EDITORIAL - Checks and balances

As in the campaign, the opposition still isn’t speaking with one voice. Rival opposition candidates Fernando Poe Jr. and Panfilo Lacson remain hopelessly divided. One stalwart of Poe’s Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino said the actor no longer appeared interested in filing an election protest with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. On the other hand, another KNP stalwart says Poe is still considering filing a protest. Different opposition members are saying different things about staging anti-government rallies.

Unable to offer the nation convincing proof that their standard-bearer was cheated of victory, it may be better for KNP leaders to concentrate on the job of a legitimate opposition in a democracy. This is to provide a system of checks and balances that will prevent the abuse of power and promote good governance. If the opposition is too churlish to give the incoming administration even a 100-day honeymoon, so be it. The nation can understand if the opposition rejects President Arroyo’s hand of reconciliation. But the opposition must also show that it can go beyond acting like a sore loser.

A legitimate opposition provides constructive criticism rather than destructive mudslinging. A responsible opposition does not trigger paralysis in Congress, but rather makes sure that proposed laws are not railroaded to the detriment of the public. A legitimate opposition keeps a watchful eye on relatives and friends of those in power who may receive special favors and sweetheart deals.

Because of the way Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was thrust into power in 2001, the nation has had three years of near-paralysis from endless bickering and destabilization. Now the President has been given a mandate for another six years. It will be easy for the opposition to foment trouble throughout the President’s term, if only to make sure a leader blessed with nine years in power will never succeed. But that is not the role of an opposition claiming to have the nation’s interest at heart.

A legitimate opposition in a democracy serves as a constant reminder to those in power that the people are watching. But the opposition itself is being watched, and must show the people that it is ready to take on its enormous responsibilities.