By Norberto Betita
However, for these families, I do not see their career in politics as a quest to establish political empire. It is just that they are the only ones who had the guts and courage to gamble their resources and face the excoriating and condemning character assassinations bombarded upon them as are common in all political matches. I considered them to be the bravest few as to embark in the dirtiest degrading and humiliating battle of public discourses that harm their good reputations and destroy public confidence; and even risking their lives at times in order to gain power. I refuse even to think that their struggles are motivated by greed for power, otherwise I will miss the opportunity to see the good that they can do and are doing for our community and people.
Perhaps beyond their ostensive desires to serve the public are hidden agenda which eventually annoys the governed, most common of which are issues of corruption. Yet, they also have the daring to stand confident and bold against the melting power of public opinion. They know that those were part of the risk of their political illusions. True or not they are willing to face mounted accusations.
As the political pendulum continues to swing back again and again, the issues of corruption likewise go back and forth, accusations after accusations in unending marathon. The governed hopelessly sits in frustration, while those in power lean comfortably in sovereign seats accumulating resources, legally or maybe at times illegally, in preparation for the next round of political battle.
Time and time again we heard of people in the academe complaining about being governed by the least whose accomplishments are far below expectations. There are those professing statesmen and brilliant political strategists, active civic leaders who find fault of those who are duly elected in positions of leadership. We whine, grumble and criticize, but there is nothing we can do, they have the majority consent of the governed, whether it be through vote buying which seemed to be a common electoral contamination since time immemorial, or by honest individual choice. Such is the price for those who selfishly hide their talents and instead chose to be part of the tired and exhausted political pedestrians.
Through the years we the governed have our common cries for honesty and integrity in government service. We had been hungering and wanting for good and hardworking men and women to be in government seats. We find ourselves demanding, as Arthur P. Stanley had said: “Give us the man of integrity, on whom we know we can thoroughly depend; who will stand firm when others fail; the friend, faithful and true; the adviser, honest and fearless; the adversary, just and chivalrous;” but he said, “such an one is a fragment of the Rock of Ages.” May be they had been there, but we failed to recognize them. So that as the political pendulum continues to swing, our hopes of being governed by men and women of sound moral principle, uprightness, honesty and sincerity only ended up in vain.
Once in a short while the pendulum of politics in Surigao City rested in the middle, when a prominent lawyer, who had never been in the political arena was appointed acting Mayor for a transitory period during the shift of the reins of national leadership from the deposed Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos to Pres. Corazon C. Aquino in 1986. Attorney Enrique Y. Tandan was appointed for being a man of honesty and virtue; who bears his integrity with conscious dignity. He might not have known it himself nor would he have ever admitted, but in my intimate observation I found him to be such a humble person. Despite his prominence as a lawyer, he sported not an expensive car, but a vintage outmoded open type automobile. He is very straightforward and strict in so far as principles of governance are concerned. His booming voice and temperamental nature are at times misunderstood, but he always had a big heart for those whom he was called to serve, especially those most in need of help. He was determined to fulfill the trust placed upon him. He tried to introduce reforms with undeviating constancy, but he was faced with mounting opposition. It was no surprise though because, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.” [Albert Einstein (1879-1955)]. After the two-year temporary appointment, he tried to run in the following regular elections, but lost.
So the pendulumic swings resume and the regular participants in Surigao politics are back in power. Since then there had been several shifts of power by the same groups and popular names. In my choosing during the many electoral processes that I have participated, I felt not being a failure for the candidates of my personal choice. I heard so much of the negative issues against those who are sitting in the couch of power, but I rather look at the things that they have done and contributed for the good of the community and people. I found that each of those who served in elective positions of leadership have their own contributions during each of their term of office. They might have been bombarded with negative issues, but it matters not to me, I just trust and observe every good deed that they performed, and be personally grateful. For such I find personal peace. Moral relativism appears to be a collective view among residents in the world of politics. I believe though that there are moral absolutes which can be a more productive basis for good government. But it seems just nowhere to be found.
Although there are many things to consider, one of my personal ways of measuring a government leader’s performance is poverty alleviation. Poverty is a problem that lives on with time. The Greek Philosopher Aristotle, in one of the most profound philosophical declarations said: “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” Indeed, the poor had been the easy recruits to crime, terrorism, insurgency, drug proliferation and the like. For the government to be able to provide opportunities for people to level up and free themselves from pangs of economic deprivation is one best measure of successful governance.
In his inaugural speech about inequality, John F. Kennedy said: “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” While the channel between the rich and poor remains wide and the chasm unswimmable for the economically deprived, we can in no wise have a peaceful repose.
In 2003, among the fifteen poorest provinces Surigao del Norte was ranked 7th with poverty incidence of 42.3%. In 2006 we were ranked 9th with 41.6%. And in 2009 we went up to 3rd with 47.9%. (Poverty in the Philippines: Poorest Provinces, http://www.focusonpoverty.org/poverty-in-the-philippines-poorest-provinces/).
In 2012 we dropped to the rank of 26th with poverty incidence of 34.6%. Since then and up to the present our province was never in the list of the top 10 or top 20 of the poorest provinces in the country. This goes to show that the efforts of the administrations during these periods as regards poverty alleviation are acceptable and laudable, although there are yet more that needs to be done. These are periods when Governor Sol F. Matugas was in the reins of the Provincial Government and Mayor Nestor Matugas was Chief Executive of Surigao City. Of course they have not been freed from ignominious negative allegations in relation to their governance. However, looking at the good that they have done and the economic progress and development they have introduced during their incumbency, they deserve the people’s gratitude, especially as they now are in their last term of office as governor and mayor, respectively.
Likewise those in the Provincial Board and the City Council deserve our thanks and appreciation. The Leaderships of Vice Governor Egay; the then Vice Mayor Menor and incumbent Vice Mayor Casurra are worthy of praise and sincere gratitude. So are those members of the Provincial Board and the City council, even those who sometimes are labeled as silent participants, but who had the hand to raise in approval for laudable proposed programs and laws and ordinances.
In about a year and a half the pendulum of politics in Surigao will again swing to another election time. Although we observed that each group of the same color are now starting their recruitment, we are never yet sure who will eventually receive the majority consent of the governed to hold the reins of the Provincial and City governments. What we are sure as it was in the past is that we will have the same popular families and common political personalities that will ring the pendulum sound waves as election time arrives.
While many find this pendulumic political exercise already annoying and ironically obnoxious, yet many of the onlookers amongst the political pedestrians remain like, “The man who goes up in a balloon” yet “does not feel as though he was ascending;” but “only sees the earth sinking deeper under him” (Arthur Schopenhauer).
Perhaps it is high time that we again try the pendulum to rest in the middle by encouraging independent intelligent minds to run for political office and request the majority of the electorate to provide outstanding support even just for a shift to see the difference, as they did to President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
We need not have to wait until our chances and the prospects of our children’s future hang in the balance. There is a need for more of those who are best qualified and fortified by moral ascendancy, now sitting idly on the bench, to turn participants and not just frustrated spectators.
