Sovereignty resides in the people and all authority emanates from them. This is the essence of People Power, which is alive in the hearts of those who believe in the ideals of a democratic society — “government is of the people, for the people, and by the people”.
“It is the policy of the State to promote high standard of ethics in public service. Public officials and employees shall be at all times accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence, and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest.” (Sec. 2 of R.A. 6713, Code of Conduct and ethical Standards for Public officials and Employees);
This is the essence of People Power under the Social Contract Theory when the people elect public officials, they have entrusted to these officials the affairs of government with the duty to abide by the stated principles.
When government officials commit acts like malversation or diversion of public funds to private pockets, this is a betrayal of public trust.
And when such acts will be too heavy to tolerate, the people can withdraw their support to the government. This is what happened on Feb. 25 -26 , 1986, and which was repeated in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011.
The people have the right to know, and to act on the knowledge that some people in government have betrayed the trust reposed in their public positions. There is no room for accommodation or respect for the privacy of the persons who are involved in the use, management, administration, and liquidation of public funds — because they took it unto themselves, voluntarily under the official oath of office to uphold the Constitution, and to obey the laws of the republic.
While there may be allowances for the basic tenets of “Good Manners and Right Conduct”, what has to be taken up with regards to public funds must be up for public scrutiny.
Did these erring officials have in their minds the sensitivity to respect the rights of the people when they obtained for their own benefit the public funds intended for salaries of soldiers? Is it not that they felt they were entitled to these “sluch funds” by virtue of their public office? So why should they invoke “privacy”when brought before the Senate or Congress for public scrutiny and censure?
Cong. Walden Bello (former professor of Political Science at Columbia University) referred to corrupt officials as buaya and baboy because these acts amount to the greediness of the crocodile and the filthiness of the pig. The crocodiles and the pigs may complain because such acts are innate in their nature, but humans are supposed to act in a higher order of behavior.
Cong. Rodolfo Farinias had said: “There is honor among thieves, how much more among congressmen?!”
Honor is about honesty, integrity, accountability, and humility, and with the exception of a few, the recent events proved that there are some members of Congress who are not so honorable namely: Ecleo for malversation of public funds; Singson for drug charges in Hongkong.
It is time for our public officials to recall and practice the essence of People Power.
