"Must know how to read and write" only?

We get what we asked for. Since we did not demand a higher set of standards, and we pretended to be more democratic, so we have these candidates who are incompetent, dishonest, lazy, have a dubious past, are living immoral lives, have records of corruption, and have pending cases or have been convicted. The fault, according to Shakespeare, is not in our stars but in our own selves, that we are underlings.

The framers of our Constitution only required that a candidate for president must only be a natural-born citizen, 40 years of age, a registered voter, resident for at least 10 years and able to read and write. Presidential candidates are not required to present a doctorate or a masters degree, which are demanded of college professors. They are not required to submit a transcript of records and genuine diploma which are requisites imposed on applicants for a government clerk position. They need not pass a government board or Bar examination. They are not required to submit a negative drug test, vaccination card, a neuro and psycho clearance, not even a medical certificate. And so, we get what we are asking for.

To run for senator, all the Constitution requires is being a natural-born citizen, 35 years of age, a registered voter, only two years residence and must know how to read and write. They are supposed to become makers of laws or legislators but they are not required to be lawyers or at least have a Law degree, much less a doctorate in law. Thus, we get candidates who are comedians, singers, basketball players, boxers, and action stars. Some of them cannot talk coherently, cannot understand parliamentary rules and procedures. Yet the voters entrust to them the huge task of making laws. We did not ask for excellence, and so we get all kinds of incompetent, inexperienced, unfit, and totally unqualified ones.

For the presidency, there are candidates whose only qualifications include being a member of a powerful family dynasty or business empire. We get aspirants who have not even experienced being a department head or a supervisor and would now wish to lead a whole country of 7,107 islands. Or one who has not even established a track record of successful managerial or executive assignment and wants to immediately be on top. We have candidates who have doubtful educational qualifications. Then you will sneer at me, and ask why I would demand such an elitist requirement. Well, let me remind you that we are electing a head of state and head of government. He or she will be the face that represents all of us, 111 million Filipinos.

We are choosing a national leader who will appoint justices and ambassadors, exercise control over all executive departments, supervise all provinces, cities, and municipalities. We are not appointing job order workers, casuals or contractuals. We are choosing the commander-in-chief of all armed forces, army, navy, air force, marines, and the police. We are electing one who may declare martial law, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, pardon criminals, and speak before the United Nations General Assembly, the EU, the ASEAN, or before the joint session of the US Congress. Can we entrust these draconian tasks to a babbling, incoherent, and weak leader?

Ask any neophyte HR manager, and he will tell you how important for the success of talent acquisition that we raise the bar of our qualifications standards as demanded by the job content and position description. How come that in choosing the highest official of the land, we only ask the barest minimum of knowing how to read and write? And so, if we get lemons as candidates, we only get what we asked for. The fault indeed is in our mindset, that we are mediocre and by choice, underlings.