A CRY FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE

Natural disasters are an unfortunate reality of life, and they seem to be hitting us harder than ever, especially with climate change increasing their intensity.

Case in point: the recent disaster that hit Cebu and parts of the Negros provinces during Typhoon Tino. While it's easy to point fingers at nature itself—after all, who can control a raging typhoon?—there's a darker layer to this story that’s worth unpacking: corruption.

Extreme rainfall and deadly flash floods are no longer just the result of Mother Nature throwing a tantrum; they’ve become exacerbated by years of neglect, mismanagement, and outright thievery within government ranks.

Despite pouring billions of pesos into flood control infrastructure, the devastation in Cebu and surrounding areas was catastrophic. Hundreds of lives were tragically lost, and thousands more were left without homes or livelihoods.

When you see images of floods sweeping away entire communities, it’s heart-wrenching to think that some of the money intended to protect those very communities may have lined the pockets of corrupt officials instead.

The clamor for justice echoes loudly amid the ruins. Locals are justifiably angry, screaming for accountability from a government that seems to fail them time and again. It’s like pouring your heart and soul into a project only for the builder to cut corners and pocket the funds—it leaves a really bad taste in your mouth.

Sadly, that’s the situation many find themselves in after Typhoon Tino's wrath. Let’s be real: natural disasters will always be a part of our lives, especially in regions prone to tropical storms. However, when we combine climate change—a factor that’s affecting the severity of these disasters—with systemic corruption, the results can be catastrophic. It’s hard not to question how many lives could have been saved and how much property could have been protected if only the funds had been used appropriately.

Who should we hold accountable for this mess? Is it the weather itself, or do we need to direct our anger at those who failed to do their jobs and let greed take over?

The fact remains that people are suffering, and those in power must step up, not just to repair the damages but also to restore trust and pursue justice for the victims of this tragedy.

The time has come for real action, not just empty promises, if we are to navigate the stormy seas of natural disasters and systemic corruption.