"Criticizing the government is not bringing it down."
Perhaps the complexities of this world have driven many Filipinos to resort to binary thinking—the belief that something is either just 1 or 0, black or white, right or wrong. No other options, and certainly no gray areas. This thinking is simpler and less taxing on the mind.
Unfortunately, it is also silly, lazy, and at its worst, dangerous. It does not reflect the reality of the world in which we live.
For example, in the situation in which we find ourselves today, it is rather tempting to hold one of only two opinions about how the government is managing the public health crisis: Either the government is doing extremely well, or it is doing poorly, driving millions of Filipinos to danger and despair.
This does not consider that while there are bad—evil, even—elements in government, there are many competent and trustworthy ones as well, and that if we take stock of our missteps in the past, then we can still correct them and improve our response to COVID-19.
Another example is how we regard the President. The former mayor from Davao has legions of fans, nay, worshippers, and in their eyes, he can do no wrong. Meanwhile, those who point out Mr. Duterte’s flaws are automatically declared the enemy. They act all-knowing and believe they know better than the President does. There is no doubt that they are working for the political opposition, eager to seize power at the first instance.
There is no room whatsoever for the idea that those who fault the President do not necessarily wish him to fail, that they are not even affiliated with the Liberal Party or the Communists, and that they simply have their own ideas of how the task can be done better.
This week, the two top officials of the land addressed the public. On Monday evening, Vice President Leni Robredo, pointed out the inadequacies of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, offered specific solutions and encouraged the people to be hopeful amid many reasons to be hopeless.
In a taped speech aired the next morning, President Duterte said Robredo was adding fuel to the fire.
Does criticism create unrest? Of course it can, but not necessarily so. These days, only a fool would contemplate a revolution when the people have to be united in fighting the pandemic. Unity does not mean blind following. It is a decent, enlightened exchange of ideas on what would work and what wouldn’t, and acknowledging that some people are more credible than others in their areas of expertise.
Criticism is proof that we care about our country—not a single person or party. By all means, let us keep that fire burning. Criticism means we give the nation’s affairs some thought, and want only the best for the majority. Criticism shows we still have the capability to discuss ideas and not names. It expresses our hope that those in power improve themselves so they can succeed, not fail.
Doing away with binary thinking may entail a little more brain work for some people. But it can be done, and it will be worth the effort.
