THERE’S divine intervention when one becomes president. This is the belief of many, including me and presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo. Noynoy Aquino became president when his mother died. If his mother, Tita Cory, died after the filing of the certificates of candidacy, another candidate could have been president. There was a time when the elections for senators numbered to 24. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo placed number 13 and she served in the Senate. The other half from GMA down to the elected 24th senators didn’t serve a full term like the first twelfth. She ran in the next elections and topped the polls. People took notice of her and she became president. If she was among the first twelve, I don’t think she will become one. That’s what you call divine intervention.
Maybe, Rodrigo Duterte never dreamt of becoming president. There were several who aspired for the presidency but heaven already listed who will become one. There was the late Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Miriam Santiago, Ramon Mitra, Renato De Villa, Jejomar Binay and other high-profile politicians who desired to live for six years on the palace near the Pasig river. They got an X mark from Heaven. Instead, Tita Cory and son Noynoy were checked as substitutes to Ninoy’s aspiration. If Ninoy was not killed when he returned home from exile, I don’t think that his wife Corazon and Noynoy would become presidents. In short, Heaven intervenes and it’s the one choosing our president.
Duterte is a provinciano thrust into the national limelight and caught the imagination of many. The image of a tough talking man who will feed to the fishes in Manila Bay drug pushers and jail corrupt government officials excited many. Those promises penetrated even rural areas and backstreets of urban centers.
To the candidates for the presidency, let me retell this story. This was told to me about a meeting of some local officials with Ramon S. Ang, the top honcho of the San Miguel conglomerates. Said so seriously by one official: “Mr. Ang, you're such a business wizard, an honest individual and you have the capability to move the Philippines as a first world country. Why don't you run for president and we will campaign for you.”
Before Mr. Ang replied, he gave his biggest smile that reached up to the farthest corner of his mouth, and in jest he said: “I don't want to land in jail.”
The last sentence may be said jokingly but it has so many far reaching meanings. Of course, we all know that President Joseph “Erap” Estrada wasn't able to finish his term and was incarcerated. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finished her term and a few months later he was arrested.
I watched a History channel titled A Day in the Life of a Dictator which featured three world known presidents, namely, Joseph Stalin of the United Socialist Republic of Russia, Idi Amin of Uganda and Moamar Khadafi of Libya. All of the three after sometime in office became paranoid, paralyzed by fear of being overthrown, landing in jail and getting killed by their own people. All of the three were betrayed by the people whom they trusted. Who betrayed Ferdinand Marcos? You know the two. Both are Ilocanos.
Some centuries ago, Julius Caesar was so surprised that when he was killed in the Roman Senate, his best friend and most trusted ally, Brutus, was a conspirator. Remember Julius' last word? “Et tu Brutus.” (Pati ba naman ikaw Brutus?)