Caution against self-destruction
Published Mar 3, 2022 12:05 am
OF SUBSTANCE AND SPIRIT
Diwa C. Guinigundo
Believing that public office is a public trust requires one to search for integrity and honesty among the presidential candidates offering themselves to the Filipino electorate. William J. Bennett’s New York Times best-selling The Book of Virtues should be very helpful in ensuring we elect only the person with the highest level of probity.
Bennett posits that “to be honest is to be real, genuine, authentic, and bona fide.” Otherwise, it is to be “partly feigned, forged, fake, or fictitious.”
In running for president, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. unwittingly digs his way to self-destruction.
Rationalizing his personal lifestyle that hardly fits into the image of someone who champions unity against poverty, is difficult enough. But it is even more challenging to explain why he, the son of the deposed dictator, should be elected president when he commits to continue his father’s repudiated legacy.
The presidency is the most important elective position in the Philippine government. He is the chief executive who controls government operations and appointment of key officials in both the judiciary and the executive. He exercises the power to promulgate executive and administrative orders, proclamations, and other public issuances. He submits the national budget to Congress for appropriation. He is the chief architect of the Republic’s economic and foreign policy.
Marcos Jr. should realize his position is increasingly becoming untenable.
In one of his ads in social media, Marcos Jr., following his newly-minted initials BBM, advised the Filipino electorate to do just what his initials suggest: Bago Bumoto — Magsiyasat, Mangilala, Mag-usisa, Makinig, at Makialam.
Our civil society took him up on his exhortation.
“Magsiyasat” means to investigate. His own credentials were examined and it was confirmed he lied when he claimed he finished an undergraduate degree in Oxford. He failed two out of his three subjects. It turned out he also lied about his graduate studies in Wharton, having attended only a few courses.
Marcos Jr. also asked the civil society to discern the candidates’ moral principles, “mangilala.” People are now questioning his qualifications to run for president because one, he did not file his income tax return four times; and two, he was convicted by the Regional Trial Court to serve six years and pay a ₱60,000 penalty. The Appellate Court waived the penalty but kept his conviction. This is the basis for the many petitions before Comelec for his disqualification.
“Mag-usisa” means to inquire and Marcos Jr. should now explain why their estimated $5-10 billion wealth is not ill-gotten. Several Supreme Court decisions have affirmed that the source of the fabled Marcos wealth is illegitimate. When Marcos Jr. simply dismisses this accusation by saying “show me the evidence,” he disrespects the rule of law. For instance, the High Court in a 2021 case tackling G.R. No. 152154 Republic of the Philippines vs. Sandiganbayan, Nov. 18, 2003, ruled that the Marcoses earned only $304,372.43 in lawful income during their entire public service.
On tax issues, the heirs of Marcos Sr. including Marcos Jr., violated the law requiring them to file estate tax returns and pay the corresponding estate taxes. Justice Tony Carpio estimated that they owe the government over ₱203 billion. The Court also noted that Marcos Jr. ignored all notices to pay until the properties involved were about to be auctioned off to settle the estate’s obligations. Marcos Jr. questioned the assessment “on flimsy ground.” His case was dismissed and the Court ruled the tax assessment was “final and unappealable.”
Marcos Jr. wants the public to “Makinig sa mga dalubhasa at debate.” Who could be better experts in the law than former magistrates of the High Court to opine that as a tax convict, he should not be allowed to run. Two, should he win, he will not strengthen the PCGG but will abolish it. Three, he will refuse to collect their own tax obligations, but will just let the proscription period take its course.
Marcos Jr. effectively counseled himself to join the presidential debates when he said: “Makialam at sumali sa mga diskusyon.” The public deserves to know whereof he speaks. He should explain his specific platform of government outside his call for unity as a total solution to the pandemic and economic recovery. By his participation, our civil society is given a level playing field for judging the candidates apart from what social media wants people to think about them.
As a candidate, Marcos Jr. should explain in public his position on EO 292 which provides that the President through the solicitor general should run after unlawful acquisition of assets by public officials. The public should also know his position on RA10368 which provides for reparation and recognition of victims of human rights violation during Martial Law which Marcos Jr in his casual interviews with talk show hosts invariably denies.
Skipping presidential debates is one way of avoiding having to answer these difficult questions. Ultimately, Marcos Jr. will have to confront Jonathan Swift’s issue on why would anyone want to be dishonest. By choice, this is the quickest route to self-destruction.
