“The
Presidency is not merely an administrative office. That’s the least of it. It is more than an engineering job, efficient
or inefficient. It is pre-eminently a place of moral leadership.” (Franklin D.
Roosevelt, New York Times Magazine, September 11, 1932)
FIRST, a preface to my views. Being a
member of the clergy, be he a bishop, priest or deacon, does not terminate that
person’s a being Filipino and a citizen of the Republic. Like any other
citizen, he has every right to form his ideas or opinions on the country’s
political, economic and socio-cultural conditions. In addition, he has every
right to express them as well. On the other hand, also like any other citizen,
this gives him no right to violate any law.
No Filipino
citizen today can ignore his country’s over-all conditions and, in particular,
the way it is being run, and still maintain that he/she loves the Philippines.
It is hard to miss the many discordant winds around us. Latest economic
forecasts boldly say that the country will be second only to China in economic
growth, and this the president’s supporters feel is enough reason to leave him
alone and let him finish his term, at the least. But, despite efforts, at times
valiant and creative, poverty is hardly dented. Growth has been anything but
inclusive. It is understandable that the business sector and the upper echelons
of the economic-socio-political ladder that benefit most from the economic
gains insist on leaving things well enough alone. They believe that present
indicators speak much for the president’s excellence in steering us to
unheard-of heights according to solid economic fundamentals.
Alas, all this
sounds hollow to the urban and rural poor who constantly worry about not having
a roof over their heads, a meal or two to survive another day, a child or two
being unable to continue schooling because of continuing military operations
against rebel groups or because they simply cannot afford the costs of higher
education or because two super typhoons and/or sporadic big fires in crowded
places of residence have sapped the family’s resources. And their government,
let alone their president, has seemed unable to truly help.
Then came the
Mamasapano debacle. Forty-four valiant members of the national police Special
Action Force, mostly members of the underclass of Philippine society,
successfully neutralized an international terrorist, only to be ruthlessly
massacred while attempting to exit the area by rebel groups. Seemingly to add
salt to their family’s wounds, the Chief Executive was nowhere in sight when
their bodies were brought back to Manila to waiting and wailing families. The
reason? It was not on his schedule for the day, said Malacañang. At the same
time, the media found him gracing the inaugural ceremonies of a Japanese car
company operations in Laguna.
This
insensitivity, however unintended and glossed over by official sources,
stunned, shocked and drew the ire of many, especially among the victims’
families. Even as I write ripples of the anger surfaces now and then. Not even
the long hours he spent talking to the fallen heroes’ families and relatives
have dampened the clamor for him to come clean on the truth of his role and
responsibility or irresponsibility that might have contributed in one way or
another to the eventual carnage. Allowing a suspended PNP Chief’s continued
involvement in an operation so sensitive and dangerous, while not informing his
own DILG Secretary and the acting PNP Chief, is not exactly an exercise of good
judgment and responsible leadership.
It is no secret
that initially a good number of the Church hierarchy welcomed Pinoy’s
presidency. The thought that a son of the heroic couple Ninoy and Cory Aquino
would succeed the scam-ridden Arroyo administration raised hopes for a
government of high moral ascendancy. The anti-wang-wang drive, the ousting of a
Supreme Court Chief Justice, the unveiling of the PDAF and DAP scammers
accompanied by the jailing of some prominent politicians and businessmen—to
cite a few—have inspired some confidence. But once in a while we also notice
disappointing cracks. While the president has kept himself largely untainted,
the same can not be said of a few of the people he surrounds himself with. The
way the Reproductive Law was passed, what with generous DAP amounts being
dangled before lawmakers’ eyes and also being withdrawn from non-supporters,
greatly disappointed bishops and priests. It did not take long for them to realize
that the president’s moral compass was guided less by magisterial teaching than
by what Pope Francis would later term as “ideological invasions” he and the
people he listened to have already embraced. And which, as a priest friend of
mine pointed out once, they are “hopelessly devoted to”.
Perhaps this is
only one of the reasons behind calls from some prominent Shepherds of the
Church for the president to step down. I believe their views have to be
respected. But personally I believe we need to take the bigger picture. Our
current president was elected on the crest of a massive outpouring of sympathy
for his deceased mother, President Cory, a turn of events he himself did not
anticipate nor initially wanted. If ever any blame game had to be pursued to
its awkward roots, the final finger could point in our direction and in the
direction of our voters.
To my mind I
believe we must address, as decisively as we can, two urgent concerns.
One, in so many
elections, we the Church have done so much except educate voters effectively.
Two, in so many
elections, we Filipino citizens have done so many things except vote wisely.
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