Promising to find “immediate solution to the chronic water supply shortage” [translation: “walang tubig!”] and respect the will of the majority on the question of commercialization of the subdivision’s main streets, then candidate Jun Bernabe convinced Association officials to tirelessly campaign for him as city mayor. Association officials campaigned for new voters registration and provided free transportation during the 2004 election. The result was that 60% (instead of the usual less than 10%) of registered BF Homes voters turned out to vote.
Upon assumption into office, Mayor Jun Bernabe opened the roads of the subdivision to the general public in utter disregard of the sentiments of the residents and his electoral promise to abide by the will of the majority. In a classic case of too little, too late, he has “created a water crisis committee to find immediate and long-term solutions to the chronic water supply shortage in BF Homes Subdivision and other communities in the city.”
The membership of the committee is composed, naturally, of his business cronies and obedient cohorts. Consequently, except as an aid for re-election in the upcoming election, nothing really is expected of this committee but hot air.
This is not unlike his electoral promise when he first ran as mayor. The resolution of the waterless subdivision makes for a good electoral campaign. The incumbent mayor, it must be conceded, is unlike the other politicians when it comes to personal honor of keeping one’s word. He has, after all, created a water crisis committee to look into the problem even if “water supply [of his constituents] is a national government concern.”
The re-electionist mayor’s “praise” release that “
The pump at Villamor Airbase is not capable of pumping water to Parañaque, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas, assuming there is sufficient water from Balara. Since there have been no new installations of high capacity pumps and mains, nor will the developer agree to the takeover of BF waterworks system, the claim is nothing but a re-election gimmick.
Unlike animals, man lives by intellect and will and thus he lives not just for the moment but also binds himself to his future by his promises.
Without promises there could be no stable society. Nothing human holds together without this glue – the very glue that is becoming unglued today. I mean the individual promise-keeping. There is no sense of personal honor of keeping one’s word anymore. We have become a society of Pontius Pilates, washing our hands of responsibilities as he did. Yet a man who does not keep his promises is not a man; he is a weasel.
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