The Right to Ask, The Duty to Answer
BY IVY BETALMOS
A government should never make its citizens work harder to uncover the truth than it does to explain it. Yet, in a society where public information is often difficult to understand, questions go unanswered, and political arguments compete with facts, citizens are left searching for explanations they should not have to demand repeatedly. When decisions affect people’s lives, public funds, and the future of communities, transparency should never be treated as a favor. It is a responsibility that comes with public service.
For young Filipinos, this responsibility matters more than we sometimes realize. Government decisions are not distant matters reserved for politicians, officials, or political commentators. They influence the quality of our education, the availability of employment, the safety of our communities, and the opportunities we will inherit. Every classroom that needs improvement, every public program that fails to reach its intended beneficiaries, and every peso entrusted to public institutions concerns the generation expected to build the country’s future. We cannot afford to be indifferent to decisions that will shape the lives we are trying to build.
However, demanding accountability requires more than expressing frustration. It begins with asking the right questions. Where does public money go? How are projects selected? Who benefits from government programs? What happens when promises are not fulfilled? These are not acts of disrespect toward public officials. They are reasonable questions from citizens who have every right to understand how institutions entrusted with their welfare operate. Public office carries responsibility, and responsibility must come with explanations.
Unfortunately, political loyalty sometimes makes these conversations more difficult. Too often, people defend leaders they support while questioning every action of those they oppose. Facts become secondary to personalities, and criticism is treated as betrayal rather than an opportunity to correct mistakes. This culture does not serve the public interest. No politician should be above scrutiny, regardless of popularity, political affiliation, or position. If we demand accountability from one leader, we must be willing to demand it from another. Our loyalty should be to truth and the welfare of the Filipino people, not to political personalities.
The youth must also recognize their responsibility in this situation. Being informed does not mean believing everything shared online, joining every argument, or accepting every statement that agrees with our opinions. It means checking sources, understanding issues, listening to different perspectives, and refusing to spread information we have not verified. Social media gives young people a platform to speak, but it also gives misinformation an opportunity to spread. Our voices become meaningful only when they are guided by facts, critical thinking, and a willingness to listen.
More importantly, participation must go beyond posting opinions and criticizing from a distance. Young Filipinos can attend community consultations, participate in youth councils and organizations, raise concerns through proper channels, and take part in conversations about local development. We should not wait until we hold positions of authority before learning how to exercise our rights and responsibilities as citizens. As UNICEF Philippines has highlighted in its discussion of open government, young people need accessible information and meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions that affect them.
Of course, transparency must not be limited to government announcements or documents made available only for compliance. Information must be understandable, accessible, and timely. Citizens should not have to rely on rumors to understand public decisions or spend their own resources investigating matters that institutions have a duty to explain. When questions arise, the public deserves clear answers. When mistakes happen, people deserve acknowledgment and corrective action. And when public trust is broken, it must be rebuilt through honesty and accountability, not merely through promises.
We must remember that questioning the government does not mean being against the country. In fact, asking questions, seeking explanations, and demanding better service are ways of caring about the nation we share. A government that listens to its people should not fear informed citizens, and a generation that cares about its future should not be discouraged from speaking.
We are often told that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow. But tomorrow is already being shaped by the decisions made today. We cannot simply inherit the consequences of those decisions without taking part in the conversations that shape them. Let us become a generation that does not settle for attractive promises, blindly defend political figures, or mistake silence for peace. Let us be courageous enough to ask, responsible enough to verify, and persistent enough to demand answers.
The public has the right to know, the right to question, and the right to expect accountability. The government, in turn, has the duty to explain, to listen, and to serve. Because democracy should never require citizens to beg for the truth. It should give them institutions willing to tell it.