What ails our government
Media
Part of Panorama
- Title
- What ails our government
- Year
- 1968
- Subject
- Philippines -- Politics & government.
- Laurel, Salvador Ramon H. -- Speeches, address, etc.
- Rights
-
- Abstract
- From Editorial, Manila Bulletin, March 6, 1968.
- A stern and objective warning to the three branches of the Philippine Government by a Senator of the Philippines.
- Fulltext
- ■ A stern and objective warning to the three branches of the Philippine Government by a Senator of the Philippines. WHAT AILS OUR GOVERNMENT Severe as it may seem to some people, Senator Salva dor H. Laurel’s indictment of what ails our government (delivered on the floor of the Philippine Senate) is being considered by knowledgeable quarters as but a reflection of the contemporary scene and an exposition of the w’hy’s and the wherefore’s of the people’s disenchantment with our government. Senator Laurel, in his maiden speech on the Senate floor Monday, made these points: 1. Excessive congressional allowances grown to mon strous figures. 2. Self-centeredness, rather than concern for the public weal; more politics than work; more self-interest than national interest. 3. Chronic and gross viola tion of the over-spending law, “implying that only the rich can now run and win in the elections.” 4. Shameless abuse of the franking privileges by mem bers of Congress. 5. So many rich men in public office “that now, they (the people) are not sure whether one has to be a mil lionaire to run for Congress or whether one has to run for Congress to be a mil lionaire.” 6. Leakage and anomalies in tax collection. 7. Civil service rules in tended to protect the com petent, and the conscientious being used to protect the in competent, inept and corrupt. 8. Poor law enforecement that is not the kind that engenders the people’s con fidence, as evidenced by the report of the Police Commis sion and the Philippine Constabulary that some 70 per cent of policemen “are either crooks, criminals or unfit for the important duty of enforcing the, law and pro tecting the people.” 46 Panorama 9. Scandalous delay of just ice such that the constitu tional guarantees of due pro cess, equal protection, pre sumption of innocence, bail, speedy trial and free access to the courts are meaningless myths to the poor who consti tute 90 per cent of our popu lation. 10. Incompetence and cor ruption in many inferior and trial courts; “some judges can be bought and fiscals can be fixed.” Each of these ten points is an indictment in itself that should demand prompt cor rective measures. All together they stand a gauge of the ex tent of erosion of the moral fiber that is a disgrace to our nation. It is perhaps a peculiarity of our times that Senator Laurel, in his quest for our moral regeneration, should think of a code of ethics for public officials and, in the same breath, voice his real ization that such would be a mere scrap of paper for lack of response from those it should serve as guidelines. There are many people who have been set to think ing on Senator Laurel’s points and to wondering if his ominous warning that un less public officials amend themselves we would reap the gathering whirlwind of the people’s wrath. — Edi torial, Manila Bulletin, March 6, 1968. STATESMAN A constitutional statesman is in general a man of common opinions and uncommon abilities. — Walter Bagehot March 1968 47