A beacon of light in the corridors of power

Come July 1, we will have the new president with his appointees as well as the other newly-elected officials, at the national and local levels, occupy seats of power. When they take their oath, they would end it with, “…so help me God.”

Indeed, they would need the help of God as they exercise their duties during this difficult period – to excel and be competent in the jobs that have been given to them. But beyond the exercise of duties, they would need more divine help as they traverse the tempting corridors of power. One can start as an honest and sincere public servant. But down the road, amid the adulation of the public, advisers who are afraid to “tell the emperor is naked” and the blind obedience of subordinates, it is easy for power to trap the person. One need not be king or president to unleash corruptive power.   Remember the security guard who gave the Lazada delivery man a hard time? We concluded, “Nag power tripping ang sikyu!”

Giving in to corruption in the corridors of power can be likened to a frog swimming in a pot of water gradually heating up. Power can be blinding and intoxicating, which means one does not feel entrapped right away. One may have pure motives at the start, but the many opportunities in the offices of power may lure the public servant to abuse their positions. In the beginning, they rely on their conscience but soon, listening to the inner voice of right and wrong becomes difficult, if not impossible.

In contrast, fighting corruption is akin to standing tall in a dark place like a beacon of light. How inspiring it is to see a high official serving as a beacon of light! It encourages the bureaucracy to do likewise – to serve as good public servants. It also tells the citizens that all will be well because we are being governed by people with moral integrity and we are assured that we are under their care. This is important at this time when the people need hope amid the spiking prices of food, fuel and other commodities.

For those in policy-making positions, being a beacon of light may not always mean directly attacking corruption. It also means making decisions that are well thought of and backed up by research and best practices from other countries in similar situations as the Philippines. Sometimes, at the cost of popularity, a leader as a beacon of light points the way to a hard but right path. It means resisting the easy way out of a crisis that might lead to bigger problems down the road. In times of crisis, our officials should prove to the country that they are statesmen and stateswomen and not politicians who cater to their ego as they succumb to the pressures of keeping themselves popular. What’s the difference between a politician and a statesman? Someone said, “A statesman is a man who belongs to the State; a politician is the man who thinks that the State belongs to him.”

Men and women outside government could also serve as beacons of light. They need not be confined to high positions. Whether as a janitor, a clerk, an executive assistant, a researcher, a teacher, a writer, an artist or a media person, they can serve as beacons of light in their respective areas where they can point out the good as well as the bad. We should not be afraid to spotlight the bad so we help our officials resist the temptations of power. For to be a critic is to help and not just to oppose for the sheer delight of opposing. Our role is not to be an enemy of the state but a helper. We point out what is wrong, with the hope that the official is listening and there is hope to improve.

Former Senate president Jovito Salonga, a distinguished Filipino statesman, said, “There are times when it is necessary for us to observe the sacraments of silence, but there are times when to speak up and protest becomes a rare privilege and a duty.”

He further said, “The temptations of power are such that power corrodes and corrupts and blinds even the best of men (and women); and it is to the health and to the good of the country that the party in power, with all the patronage and the public wealth at its command, be put in constant check of a critical opposition.”

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Leonora Gonzales teaches at the University of the Philippines, College of Mass Communication. She used to work at the World Bank as a communication specialist.