A wrong political propaganda

There is a Tagalog line that goes somewhat like “nagbubuhat ng sariling bangko”. To me, it refers to someone who praises himself unabashedly or immodestly puts a heavy amount of importance to insignificant things he might have done. Quite often, the words he utters amount to self-praise and don’t inspire credibility. Sometimes, he earns social scorn doing so. On the contrary, when a person says something that can be taken to disfavor him people tend to believe it. Yes, it’s ironic that when someone declares something that doesn’t promote his interests, his statement is more believable.

A principle in the law of evidence approximates the negative side of this Tagalog line. Lawyers call it “declaration against interest”. Really, because it is uncommon for anyone to speak out what may hurt the public perception of him, whatever he says tends to be the truth. Senator Vicente Francisco, a distinguished trial advocate and respected author, explained that “a man’s declaration, wherever made, provided (it) be voluntary, is admissible against him, for the reason that it is fair to presume that it corresponds with the truth, and it is his fault it does not.”

An election propaganda which I presume to be that of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is a case of “declaration against interest.” I have noticed it posted in almost all available spaces throughout the city. It says “tomorrow is going to be better than today”. I am sure that he intended it to carry subliminally the Tagalog “nagbubuhat ng sariling bangko” but it has instead become a Freudian slip of sort. In this advertisement, he has declared something that woefully works against his political interests.

Here is why I say that this Osmeña propaganda smacks of a declaration against his interest and therefore it’s more credible. The subliminal message of this advertisement is that the present city administration, for myriad reasons, is not good (a better phraseology than “a failure”).

Physical evidence of the failure of Osmeña’s city administration of TODAY is available. Garbage remains uncollected. Along city streets, solid waste remains. If there is anybody out there who disputes my assertion that this city leadership under Osmeña, has miserably failed to collect the city’s waste, let him accompany me every Saturday as I dispose of our uncollected garbage. I feel prejudiced to think that I also promptly and religiously pay my share of garbage fees. Then, traffic management in this administration has become terrible. Since 1988, when Osmeña assumed as mayor, he has not caused the construction of even one meter of new roads. Oh yes, there was one time when he claimed Imus Street connecting Sikatuna and Martires was his project. That is false because that road was a late implementation of a Gullas-Ronald Duterte IBRD Program. These are two of the multi-faceted failures of the present Osmeña administration.

The word TODAY in his political ad refers to his administration. His rule is today and his reign today is such a failure that should be changed in order to achieve a better TOMORROW. Such an Osmeña declaration of a failed administration is clearly a declaration against his political interest. In promising a better tomorrow, Osmeña, endorses his political opponent because it is believably the latter who represents TOMORROW. When the mayor starts removing this political advertisement, he admits that his attempt to praise himself is already a failure. [email protected]