BACKBENCHER
Rod P. Kapunan
12/29/2012
Today's practice among politicians to vaingloriously accommodate all their constituents has greatly weakened, if not distorted altogether, the whole concept of governance. This, we categorically state for even if governance has to adjust to the so-called "wishes of the majority", it must be calibrated so as not to affect the order of society, which is primordial to any system of government. Such is given because our democratic process of electing our leaders means that they have to balance between the wishes of each sector or class from that of balancing those demands by the exercise of authority given them.
However, when our elected political leaders succumb to the parochial demands of every sector, the system of governance is reduced to one of "politics by accommodation". Instead of governing society, they tend to accommodate every demand which is plainly in pursuit of that sector's interest. Invariably, they all end up in the clash of interests for what is beneficial to one could be detrimental to the others. Thus, instead of enforcing laws and ordinances of general application, they are compromised just to give way to the demands of the few. No sooner, the process develops to one of contradictions that at times turn to one of violent conflict.
It is through this misplaced practice that "politics by accommodation" creates a serious imbalance in our system of governance. Once that becomes deeply rooted, no sooner will it develop to one of corruption that through the years is accepted as part of the "system." Having become endemic and pervasive, elected political leaders now fear to translate their mandate to one of authority. The paradigm, upon which the mandate to govern is based is thus radically altered. Politicians now govern to please those whom they can accommodate, and not one based on the common good or summum bonum. They become puppets to every blackmailing constituent. Coupled by the licentious interpretation of freedom, they refuse to exercise their legitimate authority for fear of being accused of authoritarianism.
As a result, political leaders take power without any qualification, and it becomes their channel to commit corruption. Only the more powerful groups who have access to the "politics by accommodation" or at times called "cronies" are benefited. Such is the case but always at the expense of the many groups also seeking to be accommodated. On the whole, it is not the people in general that is benefited, but only the handful few. As the people acquiesce in to this practice, the government is unable to function on what it is supposed to do until society descends to one of anarchy. The mantra of discipline has wrongly been given the meaning of authoritarianism.
This now explains why in the course of time many of our laws have been tailored-fit to accommodate every form, type and class interest, self-serving and is heavily soaked with that political vice called "epalism." The primordial concern of promoting and protecting the interest of the people and society has now been substituted by the habit of promoting a system of compartmentalized interest. The more powerful and influential have even become bold to demand the abrogation of existing laws, which were originally meant to benefit all the people or designed to put order to society, just to give way to their demands. Such is symptomatic of a society about to break up.
One good instance of politics by accommodation is a case here in Quezon City. City officials, in their bid to secure the votes of the vendors and their local brokers, illegally appropriated the side walk along Commonwealth Avenue near Tandang Sora St. and a portion of the national highway in Barangay Commonwealth also along Commonwealth Avenue. Ostensibly, their motive is to give our nomadic vendors and hawkers a chance to earn during the holiday season. But behind that gesture is their motive to generate more revenues, irrespective of whether that would partake of an extortion considering that the permit given is patently illegal.
It is "politics by accommodation" because greedy and corrupt politicians in Quezon City knew it is illegal for them to appropriate a road, even for temporary use, and convert them for a different purpose like converting that into a public market. It is doubly illegal because that road belongs to the National Government. The fees or rent which the city government collects cannot even be classified as illegal but an outright extortion because they are collected on a piece of property not belonging to them.
While the general public acknowledges it as the duty of the national, as well as the local government, to build public markets for the vendors to sell their produce and wares, the process of giving them the opportunity to earn must follow certain rules and regulations if we want to maintain order in our society. To deviate from that responsibility is to create chaos because unregulated public markets eventually become public nuisance. The place could even become a breeding ground for criminality, a hazard to public health and safety where stench, pollution and traffic combined, cause untold inconvenience to the general public.
The Quezon City government headed by Mayor Herbert Bautista, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and those petty bureaucrats committed the meanest form of graft and corruption that need not be explained and need no evidence to show proof to justify their being thrown to jail. In fact, many wonder why the Ombudsman has not acted to numerous complaints of roads being appropriated as public market, converted to makeshift funeral parlors, or a place to hold public meetings. It is "politics by accommodation" at its worst because corrupt politicians give way to every demand just to be assured of votes, while milking the people dry to at every opportunity to fund their already bloated pork barrel.
