Eye Opener
July 4, 1946, original Philippine Independence Day
The United States of America granted the Philippines on July 4, 1946 her independence, true to the promise of U.S. officials in the pre-Philippine Commonwealth era, that after a 10-year transition period, the Filipinos will have their independence. Over four years of the Japanese occupation in the Philippines from 1941-1945, both the American and Filipino politicians did not anticipate the annihilation of the war. It was only about one year after the end of the World War II where the Philippines was still agonizing from the devastation of the damages wrought by the horrible global conflict. The country was not economically and politically ready to be fully independent considering destruction of big commercial and government buildings, death of thousands of soldiers and civilians, livestocks and the leveling of farmlands and homes by the enemy's bombs and destructive weapons.
But Filipino politicians, who many of them were exiled, captured by the Japanese and collaborated with the enemy were greedy and ambitious to become leaders of their devastated country then. And the infamous statement of the late Pres. Manuel L. Quezon, "I would rather see the Philippines govern like hell by Filipinos than like heaven by the Americans," which today became a reality. The Philippines today, the only Christian nation in Asia, is No. 2 most corrupt country in Asia and No. 7 corrupt country in the whole world according to the Ombudsman. About P35 trillion was lost to corruption. More than 53 percent of the Filipinos live in abject poverty and are poor. About 95 percent of the Filipino politicians have over P10 million in banks and nearly P100 million worth of property. Where did they get all their wealth (except of course those whose parents are rich)? About 80 percent of poor Filipinos have only their talipapa as their wealth. Rich politicians, listen to what Jesus Christ said: "If you have done this to the least of my brethren, you done this to me" Matthew 25:40. Least of my brethren refer to poor people.
The American administrators who were true to their word granted the Philippines her independence although they know that the destruction of war would cause chaos and hardship to then 25 million Filipinos who were unaware of the selfish ambition of their national leaders. Politicians, bad and good, are reminded of II Chronicles 7:14, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Had our ambitious politicians allowed the Americans to rehabilitate the Philippines after World War II, our country would have been one of the progressive nations in the world today under the American liberator Japan whom the Americans developed after World War II is now the world's richest and progressive country. The reverse is true to the Philippines, the corrupt politicians are the richest people in the world today while majority of the Filipinos are poor and do not eat three square meals a day. When these corrupt politicians leave their earthly tent, not one centavo will they bring and where their destination will be, God knows!