My first political jab

I got a unique Christmas gift - My first political jab.

A local politician shouted my name in his radio program sometime ago telling the public that I should know better since I am a law student. He also uttered words that were designed to intimidate and discredit our efforts – a typical logic in politics. He remembered us because we wrote a letter addressed to his collegiate body about the farm-to-market-road issue earlier this year, which was later resolved.

This politician’s angry effort to educate undoubtedly stemmed from our #PAGSURE campaign online. This was our reaction to the zero budget allocated by the City Council to the Out of School Youth and Oro Youth programs. The total budget asked for is just 0.2% of the total actual expenses of the city.

The politician emphasized that since our proposals are special projects, it is unnecessary because it is part of the office expenses of the CSWD. Hence, the budget of the youth is already incorporated in the budget of the office itself (Personal Services, Non-Office Social services, Special Accounts).

What is sad about this logic is that the youth (including the out of school youth), as well as so many other sectors such as the PWD, Senior citizens, Indigenous People are struggling to get a slice in a meager office budget. Why do they have to burden these basic sectors to race for a slice when the city, which has increased its revenue to 70% in this year alone, can well in fact afford it? A regional capital and the top 3 billionaire-city outside of Metro Manila could surely at least allocate even a seed money to the basic sectors.

At hindsight, the mere fact that a local politician mentioned this effort means something. It means that they have taken notice of our frustration and disappointment. They were provoked and they saw that we are worth responding. Do not mind the fact that the rage was addressed to me particularly. If that is the price we have to pay to stand for the principles we believe in, then so be it. It is part of the civic life of a polity.

The quality of political discourse in our city maybe at a tribal-scavenger level but at least the politicians have taken notice of some group of young volunteers who are speaking truth to power in social media. This social experiment brings tremendous educational value in our part as young citizens from all political persuasions. It tells us how social media can deliver a point to politicians. It tells us that social media can only do so much, what is more important is action in the ground. It tells us also that the work for social change necessarily brings you in friction with the establishment. It tells us that politics maybe petty and idiotic at times, but it is necessary in our humanity. 

This unique situation in Cagayan de Oro offers an opportunity for civil society to organize politically in order to assert their influence on the budgeting process. The middle class and pockets of organized critical masses should at least come together and demand that the budget process in the city be changed entirely.  It would not be enough for the people to sit in the city council. It is imperative that they sit and join the whole process from preparation to submission to approval to execution to evaluation. The seeming discord in the budget is the product of this lack of pressure and collective ownership from a third party. The dominant political parties simply dictate the budget shutting its doors from civic participation. The coalescing People’s Council should now look into the question of how do we creatively translate the budget process into a simple user-friendly information material that can be disseminated and analyzed in the barangay level. And more importantly, how to propel action based on the analyzed information.

Politics necessarily stirs deep passions; more so when you provoke those who cling to power. When you make enemies, it means you are budging something, some idea, some attitude, and some point of view. So then, judge our character by the enemies we make.