Greed for money destroys these ‘corrupt’ politicians

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”

—Mahatma Gandhi

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF our grandchildren turned the pages of Philippine political history, they would read the names of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, Zaldy Co, Sara Duterte-Carpio, Loren Legarda, Manuel Bonoan, Chiz Escudeo, Joel Villanueva, among other prominent politicians, in the glossary of odium and infamy.

Records would ostensibly show they destroyed themselves because of “greed for money.”

When given the opportunity and elected to office, they allegedly took advantage of their positions by amassing unexplained wealth and living like patricians, oligarchs, and aristocrats while the ordinary people agonized and could hardly make both ends meet.

Some of them have been prosecuted and jailed, others escaped abroad and opted to become fugitives. Others fake their illnesses in order to avoid imminent arrest. Many of them have not been formally charged yet.

Even before they were accused of stealing billions of pesos from the taxpayers through kickbacks, “ghost” and substandard projects, intentionally misdirecting public funds, inflating, or manipulating during the planning, formulation, and execution phases of government spending, the government thieves were already living comfortably.

 

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In the first place, they weren’t supposed to bilk the people they serve. Accumulating more wealth than what is necessary at the expense of the taxpayers was supposed to be mortal sin.

But because of rapaciousness and their lack of moral scruples, they allegedly stole more; they built empires and purchased private jets and choppers, hid their loot in Cayman Islands and The Caribbean, acquired mansions in the Philippines and abroad, collected queridas and queridos left and right.

Their greed justifies dishonesty, fraud, and exploitation, ruining reputations and long-standing relationships. Spiritual and moral traditions have long warned that an obsession with wealth leaves people permanently discontent and spiritually empty.

By replacing community well-being and ethics with an endless, harmful chase for more, their greed for money destroyed some of them and even the society where they belong.

Their unchecked financial greed funneled resources to a tiny minority, draining stability from the working class. Their act of extracting cash and resources faster than a system can replenish them risks total economic or environmental failure.

Their risky financial schemes and the constant desire for more have frequently led them straight into debt, isolation, and ruin.

 

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I “saw” tears in Alexandra “Alex” Eala’s eyes while she was walking in the exit following a disheartening 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 loss to 18-year-old Iva Jovic of the United States in their third-round match at the US Open on September 5, 2026.

She really wanted to reach the next rounds and was a cinch away from snatching victory from the jaws of defeat when WTA No. 14 Jovic gave the break back in the decider after a double fault, and Eala held at love for a commanding 4-2 lead.

Eala, 21, would have faced former US Open champion Coco Gauf, 22, in the Round of 16 if the Filipina phenom beat her good (not best) friend Jovic, who was easily dismantled by Gauf, 6-1, 6-4 September 7.

Brad Kallet described the Eala-Jovic match in WTAtennis: “Jovic was excellent at the net, winning 12 of her 15 points, and struck 44 winners to 27 unforced errors. Eala came in even more, winning 16 of 25 net points, and had 34 winners to 33 unforced errors.

“Both returned exceptionally well, though Jovic was slightly more effective in the most critical moments, converting 9 of 17 break-point opportunities to Eala's 8 for 20.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

Who are you calling?

“Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy.”

―Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF I hadn’t been invited to attend the In-Person Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training at the PSS Home Care in Whitestone, New York City on August 24, I wouldn’t know what 988 is all about, or why and when to call it. I beg your pardon.

Now that we are celebrating the Suicide Prevention Month, it’s imperative that we understand why there’s a need to remember 988; why the three numbers may play a key role even after September.

What’s the difference between 911 or 988, in the first place?

What we know is in the US and Canada, 911 is the primary emergency telephone number for police, fire, and medical assistance; we call 911 for immediate physical danger.

On the other hand, we call or text 988 for mental health, emotional distress, or substance use crises.

Real-time global estimates put the number of suicides at over 480,000 to 720,000+ for the year, though exact official national totals for 2026 are not yet finalized, according to Worldmeter, which tracks an estimated real-time running total exceeding 718,000 global suicides for the year based on World Health Organization (WHO) models.

 

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that annual U.S. suicides historically average around 48,000 to 49,000 deaths per year but finalized complete data for the current year takes many months to process and verify.