However, when our elected political leaders succumb to the parochial demands of every sector, the system of governance is reduced to one of "politics by accommodation". Instead of governing society, they tend to accommodate every demand which is plainly in pursuit of that sector's interest. Invariably, they all end up in the clash of interests for what is beneficial to one could be detrimental to the others. Thus, instead of enforcing laws and ordinances of general application, they are compromised just to give way to the demands of the few. No sooner, the process develops to one of contradictions that at times turn to one of violent conflict.
It is through this misplaced practice that "politics by accommodation" creates a serious imbalance in our system of governance. Once that becomes deeply rooted, no sooner will it develop to one of corruption that through the years is accepted as part of the "system." Having become endemic and pervasive, elected political leaders now fear to translate their mandate to one of authority. The paradigm, upon which the mandate to govern is based is thus radically altered. Politicians now govern to please those whom they can accommodate, and not one based on the common good or summum bonum. They become puppets to every blackmailing constituent. Coupled by the licentious interpretation of freedom, they refuse to exercise their legitimate authority for fear of being accused of authoritarianism.
As a result, political leaders take power without any qualification, and it becomes their channel to commit corruption. Only the more powerful groups who have access to the "politics by accommodation" or at times called "cronies" are benefited. Such is the case but always at the expense of the many groups also seeking to be accommodated. On the whole, it is not the people in general that is benefited, but only the handful few. As the people acquiesce in to this practice, the government is unable to function on what it is supposed to do until society descends to one of anarchy. The mantra of discipline has wrongly been given the meaning of authoritarianism.
This now explains why in the course of time many of our laws have been tailored-fit to accommodate every form, type and class interest, self-serving and is heavily soaked with that political vice called "epalism." The primordial concern of promoting and protecting the interest of the people and society has now been substituted by the habit of promoting a system of compartmentalized interest. The more powerful and influential have even become bold to demand the abrogation of existing laws, which were originally meant to benefit all the people or designed to put order to society, just to give way to their demands. Such is symptomatic of a society about to break up.
One good instance of politics by accommodation is a case here in Quezon City. City officials, in their bid to secure the votes of the vendors and their local brokers, illegally appropriated the side walk along Commonwealth Avenue near Tandang Sora St. and a portion of the national highway in Barangay Commonwealth also along Commonwealth Avenue. Ostensibly, their motive is to give our nomadic vendors and hawkers a chance to earn during the holiday season. But behind that gesture is their motive to generate more revenues, irrespective of whether that would partake of an extortion considering that the permit given is patently illegal.
It is "politics by accommodation" because greedy and corrupt politicians in Quezon City knew it is illegal for them to appropriate a road, even for temporary use, and convert them for a different purpose like converting that into a public market. It is doubly illegal because that road belongs to the National Government. The fees or rent which the city government collects cannot even be classified as illegal but an outright extortion because they are collected on a piece of property not belonging to them.
While the general public acknowledges it as the duty of the national, as well as the local government, to build public markets for the vendors to sell their produce and wares, the process of giving them the opportunity to earn must follow certain rules and regulations if we want to maintain order in our society. To deviate from that responsibility is to create chaos because unregulated public markets eventually become public nuisance. The place could even become a breeding ground for criminality, a hazard to public health and safety where stench, pollution and traffic combined, cause untold inconvenience to the general public.
The Quezon City government headed by Mayor Herbert Bautista, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and those petty bureaucrats committed the meanest form of graft and corruption that need not be explained and need no evidence to show proof to justify their being thrown to jail. In fact, many wonder why the Ombudsman has not acted to numerous complaints of roads being appropriated as public market, converted to makeshift funeral parlors, or a place to hold public meetings. It is "politics by accommodation" at its worst because corrupt politicians give way to every demand just to be assured of votes, while milking the people dry to at every opportunity to fund their already bloated pork barrel.
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