Finding the courage

Standing up for one’s beliefs can be a frightening experience, particularly when the stakes are high and/or the circle is small. Offending someone or a group and threatening their lifestyle has a high probability of inviting retaliation.

Dave Chappelle, in his performance speech, Unforgiven, narrates one major lesson he learned in his life, which is, “Don’t ever come between a man and his meal.”

Within our small world, displeasing a person with power or spreading rumors and hearsay about another person to discredit them is easy. If the stakes are high, threats can also be made and carried out. With such an intimidating environment, it is easy to be afraid and deciding to stay low is reasonable.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) has certified or endorsed four priority bills to Congress, specifically, the anti-dynasty bill, the Independent People’s Commission Act, the Partylist System Reform Act, and the Citizens Access and Disclosure Expenditures for National Accountability Act (CADENA). These bills are critical to resolving structural issues involving governance in the Philippines.

Getting these bills passed through Congress is a Herculean task. Many members of Congress have been in public service for years, spanning generations. As the Blue Ribbon Committee investigation showed, private enterprises have taken a foothold in Congress via the partylist system, thus creating a conflict of interest that spawned the flood control mess.

And as the executive branch is discovering, bringing them to justice needs to be swift and effective. Combined, the bills will eventually get between some men and their meals.

To achieve this, it will take more men to be men of the people. [I say this with inclusivity in mind]. These will be the bravest men and women in Congress.

In his 1955 bestseller, Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy discusses the cases of eight US senators who defied the opinions of their parties and constituents to do what they believed was right, receiving criticism and loss in popularity. They were John Quincy Adams (former US President), Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris and Robert Taft. Apart from Daniel Webster and John Quincy Adams, most of these names are probably not familiar to Filipinos.

Despite our short political history relative to the US, we also have senators who went against popular sentiment and voted based on their individual beliefs. In the case of the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, we had Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor Santiago, and then-senator and current President Bongbong Marcos who voted him not guilty.

The profiles are not about right or wrong but standing up for your beliefs despite the unpopularity of it. In the case of Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, he voted for the Compromise of 1850 that enforced the Fugitive Slave Act, which was highly unpopular in his state that favored freedom for slaves.

Will we have courageous men and women in our Congress when the time comes to vote for these bills to protect the country from conflicts of interest, but will contain limits for current and future public servants? Can we overcome vested interests and the pressure from peers? Can we move forward despite potential threats to our lives and those of our families?

We can only hope that our lawmakers will find the courage. What is clear is that the call for accountability, the protection of the treasury, and addressing the growing disillusionment of the citizenry over the governance of their country is ringing louder.