Officials with clean records do not shy away from accountability and would even dare authorities to scrutinize their records, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who also said those in the highest levels of power should be held responsible for their actions.
Speaking before the Philippine Constitution Association at its 65th anniversary, Lacson said the provision that “public office is a public trust” must not be compromised.
“Accountability” is the most powerful word in the Constitution, Lacson said.
He also said the importance of accountability is all the more highlighted amid the flood control corruption controversy.
“If there is one thing that continues to ring true, especially in this whole flood control mess, it is this: accountability is the enemy of corrupt public officials, but a shield of honest public servants,” he said.
He said people whose actions are lawful and whose consciences are clean would not fear an examination of their records and would even welcome it.
“In fact, the honest public servant should be able to say: ‘Go ahead. Audit me,’” he said.
“The person who fears accountability, however, may have a different reaction. He or she may say, ‘Why single me out?’ Someone would even cry, ‘This is political persecution and intimidation and pressure’ – which, by the way, sounds very familiar,” he added.
He also said true accountability means making those at the top, not just their subordinates, answerable for their misconduct.
“There can be no justice if the law is enforced against the weak but negotiated with the powerful,” he said.
Every day is a test for public servants to see whether they are worthy of the public trust, said Lacson, chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
“Real accountability teaches us that one cannot be simply answerable to the person above him. Rather, it is about being responsible to your oath and ultimately, to the people,” he said.
He also said holding someone accountable is not always about revenge.
“It is an act of respect—for the law, for public institutions, and most of all, for the people who have entrusted us with authority,” he said.
He also said that while lawyers may interpret facts differently, the principle of accountability “stands absolute.”
“While the many lawyers with different persuasions in this room can surely find as many different ways to interpret any legal fact, there is one principle that stands absolute – one truth we cannot compromise or negotiate. Above all legal debates, we must remain bound by the foundational principle we are sworn to uphold for our people and our nation, that is, ‘Public office is a public trust,’” he said.