The limits of political accomodation by Dinky Soliman

The limits of political accommodation
First posted 06:30am (Mla time) July 17, 2005
By Dinky Juliano-Soliman
Inquirer News Service


I AM very sad that personal ties have to suffer and be sacrificed for principles. However, there are limits to swallowing political accommodation that will only exacerbate our country's critical situation.

Leadership and credibility have been standing problems of this administration from the beginning but in the first three years, there were opportunities for genuine reform that were at least pursued. Ironically after the 2004 elections, the openings narrowed just when the fresh and clear mandate could have been used to strongly shun “utang na loob” [debt of gratitude] and zoom ahead with reforms.

Struggle

In my four years in government, it was always a struggle between good and evil -- old habits of traditional politics versus alternative new politics, which empowered communities. The first three years saw positive support for the latter but sadly lost momentum after the elections. We stayed on in the Cabinet thinking that the good of the country will prevail even if promised reforms were understandably delayed.

In the spirit of hope and giving the President the benefit of doubt, we waited, somewhat naively assured that they will be delivered. Many of them were not. Heels were digging deeper into the comforts of power and there was no sign of firm determination to remove them.

The last three months were particularly difficult as the scandals came out. It was disturbing to have the hands of the highest officials of the land allegedly deep into the jueteng jar after we threw out a President on the same issue. The tapes, while we do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation, cast doubt on the integrity of the President and on the electoral mandate that she won.

Agonizing

It took an agonizing and protracted process to reach the decision for us to resign and to request the President to leave her post as well. There was much pain and anguish in deliberating the options before us. It was most frightening to arrive at the point of realizing the lack of credibility of a leader whom you have been serving, whom you wanted to support till the end, whom you wanted so greatly to believe in, and whom you wished simply to do the right thing.

With government programs utilized to deodorize the administration, it's easy to project a "business and governance as usual" mode, deluding the public into thinking that everything could continue as is. Within this safety zone, corruption will effortlessly persist because of a laid-back acquiescence. It's difficult to go against the powers-that-be who have all the resources to negate genuine reforms.

We deserve more

We cannot afford as a nation to be complacent at this juncture. The call for resignation from different sectors, from former President Cory Aquino, from various political forces and from us, who served in the administration, is not merely a call to action. It is a call for each and everyone to discern and to assess what has been done to our country. It is a call to ask of ourselves what we must expect of our leaders. We expect more and we deserve more but we have been beggars too long for alms and crumbs. As mendicants, it is almost too easy to expect nothing at all.

The opposition is not a monolithic bloc. There are numerous permutations of the right and left wings plus middle forces all converging in a single conclusion despite distinct and divergent agendas. These agendas may scare people into indifference but we cannot afford as a nation to be indifferent at this time.

Beyond agendas and personalities, beyond fear and doubt, what is it that bothers us the most about the present situation? What are the options? By options I do not refer to persons but to methods. The reign of political expediency must end. But how? If maintenance of power is the only raison d’etre of the present government, what kind of leadership do we look forward to in the next few months and in the next few years?

Redefine leadership

The aching process that we are undergoing now is part and parcel of a maturing democracy that clamors for strengthening constitutionally mandated means so that whatever gains have been made will not be lost.

We are redefining leadership, raising the bar and standards for those who have taken a sacred covenant between leader and constituent. The sanctity of this covenant has been extremely tarnished and degraded over and over each time we permit injustices to take place under our noses.

The crux of the challenge weighing on us behooves us to make our voices heard, to forego tried and tired ways and to fashion a new and creative path. Like a cleansing after a storm, this crisis can sweep the slate clean, invigorate our people and re-energize our resolve to see our way through these difficult times.

Soliman announced on July 8 her irrevocable resignation as social welfare secretary along with six other Cabinet members and three agency heads. They asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to do the same.