When will the Philippines learn?

 Dynasties

Aquino
Marcos
Duterte

Yes, there are others but, they're all the same.

They are dynasties not there to make the country better but, rather, themselves more popular and richer.

Did you know that if someone is one of the big families like this, they're 22% more likely to get in positions of power (I read)

Until the corruption stops at the bottom, it'll just carry on at the top.

Honestly, the talent, love and dedication of the people deserve better than this few families keeping your country down. Not a single one is clear of corruption, each promised and didn't deliver (unless it suited them). Just look at how they have their name, literally in some cases, on so much.

King CHarles, the late Queen Elizabeth, Prince George who will become King after his father, Prince William

We have a monarchy here, the closest we have to what the Philippines has. The difference is, we realised centuries ago that no one can rule a country by the coincidence of birth and, as such, our monarchy has little real power, only those elected have power.

Is the UK free of corruption? Hell no! But, we don't like it and it's predominantly at the top, the already rich helping themselves to get richer whilst the country remains wealthy and the poorest are supported.

Did any of the dynastical families do any good?

Of course, in a country with such a rich stock of wonderful people, it's near impossible not to achieve something. They sure could have done more.

Marcos, probably the one who did the most but then, equally, he arguably took the most and his family have lived off the backs of the hard working men and women for decades. Aquino, yes, built some cool stuff, made sure his name was on them too. Duterte, an international war criminal. It doesn't matter than he got results, he threw away your legal process and punished so many with a death sentence who likely would of, at worst, got prison time. Under international law which the Philippines signed up to, he is a criminal, are we to presume his daughter is likely to follow the law any better?

What stops one leader accusing another of corruption? Being part of the same corruption.

I just listed maybe the three latest families running the show.

Later I will ask why, if Filipinos know that these families are no good, do they still vote for them?

What corruption at the bottom? Sorry, yes, I should have explained

How many of these kids will go into life having never been involved in local corruption? One thing they might well do is to get their grades bumped by keen parents making connections with others who can change grades for a fee or a favour. When it comes to driving, how many will skip the test and pay under the counter for a licence?

Even so young corruption affects them directly and they will learn to use it. Corruption is like a traffic jam, they're everywhere and they'll just get used to it.

Why do Filipinos keep voting in these families?

You need some insight on Philippines culture to understand this. Of course, this is only from my observations as it applies to many day to day and their decision making process.

Filipinos are loyal and once they have placed their loyalty to someone, they won't budge, Filipinos do not like to be wrong. They're incredibly trusting of those close to them. If a best friend tells them that this person is honest and working for the people, they wouldn't consider doubting their word, if their best friend told them then, it's true, no more questions needed.

I'll use this as an example:

Yes, a visa of immigration into Canada. But, is it legitimate?

Sure, it's a genuine visa but, what if the person who applied for it has no legal right under Canadian law to apply for the visa? It's OK, they'll know someone there who knows someone who will do what needs to be done to fool the Canadian immigration department that perhaps, the person is more qualified, younger, related or whatever needs to be done to get that visa. What happens after that doesn't much matter. The person from the Philippines might, if luck is on their side, get into the country without a challenge, many more will not.

They may well go on to work illegally, generally for less than the minimum wage and with zero health care sending money back home, never integrating into society.

I tell you this because, all it takes for them to spend their life savings on this is, an old family friend telling them they can do this and, they do not ask questions, they trust this friend quite literally with their life. You can show them evidence over and over, it doesn't matter, they will not be disloyal to their friend or be dissuaded not to follow their dream, some will even say it is with God's will.

So, with such loyalty amongst the voting population, how does a candidate not part of a ruling family ever get elected? Quick answer is, they don't. How did the ruling families get in this position? Quite often you might find they are all local leaders in provinces around the country, they run just about everything, they hold the power. Because their corruption locally helps the workers, they are praised. Forget that they are paid a fraction of what these families make from their hard work, 200 pesos a day is better than nothing right? Whilst the boss makes many times this. So does his boss and his bosses boss until it gets to 'The Family'. A family with so much local power they can strike for Manila and real power.

How does the country end corruption?

Sure, protests will help and have worked in the past but, for only a short while. Remember the uprising which got rid of 'Marcos'? Yes, I am sure you do, MARCOS, a man who stole billions of pesos from the people ...

Oh wait, that name sounds familiar, Marcos ... that family were sure shown the door and got rid of.

In 1986 there was a non violent uprising, the people had enough, no more Marcos corruption, never again will this happen. Less than 40 years later and the son, someone who benefitted from the stolen estimated $10bn of money directly from the pockets of every Filipino is in power again. As his running mate, to ensure a victory, he has the daughter of then president Duterte. Come the next election there will likely be this ironic choice:

The daughter of a corrupt international war criminal

The son of the man who, has president, stole so much wealth from the people

Oh dear. Will one of them get elected? Absolutely! The pattern keeps moving forward.

