MANILA, Philippines — It is not only respect for personal dignity that marks a sharp contrast between a free open society and a dictatorship. It is also the commitment to the common good of all.

In a free, open society -- precisely because of the deep respect for the dignity of everyone  -- there has to be a commitment from everyone to contribute to the common good of everyone else in society. We all should have a deep sense of duty to help provide an environment that is positive and conducive to the full flowering of the personal talents of every man, woman and child in our society. The environment that we create should be one that facilitates the full development of every person.

Contrast this with the dictatorship that we managed to get rid of, in large part under the inspiration and with the leadership of our democracy icon, President Corazon Aquino, whose 2nd death anniversary we recently observed.

Under Martial Law, the dictator had absolute powers, with hardly any system of checks and balances. Anyone with absolute powers – unless he is a great saint or close to being god-like – can abuse those powers; he can use those powers for narrow vested interests, instead of promoting the common good of all. In this light, an adage has proven to be altogether true: Absolute power corrupts absolutely (except in the case of God who is all good). Our experience with a dictatorship has been woefully baneful: It created an environment where those in power thought mainly of their selfish interests, with little regard for the long-term, sustainable growth and development of our people.

Moreover, their abuse of power went unchecked for far too long; and the damage they inflicted upon our society has been incalculable.

In our free and open society, with its system of checks and balances, we are all called upon to think not only of our self-interest, but also of the broader welfare of the wider community of which we are a part.

We are constantly reminded of our social and civic duty: We cannot be selfish; we always have to take into account what is in the best interest of our country. And in carrying out our tasks and in discharging our day-to-day duties, we have to conduct our business above board: No under-the-table deals; everything should be done under the light of day, in full transparency and in complete honesty. This would enable the system of checks and balances to work, such that our natural tendency to be selfish and forgetful of the wider social implications of our actions can be contained.

It has been more than 25 years since we were blessed with the transition from a dictatorship to democracy. We still see far too many vestiges of selfish, narrow-minded, small-hearted behaviour in our midst, as though we were still under a dictatorship. As recent Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings have revealed, still so much graft and corruption have remained endemic in government until last year. So much coffee has been drunk at inflated prices. Far too many second-hand helicopters have been bought for the price of brand-new ones, with a few officers who were supposed to know the difference having opted to remain silent. It seems as though we have not made that fateful transition away from the selfishness of a dictatorship to the selflessness for the common good of a democracy.

On the 2nd death anniversary of President Cory Aquino, let us resolve to make that definitive and decisive transition by taking our duties and responsibilities to work for, and contribute towards, the common good of all Filipinos and of the entire Philippines. It is high time we make that shift in mind set: We are no longer under a dictatorship; we now have to make our democracy work for the good of all.