What to ask from barangay and SK aspirants

Indeed, how time flies! We’ve got but a week to go in the coming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections. In my own neighborhood in Barangay Capitol, I don’t even know who are running in this election. This only means, whoever are running in my barangay haven’t dropped in on us to explain what we residents can expect from their leadership. If these people do not even come to seek our vote, what can we expect from them when they are elected into office?

The barangay is the smallest form of government in our democratic system yet people I have talked to believe that many barangay leaders have failed in this role. They have merely become tools of politicians and play a subservient role, rather than come up with their own platform of governance to assure their constituents that they are there to serve their neighborhood. Let’s use the barangay elections to remind our leaders that they are first and foremost servants of the public, not masters or bullies of their neighborhood.

For too long a time (thanks to the numerous delays in barangay elections) our barangay captains have become part and parcel of political parties, which is a clear-cut violation of Comelec Resolution no.8320. That mayors or their challengers would brag that many barangay captains are in their pockets is clear proof of this violation.

As for the SK, I have always made my opinion always known to my readers. The SK was created by the Marcos Dictatorship as a “play thing” for then Presidential daughter Imee Marcos. In short, the SK has become a playground for practicing politicos. If you understand that politics and morality cannot mix, then you will know why many SK members have failed miserably to serve their constituents. Of course, there are always some gems, but those young men and women would still shine even if the Boy or Girl Scouts replaced the SK.

Unfortunately the SK is still with us. Since it hasn’t been abolished we have to live with this. So if you want to find out how to choose the right SK, the first question should be: What has this young potential politico done for the community? If that person seeking office is a known thug or drug user, you already know what to do – never put that person in office! Again, none of the SK candidates in Capitol site have even knocked on our door so we could interview them on what they intend to do if they are elected into office.

Meanwhile, allow me to reiterate my view on what our barangay leaders ought to do as their main task in their respective barangays: Clean our surroundings from all the garbage and filth. The other is to help keep peace and order in the neighborhood. If you think that your barangay leaders have been doing these two things and if they are seeking reelection, then they deserve to be reelected. Those who failed to do so should be replaced with the challengers. It is always better to take a chance on new leaders than reelect those who do not deserve your votes.

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Whenever a bomb rips any part of the Philippines, the world gets to know the story almost instantaneously via Cable News Network (CNN) or the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Thus when that explosion that rocked the Glorietta 2 mall at the Ayala Center in the heart of the nation’s premier business district of Makati, I expected the bad news would spin around the globe. Surprise of surprises, both CNN and BBC only gave a matter-of-fact report on this, nothing in-depth, nor was it given any special billing.

Have these two satellite broadcast stations gotten tired and weary of bombings in our country? Perhaps, because bombings occur on a daily basis, not just in Iraq, but many other places throughout the world. The latest was the assassination attempt via suicide bombing of Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto. So in an uncanny way, we ought to thank the Lord that CNN or BBC didn’t give that explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall any importance.

We were having a meeting when the explosion occurred that Friday afternoon, and we got initial reports that this may have been caused by an LPG tank. However, police investigators found traces of a chemical substance found in C4 plastic bombs. But the latest report seems to have hit a blank wall, which is why the police investigators are rethinking of going back to the LPG theory. That not a single credible source has admitted to have done this supposed bombing is also mysterious. I’m sure that our usual bevy of enemies would have loved to make that call and declare that they did it. The problem is, none of our usual terror groups have made such assertions. So if our probers are facing a blank wall, perhaps it is time to ask other countries that are better equipped to investigate explosions to help us.