behind the pretentious facade of affluence. They are no more than the ones carrying a cycle that had begun long before they could even recognize the privilege they possessed.

Of course, these inheritors surely are mature enough to acknowledge how their families’ culture of deception and thievery contributes a great deal to the disparity and struggle faced by Philippine society, and the fact that their ears still render themselves deaf to these tribulations already makes them worthy of being plagued by shared hatred and cyberbullying. 

All these responses are legitimate, but of course, we must also aim this scrutiny at the true culprits first and foremost — because this unveils a profound truth that tucks itself away in faraway bliss and masks its filth in bejeweled beauty. Isn’t it baffling that not only CEOs and contractors, but also senators and congressmen bear the dirty connection to these failed initiatives? Isn’t it unsettling that those seated in the government have the power to steal from the pockets of countrymen and propel themselves higher up the social ladder? 

In this light, pertinent investigations continue to float in a limbo, yet in its dull state, the political facet of this very issue remains stagnant. The connections possessed by members of the Senate and the House of Representatives with contractors and enterprises blamed for failed flood control projects have begun to unfold one by one under separate probes and hearings, yet observers attack their speculative approaches, noting the silly acts of concealment riddling their stints against impunity. 

In the end, it all ties back to the game of politics, it seems — but no matter who people blame, the result is just the same. We go back to how this culture of dishonesty continues to affect Philippine society in general, nipping away at the rights of those who deserve to be served, respected, and valued as a part of responsibility. 

Witnessing the funds of the public being plundered by higher-ups is no different than watching a countryman engage in treason after pledging allegiance to his homeland. The nosedive of agendas meant to have been executed for the benefit of vulnerable communities now becomes a reason for mistrust, the public now keen on challenging the corruption that has been the status quo for so long.

Looking further, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) itself was granted a budget of P1.007 trillion this year, which should have been more than enough to cover all the pertinent flood projects that could have saved countless lives. As per Senator Panfilo Lacson, noted the similar budget ranges being allocated to the DPWH year after year in the name of flood management, yet our streets still continue to be plagued with pooling, murky waters every Habagat season. According to his calculations, less than 40% of this budget is left for the actual construction of these projects, implying that more than half of this allotment is being stolen annually — and that only systemic corruption within this department can enable this to continue.

According to Chêne (2014) of Transparency International, corruption has the corrosive power to undermine equitable distribution of resources, heighten income inequality, and erode the impact of philanthropic initiatives, all of which contribute to derailed economic and sustainable development. This can be greatly appropriated to the context of the Philippine population at present with the ongoing culture of corruption, feeding the upper class and sweeping away the lower class. 

Reality paints the story of struggling Filipino citizens being stolen from, with taxes paid not for the betterment of societal efforts but for the comfort of the filthy rich. This genre of misuse affects the Filipino proletariat the most, from the minimum wage workers to the street vendors to those just finding a way to sleep at night without the onslaught of rain peppering their bodies.

The fact that billions of funds continue to be stolen represent how lower-class Filipinos continue to be thieved and neglected. Knowing that taxes being paid by these citizens are going not to sustainable relief efforts but to the pockets of the corrupt, the country continues to suffer the ramifications of a poor economy and societal system. These losses could have gone to the establishment of 95,000 to 210,000 jobs for the welfare of Filipino workers. These losses could have financed the livelihood of struggling Filipinos, supplied college scholarships, and enhanced farmer subsistence over the past two years.

This stratified disparity is made even more apparent as floods continue to pool streets and alleyways, all while select members of the bourgeoisie prattle away under sturdy roofs and within silver gates. Whether they’re seated on office chairs at desks with nameplates, or in plenary halls carrying a government title, this culture will continue to be cultivated, endured, and authorized so long as these people remain in tyrannical power.

Calling Out the Corrupt

At the end of the day, as we find ourselves amidst a society battling the tension of a deeply ingrained fissure between classes, it is the very root of a solution to recognize that corruption is nonetheless evident. It does a big deal to acknowledge corruption as a tool that pushes the rich to be richer and the poor to be poorer. 

Nobody can deny that a culture of corruption is one of degradation. In the Philippines, this has manifested itself time and time again as a deeply ingrained, long-established issue — yet here we are, left to reap the consequences of those who stand neglectful of the jarring polarity being perpetuated in Philippine society.

As the flood continues to gradually rise and rain remains a daily expectation, overturning this destructive reality the ideal way is by tweaking the gears from within, fueling the cultivation of transparent governance. Unfortunately, hope dwindles as government figures are slowly being exposed apropos to the connections they bear with contractors of ghost projects — but real power is not held by these titular men. It’s possessed by those who put them in office in the first place.

Ultimately, it becomes the prime responsibility of any Filipino citizen to be aware, be critical, and be unafraid to call out the wrongdoings of others, especially those that continue to step on those who already find it difficult to stand steady on their feet. 

As the infamous posts on social media would reiterate over and over, the public should never stop sharing, never stop engaging in discourse, never stop unveiling the lies and calling out the real thieves — because that is the very finger we mean to point against the culprits of a dirty system.

‘Mahiya naman kayo.’