Oligarchy: A New Philippine Monarchy
On his Presidential campaign, President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to Filipinos that he will finally put an end to the reigning oligarch businesses in the country, especially those connected with politicians, on their long-time fraud against the people and the government.
In his first term, he did. Everybody was shocked when he made Roberto Ongpin, the chairman of the online gambling company stepped down on his seat as after his threat to the businessman, its shares collapsed.
It made people realized that Duterte is taking seriously a big step to act his “Change is Coming” tagline. However, they somehow cannot see that he is slowly threatening to wipe out the elites of the economy has two because: to manipulate them like puppets for his welfare, or to build another kingdom for oligarchs who felt themselves to be royalties that will also pave their way for him.
Just on his start of Presidency in 2017, our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased to 6.7%, marking it the 7th straight year of GDP growth with is greater by 6%. With also that, we defended our stand on Asia’s faster-growing economies, along with the nations of China with 6.9% and Vietnam with 6.8%. Moreover, the Duterte administration’s project “Build, Build, Build” which aims to form and functionalize helpful infrastructures has invited many investors in the country.
BUT, despite this fact, the unemployment rate remains to be high, with 5.3% recorded by 2019. Where did the train of success derail? It is such a matter with the monopoly and duopoly of companies that Duterte have promised to destroy, yet still exist nowadays to burden up every one of us poor service.
Even the World Bank itself pointed this conflict all out, saying that what the Philippines’ economy lacks off is a powder of competition among public services companies. What could have been doubtful with it? Most of our enterprises are only owned by one person or family! A big example of that is our telecommunication. Only 2 names reigned over in this category: Manny Pangilinan, the CEO of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Smart Communications, and the Ayalas, who shares on Globe Telecom. With the lack of rivalry, these companies are somehow “confident” and “under-competitive” over things, which also gives the reason why they delivered us a poor internet connection in our homes with only a download speed of below 10 Mbps. What astonished and angered me more is the fact that even with this kind of internet that only boost up like a turtle, it is one most expensive to be sold in the world.
The thing is, it is not only the matter with the businessmen. Both of them and the government took part in the emptiness of our pocket for not-worthy-of-time products. Even though laws have passed for ownership’s reformations, nothing has changed. It is for the sense that even the government itself somehow does not want anything to move forward after all. It could get apart with the benefits they can get with them. And with all Duterte’s plans of destroying the reigns of oligarchy, he will build up another.
Let us all meet Dennis Uy, his long-time Davao-based friend businessman. Before Duterte won the position for Presidency, he only managed 3 companies. But suddenly when the current President was seated on his throne, it multiplied into 9, which turns out for him to hold 27 companies. Just take note of this, Duterte told before the ABS-CBN owners, the Lopezes, to just sell their network onto him instead when their franchise is close for expiration. Moreover, the President also retrieved the PLDT’s frequency only to give to Uy for the third telecom company that would complete Pangilinan and the Ayalas, the Dito Telecommunity.
Uy denied that he is not doing the President a favor. All of this stuff is just “business as usual”. Yet with this matter, another big-time businessman has been threatened by Duterte, Lucio Tan. In 2016, it has been discovered that Tan’s airline company, the Philippine Airlines (PAL) has a 7 billion pesos tax evasion. As to what is expected, Tan will find a way to somehow comfort the President at their conflict. In 2018, they gave free flights for stranded Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) back to their homeland and donated a huge amount of money for the Marawi rehabilitation. With that, Duterte has changed his mind over Tan, saying that he “shut up” forever then.
It was the running business. Duterte has not destroyed oligarchy, but rather added up more a space for others, such as Uy. He only lets out these threatening words for them to give him a favor. And who would suffer for their corrupt desires? Us, ordinary citizens that still longing for his then statements. Just by this, the change has not come. The only change that happened is that he made the oligarchs not fight against, and to be highly recognized by them as their “king”.
Reference/s:
-https://asia.nikkei.com/.../Crony-capital-How-Duterte...
-https://www.aseanbriefing.com/.../philippines-duterte.../...
-https://tribune.net.ph/.../concessions-to-crony.../...
-https://rappler.com/.../look-back-duterte-tussles-big...
-https://rappler.com/.../monopolies-duopolies-hamper...
-https://news.abs-cbn.com/.../ph-economy-hampered-by...
