Regaining trust

Plucked from relative obscurity, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives issued all the right statements and promises.

Faustino “Bojie” Dy III of the Dy dynasty in Isabela acknowledged that the House suffers from a huge deficit of public trust.

“Give us a chance to regain your trust,” Dy told the nation after he was sworn in as Speaker last Wednesday. “Under my leadership, this House will change.”

Among his promises are a clean national budget with judicious fund allocations. “I will not defend the guilty. I will not shield the corrupt,” he said. And he will not allow any House member to use the chamber for personal purposes.

It was a recurring theme in Dy’s acceptance speech: the people’s interest must be paramount, and must always be above the personal interests of lawmakers.

“We will be transparent and accountable,” he vowed, adding that congressmen would listen to the daing or complaints of the people, because “they are the reason we are here.”

“Our duty is not to protect each other. Our duty is to protect our people,” he said, as he promised the public: “We will listen to your voices.”

He said political colors would not figure in his actions for accountability, as he sought the support of all his colleagues in cleaning up their act.

And there lies the rub. After all his glowing promises to the people, the reaction of many of his colleagues could be: “Speak for yourself.”

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House members applauded his speech, but it seemed unenthusiastic and more a polite acknowledgment of his newly elevated status in the political pecking order.

Even as Dy told his colleagues that public interest should always trump personal agenda, there must have been many among them whose paramount concern was, what’s in it for me?

As for Martin Romualdez, who has framed his resignation as a sacrifice to save the institution, he must be feeling the same lack of public sympathy that greeted the ouster of Francis Escudero as Senate president. A common reaction to their fall is that they have already enriched themselves, so where’s the tragedy in that?

How fleeting power can be. One day you’re the fourth most powerful man in the country; the next day you’re contemplating the possibility of jail time for wrongdoing.

Following the resignation of Romualdez as speaker, Malacañang vowed that he would not be spared from the flood control/budget probe. Romualdez himself has said he is ready to face the music.

His resignation has not spared him from the further dissemination of online posts claiming that he has 12 mansions in Forbes Park, one supposedly with a majestic chandelier with the majestic price of P80 million, and that the most recent acquisition is a property occupying over one hectare.

If the chandelier story is true, it could compete with the massive feng shui good luck charms fashioned out of precious stones dotting the Discaya mansion. No wonder Romualdez had to be jettisoned by his cousin.

By way of promoting accountability and regaining public trust, one way for Bojie Dy to show that he practices what he preaches is by releasing his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

The SALN has become a top-secret document since the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, in violation of Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Being the fourth highest official of the land, Dy can set an example to his fellow legislators and other government officials. The three Akbayan representatives already beat him to the release of SALNs, but they’re not the Speaker.

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Another proof of Dy’s sincerity would be to order Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co to return forthwith to the Philippines. Or at least to demand an authentic certification from Co, preferably notarized, stating his medical condition that has required his absence from the House since the opening session last July.

If Co is found to be merely pretending to seek medical treatment abroad, it should deserve special sanctions from the House. Health issues should not be used as a refuge of scoundrels.

One criticism of Dy is that he is also a close ally of the Marcoses, being an entrenched dynast from the Solid North. Well, the House in the 20th Congress remains dominated by a pro-administration super majority. You can’t expect a speaker to be chosen from the minority – whether it’s the traditional opposition or the “new” one aligned with the Dutertes.

Being new on the job, Dy can expect people to cut him some slack. He will get the chance to make the House regain public trust, tall as the order may be.

At the House last Wednesday, the mood was reportedly somber, which usually happens when people contemplate the tragedy that has befallen someone who once wielded tremendous power.

But that personal tragedy pales against the greater tragedy of people suffering as a result of the plunder of public money – our money.

Dy was reportedly brought up before the power brokers as a possible speaker only late last week. An informal screening committee decided that he ticked all the boxes.

In his acceptance speech, he promised that under his watch, it will no longer be business as usual at the House.

For the sake of our looted nation, we pray that Bojie Dy manages to deliver on his promise.