I've been following this news, and it’s no surprise that the Filipino public is outraged over this mega-corruption scandal. So much public money was used to build this flood control project, yet these officials seem to have hit it big and are embezzling the money for their own personal gain. It's simply unfair that, in the midst of such a dire economic situation, these officials are enjoying so much money and are oblivious to the suffering of the people.


The morals of Philippine officials are almost the same as those in my country; deeply corrupt. But this is the result of a system that has been allowed to fester for years without serious reform. Corruption is considered commonplace, while integrity is secondary. And this is what has prevented the country from developing at all, because these officials are so comfortably and don't think about the plight of the common people who struggle daily just to make ends meet.

Going forward, we should be more conscious about choosing people based solely on their track record and performance, not on sweet promises, fleeting image-building, or the money they hand out before elections, so that this circle can at least be reduced.