Lunatics in government

By Alex P. Vidal

“Time will inevitably uncover dishonesty and lies; history has no place for them.”—Norodom Sihanouk

IF the voters and the appointing authorities in government aren’t careful, we will continue to have lunatics in government service.

Taxpayers’ money will be wasted for their salaries, pelfs and privileges.

Lunatics are mentally ill persons.

Instead of electing or appointing them, they should be sent to the mental institutions where they can be rehabilitated and prevented from assimilating with the public.

But, sad to say, there were lunatics who got elected during the elections; “normal” public officials who are beholden politically, appoint psychotics even to important government positions. That’s why damu buang.

Unlike in the police and military, there are no psychological evaluations before one is appointed or elected in government positions.

The electoral system itself is the No. 1 recruiter of sira ulo. The election commission allows them to file their certificates of candidacy (COC), thus some of them managed to win after “entertaining” and tantalizing the gullible voters.

When these insane characters land in high government offices, they don’t only make scandalous decisions, they also endanger the lives of the people—their prolonged stay in public offices is downright inimical to the interest of the public, nay the entire nation if they occupy national positions.

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They are everywhere: from the executive to the legislative and even the judiciary. Not all governors, mayors, village and youth federation chiefs elected in a “fair and honest” electoral process have normal minds.

Not all congressmen and senators are fit mentally.

Not all judges from the trial to the higher courts think and behave normally.

When a public servant steals from the taxpayers, what kind of a person he or she is? Stealing is bad, illegal, immoral—a terrible act of dishonesty, yet many public officials continue to steal—and get away with their chicanery and skullduggery.

If caught with their hands in the cookie jars and exposed in the media, some of them still have the temerity to be outraged; they cry “persecution” and take the criticism, or the expose about their shenanigans personally.

What kind of persons are they? Only the lunatics will react like that.

Normal persons don’t steal. Normal public servants don’t attempt to enrich themselves at the expense of every hard-working Juan dela Cruz who religiously pays taxes.

Normal public servants criticized in the media for malfeasance and irregularity are ashamed. Some of them resign immediately. In Japan, they commit hara kiri. Money is nothing if their honor has been besmirched.

In the Philippines, corrupt public officials, despite mounting pieces of evidence leveled against them, cry foul and drag the journalists who expose their dishonesty and incompetence in court. Fine. It’s part of due process, but, as balat sibuyas or onion-skinned, what kind of persons are they?

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In most horrifying cases, they hire killers to muzzle the press and silence media people who are only doing their job. What kind of mentality do they have?

Hard-hitting but credible broadcaster Percy Lapid, 63, was murdered by hired killers on October 3, 2022 in Las Pinas City, Metro Manila because he was effective, he told the truth and made many corrupt people in government angry.

The masterminds, probably abusive and perhaps plunderers, couldn’t take Lapid’s criticisms; they were afraid of truth. Lapid’s series of expose against graft and corruption and abuse of power and authority were actually valid and justified in a democratic country.

The role of the critical press in a free country should be adversarial. Percy Lapid was adversarial, erudite, fair, and very professional.

Press people aren’t supposed to praise officials in government—unless they performed extra-ordinary tasks that really deserved some kudos and applause.

When they get mad after stealing the people’s money and murdering the purveyors of truth, what kind of human being are they?

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)