Skip to main content

STATESMEN V. POLITICIANS

"HUY SI MAYOR NAG DONATE! WOW GALING NIYANG LIDER!"


Amid a crisis, the well being of our nation is at risk and these trying times would be an era of darkness for every duly established state. But on the other hand, this would bring us some lesson that is evidently beneficial for our living.


The story about philanthropist politicians became viral in social media. The elected officials from national to local government are donating their salaries or money for public use. The said news is well commended by people. Some would say, these people deserve to be elected on their post again, for good leadership. From that let us try to be critical, it is a work of compassion to put your money for mobilization of help in times of crisis but is it necessary to seek public office to become a philanthropist? To set an example, Ramon Ang from San Miguel Corp. and Jack Ma of Alibaba Corp, were able to extend their assistance to the people as a private individual. I'm not questioning the intention of the donations of our public officials, but I sincerely challenge their competency of leadership. In the case of Sen. Pacquiao, he was able to give an excess of his assets to the public funds. And we are thankful for that, but is it his job is to legislate law, that supposes to end or prevent people from suffering? In the purview of Article VI of 1987 Consitution, a Senator mandated by law to be, lawmaker, a quasi-judicial body, chair of the commission on appointments, and head of appropriations committee. The competency of our senators can attest today if they were able to craft a law that would prepare the government for the pandemic response, or instead create contingency funds that can be activated in times of crisis. And effectively criticize the appointment of the members of the cabinet of the president, by then there is an assurance that each of them is technocrats or have knowledge for their assigned department, if so in the times of crisis we have experts on the field rather than neophytes. The duties of a legislative body can be performed without the necessity of being a philanthropist. Thus it will just be an 'add on' to the duty of a lawmaker if they were willfully donating their salary or assets. In these trying times those  'show off' could deceive us from the real duty of our elected officials. This bandwagon competition of our national officials is extended down to our local chiefs. Their constituents are satisfied with the idea that their mayors or governors were able to save their salary for people, but they are silent in terms of substantive actions of local government to address the pandemic. The standard of leadership was nailed into a single connotation that is anchored to the amount of donation form public officials as opposed to what policies they do have to cope with the crisis. To illustrate a competent leadership, Governor Jonvic Remulla of Cavite was able to be the voice of his people to the president. Recently, Gov. Remulla sends a communication to the president, requesting to include the middle class to the financial aid from the national government. His discretion was successful, for the president reconsidered the scope of beneficiaries of the said assistance. Apart from that, Cavite is going to be the first province in the country to conduct their own mass testing for COVID- 19. The provincial government started to test people from  Bacoor City, which was severely infected by the virus in the province. This competent leadership was first shown from the performance of "millennial mayor" Vico sotto of Pasig City because of his various public services. He was able to implement those with distinct governance. There are times that leadership will be put into controversy, but if it is for the people, it will definitely prevail, such an example of this is when Mayor Vico sotto allows tricycle to operate base on their risk assessment but later on superseded by the national government and the recent opening of Marikina testing center for COVID -19 without full cooperation from the health department, Mayor Teodoro invokes local autonomy for the welfare of his constituents. Thus the law permitted the National government to delegate its inherent power to the local chiefs, according to Art. X of 1978 Constitution. The said, local leaders, were able to manifest leadership properly without boasting to the public that they allocate their salary for public use. It would just be cherry on the top if a leader is competent and compassionate.

Wherefore, In times of catastrophe, it is a must to check the fundamental laws of the land to see if the elected officials are able to function according to their mandate.
                                                          





                                                           

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HUWAD NA KALAYAAN

Isa bang pagtataksil na isiping mas mahusay kung ang rebolusyon ay nabigo? at baka sakali hindi tayo alipin ng sariling kababayan.  Kagaya ng sinabi ni Gat. Rizal, "Pasasaan pa ang kalayaan kung ang mga alipin ngayon ay sila din namang mang-aalipin bukas." Matapos ang deklarasyon ng kalayaan ng mga Filipino, isang daan taong nakalilipas, patuloy parin ang mga katanungan kung naging ganap ba ang Kalayaan? o naging mga alipin ng sariling kababayan.  Isang araw bago ang pag gunita sa araw ng kalayaan, nag babala ang pambansang pulisya na kanilang bubuwagin ang kilos prostesta ng mga mamayan na umaalma sa panukalang batas na Anti- Terror Bill, alinsunod sa patakaran ng pandemya. Bago ito, ang mga estudyante ng UP Cebu at anim na tsuper ng jeep ay inaresto matapos magpahayag ng saloobin sa pamahalaan. Batid ng lahat ang panganib ng pandemya at lahat ay umaasang ito ay mag wakas. Ngunit ang pag gamit nito bilang instrumento sa pagpapatahimik sa boses ng publiko ay isang op...

Teritoryong Nilimot ng Bayan

Ang mga isla na minsa'y sa atin, ngayon ay nasa kamay na ng Imperyalistang kalaban natin. Apat na taon matapos ang makasaysayang pagkapanalo ng Pilipinas sa Permanent Court of Arbitration sa The Hague Netherlands, Mariin pa rin iginigiit ng Tsina na ang buong West Phillippine Sea ay kanilang teritoryo. Ang pagkapanalo di umano ng Pilipinas ay iligal sapagpakat ang Tsina lamang ang may historikal na batayan sa pag-aangkin dito, naglabas din ang bansa ng Nine dash line, na kung saan ay sinasabing may soberanya ang Tsina sa lahat ng sakop ng linyang ito. Sa kabuuan ay kalahati ng karagatan sa Timog- Silangang Asya ang pasok sa nasabing nine dash line. Sa kabila ng hindi matapos na pang-aabuso ng Tsina sa mga mangingisda at sundalo ng Pilipinas sa West Phillipine Sea, ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas ay mas pinili na tahakin ang ligal na proseso sa pag protekta sa mga teritoryo nito. Batay sa  Sek. 2 Artikulo 2 ng 1987 Konstitusyon  " Itinatakwil ng Pilipinas ang digmaan bilang kasangkap...