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There is nothing so fantastic and so heartening than
a letter to the President of the Republic of the Philippines. It is
directly addressed to the highest and most powerful officer of the
land, President Gloria Arroyo, with the one-line address of Malacañang
Palace, Manila. How simple can it get—an ordinary citizen writing
a complaint against an abuse or asking for help?
Each time I come across such
letters in my line of work, it absolutely kills me. It is the
boldness of the gesture that a request properly made will be acted
upon meritoriously. It is the trust in our democracy that it is the
people who should be obeyed. It is the reliance in our postal office
without zip codes or any other details. One wonders if an American
can write to President George W. Bush, the White House, and gets a
response.
From another point of view, the
letter to the President is also an act of desperation. Of officials
who fail their duty and policies that are wrong that gives rise to
troubles for the common folk. It is the mistaken belief on the
overarching powers of the chief executive to make problems go away.
It is either an opt-out on self-reliance or a case of lack of
empowerment.
What actually happens to the
letter? It is duly received by the Office of the President which
desk officer farms it out to the proper agencies via endorsements.
It is up to the relevant agencies to do several actions: to note the
letter if it is for information purpose, to call the attention of
the first or field units to study, take initiatives and report, to
act on the issues raised, or to further endorse the letter if
necessary.
In all these scenarios and for
every transmittal, the letter-writer is informed and kept in the
loop. In a few cases, he might write a follow-up letter or go to the
extent of filing a case. Generally, he is happy that his letter
somehow was read and his concerns or frustrations vented. The letter
stops circulating when it gets acted upon or in many cases,
swallowed up by the bureaucracy.
In one instance, Juan de la Cruz
writes from southern Mindanao about the collection of fees with
receipts. In another example, Maria Clara sends in a file on
unqualified persons appointed to office. Many want to remain
anonymous for fear of reprisals. Others proudly sign their full
names with a flourish to take a stand. Increasingly, letters come in
the form of e-mails and in SMS for short subjects.
Are letters to the President
ultimately useful or beneficial? The answer is a qualified yes. It
provides a simple and direct channel of communication for any
Filipino specially the marginalized one. It is a humbling
experience for public servants jaded by politics of loyalty and
convenience. When properly handled, the letter is a powerful
feedback tool that tells us where policies go wrong and which
officials are corrupt.
And yet, more and more letters to
the President can only mean bad to worse government. The long-term
common sense solution is to keep searching for good people and put
them in positions of authority. There are no shortcuts. The
President knows that public interest can only be upheld by a core
team of competent and dedicated public officials.
Next time you have a carabeef
against the government or have a beautiful suggestion on governance,
try writing the President. You may never know that it has created
ripples in our environment. At the very least, you have done your
share for the country that one time.
mabinihall@gmail.com
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