Nepotism is basically abuse of power
It is nice to understand the socio-cultural dynamics of places, other than one's own, because it brings forth a different perception of how their social fiber knits them together and, more so, how government works in their peculiar places. To a very wide kaleidoscope, this must have been the experience of Montesquieu when he toured the United States of America after immersing himself previously in other countries. Of course, the Frenchman political philosopher was profound so that when he wrote down his observation of how separation of powers in a democracy worked in the US, his critique became a literature worth the reading time of scholars.
In a very limited, perhaps, less intelligent way, I got a glimpse of how the city south of Cebu City, is being ruled when, in few occasions, I talked to some observers who live near my very small property in a barangay there. To say the least, I was jolted from what I came to know. So shocking was my information that I could not help but put it in this column.
In Talisay City, His Honor, Mayor Johnny de los Reyes, took the liberty of putting his relatives in several positions in the city government structure. I was told that members of his immediate family were appointed or designated in key posts. If my informant did not bloat the figure, according to him the number of the mayor's direct family members, like sons, in-laws, brothers and so forth and so on now being salaried by the city government of Talisay has breached dozens.
Ironically, my source of this shocking information confided to me that he was an avid political supporter of the mayor. He, in the 2013 elections, campaigned for JVR, that is the way he called the honorable mayor, in the belief that he could be a source of fresh leadership style. All that he wanted was to try another leader who might bring forth development and growth to his city.
With that piece of revelation of prior patronage, I had to take his information with a proverbial grain of salt. At the back of my mind, I surmised that he might ask from the mayor certain favors but the latter did not accommodate him. If that were the case, he had all the reason to tell me half-truths and who knows he wanted just to cast aspersion on the integrity of the city chief executive.
But my informant was not just a chatterbox. He came loaded with A-one information. When he started mentioning names appointed by the mayor to high paying positions and better still showing to me documents evidencing what he just revealed, I began to take him seriously. It dawned on me that his motivations were noble only that he felt the disgust wrecking havoc on his scruples.
Let us share his view. The spoils belong to the victor. In appointing men and women of his confidence and trust, the mayor is just understandably reaping the natural spoils of a won war. But, my informant insists that when the mayor filled every position in the city administration with his blood relatives, he might have far exceeded the borders of propriety. My confidant words were "he abused his power."
One daughter-in-law, my informant claims as an example, did not finish college. She would not fit into any qualification required of a high paying government job. Yet, she is getting salary in an amount that is higher than most regular workers in the government.
Nepotism, defined as the act of a person with appointing power to appoint his relatives to positions in the government is the term given to this immoral and unlawful practice. The immediate result of any nepotistic act is financial. When, as claimed by my informant, the mayor appointed his kinsmen to position of power and influence, he, in effect, drained the tax fund contributed by all Talisaynons and funneled such money to his family members.
Another consequence of nepotism is to tilt the scales of fair play against other qualified aspirants. Take the case of the daughter-in-law. Because she is not academically qualified to any position, the mayor designated her as among his many confidential employees. Other people, who are possessed with higher qualification is deprived of the chance to work in that government organization.
My confidant says that his mayor can be held liable for nepotism in exercising this abuse of his power. But, nobody lifts a finger. The decent men in the community are too meek to stand up against this abuse. And it is for this reason that my informant, humble as he is, took time to talk to me his frustration.
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