The west mainly will not do real business with the Philippines because of the corruption, how can they know that their investment won't just go into the pockets of the politicians? They can't know that as it probably will. If Filipino workers were not so respected worldwide, why do they get employed so easily overseas? In the UK it's impossible to go into a hospital here without seeing valuable members of staff from the Philippines and yet, international companies will not invest in the country they were born in because of those who steal the money. Those who are either at the bottom or the top.

The Philippines is a great country with incredible people and yet, has one of the worst reputations worldwide for scamming foreigners. Yes, indeed, everyone who is not born Filipino is a foreigner and, as such, fair game for a scam. Either remotely online, over the phone or, in person for both tourists and those who now live there. The assumption being, they're all afam so, they've got the money, why not? Why not? It's that easy. Sure, they could be given dozens of reasons why not but, that was the end of their thought process, not the start of their education. I have had it done to me many times when my face is seen the price goes up. Sure, I can get it back down like the best of them but, some won't budge, 20peso for the local, 100 for the afam (look it up). This is yet another form of corruption because, the person they just scammed more money of might have been looking to invest locally but, seeing the dishonesty, will go elsewhere, they want a workforce they can trust. As I said earlier, if corruption and inequality is acceptable at the bottom, it will thrive at the top. Sincerely I hope this changes. Sadly, world events might change it for this great nation as little to nothing is being done to really protect the country. The Philippines is more vulnerable than ever from invasion by China. Right now, the US won't help unless there is something in it for them so, the start choice might be, having China in charge, or the USA again. But, maybe this is the reset the country needs? 

End the corruption as a sovereign state or, have someone else just take over. I can be sure of one thing, the dynasties won't leave empty handed, remember Ferdinand Marcos and the $10 billion.

