For me, there is nothing really wrong with Vice President Sara Duterte using the presidential helicopter as long as she boards it as part of her job while actually intending to do her job.
The cost of the Vice President traveling by other means is inherently expensive, considering the security implication. (The VP cannot travel by herself.)
In general, there is nothing wrong with public officials legally using government resources as long as the spending of taxpayer money is compensated by an equal or greater amount of public service. Break-even, at least, and return of investment at most.
The fiasco resulting from Duterte’s own social media post is just a case of an honest mistake that totally forgets the essence of effective political communication.
The Vice President could have said the same words out of honesty, but she could have mentioned her day’s work, like what she did while using the chopper or where she went (if it’s not confidential info).
And while posting about that privilege—every public official can’t deny the privilege a position gives—she could have acknowledged the fact that there are working mothers out there who can’t tuck their children to sleep, and she is just lucky our government has the resources.
Where does she go from this fiasco? Duterte can use the powers of her offices—the OVP and the Department of Education— to make sure that the overworked mothers and fathers all over the country will have the same opportunity to go home in the evening to be with their families.
And she can start in her own backyard with our teachers, by raising their salaries to be at par with Philippine National Police personnel, and by providing a better work environment, where the second mothers and fathers of our children do not have to spend money from their own pockets to make our schools more conducive to learning and to produce instructional materials.
Because if the government can offer first-class helicopter rides to its officials, it can also shoulder the entire cost of public education.
Then our teachers can always go home to their families just in time also.
JONAS CABILES SOLTES,
terio1947@gmail.com