Lack of idealism, our own bane
I take the word “Idealism,” according to one of Webster’s definition, as a theory that the essential nature of reality lies in consciousness or reason. Differently said, in contemporaneous situation, it is the force of reason that drives people in working things out. That too, is the context that I wish apply here to show how sorely we distance ourselves from idealism.
The kind of political thought of our elected leaders is veering away from idealism, and becoming honed to personal convenience. They label their thinking as pragmatism as if it is something equivalent to reason. Many politicians forget that, when they propose what is good for the citizenry, it won’t matter if such comes from the least popular among them, because everyone is supposed to support it. It is the ideal— especially the reason behind it and not necessarily its proponent— that really counts. By that standard, which sadly motivates officials in their duties, is no longer the profandity of a thought but the concurrence of their comrade-in-arms.
In the days leading to the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) election, we heard incredible tales indicating absence of idealism among barangay chairmen. There were stories that money would flow, and plans by some quarters of massive vote buying. Did I hear correctly that Mabolo Bgy Captain Mabatid allegedly would pay P0.5 million in exchange of a vote for her? Since I have not read any law making it criminal for a person to spend millions in an ABC election to entice a voter, the news was probable. But, because of the amount of money purportedly allocated for each village chief, the report became unbelievable. Why would an aspirant for the presidency of the ABC throw away huge fortune to get elected?
Let us try elementary mathematics to demonstrate the farceness of the report. Tisa Bgy Captain Philip Zafra bade goodbye to his City Council seat as ex-oficio member being the ABC president. He was supposed to be the bet of the opposition, Team Rama, if he wanted to seek re-election. With Zafra’s vow not to run for ABC head again, his group was poised to back Mabatid, a maverick BOPK. A majority of the 80 barangays would be at least 41. So, for Mabatid to win the ABC presidency, she must buy the votes of at least 11 captains, which means a total of at least P5.5 million, assuming that she would not spend any for her own supporters.
Because the report of that kind of massive vote buying was glaringly farce, it could not have come from Mabatid. The black propaganda must have been hurled by her adversary. With the kind of support by Mayor Osmeña to Bgy Captain Franklin Ong, in last Monday’s ABC election, it would be enough to believe that the mayor authored it.
The whole objective of the spin was to gain majority in the City Council. Osmeña wanted Ong to win to gain a simple majority. With such a supposed majority, the legislative agenda of BOPK councilors may not be waylaid. Then, let me go back to the point I raised earlier, can our councilors be idealistic by drafting ordinances anchored on reason so that these can be fully supported by others sans partisan consideration? Let me turn around and say that it is our collective inability to elect idealistic leaders that is really our own bane.
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