“To demand transparency is an act of patriotism.”
By Kat Ulrike
To demand transparency is itself an act of patriotism.
In a time when corrupt tyrants trying to justify their actions, it becomes a duty for a concerned folk to assert the need for transparency the way these tyrants, being elected by the people, sworn to upheld freedom and the rule of law.
Call it a form of gaslighting Duterte’s statement calling those opposing her anomalous Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIFs) as “enemies of the state” and “enemies of the peace”, but damn, what’s wrong in demanding transparency? Those people who she called enemies of the state are the ones who pay taxes and therefore asking why the need of public funds for confidential and intelligence purposes!
She even afforded to say that such actions go against the protection and well-being of the citizenry but if one may ask, what protection or well-being is the Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary talking about? She and her office may brag numerous achievements ranging from feeding programs to free bus rides, but the obvious such as to surveil the folk and be justified with “national security” makes the intention the main emphasis- and it has nothing to do with any of her position.
As an observer, Duterte’s action clearly states that her frustration to become a Defence Secretary shows. Instead of meeting the needs of the Education sector, why national security? On the first place, why accept the title when not even an educator? Of course, she doesn’t want to be treated as a spare tire! And the claim that Confidential and Intelligence Funds immediately contributes to peace is oversimplified and disregards the difficulties of governance and peacebuilding. Confidential and Intelligence Funds are one weapon among many that can be used for intelligence gathering and other covert operations that may indirectly support state security- and these are meant to be for the security agencies of the state.
And in speaking of national security, especially after recent reports that made Duterte bow down to public pressure and had her CIFs rechanneled to state security agencies, is it really to defend the sovereignty and integrity of the nation and its people, or to consolidate interests of the current order by silencing dissent as what Duterte wanted? Again this demands transparency and accountability too. But regardless of what the current administration justifies its actions, that social justice, economic empowerment and stability, sound administration through participatory democracy, efficient law enforcement, and mass-oriented education all contribute to a just and lasting peace.
But what Duterte said is an oversimplification that ignores such intricacies as she delegitimises any criticism or demand for transparency and accountability especially in the use of these public funds, if not an intentional forgetting that she is an elected official and like any other public personality she has to face the scrutiny of the people.