MANILA - Politics, as the word is commonly understood, is nothing but corruption.

This has been proven beyond cavil about Gloria Arroyo, who has used every dirty trick in the book of politics and corrupt practices to satisfy her intense desire for power and pelf. She has built structures of deceit and corruption ever since she usurped the presidency from Joseph “Erap” Estrada in 2001, and, once again, when she cheated Fernando Poe Jr. on her way to six more years in Malacanang in 2004.

Indeed, in the last six years of her purloined presidency, she has raised corruption to a new level of magnitude unmatched by past administrations. And this dismaying fact has not escaped the attention of Filipinos in all levels of society.

They know this, and they have seen it all, in the scandal-ridden Arroyo administration. And they have affirmed this in the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS). It showed that 71 % of the people believe that she has been enriching herself through corrupt practices. Those surveyed came from the ABC or upper and middle classes (73 %), the D Class (69 %), and the E Class (73 %).

Oh yes, in the same survey Estrada got better results on the corruption perception category. Of those polled, 66 % do not believe he enriched himself while he was president.
This latest blow dealt Gloria followed closely an earlier SWS survey that showed her trust rating was only 18 %, compared to a trust rating of 64 % for Estrada. In this new survey 76 % of ABC or upper and middle classes, 71 % in Class D and 73 % in Class E, all agreed that corruption has increased under the Arroyo administration.
The shocking survey results should have sent shivers down the spine of Gloria and her political minions and coterie of economic and financial advisers. But as it has been their wont, they have shrugged their shoulders and dismissed it all as untrue. “Hindi totoo ‘yan, ”one Palace factotum arrogantly said. “Wala naman corruption nangyayari sa gobyerno." (That’s not true. There’s no corruption in government.)

This very clearly shows the moral apathy of those now in high places whenever conspicuous corruption in government is publicly exposed.

They are blind, and they refuse to read the handwriting on the Palace wall, mindless of that day when it will collapse into a heap of dust with all of them underneath!