by Nicasio Angelo Agustin
By the time you’re reading this, Election Day would have been over and the counting of votes has finally begun. There’s no opportunity now to look back and regret shading the oval beside the name of the candidate you chose last May 10. There’s no opportunity now to look back in hindsight and give in to that little doubting voice inside your head as to whether your choice could really effect the change the nation badly needs in the next six years. In short, there is no opportunity for us to change our minds about the wisdom of the choices we made last Monday.
But, there is a special set of people who can actually change their minds now that the election season is over – these people are the candidates who campaigned with blood, sweat and tears (or their political equivalent: money, public relations and machinery) and promised us good governance, better health programs, education, peace and order, sincere and talented service and the kitchen sink just to convince us to like them enough to vote for them.
Judgment day is over. We have voted. And all that needs to be done is to determine the true will of the people, for us to know who will be at the helm of the nation and lead us – to glory or irreparable destitution – for the next six years. Where we end up in 2016 – glory or irreparable destitution – is something that now rests in the hands of the people we put in power last May 10. And it begins with how the winners intend to pull through on the promises they made to us these past months.
I believe that there is some semblance of improvement in voter intelligence since the start of PGMA’s administration. The increasing severity of the attacks her government suffered these past years, to me, is an indication of a parallel increase in the vigilance and involvement of the public in political issues. I believe we are less gullible as a people to empty promises and have made choices consonant to our beliefs. However, we may still be gullible to a candidate’s charisma – and herein lies the rub. A charismatic candidate can make promises we readily choose to believe, but that does not mean he will pull through if he wins.
In order for us to avoid ending up being the poorest nation in Southeast Asia (because now, we are the second poorest combining all development indicators), the winners of this electoral race need to keep their promises. Whether it is eradicating poverty and corruption, championing women and children, well-paying jobs in the country or no brownouts, they need to pull through and do what they said they would do. This is what is called integrity. And a person who has integrity is that person who does not forget what he said while he was campaigning and keeps his word.
There is an equation that any elected official needs to put into heart in order to truly serve the people: Integrity equals sincerity, willingness, accountability and creativity. Sincerity in promising the Filipino people a better nation. Willingness – even bull headedness – to see those promises through. Accountability – taking full responsibility – when things go wrong. Creativity in securing resources – a talent for being able to extract blood from a stone. If we are to progress as a nation, not one of these four factors should be missing. And a vigilant public should also make it their own responsibility to ensure that sincerity, willingness, accountability and creativity should always be present in the people they chose to put into power.
It is my fervent wish that instead of doubt, fear and regret, the feeling of hopefulness and positive possibilities would pervade our country instead. Now is the time to move on from the mud slinging, character assassination and politicking that characterized the first half of the year. Now is the time to get unstuck from the insiduousness of cynicism and helplessness and look forward to a brighter future for the Philippines. And the first step is to obliterate the phrase that goes “promises are made to be broken.”
( Written on May 6 with a strong assumption that the May 10, 2010 elections would push through despite all the hitches and glitches relative to the PCOS.)
Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.
