"Walk on Water"

Below is something sent to me via the iVolunteer mail list. Makes me think that there is still hope for the Philippines.

Not everyone is asked to "walk on water" but I sure am glad that there are people like Dinky Soliman who, having received that call to walk on water, courageously stepped out of the boat.

Read on and be inspired...

I salute you, Ma'am Dinky!

Sunflower greetings to all.

I found time to write down my thoughts and here I am sharing it with
you.

WHY I RESIGNED FROM GOVERNMENT,
AND ASKED MY BOSS TO RESIGN AS WELL

A Personal Piece by Dinky Soliman (August 8, 2005)

I joined government as a member of President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo's Cabinet because of the principles that I believed in and
fought for in the last 30 years of my life. Justice, good governance,
equality, empowerment of the poor and marginalized, truth, freedom
and love are values and principles that had been the anchors of my
involvement in the struggle to transform society. It is because of
these same principles that I resigned from government service last
July 8, 2005 (exactly a month ago).

Most of you have journeyed with me in the struggle to keep DSWD as I
found it, insulated from politics. I admit there were some actions
that we did that were politically motivated; I had asked my
colleagues in DSWD to implement projects for political accommodation.
I apologize for those instructions.

It was always a struggle between good and evil: old habits of
traditional politics versus alternative new politics with communities
asserting their power. The first three years proved that the reforms
far outweighed the political accommodation. Specially when we were
able to launch KALAHI-CIDSS; catch up and be on time with commitments
on the Early Childhood Development program; install performance
management systems; set-up the standards for DSWD institutions (like
Golden Acres) as centers of excellence; start the Bright Child
campaign for early childhood education, and many more enhancements
for our on-going programs. These outweighed the discomfort I had with
the Balikatan exercise because I do not believe in foreign troops in
our country, and other activities which I felt have compromised my
principles. I was conscious that compromises allowed me to protect
the gains of the reform we were undertaking.

The period after the 2004 elections became very challenging. When I
thought that the President had a clear mandate, I anticipated that
there will be less political accommodation and we will zoom ahead on
reforms. Most of you were witness to a series of accommodations
including in the DSWD. The appointments of Cabinet members and heads
of revenue generating agencies were influenced by the factor
of "those who helped in the campaign". The last three months was
particularly difficult as the scandals were all coming out. It was so
disturbing that we have a jueteng scandal involving the highest
levels of government (that is the perception) after we threw out
former President Joseph Estrada on the same issue. The tapes, while
we do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation, definitely cast
doubt on the integrity of the President and in the electoral mandate
that she won.

I have discussed these issues with the President many times, alone
and with the whole cabinet, with the lady cabinet members. The last
three months especially we were discussing ideas on how to win back
the credibility from a high distrust by the people. There were two
schools of thoughts: 1} political survival at all costs 2} undertake
swift and credible action of reforms to survive politically and to
govern effectively and efficiently.

Last June 27 the President broke her silence on the tape. I felt hope
and was very encouraged because that was the signal to begin the
swift and credible actions of reform. Yes, I did sing and meant every
word I sang. Then the same pattern of non-action or slow action set
in, especially when it will affect people whom she owes a debt-of-
gratitude. The July 5, 2005 Cabinet meeting was a tipping point,
where it became clear that the frame of action is survival at all
cost.

On a personal note, the questions of my children regarding what is
right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false…..made me
realize that the only thing of real value I can leave to my children
is a sense of right and wrong. I made up my mind that I needed to
resign; I also asked her to resign for the sake of the country and
our future.

CREDIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP

The reforms that are needed to reduce and eventually eradicate
poverty require sacrifice from all sectors. There are those who need
to give up a significant amount of power and prestige; there are
those who will have to tighten their belts because to raise revenues
for poverty reduction programs of government we need to discipline
ourselves and raise tax collection. This has impact on the working
class thus they must also sacrifice over and above their own current
struggle.

To move the country forward, we need a leader who can unite the
country and undertake these difficult reforms. Unfortunately the
President herself is the cause of the division. While we are still
struggling to ferret out the truth from all the scandals, she
introduces another issue which will cause more division among us…
charter change. And yet she also agreed to have a Truth Commission
which she will organize to investigate her actions. And over the past
four weeks we have seen the resources of the government brought to
bear on a media blitz to recover her image. Time and energy of
Cabinet members have been used to defend the President and do things
other than their work in their own departments. This is the President
who is fighting for survival.

MEA CULPA

One question that has been often asked is if I stayed 4 years and a
half …was I not part of the mistake. I was. I believe that PGMA is a
product of her own personal history. She was exposed and has accepted
the practices of traditional politics such as pay backs, pay ups,
operations of dirty tricks; at the same time she also believed in
instituting reforms in the economic, social and governance spheres
using principles of transparency, accountability, and service to
the people. She believed that both worlds can exist in one person and
the dissonance and disconnect will not clash in her and in her
actions.

