The evangelical rally of the Iglesia Ni Cristo last Feb.28 attended by a mammoth crowd at the Quirino grandstand has been construed by many to be more of a political event against Pres. Aquino and a virtual show of force of the religious sect. True or not, this perception is yet another glaring sign of big divide that has been continuously pervading our society.. Sadly, this chronic polarization has been existing even before we were seeking autonomy from our colonial masters and seriously merits our immediate concern and cause for perturbation. The "crab mentality" which is now deeply seated in our culture emanates from this divide and not until we can elect a president who will genuinely lead our people to unity, our road to progress will forever be evasive. The person who will take the rein of leadership in our country must show that he is the leader of all people and not just favoring a certain portion of the populace. While I admire the "daang matuwid" advocacy of Pres. Aquino, I nevertheless believe that a more rightful approach has to be carried out to take away the misconception that he is only targeting former president GMA and other officials of the previous administration. P-Noy must bear in mind that although Gloria is virtually now dead in the water because of the perceived malfeasance she committed against the Filipino people, still there are remnants of her avid individual followers or groups that in one way or another benefited from her long stay in the presidency. These are the people or groups that the president must be wary of since they are the ones who would always wish for all his programs to fail no matter how beneficial they may be for the majority. To get rid of all the obstacles along the path of "daang matuwid" is no simple job and endeavor. He has to gain the trust of everybody including the "crab thinkers" and non-believers and prevail over them to join him in his quest for good governance and ultimate progress. This is the kind of leadership that everyone is wishing for. We need somebody who can rally us irrespective of political inclinations, social standing and religious creed.
Adolf Hitler, despite his conceived evil deeds of starting out WW II and nearly wiping out the Jewish people on earth was credited by historians for his tenacity to rally the German people behind his megalomania in achieving his goal of racial hegemony in all of Europe. Churchill, Roosevelt and other leaders in history were recognized and credited not more on their benevolent accomplishments but on the leadership they provided to their people against challenges and adversaries. Even the late Pres. Marcos at the height of his dictatorial rule was cited for his vision and firm leadership which was exemplified during the early stage of his martial rule. He was able to rally the Filipino people to stand behind him in his pursuit of the "New Society", although to some through sheer intimidation and coercion. His leadership capability eventually collapsed when he turned into a despot and an oppressor of his own people. He simply lost his chance to greatness.
P-Noy might have the sincerity and honest intent to liberate our people from the grip of corrupt governance but, somehow, the most learned amongst us visualize a wrongful path towards his targeted goal. Some even interpret his "daang matuwid" as an admixture of hate and vindictiveness against those whom he perceived to have done wrongdoings to him and his family. Many people tend to believe an agenda of selfish motive hidden behind the cloak of his slogan. This impression further yields divisiveness and creates deeper chasm between his followers and detractors. The road to his goal must be redirected for it to be achieved. If he really aims to be a great leader of our country, he must first eliminate the perception of biases and prejudices. Uniting our people cannot be accomplished with a mere sloganeering and rhetoric. He has to do more than just fighting corruption in trying to rally the people behind him. He has to be firm yet not being misconstrued to be arrogant and belligerent. The people particularly his detractors may be able to endure all his inadequacies, imperfections and some mediocre performances but not his ostensible arrogance in the pursuit of his goal most of the time rendering unfair and premature judgement to his perceived adversaries, obviously owing to his security because of his immense popularity. But his popularity is not enough for him to hold on to. The tide can one day turn against his favor. Fairness and humility is the key. We can only wish for him to succeed for our own sake and for our children's future.