Below is a not very good translation of the above

Mga Dinastiya Aquino Marcos Duterte Oo, may iba pa pero pare-pareho lang sila. Mga dinastiya sila, hindi para mapabuti ang bansa, kundi para mas maging popular at mas mayaman. Alam mo ba na kung ang isang tao ay isa sa malalaking pamilyang tulad nito, 22% silang mas malamang na mapunta sa mga posisyon ng kapangyarihan (nabasa ko) Hanggang sa tumigil ang korapsyon sa ibaba, magpapatuloy lang ito sa itaas. Sa totoo lang, ang talento, pagmamahal, at dedikasyon ng mga tao ay nararapat na mas higit pa sa iilang pamilyang ito na nagpapabagsak sa iyong bansa. Walang isa man ang malinis sa korapsyon, bawat isa ay nangako at hindi tumupad (maliban na lang kung angkop sa kanila). Tingnan mo na lang kung paano nila nakikilala ang kanilang pangalan, literal sa ilang mga kaso, sa napakaraming bagay. Si Haring Charles, ang yumaong Reyna Elizabeth, si Prinsipe George na magiging Hari pagkatapos ng kanyang amang si Prinsipe William Mayroon tayong monarkiya dito, ang pinakamalapit sa kung ano ang mayroon ang Pilipinas. Ang pagkakaiba ay, napagtanto natin ilang siglo na ang nakalilipas na walang sinuman ang maaaring mamuno sa isang bansa dahil sa pagkakaisa ng kapanganakan at, dahil dito, ang ating monarkiya ay may kaunting tunay na kapangyarihan, tanging ang mga nahalal lamang ang may kapangyarihan. Malaya ba ang UK sa korapsyon? Hinding-hindi! Ngunit, hindi natin ito gusto at higit sa lahat ay nasa itaas, ang mga mayayaman na ay nagtutulungan upang yumaman habang ang bansa ay nananatiling mayaman at ang mga pinakamahihirap ay sinusuportahan. Mayroon bang nagawang mabuti ang sinuman sa mga pamilyang dinastiya? Siyempre, sa isang bansang may napakaraming kahanga-hangang tao, halos imposibleng hindi makamit ang isang bagay. Tiyak na mas marami pa sana silang magagawa. Si Marcos, marahil ang gumawa ng pinakamarami ngunit, gayundin, masasabing siya ang kumuha ng pinakamarami at ang kanyang pamilya ay nabuhay mula sa mga masisipag na kalalakihan at kababaihan sa loob ng maraming dekada. Si Aquino, oo, ay nagtayo ng ilang magagandang bagay, sinigurado rin na ang kanyang pangalan ay nasa kanila. Si Duterte, isang internasyonal na kriminal sa digmaan. Hindi mahalaga kung nakakuha siya ng mga resulta, itinapon niya ang iyong proseso ng batas at pinarusahan ang napakaraming tao ng sentensyang kamatayan na malamang, sa pinakamalala, ay makulong. Sa ilalim ng internasyonal na batas na sinang-ayunan ng Pilipinas, isa siyang kriminal, ipagpalagay ba natin na mas malamang na mas susunod ang kanyang anak na babae sa batas? Ano ang pumipigil sa isang pinuno na akusahan ang isa pa ng katiwalian? Ang pagiging bahagi ng parehong katiwalian. Inilista ko lang marahil ang tatlong pinakabagong pamilya na namamahala sa palabas. Mamaya ay itatanong ko kung bakit, kung alam ng mga Pilipino na hindi mabuti ang mga pamilyang ito, iboboto pa rin nila sila? Anong katiwalian sa ibaba? Pasensya na, oo, dapat ay ipinaliwanag ko na Ilan sa mga batang ito ang papasok sa buhay na hindi pa nasangkot sa lokal na katiwalian? Ang isang bagay na maaari nilang gawin ay ang pagtaas ng kanilang mga marka dahil sa mga masugid na magulang na nakikipag-ugnayan sa iba na maaaring magpalit ng mga marka para sa isang bayad o pabor. Pagdating sa pagmamaneho, ilan ang hindi kukuha ng pagsusulit at magbabayad sa ilalim ng counter para sa isang lisensya? Gayunpaman, ang katiwalian ng mga batang ito ay direktang nakakaapekto sa kanila at matututo silang gamitin ito. Ang katiwalian ay parang trapiko, nasa lahat ng dako sila at masasanay lang sila dito. Bakit patuloy na bumoboto ang mga Pilipino sa mga pamilyang ito? Kailangan mo ng kaunting kaalaman tungkol sa kultura ng Pilipinas para maunawaan ito. Siyempre, ito ay mula lamang sa aking mga obserbasyon dahil naaangkop ito sa maraming tao araw-araw at sa kanilang proseso ng paggawa ng desisyon. Ang mga Pilipino ay matapat at kapag naibigay na nila ang kanilang katapatan sa isang tao, hindi sila matitinag, ayaw ng mga Pilipino na magkamali. Lubos silang nagtitiwala sa mga taong malapit sa kanila. Kung sasabihin sa kanila ng isang matalik na kaibigan na ang taong ito ay tapat at nagtatrabaho para sa mga tao, hindi nila iisiping pagdudahan ang kanilang salita. Kung sasabihin sa kanila ng kanilang matalik na kaibigan noon, totoo iyon, hindi na kailangan ng mga tanong pa. Gagamitin ko ito bilang halimbawa: Oo, isang visa ng imigrasyon sa Canada. Pero, lehitimo ba ito? Oo, ito ay isang tunay na visa ngunit, paano kung ang taong nag-aplay nito ay walang legal na karapatan sa ilalim ng batas ng Canada na mag-aplay para sa visa? Ayos lang, may kakilala sila roon na may kakilala na gagawa ng kailangang gawin para lokohin ang departamento ng imigrasyon ng Canada na marahil, ang tao ay mas kwalipikado, mas bata, kamag-anak o kung ano pa man ang kailangang gawin para makuha ang visa na iyon. Hindi mahalaga ang mangyayari pagkatapos noon. Ang isang tao mula sa Pilipinas, kung swerte ang nasa panig nila, ay maaaring makapasok sa bansa nang walang pagsubok, ngunit marami pang hindi. Maaari silang magtrabaho nang ilegal, kadalasan sa halagang mas mababa sa minimum na sahod at walang pangangalagang pangkalusugan na nagpapadala ng pera pauwi, at hindi kailanman maisasama sa lipunan. Sinasabi ko ito sa iyo dahil, ang kailangan lang nila para magastos ang kanilang ipon dito ay isang matandang kaibigan ng pamilya na nagsasabi sa kanila na kaya nila ito at, hindi sila nagtatanong, literal nilang pinagkakatiwalaan ang kaibigang ito gamit ang kanilang buhay. Maaari mong ipakita sa kanila ang ebidensya nang paulit-ulit, hindi mahalaga, hindi sila magtataksil sa kanilang kaibigan o pipigilan na huwag sundin ang kanilang pangarap, ang ilan ay magsasabi pa nga na ito ay sa kalooban ng Diyos. Kaya, sa ganitong katapatan sa mga botante, paano nahalal ang isang kandidato na hindi bahagi ng isang namumunong pamilya? Ang mabilis na sagot ay, hindi sila. Paano napunta ang mga namumunong pamilya sa posisyong ito? Madalas mong makikita na lahat sila ay mga lokal na pinuno sa probinsya