‘Too many lazy people in gov’t’

DAVAO CITY — There are just too many lazy people in the government who are costing taxpayers a lot of their time and money.

Davao Archbishop and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Fernando Capalla lamented how the government is paying the salaries of a large number of civil servants who cannot even render proper service to the public, aside from being insensitive to the people’s needs.

Capalla said the number of lazy people in government is a waste of time, money and talent.

"People do not follow rules anymore and they do not comply with their obligation. You just think of how much is lost with it," he said.

Such a predicament, Capalla said, is indicative of people who have no love for the country and the welfare of the people but merely think of the benefits in being employed by the government.

Capalla said even bundy clocks are useless for these "indolent" public servants.

"You can see that once they time in with the bundy clock, still they do not do anything at all the whole day even if they just stay in their desks," he said.

Capalla stressed the issue of the government employing lazy personnel has contributed greatly to the fiscal crisis.

He said it is immoral for the government to pay the salaries of lazy employees for their lopsided work.

But Capalla was quick to point out that in the government service, there are a dedicated few who focus themselves in bringing the best service they can provide to the people.

"You find very few people who are disciplined in government," he said.

Aside from efforts of donating money to help the government go over its financial problems, Capalla said it is also important Filipinos should learn to give much of themselves.

"And how much more for government employees who are expected to be of service to the people," Capalla said.

He stressed he never lost faith in the people in government service in realizing their duty to the public with the importance of right values sinking in.

"It takes time for the heart to respond because the callous of the conscience of some people is so thick," he said.

"How can they hear the voice of conscience if that were the case."

Capalla said problem stems from the fact most people nowadays believe everything can be interpreted in material and monetary terms.

He said the words "country, nation, motherland or fatherland," are all abstract issues that cannot be mixed in the material needs of an individual.

"And you cannot love an abstraction," Capalla said. "We have to make everyone understand that the flag represents the people and that government is everybody’s business."

The bishop said the government should make appropriate steps to prevent the moral decay of many people.

Capalla suggested the subject of social education should be included anew as a school curriculum. "We have to start them young on these values," he said.