Real opposition vs unity

During a press briefing at Malacañang Palace the other day, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said that President Marcos Jr. is ready to work with a legitimate opposition in the hopes of advancing the interests of the nation. I do love the sound of that as after all, a healthy opposition is needed for a strong government to thrive.

At the same press briefing, the PCO Undersecretary also expressed that the President expects that our newly elected leaders would reflect the needs of every Filipino and not only the interests of the few. Bold statement, true in the most fundamental sense, but essentially needs to be qualified.

In almost three years in the current administration, I among others am still trying to figure out exactly who the healthy opposition is. With this said, while I am still in agreement with mainstream conservatives on the limits of freedom of speech, I am also not opposed to the reactions and views of social media influencers as quite a few have given valuable insight as well as interesting perspectives that can be discussed and shared.

But going back to a legitimate opposition, I wonder to what extent opposing views could in fact be considered without “crossing a line” and being labeled as fake news. Meaning to say, what would significantly be an acceptable response to a legitimate national issue where the current administration would be open to criticism and not just hastily look at the issue and dismiss it as disinformation.

Not too long ago, in an interview, Undersecretary Castro was asked about the crime index, where she confidently answered that mainstream media show isolated cases in the news when clearly, public safety has become a genuine concern for people, among other issues that the administration must address without feeling like it is an affront to challenge the government and its policies.

I am one with the President in his call for unity and cooperation following the midterm elections and many of us would really like to know what steps all of us should be taking to ensure this will happen regardless, as Castro says, of color. Sounds familiar? I’ve heard this before. Then again, the past three years have shown a clear rift between the two sides that once upon a time called themselves the UniTeam and just like that, just like what happened to the Liberal Party, this no longer exists.

I have seen what people seem to be perceiving as a revival of the “pinklawans” when in fact, and giving credit where credit is due, some of their candidates stayed within a clear messaging and focused.

A real healthy opposition has the country’s best interest at heart and the real obstructionist isn’t the one who wants the common good but rather, it is a faction that will eventually eliminate those who simply are not within their ranks, including the people who continue to dedicate their services in the fight against insurgency, the main culprits who hinder development by disrupting social, political and economic stability.

A very important part in the government’s messaging should be this, as it clearly identifies what is meant by obstructionists as certainly, and without a doubt, the administration should never allow any of them to hinder progress and, more importantly, everybody’s quest for good governance.