Actor Jason Abalos posted on his Twitter account his frustrations over the corrupt government officials of the Philippines.
Abalos mentioned that corrupt officials should be punished and be sentenced to a death penalty.
“Isama na sa mapaparusahan ng death penalty yong mga corrupt officials pls :),” he wrote.
Isama na sa mapaparusahan ng death penalty yong mga corrupt officials pls 🙂
— jason abalos (@thejasonabalos) August 6, 2020
The Philippines is one of 140 countries that have abolished the death penalty either in law or in practice, as part of a global trend away from capital punishment (Amnesty International, 2015, cited in “The Death Penalty Worldwide”).
Yet there have been repeated calls for the Philippines to reinstate capital punishment, with current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wanting to restore it.
The plummeting human rights situation in the Philippines only got worse as the government began considering bills to reinstate the death penalty. The move by the House Committee on Justice came a week after President Rodrigo Duterte used his State of the Nation Address to call for capital punishment by lethal injection for drug offenders.
Abalos reacted to the government’s plans saying that the death penalty should not be limited only to the normal citizens of the country, but also to the government themselves.
The Kapuso actor’s Tweet was a display of his support to the people who have been marginalized by the people who hold power and influence on the country. He wanted to point out that even the people in the government who leads the country still deserves to be punished if they’ve broken the law.
In his post, Abalos seemed to be referring to the corrupt officials of PhilHealth who were reported to have stolen over P15 billion in fraudulent schemes.
He posted on his Twitter account that he pitied the Philippines because the government is stealing from its own people instead of using the money to provide for the needs of the Filipinos.
Woow!! kawawang pilipinas, nakakawalang pag asa. https://t.co/dwuitHPtUz
— jason abalos (@thejasonabalos) August 4, 2020
“Woow!! kawawang pilipinas, nakakawalang pag asa,” he said.
Abalos was in disbelief that the corporation that was supposed to implement universal health coverage in the Philippines, ended up stealing money from the people in the middle of a pandemic.
According to the news, a whistleblower revealed that about P15 billion of the funds of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) fattened the wallets of a “syndicate’’ in the state-run health insurer in 2019 alone.
Lawyer Thorrsson Montes Keith told a Senate hearing that all members of PhilHealth’s executive committee form the “mafia,” which had been allegedly defrauding the corporation for the past several years.
Keith claimed that the ₱15 billion covers the unauthorized release of interim reimbursement mechanisms or funds allocated for “fortuitous events” such as the pandemic, to hospitals who have not yet recorded COVID-19 cases. The amount also included the alleged overpriced information technology systems the agency proposed to purchase.
Abalos also posted his frustration over the disturbing amount of corrupt people in the country.
Daming corrupt!
— jason abalos (@thejasonabalos) August 4, 2020
The people have been discussing the PhilHealth issue and how the corporation can be cleansed of corrupt officials. Senate President Vicente Sotto III proposed a solution to the problem which made Abalos offer his approval to the politician.
Sotto urged President Rodrigo Duterte to replace PhilHealth officials in “controversial” positions with rich and competent businessmen.
For President na! #RSA2022 https://t.co/0ZA0DVF7n7
— jason abalos (@thejasonabalos) August 5, 2020
“For President na! #RSA2022,” Abalos said.
“Sa ngayon…sinubukan ng doktor nung araw pa, hindi daw mahusay ang pagpatakbo. Pinalitan military, eh mukhang hindi rin maayos ‘yung takbo. Businessman ang ilagay mo,” Sotto told reporters in an online interview when asked who may be qualified to head PhilHealth.
“Dahil ang PhilHealth negosyo eh. Parang negosyo. Business ‘yan eh. Kung meron kang businessman na magaling, na matino, na makukumbinse mo na tanggapin ‘yan, palagay ko ‘yun ang solution,” the Senate President added.
Abalos has been very vocal about his concerns with the government of the Philippines. He recently posted his reactions regarding the PH government joking about disinfecting masks using gasoline.
He called the government out on social media after Presidential Speaker Harry Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks about disinfecting masks using gasoline were a joke.
Namatay ang kaibigan kong pediatric surgeon dahil sa covid, tapos may panahon pa kayong mag joke?? Pagbabago ang ginusto ko nong binoto kita hindi panggagago!
— jason abalos (@thejasonabalos) July 23, 2020
“Namatay ang kaibigan kong pediatric surgeon dahil sa covid, tapos may panahon pa kayong mag joke?? Pagbabago ang ginusto ko nong binoto kita hindi panggagago!” he stressed.
The actor was triggered by the government who joked about the protocols of the pandemic as he said that it was not a laughing matter. He said that there are many people who have already suffered and died from the virus including the people close to him.
In response to another tweet from a reporter who shared Roque’s response to the issue during a press briefing at Malacañang Palace, Jason wrote: ‘Joke talaga to sila!’
Joke talaga to sila! 🤦🏻 https://t.co/tz6WO4Jqsh
— jason abalos (@thejasonabalos) July 23, 2020
On his Instagram last April, the Kapuso actor paid a long, heartfelt tribute to Dr. Leandro Resurreccion III who was his good friend and neighbor. Jason and Dr. Resurrection shared the same love for motorcycles.
Jason Abalos was a Star Magic talent until 2017. On August 7, 2008, he won Best Performance by Male or Female, Adult or Child, Individual or Ensemble in Leading or Supporting Role award in the Young Critics Circle Annual Citation held at the Faculty Center Conference (Pulungang Recto, Bulwagang Rizal) Hall of the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.
He won the Best Actor in the 2008 Gawad Urian Awards for Endo. Abalos transferred to GMA Network and signed an exclusive contract at GMA Artist Center after 13 years as a talent of Star Magic of ABS-CBN.
