Walang Trapik, Walang Meryenda, Walang Rekomendasyon

PNoy's "Walang Wang-Wang" has become the face of his reform agenda. No wonder he has garnered a net trust rating of 88% in the most recent SWS survey.

I bet if PNoy could also deliver "Walang Trapik," then he would get even higher ratings. Yes, it's not enough that as Public Servant Number One he does not lord it over other motorists and simply endure heavy traffic with all of us. Leadership requires much more than that. He should rather solve that perennial problem for the buck stops right there with him as THE President.

Another thing PNoy can add to his "walang" list should be "Walang Meryenda."

Anyone who has had to deal with unscrupulous inspectors coming to your business or office knows what "meryenda" means: the euphemism for lagay or padulas or bribe. These "feeling-powerful" vultures would find fault with you no matter what and lament about their plight in government. Then they would pitiably close with: "Pwede namang ayusin 'to; pangmeryenda lang."

Verily, corruption breeds from these seemingly innocent, cultural practices or kalakalan that make hostages of private businesses and professionals if they want to maintain harmonious relations with the powers that be to avoid singling out.

Asking for "meryenda" is itself a crime as it constitutes solicitation of gifts. It is prohibited by Section 7, paragraph (d) of the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees."

The provision reads: "(d) Solicitation or acceptance of gifts. - Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office."

This also brings us to patronage politics. In our beloved Naga, I recall a teary-eyed job applicant relating to me before that a newly-opened big department store required a recommendation from then Robredo's City Hall-in turn supposedly being required thereby for business permit purposes, before she could even be considered.

Apparently, such recommendation is yet another insidious trapo machination by Robredo's administration then. Recall, too, their requirement for any needy resident to be a registered voter of Naga to "qualify" for housing assistance. I thought housing was for the homeless; not for voters.

Back to work-it is a basic human right and should not depend on any recommendation. There must be equal opportunity for all without discrimination. An establishment which only considers applicants with recommendations from government officials clearly violates the human rights of labor. A government official who tolerates, or worse, demands such recommendations under threat of no-business-permit is nothing but a whited sepulcher.

In sum, PNoy must equally focus his walang corrupt laban on the little but bigger things that make life even much harder for his boss-trapik, meryenda and rekomendasyon.