The Spoils of Tyranny

You know, peeps, there's a special kind of damage that happens when politicians like Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. get to call the shots. They leave behind a trail of destruction, and the civil service is no exception.

Under Duterte, the bureaucracy was treated like a playground for patronage and petty tyrants. Appointments were handed out like candy to loyalists, regardless of qualifications. Meritocracy took a backseat, and the once-proud civil service was reduced to a collection of yes-men and women.

The Marcos presidency has continued this trend, with cronyism and corruption running rampant. The bureaucracy is now a bloated, inefficient monster, more interested in serving the interests of the ruling family than the people.

The damage runs deep. Career officials are now wary of taking bold decisions, fearing reprisal from above. The rot starts at the top, with politicos appointing their friends and allies to key positions, regardless of competence.

The result? A civil service that's more focused on pleasing its political masters than serving the public. It's a machine that's been gummed up by patronage, corruption, and incompetence.

The people deserve better. They deserve a civil service that's professional, efficient, and dedicated to serving the public interest. But that'll take a change in leadership, and a willingness to clean house.

Until then, we'll just have to put up with a bureaucracy that's more interested in serving the powers-that-be than the people. It's a shame, a real shame.