The Claret School of Quezon City came up with an enjoyable way of denouncing the corruption scandal in the country while holding a soccer tournament.
On Oct. 22, the school children playfully executed “penalty kicks” during a break to hit a ‘Sipain Ang Corruption’ tarpaulin the students themselves made. Students and parents, who signed a waiver for the novel activity, cheer every time they hit the goal.
A statement, attributed to Fr. Vic Sadaya, CMF, PhD, school director of Claret School of Quezon City, gives a meaningful background to the school’s fun and patriotic sports event:
The Game is Rigged – And the Children Lose First
In football, the rules are clear. Integrity, discipline, teamwork and fair play are values we teach our youth on the pitch. This is the same set of values we expect from those who lead our nation.
But just like a rigged match, the game in the Philippines has long been undermined by corruption. From overpriced government contracts to untraceable public funds, the people are forced to watch from the sidelines while a few powerful players rewrite the rules to serve their own interests.
Football teaches us that no one is above the game. However, when corruption enters the field, it destroys trust, poisons teamwork and breaks the spirit of the entire team. When corruption is tolerated, the nation plays offside – against justice, against truth and against God.
Corruption disintegrates public trust, widens inequality and steals opportunities from the very citizens whose taxes funds this “game” we call governance.
As citizens, we are not mere spectators.
Corruption in our country used to be met with shock. But over time, it became so common that many stopped flinching. However, recent news on overpriced contacts, missing funds, unfulfilled promises woke something in many people from all walks of life. Now, people are speaking up. They have had enough. The silence is breaking and the frustration is rising. Filipinos are no longer willing to look the other way while a few continue to profit at the expense of millions.
We call on every honest public servant, every youth with a love for justice and every citizen tired of being taken for a ride: demand transparency, demand accountability, and never settle for a nation that plays foul.
The game we love is built on discipline and honor. This should also apply to the country’s democracy.
Photos and video by Bullit Marquez for Vera Files