On hindsight, the same thing happened to me. I was able to develop a
team in DSWD that crafted and implemented a community driven
development program which was funded by the government through a US$
100 million loan from the World Bank. It brought to the most
marginalized communities the opportunity to use their power to
analyze the situation and develop solutions that will be implemented
by the community and there will be resources made available to them
through the projects. It was an empowerment program that had
resources and scale. It was so consistent with my vision of power to
the people and it covered 5000 barangays.

To get support for this program I had to work with the rest of the
Cabinet and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. I had to be and was a
team player. So on the many times that protesters and critics of the
administration will be mobilized, I was to be part of the team if not
leading the effort of what I call now domesticating tactics. I had
directed my colleagues in DSWD to prepare packages of goodies for the
urban poor communities as either part of raffle draws, food for work
and family day activities to keep them from joining the rallies. We
even had medical civic action that had circumcision as part of the
package. I admit I was one of those who crafted that strategy; I
thought that rather than getting the urban poor out in the rally with
the potential of getting pounced upon or even violently dispersed, it
was better for them to stay in the community. In the meantime, most
of those who wanted numbers in the street began giving cash
incentives for the people to stand an hour or two for their rally.
The sacred right to stand up for your voice and be heard in the
street… the right that many of my friends had died for was now a
commercial transaction. Truly, this has led to the commoditization of
rights. This to me is the height of insult to the poor because we
know that they need the money thus we bought their time …but it was
not only their time that we bought…we bought their soul and in the
process destroyed our own too. Sadly, this was being done by the
opposition and the government.

So as I was undertaking the empowerment processes in the KALAHI-CIDSS
area, I was part of the domesticating process of the urban poor
communities. The urban poor organizations who I was relating with
began to see me as their patron as they get favors or first
information on the benefits from government.

I was living two sets of values now. I was like PGMA. I was
contradicting myself and counteracting my programs. Like PGMA
proclaims transparency and accountability but has several parallel
operations for an issue.

We were buying loyalty of the people. Instead of serving the people
as part of the responsibility of government, instead of recognizing
that the services we were providing were the rights of the citizenry,
we invoked the utang-na-loob syndrome, exacting loyalty instead of
recognizing that it is the right of the citizen and the taxpayer, to
exact services and programs from government. We used our resources
and power to domesticate the urban poor. I violated a basic principle
which I had fought for so long, empowerment of people…I was party to
their disempowerment.

ON LOYALTY

One of the strongest criticisms hurled against me was my disloyalty.
How could a Cabinet member, a perceived close friend of the
President, have the gumption to ask her boss to resign?? Even some of
my friends silently believed that I could have made a mistake in my
action. I have been reflecting on this point; it was not an easy
decision as I have narrated. It was a long and agonizing process; it
was to wake up everyday and ask if I am still consistent with my
principles and the people I vowed to serve.

Then VP GMA knew about Dinky only in October 2000. Contrary to
popular belief, I am neither a classmate nor a long time associate.
We had a common vision for good governance which was born in the
struggle against the Estrada government. Over the 4 years and 6
months that we worked together we developed a bond of respect for
each other; got pleasantly surprised that we had some shared values
and even common personal likes and dislikes on people. I treasure the
relationship and would have wished that I did not have to do what I
did. I know it hurt her and it pains me that I had to do what I had
to do.

It was clear to me that I was in government because of the principles
and vision that I believed we shared. The source of her authority
emanated from the people by virtue of the mandate they gave her (both
in EDSA II and the 2004 election). While it is true that PGMA
appointed me to my post, my loyalty to the people is higher than my
loyalty to her because ultimately, we are all accountable to the
people. I believed that the reforms and the truth were compromised
because she has lost credibility and leadership.

It could have been easier if I just resigned and carried on with my
life in development work. But then I would not have only been party
to disempowering the poor, I have also been disempowered. Some of you
might say to me……Hello…. Wake up, government is all about
compromises… I say the people deserve more than compromise. If we
want our democracy to work for all especially the disempowered and
oppressed then we all have to make our stake, be involved in making
it work as an active citizen of this democracy. We have to Speak up
and Act now.

Today's gospel spoke of the time when Jesus walked on the water
towards the boat of the apostles. Most of them were frightened and
thought Jesus was a ghost. But Peter was inspired and he jumped the
boat and walked in the water too. He was pummeled by the waves and
the lightning, and wavered, but ultimately he kept the faith and did
not sink.

We too have taken our "walk in the water". We too have been at the
eye of a storm, and have been called traitors and have suffered a lot
of humiliation. But we believe that our children deserve a truthful
society and leadership with integrity. I have not taken an easy path,
but we hope to keep the faith, and keep our heads above the waters of
despair and indifference.