Susan’s Notes
By: Susan Palmes-Dennis
ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina—It’s been a while since I last wrote a piece. Blame it on the ongoing hot summer here which slowed me down with my hubby Ronnie quite a bit but I am slowly recovering from that, thank God.
That said I have kept tabs on local and national developments but lately I’ve been enamored with the Facebook posts of former mayor Oscar Moreno whose ruminations about life in general, his remarkable career in public service and his valid observations about the burning issues of the day still resonate strongly and clearly with me, his followers and those who continue to hold him in high regard.
One such Facebook post he made dated July 13 discussed in part his beliefs and principles in governance. Interestingly, whether coincidental or not, that July 13 post came on the heels of those long lines of Kagay-anons that crowded City Hall grounds during the ‘People’s Day’ program of Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy—long lines that stretched and spilled all the way out to the nearby Ysalina bridge and resulted in mid day traffic congestion.
While not directly criticizing Uy, OSM said he believed ‘that government exists to serve people, not to make them wait.’ ‘Whenever I saw long lines in government offices, I did not see proof that people were being served. I saw a bureaucracy that was not working as efficiently as it should. That is why my priority was always to strengthen the institution first,’ Moreno wrote in his post.
The former mayor also mentioned that during his time, ‘we worked to improve systems, professionalize the bureaucracy, and build a culture of accountability.’ Only when government works efficiently, Moreno said, do ‘people spend less time waiting, public services become more accessible and trust in government grows….It is about building a government that works not because of one person, but because the system itself works.’
As things stand right now, the incumbent leadership at City Hall has degenerated into a barriotic, micro-managed, parochial styled governance centered around Mayor Klarex and his ‘man of the people’ persona. It’s no different from previous administrations in which people were contented to wait for institutionalized doleouts rather than being given livelihood.
In the words of today’s generation, the ‘People’s Day’ doleout outreach program is one form of ‘aura farming’ by the incumbent administration to remind the constituents not only where their daily bread comes from but to increase their dependence to the point of, dare say, indolence. It’s both heartbreaking and frustrating to say the least, but after a COVID-19 pandemic that shut down businesses and cost jobs, ayuda or assistance has become quite the norm.
Adding insult to collective injury is the freebie lechon and giveaways given during every ‘Kasalan Ng Bayan’ officiated by the mayor no less. I wonder where the funds for those lechons (roasted pigs) and freebies come from—the rice, wine and goodies are donated in part by the mayor’s allies—and why, oh why prioritize them over building more classrooms, fixing roads, repairing canals etc.? Because it’s not as effective in scoring brownie points?
As I said before, a truly effective leader need not be present all the time in order to serve the people efficiently. The leader’s constituents may not be able to see him or her but they know that he or she won’t neglect them, that instead of making them wait, said constituents would not only be served but empowered to serve others like them. Unfortunately for now, we live in an age of doleouts and money politics where a Filipino’s vote can be sold ‘if the price is right.’
There’s a lot to unpack on President Bongbong Marcos’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) but easily the most noticeable was his declaration that he is the President of the country and not his family and friends—a reference to the case buildup of the Ombudsman against his cousin, former House Speaker and wannabe presidential contender Martin Romualdez that the Filipino people have long demanded in the wake of the flood control project controversy.
Then there’s also the President’s push to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 or EPIRA law by cutting off systems losses from the electric bills of consumers. What also drew loud cheers was the President’s verbal volleys on China and his administration’s insistence on the country’s rightful claim on the West Philippine Sea. In that respect, the President scores major points over Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio whose loyalty to the Philippines remains suspect.
But clearly what’s being monitored now is whether the corruption charges leveled against Romualdez would prosper or not. Set against the backdrop of the ongoing impeachment trial of VP Sara, this would test the resolve of the Marcos administration like no other. Otherwise if nothing happens, then the Filipino people would be both disillusioned and more convinced to vote for VP Sara in 2028.
Speaking of VP Sara, it also remains to be seen if the slow disclosure of her alleged multi-billion peso bank accounts, confidential fund use and other financial records would result in her resigning from her post on or before July 30 or even afterward. Would her resignation effectively cancel the impeachment trial? That’s a last ditch effort on her part that the House prosecution would nevertheless insist on ignoring.
The Senate impeachment court is working to finish the impeachment trial before Christmas or before former president Rodrigo Duterte stands trial at the International Criminal Court in November. Whatever happens to both father and daughter is anyone’s guess but it’s something the Filipino people would have to brace for.
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