This way to the hot seat, sir/madame

(photo credit: demotix.com)

With election season onto to us in full force, social media has shown us only one disturbing thing. Few – if any – of the candidates advertise their platforms or programs for their tenure. Instead, the air is littered with song and dance routines, wilted motherhood statements, vague promises and ego — lots and lots of ego.

And people have been responding with the jaded askance of the couldn’t-care-less.

Mainstream media has not been of much help in this regard, primarily relying on the candidates to set the tone of their stories which ultimately descend into mud-slinging or blatant baseless self-promotion.

Though the styles vary from the pa-humble mien of the neophyte, to the bombastic heroic stance of the trapo in wolf’s clothing, the whole exercise has become a lot less interesting.

But boredom can be a dangerous thing. Since elections determine the course of national policy, it remains imperative that we challenge all candidates and find out where they intend to take this country.

Those with insufficient navigation skills should obviously be ignored. Those with track records that have led us to the brink of disaster – JPEPA signers, attack-collect-defend-collect shysters, sycophants of this or that religion – clearly must go.

For those that remain, we at PSSSTCENTRO have a few standard questions for you:

What are your plans for social welfare in general and for street children in particular?

What is your policy for culture and arts? What are your concrete plans for it? Will you restore the CCP’s tax exempt status? Will you advise the DPWH to respect heritage and plan accordingly? Would you tell the DPWH that preservation doesn’t mean encasing a 200 year old bridge in concrete?

While on the topic of infrastructure, would you be able to tell the DPWH that raising the streets floods houses and structures beside those streets? How do you feel about trees on highways? Would you cut them down like the national government did in Tarlac?

What is your tax policy? Do you intend to raise taxes? Will you rationalize the tax system? Direct taxes or indirect taxes?

What is your stand on China, without taking into consideration the goods at 168? What do you think of the JPEPA? Do you know what JPEPA is?

How do you intend to curb criminality? Who would you suggest for NBI director? Would you obey a TRO issued by the Supreme Court?

Your mother/father/brother/sister/cousin/grandfather/etc was a politician. Would you be brave enough to defy family tradition by helping create legislation to flesh out the anti-dynasty provision of the constitution?

We have more, of course, on agriculture and education and where this leaky ship of state is heading. But essentially our questions can be reduced to one two things – where are you taking us and how are you going to do it? Yes, this is a test, ladies and gentlemen aspirants for public office. Take your laptops, time begins now.


By: Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles
(Source : PSSST! Centro)





To know more about Trixie Cruz Angeles, check out: I AM TRIXIE CRUZ