Time to act

It is really good news for P-Noy that 70 percent of the Filipinos still trust him. But he should look at this trust rating like a half empty rather than a half full glass. Many who voted for and supported him, remain hopeful that he will succeed as our country’s leader because they still believe in his innate honesty, integrity and purity of intention. But they are already getting quite alarmed by the developments in his more than 100 days old administration especially when it comes to “pagbabago at paglalakbay sa isang daang matuwid”.

Grading his administration after only 100 days and giving it a passing mark is rather premature. At this stage, spotting the danger signs leading to the walang pagbabago at dating daang taliwas, will be enough.

Of course as the captain of the Ship of State, P-Noy has the prerogative in choosing his crew. He should have a free hand in putting men and women he fully trusts, to primarily confidential and policy determining or highly technical government positions, particularly his Cabinet. Trust is indeed the foremost consideration in making appointments to sensitive positions. But it should not be the only consideration. Competence, integrity, efficiency and sense of patriotism and justice must also be considered.

Besides the “trust” here refers more to the Constitutional concept of a public office being a “public trust” in the sense that appointee holds office as “a trust for the people whom he represents” (Cornejo vs. Gabriel 41 Phil. 188). Hence it is more than the personal trust of P-Noy on his appointees. It is the peoples’ trust on these public officials. As has been often said, public officials must be like “Caesar’s wife”, they must not only be honest, competent and capable but must also be perceived to be so.

So far, the public perception on some P-Noy appointees clearly shows that people already distrust them to continue holding public office, either because of lack of competence and efficiency or because their integrity and honesty have been placed under a cloud of doubt. So, in fairness to the people and to P-Noy, they should already resign irrevocably even if P-Noy still trusts them or even if they are mere victims of a vilification campaign by enemies of this administration. Otherwise they will just be like millstones tied around P-Noy’s neck that prevents his administration from taking off the ground.

As P-Noy said, changing the old system which allegedly became worse in the last 10 years is his biggest challenge. Of course he cannot do it in his first 100 days because it involves a change of everybody’s attitude. He said however that “things are different now and things have to really change”. But even as he was telling this to the people in Isabela, his party mates in the Lower House have decided to increase the slice of pork instead of completely scrapping it or even just reducing it. As contained in the 90.9 billion budget of the Lower House, 278 Congressmen will get as much as P145 million instead of the previous P70 million under the old and “worse’’ system. This is indeed another clear and present danger sign of walang pagbabago.

Obviously, it is really quite tough to tear down the old and well entrenched pork barrel system. But he could start by asking our legislators to reduce their pork barrel, by whatever name it is designated, until it is totally abolished. Indeed, allocating development funds to our legislators is per se anomalous simply because those funds have nothing to do at all with their main function of crafting laws.

Ever since the pork barrel system has been adopted by the government, it has undoubtedly produced more harm than good for our country and people. It is the biggest source of corruption both in the local and national government because it is the most convenient way for public officials and private individuals or entities that get a slice of the pork, to make lots of money without being caught due to lack of, or insufficient and weak proof. Hence the only way to stop corruption here is to abolish the pork barrel system.

The same is true with regards to the Jueteng payola given to the police and other local and national government officials. It is common and accepted knowledge who are the officials on the take but no one can show any solid and tangible proof of such fact except by word of mouth of alleged eyewitnesses who are usually prone to recant, or to be forgetful or to just disappear on the face of the earth. The only way to eliminate the payola is to stop jueteng. And it can be done if there is, what else, but that oft invoked “political will”. Legalizing jueteng will not solve the problem as it will just spawn other kind of illegal gambling games that also entail payola.

Both the jueteng payola and the Congressional pork have one thing in common — they are tools for dispensing political patronage and buying votes that enable elected officials to perpetuate themselves and their families in power which is nothing else but the establishment of a political dynasties prohibited by the Constitution. They deprive others of equal access to opportunities for public service.

Tearing down the old system is really a big challenge to and a tall order for P-Noy. But lots of people still trust and hope that he can do it. For that hope and trust to remain alive, P-Noy must back up his words with some bold and daring moves that will catch the peoples’ imagination and even support him to the hilt. Now is the time to move. Take this as coming from his staunch supporters who fervently hope and are ready to help him attain the promised pagbabago.