Why is there a scarcity of young and decent people joining politics at present? Survey the field of the present crop of interested parties in both local and national levels who have expressed their desire to run for public office and you will be surprised by the paucity of honest and competent people who want to serve in government elective positions.
I refer to young and independent newcomers who are not scions of political dynasties who have regarded their provinces or political districts as their fiefdom. Not ambitious young men and women who have business interests to protect or political agenda to promote. Why are they afraid to handle government responsibility and position of power? Has public service lost its luster and glamour? Why don’t we see more of a Vico Sotto who had fought the windmills and emerged victorious? We need a more quixotic and idealistic breed of public servants who are willing to answer the call of public service. We want young and selfless individuals who seek public office not to enjoy its trappings of power nor its perquisites but for the pure joy of serving our people.
During the American colonization when the country was being trained for self-government, young Filipinos held the mantle of leadership in the government, both elective and appointive positions. Osmeña, Quezon, Roxas, Laurel and Recto were all under 30 when they gained national prominence. In fact, during the Commonwealth years, an intrepid young student leader fresh from the UP College of Law, Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, challenged President Quezon and the establishment and got elected as the youngest delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention, youngest governor and youngest elected Congressman of the Philippines. Vinzons even organized his own political party aptly called “Young Philippines”, where the most promising young men and women of the country sought elective office under its banner. Carmen Planas and Lorenzo Sumulong, among others, fought their first political battles under this audacious and fledgling party. Unfortunately, Vinzons was the first to put up a guerilla outfit immediately after the Japanese forces landed in the Philippines. He won small battles and even liberated Daet for several days, but he was captured and executed by the Japanese. Up to now, his remains have not been located but his monument stands in front of the provincial capitol of Camarines Norte.
During the halcyon days when patriotism was a virtue among public servants, one signed up for public service out of sheer love for one’s country and the deep desire to help our people. The best and the brightest of our college students dream of serving in the government when they leave school. Many of them applied to become government pensionado and pursued further studies abroad to hone their knowledge and craft. Then they served the government upon their return. Many eventually ran for public office to be of greater service to our country. Making a difference, not fattening their wallets, was their lofty mission in life. They devoted their energy, talents and even their life in its pursuit. This is the spirit of public service that we now find sadly wanting among the present generation. They fail to realize that holding an elective public office gives them the vantage point to touch the lives of thousands, if not millions, of our countrymen depending on the office they hold.
Our young people should not be lukewarm to the idea of entering public service or running for elective posts. The great philosopher Plato once commented, “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” This was seconded by Edmund Burke who said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
What will ruin us are not the destructive acts of our enemies but the inaction of our friends. We cannot play ostriches and bury our heads in the sand. We have to get involved. Participation is the essence of democracy. We should keep the words of Albert Einstein alive in our hearts that ”the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”
The 1940 movie The Great Dictator, a parody of Hitler produced by Charlie Chaplin, ended with Chaplin’s speech where I lifted the following: “The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the people they took from the people will return to the people. …You the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power. …Let us unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill their promise. They never will!”
On May 9, 2022, the Filipino people will have the great opportunity to use their sovereign power. Let’s install into office the few good men and women who have dared to end our country’s mess. How I wish there were more of them. Let Chaplin’s words reverberate in our minds as we enter our polling places. Never be hoodwinked by empty promises. We’ve been taken for a ride last time. Remember the saying, fool us once, shame on you; fool us twice, Goodbye, Philippines!