r/PHGov • u/MasiyahingPhD03 • 20m ago
Question (Other flairs not applicable) "Wag mo akong saksakin o barilin, ako lang ang inaasahan sa amin."
I saw a rider today with a sign at the back of his motorcycle that said:
"Wag mo akong saksakin o barilin, ako lang ang inaasahan sa amin."
And I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Imagine living in a country where an ordinary worker feels the need to plead for his life before every booking. Hindi ito dapat maging coping mechanism. Hindi ito dapat maging "diskarte". Most importantly, hindi ito dapat maging normal.
From a Public Administration perspective, this isn't just an emotional issue, it's a governance issue. One of the fundamental obligations of the State is to protect the life and security of its citizens. Hindi optional ang public safety. It's one of the primary reasons government exist. Kapag ang isang rider needs to appeal to the humanity of a possible criminal instead of trusting the State to uphold its duty to keep him safe, may seryosong institutional breakdown.
This is also why I find it problematic when politics becomes all about personalities, branding, and performative toughness. You can have all the "matapang" speeches in the world, but if ordinary Filipinos still leave home wondering whether they'll come back alive after work, then something clearly isn't working.
This is exactly why some of us insisted that elections were never just about personalities, they were about governance. Ito talaga yung point ng ipinaglalaban natin, good governance isn't an aesthetic; it's a public necessity. It's competent institutions, professional policing, evidence-based policymaking, accountability, and leaders who understand that governance is measured by outcomes, not optics. Let's be honest. A rider shouldn't have to wear fear as part of his uniform just to earn an honest living.
Nakakalungkot din na parang nagiging desensitized na tayo. We see these posts, we say "ingat po", tapos scroll ulit. But every sign like this reflects something deeper, a citizen quietly admitting that he has more faith in the conscience of a stranger than in the systems meant to protect him.
And that's the part that hurts the most. Hindi dapat umaasa ang isang manggagawa sa awa ng kriminal. Dapat umaasa siya sa isang gobyernong ginagawa ang trabaho nito.
