The just-ended campaign season was exciting, but it was also divisive, hateful – and often heartbreaking.
By all indications, the winners in Monday’s elections are now known or presumed by many. Now comes the hard part – settling into the difficult, thankless job they applied for, and actually doing it well.
First off, those elected must remember that the phrase “public servant” should describe them more than the phrase “people in power.”
It is the Filipino public who took risks in electing them, and it will be these people who will pay them their honest salaries. Long suffering and desperate for good governance, they deserve no less.
The new leaders should realize that their knowledge of details of any given issue shows their grasp and appreciation of it, as well as their sincerity in actually doing something about it.
Specifics of plans should not simply follow. They should have been there in the first place, demonstrating competence and leadership.
They must eschew motherhood statements that only sound hollow and vague. Our nation’s problems will not be solved by catchy phrases.
Our new leaders must acknowledge the role of criticism in a democracy. Criticism is not automatically an attack. It is a perfectly healthy – and desirable feature – of a functioning, mature society. The discourse that ensues should not turn into virtual shouting matches or a trading of insults.
People should be respected enough for their capacity to engage in logical conversation, and to agree to disagree in all civility. When they are wrong, they must have the humility to admit it instead of acting proud and arrogant even as they are colossally wrong.
Finally, our incoming leaders should recognize that only truth will lend them credibility and humanity. Actively encouraging their supporters to veer away from what is true just to fit their narrative is a betrayal of the office they hold.
As for the rest of us, voters now and in the succeeding elections, may we consistently try – despite our earlier failures – to make decisions guided only by our conscience. Let us remember, however, that consciences are nurtured and informed, so we must always make an effort to know what is and what should be, and how to bridge that gap.