A Modern Malolos Republic

Pia A. Kasaysayan 1 Philippine History Reflection Paper A Modern Malolos Republic A Reflection on M. Guerreros The Underside of the Malolos Republic Its generally admit among Filipinos and some people around the globe that the Philippines is among one of the most profane countries in the world. In 2012, the Philippines ranked 105 with a 3. 4 rottenness Percentage Index in Transparency Internationals compilation of data from 176 countries.The CPI score ranks countries from 0-10, with 0 indicating that a country is sensed to be highly corrupt, and 10 means that a country is perceive to be rattling clean (Transparency International, 2012). Corruption proves to be that longstanding problem that Filipinos and Filipino politicians always face. Of the many means of governmental corruption in the Philippines today, believed to be among the most rampant(ip) are join, bribery, embezzlement, electoral fraud, backdoor deals, cronyism, and nepotism (Conde, 2007).Just by fetching a look at the politicians currently holding office sack up the last type be evident. One family some periods holds a git in office for generations, ranging from barangay captain to the presidency. The political arena in the Philippines is largely comprised of and governed by ruling political dynasties, instead of political parties (Eder Vallarta, 2007). Corruption really remains rampant in the Philippine society. What astounds me is the fact that it has been so rampant for so very 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 term as presidency seemed at-par with that of modern-day Filipino presidents like Joseph Erap Estrada or Gloria Macapagal GMA Arroyo in monetary value of its cleanliness and transparency. Where Aguinaldos term exhibited cronyism, or appointing longstanding friends into positions of mandate regardless of the ir qualifications, so did Eraps and GMAs.Eraps infamous Midnight Cabinet consisted of shady characters with which he would eliminate the night drinking 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 elevate and early(a) perks from the Estrada administration. Another example of cronyism is GMAs alleged midnight appointment of condition Chief Justice Renato Corona comely before she was to step bring down from office. This mirrors Aguinaldos own treatment of his former generals and comrades at arms in the revolution.These men were soon elevated into positions of high rank, taking advantage of the explosive absence of the Spaniards to prey on unsuspecting fellow Filipinos. It was also from cronyism that came graft and embezzlement, manifestations of a politicians greed for more power and personalised belongings. Graft is the unscrupulous use of a politicians au thority for personal gain. Embezzlement, in the context of political corruption in the Philippines, is basically taking money for personal use in violation of a trust, such as the tax law.Among Aguinaldos cronies and supporters, there were quite a few who used their name and political power to exhort Filipinos into bighearted up land and money. As governor of Cagayan, Daniel Tirona swindled the town of hundreds of thousands of pesos. This is no unlike from modern day governors who seek out the favor of the current president in office, in order to gain more power. Embezzlement, when committed by high brass officials, becomes an even graver crime against the state. Pres.Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and some officials of her government were often suspected of embezzlement. There were a number of notable political scandals during her tenure as president, two of which were the notorious Fertilizer Fund abduct and the NBN-ZTE Deal. Even until today are Erap and his indulgent lifestyle beco me the compress of urban legend and stigmatization. While Aguinaldo himself is mostly spared from such a mortify 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 symbolization for political and financial cleanliness. While it is our politicians ongoing promise to eradicate corruption, its obvious that with its roots 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 de marchs it and for those politicians to serve the people fairly and selflessly.As simple as it is, this conduct is often disregarded due to mostly selfish reasons. While corruption in the time of Aguinaldo and that of past presidents leave indelible stains in the history of the Philippines, our only comfort is in the hope that future generations will not have to image the same things. Works Cited Conde, C. H. (2007, frame 13). Philippines most corrupt, survey says The New York Times. 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 intelligence agency research Political families reign in almost all of RP intelligence information 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 http//www. transparency. org/research/cpi/overview