(EDITORIAL)
THE circus is over.
Yesterday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) formally concluded the filing of certificates of candidacy and certificates of nomination and acceptance (Cona) for the party-list, with a total of 184 senatorial aspirants and 190 party-list candidates.
Now that this is over, the mudslinging in front of the entertained public will begin.
Surely, all sorts of dirt will be thrown at each other. The circus and teleserye of comedy and drama will start again, hopefully without any bloody action in the real-life teleserye.
Old scandals will be unearthed, controversies from the past will be brought up from the archives, and misused funds from the public coffers will be exposed.
The familiar spectacle of political dynasties, their members vying for positions as if it were a family business, will be back in full force.
For these families, politics is a lucrative career path, a shortcut to wealth and influence. They see no shame in using their positions for personal gain, often exploiting loopholes and manipulating the system to their advantage.
Even when their corruption is exposed, they often escape accountability, relying on a legal system that seems more concerned with protecting the powerful than upholding justice.
This cycle of unchecked corruption has led to a culture where aspiring politicians view public service as a means to an end, a stepping stone to personal enrichment.
While some may genuinely seek to serve the people, the allure of power and wealth often overshadows any genuine desire to improve the lives of the struggling masses.
