At a time when our country is facing the flood control scandal, one of the most serious plunder cases in recent history, accountability has shifted away from those involved and is instead targeting the very people trying to expose it.
The government, which has a direct covenant with the people, has gone rogue in pursuit of its own self-preservation. Like a metastasizing cancer, we now witness the state’s undermining of democracy’s feedback mechanism: the people’s ability to demand accountability through peaceful protest.
This structural failure is not merely a governance problem, but one that results in institutional blame being shifted elsewhere.
Such a problem is rooted in one thing: the political insulation of the ruling class. Those responsible for large-scale corruption evade accountability, while others, ranging from political opponents to rank-and-file employees, take the blame entirely.
Justice is thus repurposed: a shield for those in proximity to power, and a sword wielded against those in direct opposition to the incumbency. It becomes a contest of political survival driven by cunning alliances and mutual dependencies.
Consequently, our legal mechanisms have become slow and partial. Adding insult to injury, justice is not only hampered by human biases but also exacerbated by legal loopholes that delay decisive outcomes.
We are thus confronted with prolonged proceedings, in which a well-deserved verdict may never come to fruition. These politicians are effectively shielded under the guise of “innocent until proven guilty,” allowing them to continue political maneuvering without immediate consequence.
Now that justice at the top is indefinitely deferred, misdirected political pressure flows downward, right to the doorstep of ordinary people. In an attempt to manufacture stability, the government shifts its focus to more convenient targets.
Marginalized communities, whose voices and right to exist fall on deaf ears, bear the brunt of the state’s punitive measures. With limited access to a fair trial and laws that easily incriminate, they become the path of least resistance for a government desperate to project an image of order.
This misdiagnosed approach forces conviction rather than invites dispute. Compared to powerful politicians who are afforded the presumption of innocence, their poorer counterparts are forced into labels that are stereotypical and damaging to their reputation.
When they are portrayed as the cause rather than the effect of political decay, any decisive action against them is welcomed and, at times, even celebrated.
Jan Rand R. Jandusay is currently taking up Masters in Public Administration at the Batangas State University, and working in the Municipal Cooperative Development Unit in Baco, Oriental Mindoro. He previously served as the 2023–2024 President of the Oriental Mindoro Parliament of Youth Leaders and was a member of the Provincial Youth Development Council of Oriental Mindoro. A consistent Dean’s Lister during his second year, he has demonstrated a strong academic foundation alongside his leadership roles. While not deeply involved in church activities, his education at a Catholic institution has shaped his understanding of governance, ethics, and moral responsibility—values that align with his advocacy for accountability and justice.
