Narcissism busting

If it were all up to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, politicians who plaster their faces on billboards to announce they initiated public works projects should be banned from public office for the simple reason that many of the projects are substandard, overpriced and launched without public consultation.

That is the unstated explanation of the “Act Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project,” authored by the lady senator. Officially, Sen. Santiago is pushing the bill because the so-called “epal” practice has promoted “a culture of political patronage and corruption, aside from it being pointless and highly unethical.” She is in fact suggesting: How can a politician take credit for something funded by taxpayers’ money?

I don’t exactly remember how this practice developed but I believe it started in the mid-90s during the time of former president Fidel V. Ramos.  I had written a piece on this type of self-promotion by congressmen who had actually nothing to show in terms of crafting significant bills, or participating in legislative hearings aimed to counter the powers and offset the excesses of the other branches of government.

In the past, this legislative function would define the politics and character of the incumbent, whether he’s a toady of the powers that be, or bold enough to tangle with forces that could write finis to his political career. Sad to say, Congress is no longer the institution that we used to know and pundits have been saying members of the Lower House have evolved into some kind of herded cattle. The obsession among politicians to plaster their faces on billboards to announce that they have done this and that is just a symptom of a bigger political malaise, which is that people have elected many bungling, inept and useless public officials.

“Epal” is said to be slang for scene stealer or attention grabber, someone who is always trying hard. Visayans have a counterpart term – “gapalapad og papel,” that is, someone who stretches his role in the hope of getting praise or approval.

The signages of politicians have sprouted like mushrooms across the country, especially in Metro Manila where one can see them in skywalks, concrete walls, electric posts, sari-sari stores, public buildings, practically in every space where a sign could be hung and seen. That’s not including multicabs given to local government units, barangay halls and hospitals and streamers to greet villagers, graduates, etc. Since public funds also went into making these billboards, it would all amount to adding insult to injury.

Senator Santiago’s bill has struck an emotional response from the public who have been raging over this nauseating practice.  Malacanang and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines support the bill, but it is in the Lower House where Sen. Santiago’s proposal has hit a snag.  Actually, a similar bill was filed in the 14th Congress by Bayan Muna Representatives Teodoro Casiño and Neri Colmenares but as expected, the House committee on revision of laws has not given it due course.

Other than criticizing the mindset of Congress, Casiño and Colmenares have not yet thought of ways and means to push the proposal. I think many House members are panning Bayan Muna party-listers for being “mapapel.”

If Senator Santiago’s proposal had been introduced three or five years ago, it would not have had any chance of getting past first base. However, we live in an age of rapid change in information technology and some things which we thought were impossible before are now not only possible but can happen swiftly.

When Facebook was introduced in 2004, people thought it was just a cool idea by young people. Six or seven years later, this social networking site, along with Twitter and Tumblr are being used as verbs, meaning technology has become part of people’s lifestyle. Even though it’s impossible to know your 5,000 social network friends up close, one can’t imagine how that collegiality would translate into action if they support an idea or campaign.

The best part is that people have awakened to the truth that change is in their hands, and it can be achieved with collective action.

The lady senator has hinted she would harness technology and lean on civil society for support. I hope Congress will not insist on its selfish ends because if push comes to shove, there will be a virtual army out there that would haul them over the coals, well into the next elections.