Arbitrocracy’ & Our Unsung Heroes

Richard Heydarian
Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 30, 2019

“Patriotic arbitrariness,” argued the Russian philosopher

Ivan Ilyin — whose ideas have inspired Vladimir Putin’s
governance doctrine — lies at the heart of national
redemption by a savior leader. It’s precisely this
“redemptive excess,” he maintained, that allows a visionary
leader to circumvent the shackles of an unresponsive legal
order to save a beleaguered nation from untrammeled
corruption and absolute degradation.

Drawing on Ilyn’s philosophical musings, Vladimir Putin

has established what can be called an “arbitrocracy,” where
a political system is run by the arbitrary whims of an
imperial presidency. In modern Russia, Putin’s command is
“the” law and his wishes “the” national agenda. In the
words of Russian journalist Masha Gessen, Putin can
effectively “will his own truth,” almost regardless of facts
on the ground.

In the Philippines, we are increasingly facing our own

version of arbitrocracy under President Duterte, who
incidentally views Putin as his “favorite hero.” From the
perfunctory shutdown of Boracay last year to the shuttering
of lotto outlets more recently, what’s crystal-clear is that
Mr. Duterte’s words and whims are now often “the”
expression of state power.
Earlier this month, I found myself at the receiving end of
another form of arbitrocracy, when some overzealous
propagandists maliciously sought to denigrate, intimidate
and even legally sanction me.

On the way back from my hometown of Baguio, I stumbled

upon a post by the Land Transportation Office-National
Capital Region (LTO-NCR) Facebook page, which, absent
any proper investigation or due process, accused me of
reckless driving.

Their evidence? An obviously stationary picture

(background completely clear) that showed Picasso (my
aunt’s adorable Maltese dog) leaning over the steering
wheel. The picture was taken on the way to Baguio City,
while the vehicle was legally and safely parked, placed in P
(parked) gear, and in completely stationary and immobile
mode.

My aunt, whom I was taking back home to Baguio for a

medical checkup following her horrific seizure earlier that
had led to a broken nose among other injuries, took the
picture. In our hometown, we reckoned, there would be
people to check on her, and the medical expenses would be
less prohibitive.

In this context of almost gloomy hyper-emotionality, taking

pictures of idyllic scenes along the way, peppered by
Picasso’s harmless antics, constituted our little moment of
respite. Overwhelmed by the challenges of everyday life,
we let our guards down, innocently embracing brief
moments of levity beyond our political struggles.

But the ghastly episode involving my supposedly reckless

driving took an even starker turn when, within less than 24
hours, the LTO-NCR Facebook page posted a subpoena
against me, which even included my home address. My
safety was now in danger, while I was being accused of a
crime sans due process.

Never in my life have I ever been subpoenaed or involved

in any court case. So this was horrifying. But I eventually
decided to place my faith in our countless unsung heroes in
the government.

At the LTO, I found thoroughly professional, cordial and

law-abiding officers who assured me of the protection of
my basic rights following the submission of a formal
affidavit.

I was aware of the identity of the person behind the

Facebook post, which unfairly affected the image of the
whole government agency. Gladly, I know many other
hyper-professional and reliable folks in the government,
whom I have met throughout the years in my capacity as a
scholar and media practitioner.

In-depth conversations with senior officials such as Defense

Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Chief of Staff of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines Benjamin Rasgo Madrigal Jr., and
Gen. Romeo Brawner, among many others, have constantly
reassured me about the professionalism and patriotism of
our defense establishment.

The same can be said about folks such as the Department of

Finance Undersecretary Karl Chua and Assistant Secretary
Tony Lambino, as well as the Malaya brothers, Assistant
Secretaries Eduardo and Jonathan Malaya, whose
unquestionable competence and level-headedness have
instilled in me a strong sense of confidence in our
government in general.

No matter our disagreements with politicians, we should

never lose touch with the bigger picture of competence and
patriotism among countless unsung heroes in our
government, who ensure our basic safety and well-being
with indubitable dedication.