Diwa C. Guinigundo
Believing that public office is a public trust requires one to search for integrity and honesty among the presidential candidates offering themselves to the Filipino electorate. William J. Bennett’s New York Times best-selling The Book of Virtues should be very helpful in ensuring we elect only the person with the highest level of probity.
Bennett posits that “to be honest is to be real, genuine, authentic, and bona fide.” Otherwise, it is to be “partly feigned, forged, fake, or fictitious.”
In running for president, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. unwittingly digs his way to self-destruction.
Rationalizing his personal lifestyle that hardly fits into the image of someone who champions unity against poverty, is difficult enough. But it is even more challenging to explain why he, the son of the deposed dictator, should be elected president when he commits to continue his father’s repudiated legacy.
The presidency is the most important elective position in the Philippine government. He is the chief executive who controls government operations and appointment of key officials in both the judiciary and the executive. He exercises the power to promulgate executive and administrative orders, proclamations, and other public issuances. He submits the national budget to Congress for appropriation. He is the chief architect of the Republic’s economic and foreign policy.
Marcos Jr. should realize his position is increasingly becoming untenable.
In one of his ads in social media, Marcos Jr., following his newly-minted initials BBM, advised the Filipino electorate to do just what his initials suggest: Bago Bumoto — Magsiyasat, Mangilala, Mag-usisa, Makinig, at Makialam.
Our civil society took him up on his exhortation.
“Magsiyasat” means to investigate. His own credentials were examined and it was confirmed he lied when he claimed he finished an undergraduate degree in Oxford. He failed two out of his three subjects. It turned out he also lied about his graduate studies in Wharton, having attended only a few courses.
Marcos Jr. also asked the civil society to discern the candidates’ moral principles, “mangilala.” People are now questioning his qualifications to run for president because one, he did not file his income tax return four times; and two, he was convicted by the Regional Trial Court to serve six years and pay a ₱60,000 penalty. The Appellate Court waived the penalty but kept his conviction. This is the basis for the many petitions before Comelec for his disqualification.
“Mag-usisa” means to inquire and Marcos Jr. should now explain why their estimated $5-10 billion wealth is not ill-gotten. Several Supreme Court decisions have affirmed that the source of the fabled Marcos wealth is illegitimate. When Marcos Jr. simply dismisses this accusation by saying “show me the evidence,” he disrespects the rule of law. For instance, the High Court in a 2021 case tackling G.R. No. 152154 Republic of the Philippines vs. Sandiganbayan, Nov. 18, 2003, ruled that the Marcoses earned only $304,372.43 in lawful income during their entire public service.
On tax issues, the heirs of Marcos Sr. including Marcos Jr., violated the law requiring them to file estate tax returns and pay the corresponding estate taxes. Justice Tony Carpio estimated that they owe the government over ₱203 billion. The Court also noted that Marcos Jr. ignored all notices to pay until the properties involved were about to be auctioned off to settle the estate’s obligations. Marcos Jr. questioned the assessment “on flimsy ground.” His case was dismissed and the Court ruled the tax assessment was “final and unappealable.”
Marcos Jr. wants the public to “Makinig sa mga dalubhasa at debate.” Who could be better experts in the law than former magistrates of the High Court to opine that as a tax convict, he should not be allowed to run. Two, should he win, he will not strengthen the PCGG but will abolish it. Three, he will refuse to collect their own tax obligations, but will just let the proscription period take its course.
Marcos Jr. effectively counseled himself to join the presidential debates when he said: “Makialam at sumali sa mga diskusyon.” The public deserves to know whereof he speaks. He should explain his specific platform of government outside his call for unity as a total solution to the pandemic and economic recovery. By his participation, our civil society is given a level playing field for judging the candidates apart from what social media wants people to think about them.
As a candidate, Marcos Jr. should explain in public his position on EO 292 which provides that the President through the solicitor general should run after unlawful acquisition of assets by public officials. The public should also know his position on RA10368 which provides for reparation and recognition of victims of human rights violation during Martial Law which Marcos Jr in his casual interviews with talk show hosts invariably denies.
Skipping presidential debates is one way of avoiding having to answer these difficult questions. Ultimately, Marcos Jr. will have to confront Jonathan Swift’s issue on why would anyone want to be dishonest. By choice, this is the quickest route to self-destruction.