Lying in gov’t the norm?

Why do Palace spokespersons have difficulty in telling the truth? I refer to the article titled “Cabinet revamp on amid denials; new DOE chief seen by Aug. 1.” (Inquirer, 6/14/12) Why do they have to face the Filipino people with a forked tongue? Is it difficult to say “no” if the answer is negative, or “yes” if the answer is in the affirmative?

Now, we wonder why our country can hardly move forward and the bureaucracy teems with bribe-takers and corrupt officials? If our supposedly responsible government leaders do not have the decency to be honest with the people they entrust to speak for them, who could the Filipino people trust?

Is lying in the government service the norm to conduct governmental affairs?

If government functionaries want to withhold the truth, why can’t they just say, “Just wait for the results.”

A former political science professor who has abandoned his Filipino citizenship once blurted out in frustration that the land of his birth was no longer called “Perlas ng Silangan” (Pearl of the Orient)” but “islas de ladrones (land of thieves).” With the kind of government spokespersons Malacañang has, spokespersons who are fond of telling lies to the Filipino people, the Philippines is not just a land of thieves, it is fast turning into a land of liars, too.

—BOB GABUNA,

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