The Filipino “Buwaya”

The Filipino “Buwaya”

-Most common breed of Filipino government officials.

(Buwaya – Crocodile)

           

This is what we commonly call our corrupt politicians, but most of the time, we use this to call corrupt police officers on the streets. Let’s see their similarities!

The Real Buwaya (Crocodile) (Animal) Type: Reptile Cold Blooded Diet: Carnivore Average life span in the wild: Up to 70 years Size: Up to 15 ft (4.6 m) Weight: Up to 2,000 lbs (907 kg) Group name: Bask (on land) or float (in water) Protection status: Endangered Other Facts: The crocodile will patiently wait in hiding for its victim. When an animal gets close enough, the crocodile will jump forward and clench its prey between its teeth.

The “Buwaya” (Person) Type: Mammal Hot Blooded and Cold Hearted :) Diet: (They prey on humans so…yup! Carnivore it is!) Average life span in the wild: Up to 70 years (70 years mostly living of corrupt money :p ) Size: Smaller than the real Buwaya. Weight: Up to 2,000 lbs (Joke) they get to eat a lot of food though. Because of Corruption. :) Group name: Bask (on land) or float (in water, because they’re like floaters hahaha.) Protection status: Over Populated Other Facts: The “Buwaya” will patiently wait in hiding for its victim. When a law offender gets close enough, the “Buwaya” will jump forward and ask for Bribe money from his prey using “laws” to threaten the prey.

Also, some kids compare corrupt police officers to crocodiles because of their big bellies :)

Ever since I was a kid, these are my perceptions of what a police officer in the Philippines is. Its sad to say that until now, I think the same. It’s hard to change my perception of them because there are a lot of news and stories wherein a lot of people had bad encounters with the Philippine police officers. Yes, these people might have been law offenders, but the right thing for a police officer to do is to punish them accordingly to ensure that the law offender does not commit his mistake again. But, in reality, these Buwayas would rather get bribed money instead of teaching the law offenders a lesson. So for the Buwayas, they arrest law offenders for money, they make a living out of Bribed money. At first I thought that stories about these Buwayas were just exaggerations because, of course, a law offender does not want to be caught. But the experience my family had with these Buwayas made me realize that what people said about them are NOT JUST exaggerations.

One day we were going to a mall somewhere in Manila, then a police officer ask us to pull over. We were wondering why because we always use that route every time we go there; same street, same entrance, same exit, and even same traffic (always heavy traffic!). Then the police officer approached us and said: “sir, swerving kayo. Akin na ang lisensya mo...” (Translation: “sir, you’re swerving, give me you license..”) and then my dad said: “hindi ah, na cut lng kme nung isang kotse kanina kitang kita mo naman diba?” (Translation: “no, another car cut our way. You clearly saw it right?”) Then the officer said: “ahh, gunun ba, baka naman pwede nalang mag lagay para tapos na ang usapan.. (with a smirk in his face >:[] )” (Translation: oh, is that so? Maybe you can just give me money so that our conversation will be over?) My dad gave him 300 Pesos and we got away. My dad said that he was so guilty that he gave the police officer bribe money, but he thought of the time and trouble it will cost him if he did not accept the offer of the Buwaya. Maybe most of the Filipinos would rather avoid conflicts or troubles than face troubles and correct them. I don’t blame the victims of these Buwayas because they were given a choice by those Buwayas, of course they will choose the easy way out (Who wouldn’t?) Hopefully, the new administration will be able to completely eliminate these Buwayas so that the law offenders will not have an easy way out and learn their lesson and in the future, the question would be Who would? 

Sources:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com

http://www.crocsite.com