How Corona Differs From Those Japanese Prime Ministers

In 2007, Shinzo Abe, the 90th prime minister of Japan, resigned from his office. His decision came about after a series of scandals involving his subordinates nearly wrecked his political party and downgraded his popularity. It was as swift as it was expected. He resigned almost a month after he tried reshuffling his cabinet, a last-minute effort to win the public.

At first glance, you would think that his decision was quite rash and unfair. In the first place, his cabinet members were the ones messing around, not him. But a closer look at how politics work in Japan would yield a picture of individuals with uncompromising views of what honor is and what it should be. Current affairs would tell you that most Japanese prime ministers have held the office for only a few months, eventually ending their terms by resigning due to unpopularity. In Shinzo Abe's case, he believed in the concept of command responsibility, claiming as his own the shortcomings of the people he led.  It was all about respect, respect for the office that he held, an office that should be held only by those whose reputation and personality are above board.

Sadly, such an unflinching view of the public office is missing in our government officials. The latest in this string of people would be Corona, the man now being impeached. True, the prosecution has made an excellent job bungling their own case and the defense has been quite brilliant protecting their client. But, if one were to step back and look at the whole charade, one would be disappointed. Perhaps, we had higher expectations of what the Chief Justice should be but I don't see that in Corona right now. And as his trial drags on and a less exalted view of him is finally coming into view, I find myself asking, "How can this man sit through this entire episode and still believe that he can be the face of this country's justice system?"

In the next couple of days, the issues that will be tackled in court will get more serious. Even if Corona will survive this trial, his image will be so tarnished by doubt and apprehensions over his character that he will no longer be fit to be in the Supreme Court. However, if he's like one of our politicians, he'll be the last person on earth to know this fact.

There was a time when our government officials were like Japanese prime ministers, when they valued their names as much as their Japanese counterparts. I remember Raul Roco. He resigned from his post as the DepEd Secretary after rumors circulated that he will be investigated for graft. 

Many sides would later on pinpoint the "true" reasons behind his sudden resignation, citing this move as one of Roco's many political maneuvers in his bid for the presidency. But the fact remains that he resigned after someone merely questioned his integrity. For him, it was a matter of that subtle, often misunderstood, Filipino value called "delikadeza" which made him, at that moment of resignation, similar to those Japanese prime ministers.

Nowadays, you cannot say the same to our government officials who will always cling to their positions, despite scandals and bad public perception, at whatever the cost. Sad to say, Corona is becoming one of these men.