DURING MY time as an elementary pupil at the Macabebe Central School, it was customary in our formal theme writing activity in English to write our New Year’s resolution as our first piece for the year after the long holiday break. This activity may sound simple and passé by today’s standards but it was truly helpful in more ways than one. For one, it honed our writing skills. It also improved our penmanship as all of us were required to submit a handwritten article in cursive writing. Looking back, it was definitely instrumental in instilling in our young minds the value of honoring our word and our commitment to be a better person every single day.
Given the myriad of issues and controversies that challenge how our country’s elected officials view and define public service, I wonder how they would write their own New Year’s resolution.
In terms of delivery of service to their constituents, will it be to earn more or to give back?
Time and again, we see many of our leaders from the national to the barangay level amass great wealth during the course of their reign, made even lengthier by the subsequent rise of their spouses, siblings, children and other next of kin to power. What should have been a public service has slowly but steadily rose into a family enterprise. It is also not surprising at all to see their own business firms and companies corner choice government contracts – from the construction of roads and bridges to public schools and hospitals.
Just last week I heard our household helper complain that their barangay captain opted to distribute the Christmas noche buena package to his relatives and supporters despite being well-off, instead giving it to those who deserve and need it most.
As members of the marginalized sectors battle the continuing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, we see our elected officials and their families enjoy a life of privilege and luxury – building new houses, buying the latest cars and acquiring prime properties. Don’t you think it is high time they give more in terms of long-term programs, sustainable projects and policies that will benefit their constituents?
As for transparency, will it be to conceal everything or to show all?
Can we expect our government officials to disclose their true and correct SALN’s and ITR’s for the year 2023 and not some fabricated documents sanitized by some well-paid accountants and staff to make it appear that our esteemed officials are just like the average Filipino daily wage earners whose income tax is automatically deducted from their monthly salaries and whose housing loans are to be paid religiously without fail?
Will they sign waivers so we can all look at their deposit accounts in both local and foreign banks if only to prove that they have nothing to hide and they have not made a milking cow out of the government coffers?
The two tenets of good governance are accountability and transparency. Let us hope that this time around, this will not just remain a lip service but a culture or a way of life from our elected officials.
And as for their loyalty, will they remain beholden to their party, or one influential person or will they now uphold their mandate and serve the people who elected them into power?
Almost every day we see our lawmakers defend the powers that be to the point of spewing outright lies, twisting facts and even circumventing the laws. They remain blind followers of people they consider they are beholden to, forgetting that stark reality that their loyalty must and should always be to the Filipino people. They have become puppets, or even slaves to one party or one person and then try to enforce themselves as masters to the electorate whom they consider simply as their servants.
The list can go on because we should require more from our government leaders. This is far different from the formal theme our grade school English teacher reads, checks, scores and returns to us. We should demand accountability, transparency and delivery of genuine service from our elected officials. After all, that is what we deserve as a people.