Data show 5.5 percent of U.S. adults have serious thoughts of suicide each year, while 93,452 people were connected with the NAMI HelpLine in 2025. There were 3 in 4 people who contacted 988 report received the help they needed.

If we or someone we know is struggling or in crisis, help is available by calling or texting 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (in the US and Canada), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Services are free and confidential, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

NAMI recognizes Suicide Prevention Month as a time to raise awareness, spread hope, and spark meaningful action around one of the most urgent mental health issues of our time each September.

Its goal is to ensure that individuals, friends, and families have access to the tools, resources, and support they need to talk openly about suicide prevention, recognize warning signs, and seek help.

NAMI emphasize that reaching out for support can be the start of a new journey forward.

 

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“Whether you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or supporting a loved one, there is help available. Take time today to explore help options, learn about contributing risks to suicide, download resources, and more,” NAMI stated in its website.

It was Jeanne Cacciatore, program director of Family and Children’s Association (FCA) Senior MH Awareness Training Program, Elder Abuse EMDT and Safe Observant Senior Program (SOS), who explained to MHFA participants that a skilled counselor will say hello, introduce themselves, and ask if we are safe when we are connected to 988.

They ask about our safety, and will be calm and comforting, listen to us, provide support, and may also share helpful resources.

According to NAMI, suicide is still too often met with silence, stigma, or shame.

“At NAMI, we believe that silence should never be the response to someone’s pain. That’s why we’re working tirelessly to change that. This September, you can be the difference,” explained NAMI.

“With one conversation, asking someone how they’re really doing — and being ready to truly listen—can save lives. Because here’s what we know: No one has to face this alone. Help exists. Healing is possible. And all it can take is for one person to start a conversation.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

Justice and To Kill a Mockingbird

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF we ask what justice is, conventional wisdom will tell us it is the moral and philosophical principle of treating people fairly, impartially, and reasonably according to the law and ethics.

According to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute, justice has three meanings:

-Justice is the ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly, and reasonably by the law and by arbiters of the law, that laws are to ensure that no harm befalls another, and that, where harm is alleged, a remedial action is taken - both the accuser and the accused receive a morally right consequence merited by their actions (see: due process).

-Justice is a legal structure or system that is designed to judge in a general sense who should be accorded a benefit or burden when the law is applied to a person’s factual circumstances.

-Justice is a title conferred upon a judge of the U.S. Supreme Court, the federal courts of appeal, or the state courts of appeal.

 

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In relation to justice as a subject matter, we highly recommend To Kill a Mockingbird, a 1962 drama and mystery movie starring Gregory Peck, to all aspiring lawyers, social scientists, politicians, and fellow journalists.

Since the concept of justice is presented in this novel written by Harper Lee as an antidote to racial prejudice, we found many parallels in the book that reflect some realities in our society today.

There's the story of Atticus, described as a strongly principled, liberal lawyer who defends a wrongly accused black man, representing a role model for moral and legal justice.

In his explanation to Scout, Atticus stressed that while he believed the American justice system to be without prejudice, the individuals who sit on the jury often harbor bias, which can taint the workings of the system.

Atticus retained his faith in the system throughout the majority of the novel, but he ultimately lost in his legal defense of Tom.

Atticus expressed a certain disillusionment as a result of this experience when he agreed to conceal Boo's culpability in the killing of Ewell, recognizing that Boo would be stereotyped by his peers, at the end of the book.

 

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Atticus decided to act based on his own principles of justice in the end, rather than rely on a legal system that may be fallible.

The novel, a Pulitzer Prize winner, has remained enormously popular since its publication in 1960.

It also can be read as a coming-of-age story featuring a young girl growing up in the South of America and experiencing moral awakenings.

The novel demonstrated the now-adult narrator's hindsight perspective on the growth of her identity and outlook on life, as narrated from Scout's point-of-view.

The tomboyish Scout challenged the forces attempting to socialize her into a prescribed gender role as a Southern lady, in developing a more mature sensibility.

Aunt Alexandra tried to subtly and not-so subtly push Scout into a traditional gender role that often ran counter to her father's values and her own natural inclinations.

 

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As events around the trial became ugly, however, Scout realized the value of some of the traditions Alexandra was trying to show her and decided she, too, could be a “lady.”

