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Churchill Aguilar

AS long as politicians will have to spend during elections more than what they can cumulatively earn in one full term in office, there will always be a problem. And as long as the qualification requirement for a public office remains to be just “able to read and write,” then governance will always remain band aids on gun-shot wounds.

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I mean if a municipal mayor’s salary would only be more or less P5 million in three years but he or she would have to spend P15 million to win an election, what mathematical principle would he or she use to at least get a break-even before his term ends?

Don’t tell me they are willing to just give that much for their love of their people because so far I have yet to meet a mayor who did not get richer after his or her term, including the late Jesse Robredo who was the epitome of a perfect mayor.

We are only talking of a 4th class municipality. I heard in highly urbanized cities, mayoral aspirants spend as much as P200 million to win while their salaries are almost the same as with all other mayors.

The political system seems to be designed only for rich gamblers, and like in gambling, their target is to get the highest possible return of investment. All they need is the perception that they are the heroes who will save us from our daily struggles. With such system, the best we can get are the “lesser evil.” And by lesser evil, those who were able to provide their people with social services and relevant infrastructure while they enrich themselves in the process.

Such system does not give chance to brilliant professors in big universities who would have scientifically tested strategies that can facilitate inclusive growth and development because they would not have the machinery to win. While a high school dropout who knows nothing about agriculture, tourism, and livelihood but has deep pockets and a beautiful face would most likely win an office and be entrusted with the millions of pesos of taxpayers’ money.

If there is one thing I learned from travelling and working with different local governments all over the country, it would be that public office is not for everyone. It needs expertise in administration with a sound vision – something that requires post-graduate studies and surely not just “able to read and write.” I would even go as far as suggesting that government offices should only be occupied by people who have finished more than one course in college such as the lawyers and doctors. Although, diplomas are not an assurance, we can at least assume that those who finished a graduate course would have enough experience in designing programs and seeing it through from conceptualization to implementation. They would have enough discipline to make sense of the causes of issues as well as its effects.

My point? This election magnifies a glaring reality that our system is defective, and however hopeful we are with our bets, its outcome will always be that––defective.

Garbage in, garbage out.

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