I like to believe that the political dust has settled, the accompanying hurt it inflected upon opposing personalities healed and the acrimony it brought to otherwise friendly relations appeased. We observed that the language used by some (meaning few) politicians and most of their drumbeaters in the campaign was, by known standards, very acerbic. If their vitriolic words could only impale the hearts of men, many could have suffered instantaneous death. There would have been unnecessary casualties.
Still, I refuse to yield myself to the negative minds of the few. I am sure that there are innumerable ways how to approximate the ideal and give it meat and substance. All we need to know how identify them and work for their fruition.
One. Is it possible that the winners themselves be the ones to get out of their euphoria, tone their victorious frenzy and garbed in humility, visit their defeated foes. The objective is never to mock at them. Defeat is enough for the vanquished candidates. But, in their loss, their brilliant ideas of governance may find no avenues to implement. These thoughts should not be allowed to go to waste. I propose that the winners’ visit is for no other purpose but to encourage those who lost to help in formulating policies designed to make government achieve maximum efficiency in delivering what the people want. Mayor-elect Edgardo Labella can do the unthinkable. I am sure he has the cell phone number of out-going Mayor Tomas Osmeña. They were allies before. Only their political directions differed.
Two. This suggestion goes also to Vice Mayor-elect Michael Rama. Especially because he was on the receiving end of Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos’ vicious verbal assault, he is in the position to show graciousness. We cannot expect de los Santos to say sorry to Rama. That is too much to expect. But certainly if the vice mayor-elect is true to what he said on radio, it will not be difficult for him to send signals that he is going to see the councilor to map out what is best for the city.
Three. The most challenging sectors to ask to be conciliatory are the leaders of the opposing political parties. Their loyalty to their bets is impossible to scale. They are willing to cast their lives for their candidates. In fact, most of the fracas on the campaign grounds involved their passionate and unflinching support to their candidates in direct clash to the efforts of their perceived enemies. With that frame of mind and considering their intensity, campaign leaders tend to go beyond the election period.
This is where the candidates are worth in proverbial gold. They understand the sentiments of their leaders. It is their example to be non-combative anymore. The days of conflict are through. Since blessed are the peacemakers, let all the winners and losers in the last electoral exercise play the new role as leaders in a thrust of peace making.