The novel also explored themes of heroism and the idea of role models as well.

Lee has stated that the novel was essentially a long love letter to her father, whom she idolized as a man with deeply held moral convictions.

Atticus was clearly the hero of the novel, and functioned as a role model for his children. The children regarded their father as weak and ineffective because he did not conform to several conventional standards of Southern masculinity.

They eventually realized that Atticus possessed not only skill with a rifle, but also moral courage, intelligence, and humor, and they came to regard him as a hero in his own right.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

 

Guanzon’s Iloilo City visit

“You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

—Walter Hagen

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

MARIA Rowena Amelia “Bing” Guanzon, 69, the feisty former Comelec commissioner, has been going around the country ostensibly to woo potential voters in the 2028 election.

Her recent visit in Iloilo City where she met Mayor Raisa Maria Lourdes Sarabia Treñas-Chu, 40, was more than meets the eye especially after emphasizing that the Guanzons are originally from Molo.

She stressed her family's deeper genealogical origins in this bustling Iloilo City district, widely known as "The Athens of the Philippines" due to its rich history of producing prominent patriots, lawyers, judges, and political leaders even before the World War II.

Guanzon, a lawyer, is actually from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, though her paternal roots trace back to the Panay-Negros region.

The mercurial former mayor of Cadiz City was born and raised in Negros Occidental, where her family has a long history of public service with her mother, Elvira, serving as a long-time vice mayor.

 

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During the 19th-century sugar boom, many prominent Negros families originally migrated from the district of Molo.

Guanzon highlighted her family's deep-seated heritage in the historic, elite Ilonggo class by asserting that she has roots in the district that has produced the following illustrious leaders:

Franklin Drilon, long-serving Philippine senator and former senate president; Rodolfo Ganzon, former senator, congressperson, and mayor of Iloilo City; Francisco Villanueva, prominent early senator and patriot; Esteban de la Rama, senator and revolutionary general.

Esperidion Guanco, former senator; Jose Ma. Arroyo, former senator whose family roots connect to the Arroyo political lineage; Francisco Zulueta and Jose C. Zulueta, former national legislators and local leaders; and Potenciano Treñas, former senator and representative.

Guanzon is reportedly eyeing a senate seat and has been openly lashing at the Marcos Jr. administration and supporting Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

If the Duterte camp will accommodate her in the opposite slate, she has a big chance to win in the senate race.

If not, she will end up empty-handed like other candidates in the past who did not have a big political party to support their candidacies.

 

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Is this a portent of things to come? Bad weather condition has been disrupting the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio since last month.

The Senate canceled the entire trial session due to heavy rains and flooding across Metro Manila brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat on August 10, 2026.

Inclement weather also forced the court to cut proceedings short, leading to an early adjournment by 2 ‘o’clock in the afternoon on August 17, 2026.

The impeachment trial scheduled for Tuesday was canceled due to continuing heavy rainfall warnings on August 18, 2026; and on August 19, 2026, the trial scheduled for Wednesday was called off for a third suspended day as severe weather persisted.

As a result of the series of cancellations and postponements, some of the people who have been following the trial in the past 20 sessions have lost interest.

This could be the reason why many Filipinos are still unable to decide whether to reject the vice president as a presidential wanna-be in 2028 despite mounting evidence that she allegedly misused her confidential intelligence fund worth P612.5 million in the active corruption and impeachment cases.

Whether the senator-judges will vote to convict her is another story.

 

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"Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby!"--Higgins, Act I

Another interesting book on sale (only at $5) at the Barnes and Noble in New York is Pygmalion, a king of Cyprus who could find nothing good in women.

As a result, he resolved to live out his life unmarried.

He fell in love with his own creation when he carved a statue out of ivory that was so beautiful and so perfect that no living being could possibly be its equal.

At a festival, he consequently prayed to the goddess of love, Aphrodite, that he might have the statue come to life.

To his amazement, he found that his wish had been fulfilled when he reached home, and he proceeded to marry the statue he named Galatea.

Author George Bernard Shaw used several aspects of the legend and most prominently one of the names in the title, viewers, writers, critics, and audiences have consistently insisted upon there being some truth attached to every analogy in the myth.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)