And we call them ‘Honorable’
not stealing anything, as if having a relationship with a married man is not stealing. At least Sen. Leila de Lima had the prudence to admit her relationship with Ronnie Dayan, and appealed for our understanding of her female frailty.
It is just plain disappointing when honor is jettisoned if only to maintain power. While some will be greatly shamed by power without honor, for others it is the name of the game. They take advantage of the Filipino voters’ lack of a sense of moral outrage when it comes to their favorite politicians.
- est is alien to many politicians and
few Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpios in our world who would inhibit from a case simply because Solicitor General Jose Calida accused him of bias. What we have is an oversupply of people like Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa who refuses to inhibit from the protest
Leonor Robredo by former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., despite the latter’s allegations that Justice Caguioa’s wife actively supported Robredo during the 2016 elections.
And then we have the likes of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa who do not see impropriety in chairing a committee which is tasked to investigate police abuses in relation to the war on drugs which he led when he was the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Sen. Cynthia Villar chairs the Senate Committee on Land Reform and the Committee on Agriculture, despite the fact that her family owns Vista Land, which is in the business of converting agricultural lands to housing projects and malls.
It is disheartening to observe how public officials would obstinately cling to their posts even if they have done things that would warrant an inhibition or a courtesy resignation. They would always insist that they would leave their fate to their appoint
Albayalde, for example, waited until the very end to resign. The same could be said of Nicanor Faeldon.
One is tempted to believe that while honor among the Japanese is one that is kept when one gives up a post, among the Filipinos it is the post that you keep even if without honor. It appears that among the Japanese shame is lost by insisting on power without honor. But with some Filipino politicians, the shame of losing power takes precedence over honor.
appears to take a leave from the consciousness of many poli
of its value as a virtue needed in public service. The value of word of honor is diminished not only when politicians renege on their campaign promises, but more so when they abandon their moral compasses.
It is not an honorable sight to watch House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano cavalierly state that he has no problem occupying the post until 2022, notwithstanding the termsharing agreement he forged with Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco. While
deferring to Velasco’s permission as a condition, it nevertheless paints an image of an intent to pressure. Already, his followers are signifying their support for Cayetano to become speaker for the entire duration of the 18th Congress, despite the agreement with Velasco. This is very disturbing, as it speaks of the ease with which one can regard a gentleman’s agreement if the reward is more power. Even if the major players pushing for a full-term Cayetano speakership are all called “Honorable,” there could never be honor in their acts.