Surely there is life after public office, and those who were disqualified from it ought to find ways to adapt to that life in humble acceptance of their loss of credibility to lead.
But with the way Malacañang recycles discredited officials such as Nicanor Faeldon or encourages by silence efforts of those shown the door like Vitaliano Aguirre to return to government service, it seems public office is for keeps for those who have lost public trust.
A recent count shows that President Rodrigo Duterte, in spite of styling himself as the scourge of crooks in the government has retained, promoted, or reassigned at least 16 officials hounded by graft and corruption issues including some that he had exposed.
Sadly, compromise to the detriment of quality leadership is not a new problem. In a grief-striking show of accommodation and appeasement among elites, former president Gloria Arroyo had pardoned her ousted predecessor, the plunder convict Joseph Ejercito, thereby paving the way for his political resurrection as mayor of Manila.
In the legislature, national lawmakers have proven themselves all too ready to behave like a band of brigands bound to protect one anothers’ backs.
They read the law so narrowly they brush aside dismissals of grafters by the Office of the Ombudsman, as if being a senator or Lower House member absolves the liable of responsibility for misdeeds.
But legal contortions, even if they succeed can never mask moral failings.
The very Joel Villanueva found to have misused funds is the same one who sits as senator.
The very Gwendolyn Garcia who was found to have committed grave misconduct by having entered into a contract for backfilling a provincial lot without securing the approval of the Cebu Provincial Board is the same one who now sits as member of the Lower House.
So we have at least two legislators whom the congressional leadership is refusing to discipline as they should and who are being made to retain the title “honorable.”
Such dishonorable protectionism is emboldening. Garcia’s plans to return to the Cebu Provincial Capitol as governor via election next year.
Will the Commission on Elections (Comelec) let her run even though she is perpetually barred from holding public office?
If she is allowed to contest the governorship, will Cebuanos be so forgetful as to ignore the reasons they chucked her in 2010 and rejected her proxy and brother in 2013?