Wanted: statesmen

Anyone can be a lawmaker in this republic of 100 million. That is the curse of our democracy, and perhaps one of our biggest follies.

Just look at the crop of lawmakers we have these days.

Our chambers have now become stand-up comedy bars without even trying, no thanks to some lawmakers — senators and congressmen — who not only dish out a daily dose of nonsense, but constantly make a fool of themselves.

I did not expect to see statesmen in the present crop of lawmakers, but I also did not expect it would be this bad.

We are now surrounded by clowns and comedians who think they can just wing their way through their senatorial or congressional terms and constituencies without really understanding the mandate of their institutions.

Listening to the hearings has become painful and cringeworthy, it’s as if we’re watching a soap opera with mediocre actors and a sloppy story.

Some can’t even communicate well to the public —whether it’s in English or Filipino, while others can’t even use words befitting of decent men.

Gone are the days when a lawmaker speaks and everyone listens in awe; when the speeches could stir emotions and intellect; when debates were worth listening to because they stimulated critical thinking, and when lawmakers authored bills that made sense.

These days, some of the ideas we hear from Congress range from the mundane to the absurd, to the useless. Did you hear about the proposal to broadcast Filipino songs in China-occupied territory?

How about the story of the fish? “Who knows maybe the fish came from China?”

And how about those blatant lies about transgender terms that supposedly aren’t in any dictionary?

Budget

It seems our lawmakers have busied themselves with all things surreal and strange that they have forgotten what they’re really supposed to do.

Last year, they failed to pass the budget on time, leading to a delay in government projects. The very real result was a slowdown in economic growth.

This year, they are trying to whip some magic on our taxes by realigning the budget, with an undeserved amount for their offices.

This issue is getting the criticism it deserves.

Many are asking why the House of Representatives deserves a P1.6 billion increase in its P14 billion budget for 2020.

That’s a whole lot of money, but the House Speaker says it would be used to make sure the House would be able to do its job better.

The money would be used for research and to fund additional committees like the oversight committee on the flagship programs and projects, among other purposes, says Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

I can think of so many other ways we can utilize P1.6 billion and put it to better use.

Shouldn’t we be spending more on education, health, and other social services?

Politician versus statesmen

The problem really is the quality of our lawmakers nowadays.

Gone are the statesmen, they who weren’t afraid to make decisions — unpopular as these were — as long as it would be for the greater good.  Statesmen use their political capital to advance the interests of the state.

Politicians, on the other hand, would never risk their political career. They are busy sowing and preserving political capital to ensure a lifetime career in politics.

Filipino statesmen

Very few statesmen have walked the august halls of both chambers of Congress, but the few who did have made such remarkable impact.

In this day and age of foolishness and mediocrity, they deserve to be remembered. Here are some of them:

Vicente Sotto

Not to be mistaken with his grandson and namesake, Senate President Tito Sotto, the elder and better Vicente Sotto fought for press freedom and his greatest legacy as a senator was the Press Freedom Law, now known as the Sotto Law. The act protects journalists from being forced to reveal their news sources.

Lorenzo Tañada

The longest serving senator in Philippine history, he served at the Senate for 24 years, and was called the “Grand Old man of Philippine politics.” Best known for opposing American presence in the Philippines during his time, he received a standing ovation on Sept. 16, 1991 from the Philippine Senate when it voted to end US military presence in the country.

Jovito Salonga

He is sometimes regarded as the best president the country never had. I had the chance to interview him in his home in Pasig when I was still a rookie journalist. He was already old, but was a very accommodating source. He was very passionate about his work.

As a senator, Salonga staunchly opposed the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

Crispin Beltran

Ka Bel spent nearly his entire life crusading for the interests of Filipino workers. He later became a party-list representative and at the time of his death in 2008, he was the poorest member of the House with a net worth of P50,000.

These statesmen must be rolling in their graves.

We, the taxpayers, deserve better. We need men and women who will legislate against political, economic, and moral decline. We need solons and statesmen, not comedians, crooks and clowns.

Iris Gonzales’ email address is [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at eyesgonzales.com