We demand honesty

We demand honesty

I COMPLETELY agree that “The depth of the depravity that the Philippines and the Filipino people find our governance to be, however, make honesty and how much of it, or the lack of it, the primary factor of choosing candidates” (The Crying Need For Honesty PDI 01/14). It seems that we have not produced honest leaders in our country because many of us are not also honest in choosing them.

It is a welcome sight in local elections for us electorate to be pleased with candidates who can entertain us. We sometimes snooze listening to platforms of government from honest candidates and instead heedful to the jokes, songs, and dance numbers of unscrupulous politicians. Any candidate who presents his platform of government is an outcast and a killjoy. We do remember the names of candidates who did perform like a clown in a circus than the honest candidate who recited details of his agenda. If only politicians give high value to truth-telling and fair play during elections and if only we demand honesty from them, our elections would be more crucial and, as a consequence, we would elect honest leaders in this country.

More often than not, we complain that we are served badly by our leaders. Cases of graft and corruption, side-stepping of laws by the powers-that be, deception, cover-ups, and many more- all these are indications that we are shortchanged by our elected leaders. But the question that arises now is whether or not we have also been honest in our voting privileges? Have we been honest in voting honest leaders? We seem to take our right of suffrage lightly that we don’t use it prudently. Electing dishonest people in the government seems to be no longer a matter of privilege but as a product of tradition because we always do it on a regular basis.

I imagine our country where truth is given a high premium. I picture our people especially our leaders not to bend the truth. I visualize our country to become a country of character where we build a culture of integrity and accountability. I envision a better Philippines after the May 2010 elections when truth reigns supreme.