Uncivil Society?

Uncivil Society?
By: Joselito Basilio (Law Student)

In Kapampangan context, civil society is an unusual concept in that it always seems to require being defined before it is discussed. In part this is because the concept was rarely used in Kapampangan discourse before Among Ed ran for governor in the May 2007 elections and many people are therefore unfamiliar with it.
Arguably, civil society only gained legitimate recognition in Pampanga during the May 2007 elections. Many new civil society groups, notable of which are KMI, KCI and ADCL, facilitated better awareness and a more informed citizenry, who made better voting choice for governor. In fact credit should be given to civil society for Among Ed’s electoral victory.
But what happens when the some members of the same civil society groups are pulling a direction different from that of the person who helped them elected governor. How it is going to be decided which direction in which to go and whether it is the right one as circumstances continue to change over time? Will they leave the decision to Among Ed or pressure him to adopt what they want?
I have raised these questions because I am deeply saddened by the recent turn of events in Pampanga which involves a segment of the civil society.
I’m particularly disturbed by the juvenile behavior of a civil society prominent actor who is now calling for Among Ed’s resignation and even indicated his support for the latter’s recall because this is the only way to get rid of Among Ed’s most trusted assistant who previously turned down the actor’s proposal on public policy. This is tragic. When a civil society conceals its real intentions beneath a sheep’s clothing it has no more reason to exist.
What is wrong with Dabu at the helm of power? Among Ed put her there. She enjoys the trust and confidence of no less than the governor himself apart from the enormous powers she yield as mandated by law. Every decision she makes is presumed to be the order of the governor. Among Ed delegated most of his powers to Dabu so that she can effectively deal with influence-peddlers and favor-seekers, and get rid of graft and corruption in the capitol. This is how Among Ed manages the affairs of the office of the governor. Can’t the civil society respect Among Ed’s management style?
If some people are displeased over how the capitol is being run, that is part of Kapampangan human nature. We Kapampangan have this incurable tendency to envy people who are closer to someone we love. I feel this is the reason why some members of the civil society have deserted Among Ed. They want all equal access to the governor’s office. They cannot accept Among Ed’s regimental management style where decisions are made through the office of the administrator.
Civil society is supposed to build social capital, trust and shared values, which are transferred into the political sphere. We have the right to express our views to influence the governor’s decisions but it is not right to desert the governor when what we want is unheeded. That’s uncivil.