Lack of clarity

Let’s not sugarcoat it. We are taking the rains very seriously and, if you were the parent who takes your child to school hoping you wouldn’t have to brace yourself for floodwaters ahead or worry that the next bout of rain will completely destroy your home, then yes, especially in the Philippines, the rains are certainly no joking matter.

But that was not the case just the other day when the DILG decided to bring back the not so savory style of announcing class and work suspensions that bothered many netizens. Needless to say, the Vice President scored a point when she called out this rather indelicate act by saying that institutions do not have freedom of expression and must act professionally. Touché.

Then we have the case of four-star General Nicolas Torre III who was, for me, strangely relieved from his duties with a rather unfamiliar ceremony for the change in command. As far as I know, outgoing Chiefs are present in such occasions but that was not the case for the former Chief Torre and now officer-in-charge PNP Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. Again, it is strange but perhaps I just do not know any better.

It seems after all the murmurs prior to the said event, the President saw it fit to uphold the authority of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), among other reasons, when it came to the removal of Torre. This was explained by none other than the Interior Secretary himself. SILG Remulla also said that the removal of the Chief was difficult but necessary and was made in the national interest.

Then we have Senator Ping Lacson, my favorite go-to guy for things I need clarity on when it comes to such issues. Lacson expressed in a statement that Nartatez has big shoes to fill as he faces a tough challenge in succeeding his predecessor Nicolas Torre, who has earned public trust through policies such as the five-minute police response time rule. Lacson also previously recalled saying that Torre was exactly the person the PNP needed, calling him mission oriented, with a good attitude and someone who would gladly sacrifice for the job.

But just like that, with some strange twist of fate, the long weekend was finally over and was peculiarly followed by an announcement made by the DILG that found itself denouncing a fake post on suspension of classes and work on Wednesday, the day after. What is even more interesting, and on top of all the events that occurred before hand, the general public seems to be rather exasperated, regardless of the corrections made, as sentiments of resentment and frustration filled the agency’s Facebook comment section, asking to refrain from informal types of announcements for clarity and accountability. In the end, sometimes, in as much as one would really like to take your word for it, I would suppose it is safe to say that when all is said and done, credibility outweighs all other claims that have very little bearing on the truth.

It is noteworthy to mention, on the other hand, the idea of Quezon City’s efforts on crowd sourcing with regards to DPWH projects and getting our QCitizens involved is considered a brilliant move as, after all, drowning in faulty or non-existent projects meant for the people is everybody’s business and we simply want all participants to put their money where their mouth is. We spare no effort when it comes to the corrupt and when commitment to the people is at stake as it is high time they all prove their worth in governance.

Back to Torre, I agree with Senator Lacson when he said the former Chief’s withdrawal from the post was the sole prerogative of the President of the Philippines as after all, the Chief serves at the pleasure of the President. The same applies to the rest of the appointed officials in this administration, where everything is done in the best interest of the people.

Needless to say, this also includes the simple act of delivering clear, concise and reliable announcements for school and work cancellations. It’s as simple as that. Clarity is not hard to achieve but whether you like it or not, it requires some straight talking and openness. Lack of clarity only leads to confusion and when it comes to good governance, clarity of purpose is fundamental – not to mention, urgent.