CARTOON BY: AARON PAUL C. CARIL
EDITORIAL
Mahiyá Naman Kayo: A Call for Accountability?
It’s hard to ignore the weight of that line—mahiyá naman kayo. President Marcos Jr. didn’t just toss it out casually in his latest State of the Nation Address (SONA). It landed like a punch, especially after the impeachment complaint fizzled out and the same voices behind the noise were neck-deep in the 2025 national budget insertions that many criticized as the most corrupt budget. At the height of hypocrisy – as if the person referred to in the call was not around in the Plenary Hall – such a clarion call was met with a standing ovation.
The impeachment complaint’s dismissal by a unanimous vote of the justices who participated in the En Banc deliberation speaks volume not just of the highly contentious constitutional issues but also of the moral ascendancy of those calling for the ouster of the Vice President. It was thin, barely holding water against the constitutional bar, as shown not only in the text of decision but also in the concurring opinions of the other justices. And yet, the outrage was deafening—as if legal reality could be bent to suit political convenience. But what really sticks is the hypocrisy. These very critics had their signatures on the 2025 national budget, the one riddled with items that mysteriously escaped the National Expenditure Program.
We’re talking about insertions—quiet, tucked-away allocations slid into the budget with no public explanation. Infrastructure projects such as flood control projects which nature has exposed to be concrete evidence of corruption. If we’re being honest, it’s not the first time we’ve seen this play. What stings is the selective outrage. These lawmakers scream about legal principles when they lose, but fall conveniently silent when public funds are quietly redirected under their watch.
And that silence? It’s expensive. It chips away at trust. Transparency isn’t just a buzzword on budget briefings—it’s the bare minimum in a government that owes everything to the people it serves. If you’re going to cry foul over the Court’s decision, shouldn’t you also own up to the fiscal mess you helped create?
What this moment reveals is a broader sickness: outrage tailored for headlines, morality summoned only when it serves a narrative. But accountability isn’t seasonal. It isn’t reserved for impeachment drama or budget or Quadcom hearings. It starts with introspection—the kind that makes you squirm, not the kind you rehearse in front of cameras.
So yes, mahiyá naman kayo. Not just because you got caught. But because every peso misused is a betrayal of the people who trusted you to do better. If there’s going to be noise, let it be the kind that sparks reform—not just another show.