HOTSPOT

Today, Nov. 19, is the 195th day since the May 9, 2022 elections. The victors have formed national and local administrations, organized the House and the Senate, and have long started to conduct the business of government in the executive, legislative and local offices.

The public has moved on too, expecting government not only to deliver election promises. Faced with rising inflation, runaway prices and overall economic crisis, Filipinos are demanding that government use its powers and mandate to take steps to alleviate our lives in these trying times.

The opposition in the Senate and sometimes in the House are also back at work, fiscalizing the administration. They may be small in number, and yet if they do good, they could focus public attention on anomalies and questionable policies. They don’t dwell on the results of the elections. They have a job to do.

We citizens too have jobs to do. Apart from studying or working for a living, we also have the job to make democracy work. One part of it ended on May 9, when we cast our votes. The other, more important part is what happens between elections, and how we respond or help determine what happens.

True, the results are disappointing especially to those who reposed trust in the defeated candidates, and who opposed the victors. True as well that supporters of the winning candidates are happy and content. Those petty, temporary divisions must give way to citizenship. I mean, we could be certain that beyond the traditional political bickering, we would be able to discover that we share a lot more than what divides us. Among others, a lot of us would agree on wage hikes, aid to farmers, protection for SMEs, and fighting corruption and abuse of power.

For example, we could be certain that many Filipinos from across the political spectrum would agree that what has been discovered in Bilibid is a serious matter that the government must confront.

Taxes are neither heavier for the opposition voters nor lighter for the pro-administration forces. Taxes affect everyone, especially VAT and excise taxes on petroleum products. We could find common cause in pushing for the suspension or removal of these taxes as doable steps to address high prices.

What bothers many is how hyper partisans in the last elections continue to prosecute their campaign differences. They also gaslight the public regarding guns, goons and gold that dominated the elections. In some cases, the narratives say that they would suspend their political involvement until their choice of candidates win.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds anti-democracy and also quite stupid. We need more political involvement every day. We have a huge government that must be monitored and watched. It has trillions of pesos in annual appropriations we must check. It has agencies that have yet to be staffed. Democratic action must continue regardless of who are the election victors.

Neither can those who voted for the eventual victors rest easy. Rights and good governance are not self-executing. They don’t just happen on their own. Often, government needs prodding, lobbying, advocacy and activism to be able to make politics work for us. Whether to combat inflation or to realize ₱20/kilo rice prices, we all must stay engaged, and put government on notice that we are all watching.

Sure, we are in the age of disinformation, revisionism, dystopia and populism. These maladies won’t surrender to mere insults. They won’t drop dead on their own. We must find a way to raise our own awareness, reach out to our fellow citizens, find common cause with them, wean them away from traditional politicians, zealously protect rights, and propose alternatives to what the administration proposes.

Today, teachers are back teaching. Students are back studying. The workers are on their stations and lines. Farmers are back in the farms. Employees are back at the offices. Entrepreneurs are rebuilding. While we do whatever we do, we remain to be citizens: Citizens who must unite with fellow citizens in campaigns, parties and movements; make government serve citizens especially the poor; propose solutions to citizens’ common problems, and develop new citizen leaders for future leadership.

We cannot afford six years of apathy, indifference and cynicism. Dictators, the corrupt and the incompetent thrive on them. More activism, more engagement, more organizing, more mobilizing, more campaigns are needed. In short, more democracy is needed now, not less.