by: Donald Sevilla
LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND CORRUPTION IS HERE TO STAY
Governance is everyone’s business, being apolitical, isn’t it? Whether we like it or not, our lives are affected by the way our leaders govern us.
We cannot simply be apathetic and remain so. We are part of a society of men governed by laws to instill order and prevent chaos.
Yet, however we try to distance ourselves and disengage from the day to day affairs of governance and politics, the more our lives will be affected by an unchecked and unaccountable leadership.
All it takes for evil to flourish is for citizens to remain indifferent and live in apathy. Without getting involved somehow, we are allowing our politicians to do as they please.
But when the public becomes empowered and vigilant, our leaders are kept in check. Scalawags in government with their unscrupulous doings are open to public scrutiny and can be held accountable for their actions.
This is the hallmark of true democracy where check and balance exists. Participatory governance and servant leadership are what we need for society to prosper and flourish.
Yet, despite our good intentions, we often end up disappointed by our leaders. Why? It is because we allow them to stray from the right path by keeping ourselves out of the way.
Corruption flourishes when people look the other way and remain indifferent. But with prying eyes all around, such actions are deterred.
Thus, it is important that governance be transparent to prevent abuse. For it to work, we must learn to be responsible citizens and act with vigilance.
We must be probing-not annoying, inquisitive-but not insensitive .Above all, it pays to constructively participate and not be passively indifferent.