Jun Lozada has said a lot and I salute him for that. In this age of SMS and internet, no one should be allowed to keep one’s mouth shut especially if it is for a greater good, if it was for the TRUTH. As Filipinos, I believe there’s a Jun Lozada in all of us: a tinge of corruption, a number of mistakes, a dose of wit. But most importantly, like the Filipino in him, we have a conscience, the courage and the heroism to end the forces that is keeping us in the dark.

——————–

If there is one good output from the weeks of senate hearing on the ZTE-NBN deal, it would be a publication of quotable quotes from the man himself, Jun Lozada. At least it’s not another book of text jokes and definitely not a compilation of terrible English statements. As I told my colleague, “The headlines rolling underneath one’s TV screen can be changed frequently to quote him. Everything he says is pang-headline.” A Book of Quotes by Jun Lozada? Why not and I am serious.

His quotes are, actually, full of reflections about his own person, his humanity, his soul. He defined our present society as dysfunctional and surfaced the terms “greed” and “evil” to describe our government officials. These are the words that we know all along. Quotes that never came from our mouths but surely, these must have formed in our own minds. It is possible that when we read his quotes, we can ask ourselves, “Can we say the same words?” “Will we utter all that he said (both nice and not so nice) if we were in his shoes?” “Will we reveal the same when we arrive at similar situations of corruption and harassment?”

“… he wanted to save whatever respect he still had in himself so he could save his soul.”

This was uttered in the context of his work with a government agency. I, on a micro level, know exactly how this feel. Years ago, I was hired as a training specialist in a foreign funded project of one of our government agencies. We earned big! Apart from the monthly salary, we had per diems and frequent travels. I was only 27 years old then and my main reason for applying to that position was exactly that, to earn more. The salary that I received from that project was double the amount of what I used to have.

Months later, I was exposed to the how’s of earning more. We worked with the senior staff who indirectly taught us how to claim per diems even when we are not entitled to it. For example, they asked for per diems even if meals and transportation were already provided. They saw how they propose a weeklong activity and then cut it short by three days. That way, per diems were collected which are over the actual days of work. Finally, I learned that there is a system in negotiating with training venues where the person who books a training gets a commission for closing a deal with that venue. To my mind, it was a huge commission especially if the training venue is a 5-star hotel or resort. Hotel and resort managers call it MOTIVATION for the booker. As the person who negotiates, I can decide whether to use it as a discount for the project but I can also claim it for my own. It was legal they say. I was greatly tempted to pocket the commission. Thank God, the training was postponed and we had to cancel the reservations.

If one has a great resolve, it was quite easy to avoid getting corrupt in that kind of system. Our beef however was that, we were doing all the work, but other people were collecting more than us. The temptation to be like them was as great and as easy too. “Everyone’s doing it, so why don’t you?” would be a fitting quote.

When I started collecting per diems that were not appropriate to the amount of work that I do, I began to reflect and pray about my priorities and my future. Is earning much money my lifetime goal? Do I want to earn materially and lose my principles and my soul? The decision was easy, I resigned before I celebrated my first year with that project.

… (s)he wanted to save whatever respect (s)he still had in (her)himself so (s)he could save (her)his soul.” was not only Jun Lozada, it was me too.

Years later, I met a contemporary who was still with the same group but with a different project name. The projects never finish in these types of organizations, they are just reinvented. She was already earning triple of our salaries when we were together. Me? I was earning the same salary but I was more at peace with myself. I believed I have saved my own soul.

——————
Jun Lozada has said a lot and I salute him for that. In this age of SMS and internet, no one should be allowed to keep one’s mouth shut especially if it is for a greater good, if it was for the TRUTH. As Filipinos, I believe there’s a Jun Lozada in all of us: a tinge of corruption, a number of mistakes, a dose of wit. But most importantly, like the Filipino in him, we have a conscience, the courage and the heroism to end the forces that is keeping us in the dark.

Here are some links with his quotable quotes. Can you add some more?

Guava lesson: Of rural folk and greed

I can be the spark

Bubukol yan