World where honest work, honor are enough rewards

I find Conrado De Quiros’ rationalization of SSS board members’ huge bonuses (“Once more, with feeling,” Opinion, 10/16/13) a masterful piece of spin writing, overarching his power of persuasion in defense of a kin.

If his argument that SSS board members, owing to their management skills and having earned P36.2 billion for the pension fund, are justified in appropriating for themselves P1 million each for their outstanding services, why limit their bonuses to P1 million per member? That’s a pittance. Why not go as much as P10 million for each board member, never mind if they’re increasing the SSS members’ contribution rates by January next year.

I wonder how De Quiros’ article would have sounded if the SSS chair went by the name Arroyo or Corona, his pet peeves on anything related to graft and corruption in this country. But I guess the viscosity of what runs in our veins can affect one’s fairness and objectivity in journalism.

On just compensations in the corporate world, I hope De Quiros’ insinuation (with an ahem) of being a reputable Inquirer columnist, and therefore entitled to better incentives, is only directed to his employer, and not a parinig (hint) meant for the SSS bigwigs for doing them a great PR job. A mere thank-you note would be very disappointing for someone who has seemingly squarely quantified his worth, and is getting infinitely less for rendering infinitely more.

But there is a world where honest work is reward enough, something De Quiros may not be quite familiar with—the world of noncorporate-thinking public servants. Foremost of whom are our soldiers, policemen and firemen where honor is reward enough, more than enough; honor that comes in the simple form of a medal (cheaply made of brass, not platinum) oftentimes posthumously awarded to their survivors.

Our gallant soldiers and policemen who died in the recent battle with the enemy in Zamboanga were given ceremonial gun salutes during their burial, and the national flags that draped their coffins were reverentially handed over to their next of kin—unpretentious acts of admiration and gratefulness for their heroism that no amount of monetary reward or bonus can approximate.

Honor is what our heroes lived and died for, not fat pay envelopes and perks. Perhaps this is the problem with some of our elected and appointed government officials now embroiled in the pork barrel scandal. Their corporate paradigm must have induced them to believe they deserve higher incentives for what they regale themselves as indispensable service to the country.

I was hoping De Quiros, in his usual passion for integrity and righteousness, would write something in praise of a self-respecting SSS board member who volunteered to return his bonus. Had he considered that laudable act worthy of his opinion-writing, he might have caused those he commonly cite for their thieving to see their guile, perchance repent, and do a Zacchaeus.

And by the way, the name Daniel Edralin and the few government officials still with an admirable sense of decency and sensitivity will never leave a bad taste in the mouth.

—REY S. TRAJANO, [email protected]