Governors and mayors are entitled to a little respect

And presidents too. Even if you call them your public servants, they too have feelings. They have dignity, self-esteem and ego. They have honor, reputation and public stature. You cannot just insult them publicly even if your issues are valid. There is a right way to say the right thing at the right forum and at the right time. What's happening to us, where are our manners?

When the governor of Cebu issued a memo to encourage the Capitol personnel to try to use a time-tested, local way of treatment, she should have been given the privilege of respect. She should have been presumed to have the best intentions. And those who did not even take the little time to verify the whys and the wherefores from her staff should have kept their mouth shut. I am not an apologist for Governor Gwen. I have disagreed with her on a number of issues. But this time, I stand by her. This is a woman of substance, who has always been known to be a dynamic dragon lady, a hardworking, industrious and proactive public official, who always thinks ahead of her staff, plans so many things strategically and demands from herself, and from her people only best.

Before some doctors could have issued some public statement deriding the memo on tuob, there should have been an attempt to get the governors' side, to know what she intended to achieve. For the doctors to go public and openly put in ridicule the initiatives of the governor, without even hearing her first, would be to invite scorn and resentment. Governors and mayors are tired and overworked nowadays. Doctors are tired too, yes, to be fair about it. But doctors are paid much higher than governors. The reason why people are looking for ways to combat the virus is because the science of medicine is yet unable to find the vaccine. And doctors' services, we all know, are way above the poor's capacity to pay.

Tuob is a political statement that the science of medicine is unable to deliver the expectations of the poor. When the people go back to herbal medicine and to other ancient systems, these are expressions of exasperation at the cost of medical care in this country. The pharma companies and the doctors' profession, as well as many hospitals and medical institutions, except only those run by the government and some truly Christian religious congregations, are making a big business out of the mission of Hippocrates. Medicines are too high, doctor’s fees are staggering, hospital admissions are affordable only by the rich and influential. Governor Gwen was only trying to help the poor. She was searching for a solution and is deserving of our support and accolade.

Whatever it is, even assuming that the governor was wrong, we should not put her in ridicule publicly. She has been running here and there, serving the millions of Cebuanos, she is sick and tired. And the last thing that she deserves is to be put in a defensive position by insulting her concrete attempt to help.