She is both correct and wrong

March 10, 2019 Opinion Sideglance

When presidential daughter and Davao City mayor Sarah Duterte accused Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano for allegedly spreading fake news against senatorial candidate Bong Go who is running under her party, she was correct.

Sarah said, “all of them lie. Everyone in this world is a liar.” By default and human nature, everybody, at some point in his or her life has spoken a lie or untruth.

For whatever reason or motive and whether to advance a personal interest or to cover up the misdeed of another, people have been lying for the longest time.

Mayor Duterte was correct in saying that everyone lies. Unfortunately, she also said that “honesty should not be made an issue now,” during the elections, since most candidates lie anyway,
according to her.

This is where she is wrong Running for government is a serious business—one that is imbued with a different set of standards and criteria imposed upon those who desire to become public servants.

A political candidate, therefore who runs to seek public office must survive the gauntlet of scrutiny and rigid examination by those who
must choose whether to allow him to win or let him lose.

In such an examination and scrutiny the very character and behavioral trait of the candidate is put to the test in order to determine whether he is compliant and capable of adhering to the tenet that“Public Office is Public Trust”.

In the ordinary way of things, will any reasonable and same person vote for a candidate who is blatantly dishonest? What about a candidate who is a certified liar?

It becomes obvious that no one in his right mind would elect someone into office who is proven to be dishonest and a liar.

This is an anathema to what good governance is all about. But to make things clearer, there is a marked difference between lying and dishonesty.

A simple definition provided online says that “lying is blatantly saying a falsehood. Dishonesty can encompass actions as well as
falsehoods.”

Clearly, dishonesty could include the act of lying. Dishonesty therefore, is surely the graver offense since it also involves actions other than the speaking of untruths.

As defined by the Civil Service Commission in its source book on administrative offenses and in decided cases by the Supreme Court,
dishonesty is “intentionally making a false statement in any
material fact, or practicing or attempting to practice any deception or fraud in securing his examination, registration, appointment or promotion.”

It is also understood to imply a “disposition to lie, cheat, deceive or defraud; untrustworthy; lack of integrity; lack of honesty, probity or integrity in principle; lack of fairness and s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d n e s s ; disposition to defraud, deceive or betray.”

It now becomes clear that when a candidate seeks public office, his honesty or its lack thereof becomes vital and material to the voters who would determine whether he is fit to become a public servant.

In contrast to what Mayor Sarah Duterte has posited honesty is and should be made a vital issue in the selection and choosing of the next set of leaders for the country.