THE running hyperbole is that every other politician is a liar. Or this: In a roomful of 24 high-powered politicians, a late-night show host once quipped, he can be sure of finding only one honest person. And this: Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she does not know of one honest politico.
Even without exaggeration for impact or humor, the shotgun-blast bashing of politicians is accepted as fact, even by politicians themselves.
“Everyone in the world”
Presidential daughter Sara sees no exception: “All of them” are liars, she said. But then, she hardly sees anyone as honest. In the same breath, expanding her indictment of politicians having no honest bone in their body, the mayor and founder-leader of Hugpong ng Pagbabago said: “Everyone in this world is a liar.” By including her dad, the president, and herself, the condemnation is stripped of self-righteousness.
Mayor Sara explained her March 6 statement that honesty should not be an issue: “All candidates have been telling lies... They are all liars.” Her beef was that Otso Diretso candidates who criticize candidates of her party Hugpong are themselves lying more. Admit and attack, like, “Our candidates lie but your candidates lie through their teeth.”
All up to voters?
President Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo didn’t defend Mayor Sara directly. He cited the ban on politicking by appointed officials and the lawyerly refuge of one’s right not to incriminate himself. Yet Panelo did say the younger Duterte had the right to her opinion and, yes, voters may not be looking for honesty among candidates. And “it is up to voters to decide what kind of public officials they would like to have,” that is, on the wrong assumption they are left alone and not assaulted with all sorts of inducements and pressures from politicians and their foot soldiers.
That upholds Mayor Sara’s right to the opinion but it does not resolve the pronouncement that set off all the noise from the opposition: about honesty being an election non-issue. The requirement of honesty cannot be done away with because it is crucial to governance. Corruption never fails to erode the good intention to serve and warps other values such as justice and public good. As a public official enriches himself, family, relatives and cronies, no amount of good service can make up for the pillage on the country’s resources.
Loss of trust, hope
Panelo said voters have their own standards in making their choice and they may not include honesty. Right-o. But a public official advocating to banish honesty from the table because every politician is dishonest anyway suggests:
Loss of trust in those who seek public office and loss of hope in finding any honest person among those who govern us. Bleak prospects for any real change, which voters are promised every election season.
Skepticism over capacity of conversation or debate among candidates to arrive at some truth. The charge that former presidential assistant Bong Go used public resources to promote his candidacy for senator could be independently checked. As was done on the claim of Imee Marcos that she completed degrees at U.P. Diliman and Princeton; the sources at the said schools said it was false.
White lies, hard-core liars
Here’s the thing: It’s difficult enough for voters to decide. But having liars on both sides competing for the vote makes it tougher. The consoling fact is that some liars are more hardcore than others and they stand out.
Panelo talked of “white lies,” which one supposes means the usual promises politicians make and break. They are not hard-core lies, which expose the predatory, evil-spirited streak in the politician. One can only hope voters still have the good sense and enough energy to shun that kind of candidate.