"After one mountain are mountains"

As winning candidates and their parties prepare to take the reins of leadership in their respective local governments this Monday, June 30, it is only natural for the usual kinks and complications of leadership transition and birth pains to occur.

- Atty. Ian Vincent Manticajon [e-mail]

I can only hope that our incoming leaders and their teams will not only be competent but also grounded enough (mature and less egotistical) to handle these birth pains of governance, or what we often call the adjustment period. As the saying goes, “After one mountain are mountains.”

One among these mountains is a deep-seated insecurity that has seeped into our political life, likely a legacy of our colonial past. Expectations pile up and people rush to claim influence or rewards, often disregarding fair or institutional processes. New leaders need not feel too pressured in this situation if they are able to set up a fair, transparent, and inclusive system from the start. I’ve always believed that good people are rational and can understand reason, even when it seems to go against their interests.