The recent errors of the Philippine News Agency are really for the books.
First it used a digitally altered photo from the Vietnam War and tried to pass it on as a scene reflecting the horrors of the war in Marawi.
Then these latest ones that made the social media really come alive with runaway laughter and incredulity. One was a news article from China which contained an opinion against Philippine interest. Plagiarism? Indeed! How could that have come from the Philippines? Yet the PNA wanted to pass it on as from the Philippine government.
Then the supposed logo of the Department of Labor and Employment or DOLE. One of the wise guys at PNA just googled DOLE and what came up was the one of the Dole pineapple company. He just copied it and pasted it on as a part of the letterhead of the Department of Labor and Employment.
What gives. Had these people been living in Mars.
These prompted Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to say when ambushed for an interview that he will not hesitate to send the people responsible to Tawi-tawi or Jolo. In his latest interview on TV, he revealed that the people responsible for the errors have been employees of the PNA for more than three decades. What a very long paid vacation.
Thus, the general perception is that being in government does not involve competence which is very unfair to many who are dedicated to the service.
The better question is, how did that perception come to pass?
It starts with getting appointed in a government position. The first requirement is an MBA (may backer ako) or a political recommendation. Not competence. Then when you are in the position, your political backer might pass by calling on the utang na loob which might make you issue a decision or do official acts in a way to pay for that “debt of gratitude.” Many times such acts are improper, to say the least, or even illegal or criminal or even immoral.
The result—by the appointment and the actuations of the appointed one— cause grave demoralization in the ranks. And this is happening all the time in all corners of the government bureaucracy.
So, competence? Many in the ranks including officers would say, Who cares?**