The problem with VIP treatment
The term “public servant” carries a certain moral expectation that those who enter government office do so out of a genuine desire to serve the country, not to profit from it. Yet, time and again, we are confronted with the truth that for many, public service has become a stage for self-interest. Earlier this month, a Lexus car with a protocol plate no. 10 using blinkers and sirens to weave through traffic was filmed in a road altercation with another motorist. Apart from slapping the multicab driver who allegedly blocked their path, one of the car’s passengers was heard bragging that they were transporting a VIP. The supposed VIP turned out to be a Department of Transportation (DOTr) undersecretary—someone who had no right to use a plate reserved only for appellate court judges, and ironically, someone who should understand traffic rules better than anyone else.
Since the rise of the “nepo baby” conversation online, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act No. 6713) has been quoted repeatedly to remind government officials of the moral standards expected of them. The law requires public officials to lead modest lives, put public interest above personal gain, use government resources responsibly, and avoid conflicts of interest.
As the recent road rage incident made painfully clear, however, many government officials still subscribe to a feudal mindset of equating their position not with service, but as rulers who are exempt from the rules they enforce. The unrestrained use of special plates, priority lanes, and other special privileges reflects how many have come to expect “VIP treatment” as part of the job.
Dr. Edward Messner, a psychiatrist and former public official, once studied how people in government tend to gradually develop a sense of entitlement, even if they may have started with good intentions. He observed that elected officials are constantly pressured by many, and often competing groups: friends, family, political allies, donors, including people who threaten or bribe them to forward their agenda. These conflicting demands can be extremely stressful and slowly lead to a sense of depletion.
Over time, some officials begin to feel as though everyone is unfairly taking something from them. They start to develop a subconscious belief that they deserve something in return for all the “sacrifices” their role entails, which, if left unaddressed, crystallizes into a sense of entitlement. Constantly exposed to acts of greed and flagrant opportunism, they may also start lowering their own moral standards and start rationalizing that small, unethical acts are simply part of the system. Eventually, this reasoning also becomes the root of corruption, wherein a desire to get what they’re owed becomes a license to take what is not theirs.
In response to the incident, Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez has revoked the use of protocol license plates by DOTr officials to prevent further abuse. While this was a swift and necessary move, it only addresses the symptom. The bigger challenge is to embed accountability into the department’s culture and mindset, rather than an episodic response. A helpful antidote to entitlement is empathy, and this is where Lopez’s earlier directive requiring senior DOTr officials to commute to work at least once a week deserves renewed attention. The mandate was meant to promote perspective-taking and help officials develop transportation policies that are grounded in the daily struggles of commuters. If institutionalized, this practice could become one of the most effective forms of ethical training in government and perhaps help restore a commitment to service that has been dulled by constant access to privileged treatment.
Viewed from Messner’s lens, it is also important to acknowledge how VIP culture among government leaders thrives, because the rest of society also fuels and enables the system. In the road rage incident, the DOTr undersecretary’s security aide allegedly said that they could have shot the multicab driver for obstructing their VIP’s car. This gives us insight into how those who gain access and prestige through their association with public officials are more than happy to excuse abuse and injustice to protect their own proximity to power and its benefits. Even people who are normally critical of entitled behavior often become more flexible and accommodating when given an opportunity to associate with someone holding an important office.
The damage of VIP culture extends beyond isolated acts of misconduct. It systematically diverts public funds, infrastructure, and services for the comfort and convenience of the powerful. Public servants are supposed to be held to a higher standard of humility and responsibility. But so long as we are complicit in enabling the VIP treatment they are getting, we are also collectively affirming a power structure where entitlement supersedes service.
—————-
eleanor@shetalksasia.com
