Better Philippines???

Better Philippines was apparently too chickenshit to name me in this entry.  So I am reposting it here to say that I am the one being referred to in this entry in his blog.

"Lately, this friend of mine has been highlighting his boss’ success in getting several measures relevant to our election system legislated. Here is where my friend makes the big jump. Because of his association to this lawmaker, he now believes that he can rightfully say that he was a part of the “change” his boss worked so hard for. I can understand where he is coming from but is that really the case? I’m not sure. What I’m sure of is that he was rendering paid services to this lawmaker. Following his logic, would it then be safe to say that the lawmaker’s driver was also a part of change?"

To which I responded:

I work for a lawmaker who believes that even a lowly street sweeper, just by doing his or her job the best way possible, can rightfully claim to be part of change and he or she would be right.

A lot of people worked for the passage and implementation of RA 9369 or the Amended Automation Law.  That includes lawyers, writers, researchers, secretaries, executive assistants, clerks, political staff, interns, utility, security, waiters and yes, drivers.

Yes, these are people with salaries -- some sourced from the government and some sourced from political contributions.  

Yes, they were part of changing the way we will vote in 2010.

I certainly hope that you're not belittling anybody's contribution towards the enactment and implementation of RA 9369.  Or maybe you are but will not admit it and say "You missed my point..." which is some times another way of saying "You're too stupid and what I said is above you..."

Whatever it is, suit yourself. 

The fact that people get paid for the work they do doesn't necessarily diminish their participation in the results that are produced.

Another thing to consider is that the hundreds of people who worked for the passage and implementation of RA 9369 couldn't have been paid for the painful personal sacrifices they made.

How can you possibly compensate someone for the countless hours spent away from their families?  

How can you pay someone for losing nights of sleep?  

How can you pay someone for getting sick from too much work and despite the doctors' orders, still reports for work?  

How do you pay someone who, instead of living up their youth, has chosen the drudgery of long hours of work for a piece of legislation that he knows will work for everyone's interest?  

How can you pay someone who didn't get paid his salary at a time when he badly needed the money but went to work anyway?  

How do you pay someone who actually refuses to get paid and really volunteers for work?  

How can you pay someone who, despite their qualifications, chooses to work for government pay just because he or she believes in the lawmaker her or she is working for?

No matter how small a part these people played in getting RA 9369 enacted and implemented, they still played a part in change.  

They can tell it to the world and the lawmaker will openly credit them for it, that's the kind of leader he is.