What does it mean? Living the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Public trust
1. The 1987 Constitution provision on the accountability of public officers declares and mandates that: “Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.” (Sec. 1, ART. XI).

2. The provision requires public officers and employees to:

a) be accountable to the people;

b) serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency;

c) act with patriotism and justice; and

d) lead modest lives.

3. Curiously, the provision does not appear to categorically require them to observe honesty, much less, utmost honesty.

4. Hence, the provision appears consistent with rampant dishonesty in government.

5. Since public office is a public trust, it would seem that honesty, which is the essence of trustworthiness, should have been specifically required alongside the declaration regarding public trust.

6. The requirement of living the truth necessarily imposes, specially upon public officers and employees, the obligation to always speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This is what is contemplated in the regime of truth cited in the Preamble of the Constitution.

Basic question
7. The question therefore is: DO OUR GOVERNEMNT OFFICIALS ALWAYS SPEAK THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH? The answer is NO. Of course, it may be too much of an ideal to expect so much from those who insist they are PUBLIC SERVANTS. But that is basically what is contemplated by the fundamental law. Thus, massive disappointment on the part of the Filipino people become a normal reaction with respect to their historical experience with different administrations dominated by different political dynasties.

8. Why are government officials required to speak the truth? Because the public trust reposed on them does not allow them to lie to the people.

9. Is it enough for government officials to speak the whole truth? No, because they might mix it with lies. Hence, they are required by standard legal oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Forms of dishonesty
10. It would follow that the problem of dishonesty in government may take the following forms:

a) Not telling the truth,

b) Not telling the whole truth, and

c) Distorting the whole truth by mixing it with lies.

11. Thus, when the executive, legislative and judicial departments do not tell the truth, what the people get is a dishonest government.

12. When the executive, legislative and judicial departments do not tell the whole truth, what the people get is also dishonest government.

13. When the executive, legislative and judicial departments distort the whole truth by mixing it with lies, what the people get is again dishonest government.

14. What kind of dishonesty do we now have in government? All of the above.

Tolentino
15. Filipino constitutionalist, civilist, scholar, Senator and statesman, the late Arturo M. Tolentino, had a favorite quotation, the source of which he did not disclose in his book Voice of Dissent. While it refers to the “world”, it could specifically apply to our country and read as follows:

“The Philippines needs MEN (and WOMEN):

• who cannot be bought;

• whose word is their bond;

• who put character above wealth;

• who possess opinions and a will;

• who are larger than their vocations;

• who do not hesitate to take chances;

• who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;

• who will be honest in small things as in great things;

• who will make no compromise with wrong;

• who will not say they do it “because everybody else does it”;

• who are true to their friends in adversity as well as in prosperity;

• who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;

• who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;

• who can say “no” with emphasis although the rest of the world says “yes”;

• whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires.

-A Quotation”

Conclusion
16. When all is said and done, the sovereign Filipino people must look at the mirror and ask themselves the question: ARE WE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR AN HONEST GOVERNMENT? If the answer is “yes”, the next generation will be able to meaningfully celebrate Independence Day. If the answer is “no”, the next generation will have meaningless celebrations.