By Atty. Farah G. Decano

 

I am deeply disappointed with people who vote for candidates with shady background because they feel indebted to the latter. They return the favor after having received some appointment, promotion or assistance from these politicos. I wonder if some voters truly understand the sacredness of the right we exercise every three years.

The present electorate is entrusted with the duty to decide the future, the direction and the responsibilities of the generations yet to come.  Through the exercise of this right to suffrage, they are mandated to observe due diligence and good faith in their selection of representatives in government.  The current voting population are expected to intelligently choose leaders who will not bungle their jobs.  If today’s voters will use the ballot as payment for a debt of gratitude, then they shall shamelessly commit robbery of a nation’s future.

Being thankful for someone’s good deeds is a virtue.  But to repay the person with that which is not ours to give is not.  This is theft.   What is the 8^th commandment again given to Moses?  Thou shalt not steal.

I know that deeply ingrained in the consciousness of every Filipino is our tendency to feel indebted to anyone who has extended to us any assistance or favor. We must realize, however, that not all traditions are desirable.   Any practice that encourages robbery of a possible bright future from our children and grandchildren cannot be considered a good tradition.

The late President Noynoy Aquino introduced a new mindset to combat this observed subservience of the nation towards politicos after every election.  During his inaugural speech in 2010, he expressed that this lingering scenario which debase the voting constituency should be reversed.  Instead of expecting adulation and worship for every good act they do, President Noynoy encouraged elected officials to say to the nation, “Kayo ang boss ko,” and to actually treat even the lowliest Juan dela Cruz as such.  He wanted to put the public officials in their place as mere servants who must comply with the reasonable demands of the real persons in command – the Filipino people.

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I usually encounter on Facebook the question that asks, “what would you advise your younger self should you be granted the access to a time machine?”  I find this an exercise in futility since we could no longer change that which had already happened.  We could no longer undo whatever our younger selves had done.

 My genius of a friend, however, suggested something that is more meaningful, more radical and a bit more unsettling.  She reversed the usual scenario and asked, “If you have the power to travel through time, what would you tell your three year old self about how you have lived your life?”

This question tends to make us think.

Are we living the life that we hoped to have when we were kids? We cannot belittle our aspirations then just because we were children.  As youngsters, we were in this pure state and beyond the reach of malice.  According to the same friend, this was the stage when we were closest to the image of God.  Surely, as kids we had the highest standards for ourselves.  Have we been up to the expectations of our younger selves then?

This Christmas, let us imagine ourselves reporting to our kiddie selves about how we have lived our lives.  And may they not smirk at us in disgust. 

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