Mirror of Bureaucratic Dishonesty
Manny Montelibano’s ‘Going Nowhere’ powerfully captures the exhausting reality of corrupt governance.
Words Luis Joaquin Gregorio
Photo courtesy of JL Diquit
September 10, 2025
In partnership with Orange Project and Gravity Art Space, JCB Gallery opens Manny Montelibano’s ‘Going Nowhere’ to the public.
‘Going Nowhere’ delivers a powerful social commentary, striking a balance between the suffocating reality of stifled democracy and the simmering rage against the entrenched dirty politics that have manipulated the country for generations.
Endless loop of deceit
Montelibano’s five-channel installation portrays the exhausting nature of Philippine elections in a clamorous way, translated from the exact perspective and inner thoughts of Filipino voters who yearn for good governance.
Every election season feels like the gods flipping a coin–a notion reflected in ‘Bolted on Luck,’ which portrays the unavoidable threat of greed and malice seeping into the seat of power, leaving Filipinos with no choice but to leave their fate to chance.
Meanwhile, ‘Mishandled’ stands for the loss of greatness and how it consequently chokes the courage and hope out of society, failing the future of millions in the process.
The disorienting and repetitive nature of the installation is a raw depiction of how Philippine politics has been banking on confusion and fostering fear among Filipinos in order to cling to power without being challenged.
Subversive mockery of Filipino politics
The installation deliberately mocks the administration’s willingness to turn a blind eye to the systemic issues plaguing the country, so long as they can hold on to power.
Montelibano also uses his work to express the deep resentment felt by Filipinos who, time and again, have been used as pawns in a larger game; trapped within a system that seems impossible to escape.
He strongly suggests that the legitimate voting power of the people is being reduced to mere numbers, manipulated and exploited by those in control. A great disservice that is considered to be a default setting every time election season arrives, putting us beyond the point of saving.
What was once viewed as a fair game of chess, administrations are now being raided by snakes settling their ladders for their next climb to power.
Hope and resistance
‘Going Nowhere’ offers a disheartening yet honest reflection of the deep flaws in our political landscape, while also revealing an awareness and willingness to resist.
Despite corruption’s grip sinking deep into the nation’s fabric, Montelibano’s art shines a remarkable glimmer of hope—one that refuses to be extinguished and instead pushes back. With every election shaking the lives of Filipinos, a pressing question remains: when will our country stop being a cage for its own people?
Montelibano’s installation will run until October 3, 2025, at the JCB Gallery at the Philippine Women’s University.
