This culture of finger-pointing

In this country, and even in many places elsewhere, there is an endemic phenomenon of leaders and decision-makers refusing to accept total and full responsibility for problems, accidents and crises. In Japan, whenever a natural disaster strikes and the authorities are unable to respond with enough sense of urgency expected by the people, the highest executive official of prefecture or the city would immediately and unconditionally tender his resignation, after apologizing profusely for his failure. He does not offer excuses nor give alibis. He just bow his head in all humility and remorse.

In our country, and also in some similarly situated third world nation in Asia and Africa, neither the head of state nor the head of government would come forward to offer his head on the block. Instead, Filipino leaders and politicians would usually look for a scapegoat or a sacrificial lamb. They would denounce some functionary or bureaucrat but refuse to accept any and all responsibility. Then, the person being criticized for not doing his or her failures would blame back the leader for failing to provide proper and timely direction and resources. The people blame the government and the government blames the people.

The usual course of things, after typhoons, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and rebel attacks, the local government units would blame the national government, and the national government would scold the local officials. These have been proven to be true in Tacloban, Palo, Tan-auan, Ormoc and all other towns in Leyte as a result of the Yolanda disaster. This also happened in Bohol after that killer earthquake. The same is true in Zamboanga after the rebel attack. This sad spectacle is repeated again and again all over the country in all times of difficulties.

Nobody accepts responsibility. Nobody apologizes to the people. Of course, nobody could be blamed for the forces of nature. But someone should accept a failure to plan enough, to respond enough and to help enough, most especially the leaders, the officials who are tasked to manage and respond to such disasters.

Perhaps everyone has a certain degree of responsibility. Each one of us has some degree of participation in the failure. Each one should apologize to one another. Everyone should ask forgiveness for our failure to help. We have to stop and break this culture of finger-pointing, and start to learn how to accept responsibility.

Leaders must lead by example. And we must all look forward and move one. We have to prepare for the next crisis. We need to review and improve our disaster preparedness plans. We need to clarify our respective sphere of responsibility. We need to plan and drill on our preparedness steps and enhance always our state of readiness. But when disaster strikes and all our efforts are still inadequate, we should never stop improving and discard all attempts to blame others for our inadequacies. All leaders of the government, the church, the academe and civil society should all learn to be responsible for all the results of our efforts. And let God take care of the rest. [email protected]