"Creators Against Corruption" are sure graduates of Kontrabida Academy; Classmates with Mayor Vico

    While I was simmering my ideas for this blog entry after watching Netflix's Kontrabida Academy, I came across a news article posted by  ABS-CBN News just an hour ago as of this writing saying that content creators launched Creators Against Corruption. This made me smile because I immediately had a wild thought that these content creators must have graduated from the Kontrabida Academy. 

    These content creators must have felt powerlessness in their meekness and patience and by the external forces that takes advantage of that meekness and patience that they immediately enrolled in the Kontrabida Academy and emerged as best fighters by all means. I myself felt that way. I wanted to be Classmates with them and Mayor Vico in this cause. I am a public servant serving my fellow citizens since I was 26 years old, and though I did my share in stopping corruption within my sphere of influence, I felt that it is never enough, that it is so small that it could not amount to any real change. And even telling myself to hang on is never enough anymore. 

    On a more realistic and grounded note, just minutes before coming across this article, my mother was watching an exclusive interview of Mayor Vico whose advocacy in good governance is to stop corruption in the government. He emphasized that we must make Corruption as "Nakakadiri"which means disgusting, loathsome, nasty according to Tagalog.com. 

    And I say here that let us make Corruption as "kasuklam-suklam" which means according to Tagalog.com as extremely disgusting, deplorable, extremely detestable, abhorrent, repulsive, repugnant, loathsome, odious, revolting while google suggested that it means loathsome, despicable, detestable and abominable. All of these words convey a strong sense of extreme disgust, contempt, or hatred for something.  And further, I enjoyed reading the google search's specific English translations of each synonymous word because it made my blood boil and made me feel like I'm a Certified Kontrabida ready with that signature moves of slaps and water throwing:

Loathsome: Expresses something that excites intense disgust or revulsion. 

Despicable: Describes something that is deserving of hatred or contempt. 

Detestable: Means something that is worthy of being hated or loathed. 

Abominable: Signifies something that is causing or deserving of intense dislike or disgust. 

 

     No light is so small if we work together for change in our country which is in the dark right now. WE MUST MAKE CORRUPTION AS NAKAKADIRI AT KASUKLAM-SUKLAM. We must make it unacceptable. We must not make extravagant lifestyle of the thieves as the new norm. As Mayor Vico said in his interview, it was then a story of "rags to riches" but it became now a story of "robs to riches." Let us reject this kind of tale.

    I must say that in my sphere of influence, I have seen changes, albeit slow, but that's promising for someone who has big hopes for a clean and honest government who looks after its good people. 

    As a movie, Kontrabida Academy is a magical-realism dramedy that really has come to a full circle when it ended. I love everything about it. The script, the direction, the costumes, and the actors, especially the memorable cameo roles of the Philippine Cinema's certified kontrabidas. It deserves a rave review solely on its merit as a film from me but watching it made me RAGE AGAINST CORRUPTION. And that is good. That's what art is for: Change. Watch the film and let us rage altogether.