NEW LEADERS MUST PROVE THEY ARE WORTH THE TRUST
The Filipino people have spoken. Whether we agree with the results of the May 9 local and national elections, the presumptive winners clearly got the public’s mandate.
The mainstream and social media are abuzz about the background of the candidates who won and how we have become a laughingstock for electing celebrities, including those who have previous convictions, and those who have been charged for graft and corruption but the fact remains they were given the mandate to lead us, hopefully for the better.
Notwithstanding their past, it is our hope the winners will serve this country and the Filipino people and fulfill their campaign promises.
As taxpayers, the political leaders whom we entrusted our vote should begin fulfilling their campaign promises while serving with integrity, justice, and compassion.
And this will only happen if the public remain vigilant and remain active participants in the country’s political affairs.
Contrary to public notion that casting of votes is the end of the electoral process, the election is just the beginning of a continued political relationship between the leaders and their constituents. What needs to be done now and in the next three or six years is for us to ensure that those we elected remain committed to ensure that public service comes first over personal interests.
We have heard countless of times campaign promises that education will be made free for all; that healthcare will be made more affordable; that there will be a higher level of accountability among erring government workers; that those in the marginalized sector should be given a chance to have a better quality of life; that government services will be made more accessible; that there will be no corruption; that monopoly and syndicated businesses will be obliterated to give a level playing field for small businesses; that there will be enough food on the table to feed families; that the cost of public utilities will be made affordable; that government projects will have better quality – yet if internal and international audits were to become our basis, our country is still behind in so many aspects.
This is not to say there have been no improvements. But more need to be done.
In the local front, rampant smuggling remains a serious threat to the local vegetable industry; quality and affordable health care is still wanting; illegal gambling and other syndicated businesses are perennial; the peace and order situation remain volatile; and many especially those in the fringes of society have not even experienced enough of government services.
It is not enough that we elect people into office then we go about our daily lives thinking that because your candidate won; then you too, won.
Electing someone into public office should not only be about you or your family but should also be about the community and the nation.
To those who were entrusted with our precious vote, we hope you will prove that you are worthy of our trust.
Political leaders should not take advantage of the forgiving nature of Filipinos. In the discharge of their mandate, accountability and responsibility should always be their guiding point.
Elections should be about social divides, not about regional dialects, not about who is from the north, or the south. We belong to one nation whose rise or fall depends on leaders whom we elect to steer us in a better direction.
We may be divided by islands but we all have a common aspiration – to have a better quality of life not just for us but for our children but for the future generations to come.