With the 2010 elections nearing, I just want to share a few insights regarding politics. Sure this is a bit of a departure from my usual sports blogs and comedic rants, but, hey, I do know stuff and, contrary to popular belief, I give a damn about politics, too. ‘di lang halata sa mukha.

As you should know, I am a huge follower of Conrado de Quiros’ column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. In his latest column (“Assurances”, Philippine Daily Inquirer 101409 http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20091014-229930/Assurances), he writes about his astonishment with our tendency to beat the common thieves like purse snatchers black and blue and let go corrupt officials, who, mind you, steal far more than your on-the-go belongings. De Quiros’ take is that maybe we just can’t grasp the amount that these politicos steal from us and that we do not have the slightest idea of the term “taxpayers’ money.”

Taxpayers’ money? Isn’t that what our local politicians always want to say on their posters whenever they have a road repaired?

Actually, we do not have to thank them. We should not at all be indebted to them for doing their jobs! They are getting paid to do that, just like the rest of us who do work. You are the boss; he isn’t. Because you, as a taxpayer, pay him; not the other way around. It isn’t by his grace that that road got repaired; it is his duty as an official that we the public appointed him to via the power of the vote.

That burger you ate? The value-added tax you paid the establishment where you purchased the burger is going to the government. No, that is not to say that the establishment is paying the government or them paying the government on your behalf out of tribute. Tax is paid to government so that—in a perfect world—it will do its job: protect you from harm, provide services, make your life as a Filipino citizen livable.

The problem, I think, is that the majority of us have that employee mindset. A couple of years ago, I learned of a forum that talked about Filipinos being the way they are because we are taught to be employees, taught to work for the man, NOT TO BE THE MAN. That is why we have suddenly become an outsourcing hub—we love to serve. … But this is another can of worms I shall open some other time. For the meantime, let us go back to the topic.

ANYWAY…

The point is that while, yeah, these politicians wear better-looking clothes, got a driver driving him around on a good-looking car, skin so smooth-looking in person that the posters suddenly seem not to do him justice, we have got to stop and think: wait, my burger allowed this politician to have that car; the more than 10% tax the company I work for deducts from my salary allowed him to pay that driver and get that car, that added cost I paid the bus I ride to work allowed him to get that Belo-like supple, smooth skin.

While those posters we see that remind us that “this is where your taxes go” look good, it could and should look better without the faces and names that hog the available space. Perhaps, with prolonged exposure, we may learn that fact: we pay for our rights to live in this country with taxes, it is time that those who work for us work for us.

 

October 20th, 2009 by A Les Lupisan A Les Lupisan is a creative writer + director. He is an alumnus of the Advocate + a graduate of AB Mass Communication, batch 2002. He is an artist, a musician, a writer, but aren't we all?