An action, right or wrong, is much better than no action at all. Fearing consequences and possible liabilities, leaders at times fail to take action unless they are assured of success. They forget that there is no such thing as a failsafe plan. But who is to blame when things go wrong? Former US President Harry Truman popularized the phrase “the buck stops here”, which he stated when he was once asked about accountability and responsibility.
Exhibiting this principle of accountability, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade recently showed true grit and strength of character when he took the blame for a major decision, which caused major inconvenience and difficulty for airline passengers. When asked to comment about the decision to temporarily close the Ninoy Aquino International Airport runway in order to conduct emergency repairs that led to multiple cancellations and diversion of flights from Manila to Clark, Tugade simply said: “Please accept my apologies for those things we didn’t expect to happen. To the public, I’m sorry. I’m sorry to the President, because it happened during my 19 days of watch. I’m assuming 100-percent responsibility, because it happened during my watch.” Whoa! Some people saw the secretary’s owning up to such “error” in judgment as political suicide. After all, naysayers are quick to say that an apology is tantamount to an admission of guilt, which, in turn, likely exposes one to liability.
Servant leaders accept what their critics say and apologize in case of damage, injury, or inconvenience, regardless of the absence of any fault or negligence on their part. It has been said that when you apologize without offering any excuse, you not only show empathy but also humility. For some in public service, however, it is not that easy to say sorry. Remember the very public apology of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the “Hello, Garci” incident? How about the nonverbal apology of President Benigno S. Aquino III for the Mamasapano SAF44 incident? In the case of Tugade, he chose the path of swift, open and direct apology to the traveling public, not because he was wrong, but perhaps because he wanted to assume accountability and, at the same time, show empathy.
A servant leader will always accept responsibility and, at the same time, by their example encourage others to exercise responsibility and accountability for their actions. In a meeting with airline executives and tourism officials last month, I remember President Duterte telling the group, “Bahala na si Tugade sa inyo [Tugade will take care of you].” This kind of trust and empowerment, albeit casually done, allowed Tugade to be accountable not only for his own actions but also for the actions of others under his supervision and authority. Legally speaking, as the alter ego of the President, Tugade is accountable to the President, to the Republic and, ultimately, to the Filipino people. So, when that Monday mess in the Naia and Clark occurred, Tugade, in his own words, simply said: “The buck stops here.” He clearly showed us how to man up, take responsibility, and stop shifting the blame to other people.
We should be mindful that a servant is always accountable to his master. Six years ago, in his very first State of the Nation Address, President Aquino articulated the extent of the accountability of public officers by referring to the Filipino people as “Kayo ang Boss ko”. It was the President’s way to make all government personnel accountable to the people they swore to serve.
A few weeks back, Tugade took an extra and bolder step during a business forum in Davao City, when he boldly challenged the private sector—“You expect us not to be corrupt, do not corrupt us!” Inasmuch as the present crop of government officials are expected not to be corrupt, Tugade challenged his “bosses” to help them (him and the rest of the Cabinet members present) not to be corrupt. Such declaration, in effect, introduced the concept of shared accountability, that is, whether you are in government or in the private sector, all of us are accountable for what happens to ourselves and to our country.
We sink or swim with each other. To end or, at least, minimize corruption takes team effort. President Duterte alone or even with his Cabinet cannot do it on their own. It is high time for all of us Filipinos to be accountable for all of our actions and inactions.
For questions and comments, e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.