Natural course of things

Upon the initiative of Malacañang, the entire Filipino nation is being called upon to participate in today’s National Day of Prayer and Solidarity. An inter-faith mass will be held at Palace grounds, with no less than President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III leading participants to this ecumenical event. Jose Rene Almendras, secretary to the Cabinet, announced that President Aquino will lead this inter-faith prayer rally dubbed as “Isang Bansa, Isang Panalangin” (One Nation, One Prayer).

Invited to join the prayer at Malacañang grounds are leaders and members of the 16th Congress, top government officials, business leaders, and representatives of civil society and various faith groups. As declared by the Palace, this activity seeks to highlight the Filipinos’ strong faith in God as the country went through a series of tragic natural and man-made calamities last year.

Among the disasters last year were the armed conflict in Zamboanga between Moro National Liberation Front forces and government troops, the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Bohol and Super Typhoon Yolanda that killed more than 6,000 people in Leyte, Samar and other provinces.

In his toast during the vin d’honneur held two weeks ago, President Aquino credited the Filipinos’ constant faith in God for enabling them to weather the disasters that confronted them.

“Some of you have marveled at the resilience of our nation, a people whose faith, though challenged, remains constant and only deepened. Our unbreakable spirit and ability to recover find root in our firm belief in a benevolent God who has the perfect plan for all of us,” he said. “These tragedies tell us that despite all our efforts, we are indeed powerless without God.”

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. announced a week ago the holding of the National Day of Prayer on January 20. “The National Day of Prayer and Solidarity with the theme ‘One Nation in Prayer’ will be held as the Filipino people’s way of recognizing the power of the Almighty God who guides us in our journey towards a brighter future,” Coloma said.

Coloma was quoted saying over the weekend the holding of today’s event would be a good chance to reach out to everyone, including the Catholic Church that had been at odds with the President’s support on Congress’ approval of the Reproductive Health Law. Coloma cited it had always been the goal of P-Noy’s administration to have better coordination with all sectors.

With less than three years left in his term, it seems that P-Noy’s reaching out is just an afterthought at this stage.

But it cannot be said it’s too late to try and reach out, if the Aquino administration is too allergic to use the word reconciliation.

In fact, there was a big argument between Palace reporters and presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte over media’s query if P-Noy critics would also be invited today at Malacañang to attend the National Day of Prayer. True to form, Valte retorted that President Aquino is sticking to his New Year’s resolution this year to ignore his critics.

It was a take-off from P-Noy’s previous public declaration against his critics while he was in Japan last December: “Bahala na si Lord sa inyo, busy ako.”  In an interaction with high school students from Miriam College at Malacañang last January 7, P-Noy reiterated he would continue to ignore those who keep attacking his administration. “We have a cottage industry of people who make a living criticizing me,” he pointed out.

As P-Noy himself once declared much earlier he can “forgive but not forget.” It hews closely to the principle of “reconciliation with justice” that was espoused during the administration of his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino after she was swept into power during EDSA-1 in the February1986 People Power Revolution. Her administration observed this policy in dealing with the various ill-gotten wealth and other court cases filed against the late President Ferdinand Marcos, his family and administration officials.

Incidentally, the holding today of the National Day of Prayer has nothing to do with it coinciding with the 13th anniversary of the so-called EDSA II. It was on January 20, 2001 when former President Joseph Estrada was ousted, catapulting into power former President and now Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

A few months after his election into office in 2010, P-Noy administration haled Mrs.Arroyo to various courts on different charges of corruption and election sabotage cases. Despite these court cases, P-Noy’s immediate predecessor won her second term as Pampanga congresswoman even while under hospital detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.

Many of Mrs.Arroyo’s political enemies and arch critics have openly come out one after the other with their hospital visits to her. It all started with Estrada, now mayor of the city of Manila, visited the ailing Mrs.Arroyo at the VMMC where he was once also placed in hospital detention during her term.

As Mr.Estrada rightfully pointed out, Mrs.Arroyo twice visited him during his six years and six months in detention — first at the VMMC and then while he was under rest house detention at Tanay, Rizal. After Mr. Estrada’s plunder conviction, Mrs.Arroyo granted him executive clemency.

Amid questions on his motives behind his visit to Mrs.Arroyo, Mr.Estrada said he has forgiven all who have wronged him. He quoted one of his favorite tenets adhered to by the late great man Mahatma Gandhi: “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

P-Noy has not made any comment one way or the other on suggestions for him to also visit Mrs.Arroyo. But through his official spokespeople like Coloma, P-Noy emphasized his administration’s policy to let justice take its course.

This reminded me of a running joke in coffee shops: What is the difference between Presidents in South Africa and in the Philippines? Nelson Mandela first got imprisoned before he became President of South Africa. In the Philippines, Marcos, Estrada and Arroyo got detained after they became presidents.

If this is the natural course of things in the Philippines, P-Noy has a lot to worry about after he steps down from office in 2016.