“You must admit that there is happiness man alive because he is superior to all he possesses; but it is an empty life where nothing gives pleasure.”
- Voltaire, Candide
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report on the wealth of President Estrada just confirms the long standing stain on the faces of the public officials now and then – graft and corruption. But not on the presidency please. I have this little glimmer of hope that somewhere in the public office there is still upright and unadulterated space, and I generously reserve that to the presidency. If there is any effort to influence, it must start from the top down to the bottom. I think it would be easier that way than the other way around but I am not denying the latter of its own course and I am not going to judge which way is better because more or less each one has a reason to think that way. With all the forces of doubts steering e closer to the truth, I am tempted to shed a light why people think public officials do conceal and keep the silence of wealth in office or after office.
It is empirical to note that no public official retires from office forcibly through time or through legal mandate poorer than he was before taking office except a handful of the few that risked the resources of the known rich family for the service for the marginalized. One inspiring example would be former President Sergio Osmeña who sold some of the family’s assets to cover some costs of basic services to the people. However, during and in the post-Marcos era, the public belief was reaffirmed by the frenzied activities of the cronies or kamag-anak or mistahs and now the kumpadres and the first families. It is believed now that more critically-decided ventures of the government are made in the nocturnal sessions with the close “friends” of the president than in the usual cabinet meetings. Recently, one brave soul in the person of Sister Tan divulged the monopoly of the first family in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) projects that, though seemingly legitimate, were expended mostly in the hands of the first family, Privilege indeed resides in the seat of power and emanates from the people who take the seat.
Sadly, people nowadays engage in politics due to the mundane endeavors-prestige, power and wealth. Gone are the days when one seeks office due to his calling to serve faithfully. The vocation to public service becomes secondary or even non-existent to the mind and soul of the public officials. The idea of public service is reduced to attending weddings, neurological wake, birthdays and baptisms, year in and out. What happens now to the popular saying, public service is a public thrust? I remember Dolphy starting this when asked if he would run for an office, he said, “madali tumakbo, paano kung manalo?” I truly admire the guy’s response because there is no question of his winning ability but precisely, what is he going to do there? Exactly the same question goes to the people now in office who have barely 9 months to go, what have you done and what are you doing? It is hoped that they should not forget their accountability to the people. The people especially the oppresses are the main reasons why there are where they are. I suppose that they do not contribute to the dehumanizing of the oppressed instead join in the struggle to liberation. But I usually see them on the other side with the unscrupulous impeding the road to access education, health, social services and justice. Then I have come to understand and meet the natural evil of man. The “I” speaks on himself, wanting to own the world, be superior, in the process neglecting the social responsibility to others. The issue of graft and corruption as I am told is the fight between good and evil. I think we know which side belongs to public officials.
In the World Bank report, 20% or 1/5 of the national budget is lost to corruption every year. That sizeable amount could have built a hundred thousands of classrooms or could have raised the public employees’ wage to a decent and living one or could have fed the many starving evacuees in the Mindanao war. And the lists can go on and on but it will not be taken back like the air we exhale. The report shows that the government is weak in setting up at least regulatory framework resulting to barely provision of basic services to the people, much less in strategic development planning. This, I believe, has prompted the President to wage war against graft and corruption in the SONA.
Is the President ready to confront familiar faces in this war? Is he prepared to see himself just like in the mirror?
In the same report, it is said that 22% of the public were victimized and only 8% complained. I think the hardly hit here are the poor people and I believe they are now ready to complain. But who will listen?
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