It is impossible to get away from the topic. Daily hearings in the Senate and Congress resonate with thunderous allegations of large-scale corruption involving elected officials, unscrupulous public works officials and contractors. It is so nauseating that you feel like throwing up, but the proceedings grip you with the desire to know more about the personalities involved in this quicksand that threatens to drag us all into the quagmire.

People are aroused, indignant and voicing their displeasure on social media but more importantly, they’re starting to move physically. Civic organizations and church leaders have issued manifestos and scheduled rallies. Now, we’re seeing mass actions.

But as usual, it is the youth that rises to the occasion. Students in UP Diliman and UP Manila were the first to stage rallies denouncing the systematic looting of the national treasury. It calls to mind my student days in UP Diliman in the late 60s when not a day passes without a mass movement or another being staged or announced. The youth have always been at the forefront of protests, naturally since it is they who are and will be most affected by the nefarious goings-on in government. While their whole future lies ahead, older folks are settling down and are content to reminisce the good old days, if ever they were.

Those protest rallies, demonstrations, marches and sit-downs of the past will surely be repeated with the same fervor and anger that characterized previous movements. It hasn’t come to the point of violent demonstrations like what we saw in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal where the protesters clashed with police, stormed and burned government buildings, ransacked houses of parliament members and set people on fire.

By nature, Filipinos are more patient and forgiving than other nationalities. Current events are so vile and disgusting that it can try the patience of Job, who suffered the most outrageous misfortunes of losing his children, his wealth and his health even when he was godly, blameless and upright.

Even during the dark period of martial law, people remained calm and composed, suffering silently until the last straw broke. The assassination of Ninoy Aquino was the spark that ignited the conflagration which eventually engulfed the Marcos Sr. administration in 1986 and restored democracy after 14 long years of repression.

Even that peaceful EDSA revolution is mild compared to other countries’ revolutions which executed their rulers/tormentors and destroyed countless government buildings. Though protestors stormed Malacañang and looted some of its contents, it was not burned down.

The memory of that event must still rankle the current occupant of Malacañang, the son of the former dictator, as he grapples with the current events that threaten to engulf his own administration. He did follow up his “Mahiya naman kayo!” shaming of the corrupt in his State of the Nation address with the setting up of an Independent Commission for Infrastructure to investigate these anomalies being bared on national television.

It's still early days but the composition of the independent commission gives us hope that maybe it will dig up the whole truth and nothing but the truth, wherever the ax may fall.

Before it, the Agrava Commission stopped short of naming the real culprit behind the Aquino assassination. The accused military conspirators were tried but the charges were dismissed, only to have a retrial which found them guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

At least, the Agrava report “inaugurated the parliament of the streets” which ended the long reign of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., according to former Senator Rene Saguisag. What will the new commission possibly accomplish?

Will it uncover the whole, unvarnished truth, including the previous administration’s shenanigans? Curiously, the Discayas’ revelations only included the past three years’ misdeeds but by their own admission, their fortunes rose sharply from 2016 onwards.

Truly, the Mighty Tree of Corruption (Oct. 7, 2024) has deep-seated roots that is starting to tear apart the very fabric of Philippine government and society. How many top-ranking officials will the ax fall on? Will it cut off the roots that nourish this all-embracing disease that chronically saps the nourishment that should have gone to alleviating poverty, educating our young and healing the sick?

This commission has its work cut out, if those appointed will seriously do the job and the administration will support its endeavors.

This development may temporarily stem the swelling anger and discontent as long as the people perceive it to be working properly and not sparing anyone. But once, it is seen as business as usual, meaning it’s just a paper tiger, or it is not given enough power to achieve its mandate, we may yet see violence and civil disorder erupt.

The rotting carcass must be removed. Patience has its limits. Let’s hope for the best. Or hell will break loose.