Rep. Bertiz: He typifies arrogance by most of our politicians

Acts-OFW Party-list Representative Aniceto “John’” Bertiz III incident last Sunday at the NAIA Terminal 2 supposedly refusing to remove his shoes and confronting a security checker, a video footage of which went viral on Facebook, manifests one thing – the arrogance by most of our politicians. Consider the sweeping audacity of this arrogant person to claim that the reason he confronted the security checker is because there were Chinese passengers who did not pass through NAIA’s security checkpoint. This argument is not only blatantly wrong but even stupid. This arrogant person who is incapable of reason has no business to represent the interest of the OFWs in Congress. He is even a disgraced to the OFWs!

Clearly a classic case of “abuse and misuse of power or authority,” this arrogant moron should be expelled from the House of Representatives. With all his political braggadocio that he would not tolerate all forms of abuses by public officials under his administration, now is the time for President Duterte to use his “political will” to instruct his party mates in Congress to have this arrogant idiot expelled.

Besides, this arrogant person has no business to be in Congress, and more so, to represent the interest of the OFW’s. Where was he every time our OFW’s are the victims of abuses, both home and abroad? And we also wonder whether this arrogant fool has passed any bills that would promote and protect the interest of the OFW’s.

Our politicians, both local and national, think that once elected into office they deserve entitlement to perks and privileges. They have this common manifestation of politically arrogant behavioral traits that they are superior.

Indeed, there is “crisis of arrogance” by most of our politicians. Political egotism or political arrogance, as exemplified in this instance by Rep. Bertiz III, is the symptom of political aggrandizement where politicians treat public office as a world of privileges, exceptions and perks. This is truly a troublesome and a worrying trend.

Arrogance according to Webster’s dictionary is, “An attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.” Political arrogance is consequential upon the actions and behavior of our politicians. It is the failure of our politicians to perceive and acknowledge that they have been elected by the people as “public servants” and not the public as the servant of politicians. Elected officials seems to suffer amnesia when elected into office – it’s the public that they ought to serve and must answer to.

With that being said, the real issue we have in our country is the public display of sheer arrogance by most of our politicians. In addition to systemic and endemic corruption, flaunting and parading by our politicians their “political arrogance” is one of the malaise in our society. Indeed, the pursuit and exercise of power is an intoxicating drug. Our politicians should learn to develop a little humility and a little appreciation for why the people have elected them. As former President Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia has aptly said “Politics is an area of human endeavor that places greater stress on moral sensitivity, on the ability to reflect critically on oneself, on genuine responsibility, on taste and tact, on the capacity to empathize with others, on a sense of moderation, on humility. It is a job for modest people…”

-Y. A. Joey Tugung

Our politicians should learn to develop a little humility and a little appreciation for why the people have elected them.