‘For God and Country’

The political hatchlings of the Duterte administration are convinced that they can once again mount a presidential bid and beat any and all opponents in the arena. After casting their wondrous web to deceive their opponents and running circles around the electorate, it is becoming clear that the Duterte hatchlings have grown confident that the factionalized and fractured “opposition” have spread their potential number of voters and votes so thin that only the administration will have the majority of votes or bigger slice of the pie.  The Administration minions are also convinced of their winnability based on the constant and pride-filled declaration of various opposition candidates that they will never withdraw or give way to others in the spirit of a united front. The Duterte operators don’t have to do much to beat their opponents because the “opposition” is once again doing it to themselves and unless they eat humble pie, they will serve the next presidency to the Duterte’s on a silver platter.

Now more than ever is the time for Leni Robredo, Manny Pacquiao, Ping Lacson and everyone else to seriously reflect on the grim possibility of losing the election and living under the same administration for another six years. They should also consider the thought of having to live with the “guilt & regret” that will hound them, knowing that if they all got their act together, the outcome would have been far better “For God and Country” as well as for themselves.

Back in 1985-86 the country and the opposition were faced with the same dilemma; how to unite the nation and the politicians, all of whom were victims of the Marcoses and were invested in removing the dictatorship and rebuilding the nation. We ended up with Cory Aquino as president and Salvador “Doy” Laurel as vice president. The narrative is that in the end Doy Laurel, the veteran politician, and his associates opted to sacrifice political ambition and gave way to the popular “heroine widow-housewife” in order to complete the removal of the Marcoses from power, which they did.

No one group could have done it on their own. The People’Power Revolution had nothing to do with political colors, party or family names, as prominent as they may have been. Change came because the participants did two things: They recognized the value/importance of other stakeholders and they took it upon themselves to lower their ego or resistance towards others. The Church back then had every reason to tell Enrile and Ramos to go to hell, considering the number of church people who were imprisoned, tortured or murdered during Martial Law. But instead, Jaime Cardinal Sin called on the Catholic faithful to go to EDSA and shield the beleaguered duo holed up in Camp Crame. The Filipino People had no love lost for Enrile and Ramos, given how they were among the principal authors and implementors of curfews and detentions of citizens. The rich, the middle class and the poor were so far apart economically in those days, yet they risked their lives together, prayed together and stood in defiance as Filipinos.

We will ultimately know who among the opposition truly prioritizes the concerns of “God and Country” and not just their own personal interests. I have heard the statements of many of the “presidentiables” and “vice presidentiables” who unequivocally say they will not withdraw or give way to others running for the same position. I respect the principled stance but at this stage, that determination will ensure their defeat individually and as the opposition as a whole.

Leni Robredo, Manny Pacquiao, Ping Lacson by themselves cannot beat the administration machinery. President Duterte controls Congress, has stacked the Senate with a majority of his closest political allies and has vastly showered the PNP and the AFP with financial and logistical support. So, the option of continuing their collective benefits by supporting the Duterte administration’s continued control of the national government is a no brainer.

The only way the opposition can give the Duterte administration a run for their money is for Leni Robredo to run for president and for Manny Pacquiao or Ping Lacson to join her as her vice president. In terms of popularity and coverage a Robredo-Pacquiao tandem would probably be the strongest and more politically realistic, since the Liberals and opposition are not too fond of Senator Ping Lacson. While VP Leni Robredo has been the most visible and determined face of the opposition, she needs an expanded mass base that Pacquiao can bring. Their popularity will also allow them to separately campaign and still draw crowds.

Yes, Sen. Pacquiao has said time and again he will never slide or withdraw. To that I would say “Go read your Bible” about the heroes who became blessings by denying themselves the glory that should have gone to them but opted to honor someone else, particularly Jesus Christ “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” Philippians 2:6. In the book of Mark chapter 10: 42 -45: “Jesus got them together to settle things down. ‘You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,’ he said, ‘and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.’”

As for Senators Lacson, Sotto and Pangilinan, and Lito Atienza, they would all certainly be much more productive and significant contributors as the Cabinet members that the country will need in the near future. To serve and to give away one’s “political life” in exchange for many is both biblical and as politically correct as you can get.