Following North Korea’s shelling of the island of Yeonpyeong, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young of South Korea abdicates his post. The decision came amid criticisms of his decisions after the Cheonan’s sinking.
In an attempt to restore the military’s reputation, President Lee Myung-Bak accepted Kim’s resignation, though the former tried to convince the latter to reconsider. The former minister did not show the least bit of honor.
Such an act is not typical to a country such as ours, and this was demonstrated during the five-month long impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.
After an impeachment complaint was filed against the former Chief Justice, he firmly proclaimed to the nation that he would prove his innocence. His appointment to the position, as we all know, came at peculiar time; he is one of Gloria Arroyo’s many midnight appointees, and it comes to no surprise that the Aquino administration is hunting down these individuals— appointees allegedly installed to protect the former administration’s secrets.
After all, the president is only fulfilling his campaign promise to eradicate corruption, which the previous administration supposedly championed. Since the Chief Justice’s reputation as a public official had already been smeared by his affiliation with Arroyo, conflated with other issues that questioned his impartiality, Corona’s battle was an uphill one.
Our public officials, when faced with a career-ending scandal, may attempt to challenge their detractors – or vice versa – either legally or by any other means. Though sometimes in these situations, there is a risk of sensationalizing the issue especially when a case progresses to the witnesses and the testimonies.
This is not to say that defending yourself is wrong. But when you are placed in a high-level position,and you know that a bad decision or an entanglement in an issue could result in a national disaster, why not save everybody the trouble?
True, the independence of the Judiciary must be upheld. Our republican type of government permits a separation of powers between the three branches. And given our experience with a heavy-handed executive in the past, we have every reason to fear an encroachment on any of the other two branches of government.
But the bigger issue here is not the encroachment of the Judiciary and the Legislative branches; it is not about pointing the finger at someone, it is about ending the controversy and doing what needs to be done.
Kim Tae-young, fault or not, refused to aggravate the situation and did what had to be done.
Dominique Strauss-Khan, former Managing Director of the IMF, decided to leave his post after allegedly sexually assaulting a maid in New York. Former Japanese President, Naoto Kan, resigned after the public’s intense criticism of his approach in addressing the tsunami devastation and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Merceditas Gutierrez, stepped down as Ombudsman, after an impeachment complaint was filed against her. Exceptional, if it might be pointed out. All these individuals saw no need to drag others down with them, or saw the reason in finally doing the right.
Had Corona made a decision to resign prior to the trial, he could have spared the Judiciary the humiliation and unwanted scrutiny. This is not to add insult to injury. It is merely a recommendation that could have saved him time, effort and money.
If our public officials want to start earning the respect the Filipino people one gave them centuries ago, they should start growing a sense of honor. By stepping down amid justified public outrage, they save what’s left of their dignity, and offer somebody a chance to perform better.
Clearly, our quarrels that derail the much-needed focus on national development have no use to the Philippines. It was reported that the impeachment trial cost the House of Representatives P5.8 million — many other priorities could have benefited from that amount.
The drama of the impeachment has successfully delayed progress.
Government officials should quit pointing fingers at each other, and accept responsibility for their actions. This is easier said than done, and at the same time, it does not only apply to public servants. We must do our part and face our share of challenges.
In effect, we too need to have a sense of honor. It is what the country needs, and the only ones who could give that are its citizens.
