How to avoid accountability? Use silence’s message!
Words are not the only things that matter. Their absence may become the message itself, especially in politics. Not brought out nor addressed, they may have more implications than the words written and spoken. This is the lens we may use to understand two separate but related issues in our government: the recruitment of relatives into the office of the now-hiding Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, and the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) apparent lack of follow-through on the issue of Taragis’ April Fool’s Day prank in 2024.
Both cases demonstrate how institutions employ messages, delays, and silence to enforce their interpretations of accountability. In Bato’s case, the legal defense is clear. Under the Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules and the Administrative Code, appointment of relatives to confidential and coterminous positions in the offices of elected officials is allowed. They prove that nothing illegal happens. In political communication, however, the absence of CSC’s broader statement about higher standards of ethical hiring is not merely neutral but also becomes a form of strategic silence deliberately done to avert conflict with other branches of government. The lack of words is rather a choice not to offer guidance or more profound insight to congresspersons and the public. That type of silence becomes a message in itself (“We won’t talk unless we clearly violate any law”). Shoutout to strategic silence, an issue is framed, limiting its discussion to legal boundaries and shunning meaningful debate about governance and ethics.
This dynamic is even clearer in Taragis’ prank. In April 2024, DTI announced that the takoyaki store operations may be suspended if it is proven that the publicity stunt had no permit from the regulatory agency.
It’s good to see an instant assertiveness on DTI’s part when it said that it is taking action against an infraction but 21 months later, there has been no clear action or public update on the matter. In political comm, delay becomes a kind of message.
No timeline, no urgency. A non-issue. It is not taken seriously. It gives the impression that no accountability will be taken.
Not releasing an update is not simply a lack of information. It is communication behavior that signals a possible avoidance of controversy, or an avoidance of delay in dealing with the implications of actions.
Both cases are anchored in what political comm calls legality framing, or the framing of an issue based solely on what the law allows. In Bato’s case, the legal basis is provided with an exemption for relatives to hold exempted positions. In the Taragis-DTI case, the framework is provided that can be suspended based on regulations.
When messaging revolves solely around legality and is not accompanied by ethics framing — questions of morality, accountability, and public trust — there is a huge disconnect. It is not enough for the public to know that something is legal if it seems unjust, unfair, or does not reflect good governance.
It is not enough to ask who has the legal authority. In political comm, questions arise: Who is reporting? Who is asking the questions? Who is providing the context? If institutions choose to remain silent, their silence is not neutral. It is a possible statement of avoiding accountability. And if the media does not illuminate the silence, if it does not get to the root of the issue and allows those institutions to languish in the absence of light, the press becomes complicit in the diffusion of accountability. In a democratic society, accountability is not just based on the law. It is shaped by the narrative.
And the narrative chooses who will speak and who will be held accountable. When the answers are unclear, the question should not only be who is accountable, but also who is exposing the lack of accountability, and who is shedding light on the silence.
Too bad, there’s no Taragis follow-up story. It’s also a shame that press people (not all) seem to be bored or nababato with Bato and his “kamag-anak incorporated” into the Senate.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar is a tenured associate professor at National University (NU) Manila and a steering committee member of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He has contributed to NU's community extension initiatives that introduced the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities within a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with Master of Development Communication (MDC) and Doctor of Communication (DComm) degrees from the University of the Philippines (UP) Open University in Los Baños and was awarded with a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) SIKAP grant. He previously served as editor-in-chief of The Adamson News and his high school publication Ang Ugat.
- DC Alviar
- DC Alviar
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