FORMER Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona died early Friday morning at Pasig City hospital.
His death brings back a common experience we both encountered from our political leaders.
Since day one of the Aquino administration Justice Corona was ignored by the new chief executive.
During his inauguration on June 30, 2010 President Aquino acknowledged the presence of all top government officials present except Corona, even if they were seated a few seats away from each other.
I soon realized why that behavior from a leader is uncalled for, unbecoming.
A year after Corona was impeached, I attended a town fiesta in a hinterland municipality of the Cordillera as representative of our Agency. As the Guest of Honor and Speaker, the Provincial Governor got the lists of the names of the guests present. As he rose to deliver his message, the governor acknowledged all representatives and guests present, except me.
The governor ignored my presence even if I was there to deliver the message for our agency. I was naturally stung with what happened. The memory lingered and like a corrosive element on steel has been sinking deeper by the day, until I had it cleaned on my knees. I feel that Corona, reaching the peak of his career but taken away from him in so inglorious manner died a broken man.
From this vantage point, the end of Corona’s earthly existence mirrors back on President Aquino’s failures.
Where good leaders rush to heal a broken nation after a national election, President Aquino showed himself vindictive. So in spite of his good points, he ultimately failed his noble task as father and leader of all Filipinos. He is now more famously known for such unpleasant epithets attached to his reputation involving “kamag-anak, kaibigan, kabarilan.” What he failed to do and what he was is a precedent and model to all pretenders to the throne.
Politics in the Philippines has been encouraging wrong leadership habits and ways in our society. They fail as antidotes to what is wrong in the society; or medicines and balms to an aching body.
They are not servant leaders as they proclaim themselves to be.
Rather, our leaders are known as keepers of the sheep who take the food for themselves instead of giving it to the sheep. They take away the sheep’s milk and wool for their own use.
They put the fat beasts to death, but give the sheep no food. They have not made the diseased ones stronger or healed the sick. They have not healed broken relationships but taken advantage of those who wander. They were cruel keepers of the sheep.
Unless leaders really behave as caring leaders and elders in a suffering society such as ours “-last of all, servant of all-” we cannot really develop good governance and grow dependable and good leaders in the country. Worst we will keep getting the wrong leaders to run our government.
On May 9, we will elect our leaders. This exercise, whether we see it or not, like it or not, is a moral exercise. The issues at stake are foremost, moral and survival issues. It is impossible to elect perfect human beings to become our President, Vice-President, senators, congressmen, and those who will sit in local offices. Still, whom we choose as leaders will have far-reaching impact on our lives and on the nation.
The character, capabilities and programs of the candidates we will choose matters as much as our being and existence as individuals and collectively as communities of the nation.
I hope we will not be taken by leaders who lust after authority but vigorously disrespect its residence and exercise in and by others except themselves; “are proud, violent and quarrelsome, given to reproach;” and in spite of their claims to simple living, are lovers of money.
For quite a century now, we have been electing national and local officials into office. The leaders we choose are actually teachers to the nation. Wherever they are, from Malacañang down to the municipal offices, their words and actions heard and seen will affect our social and individual existence and bearings with each other and all peoples of the globe. Our political leaders will serve as models and inspiration of living in our archipelago.
Like the politicians, I tried to run my own campaign in this election among friends, something I have not done all these years. After decades of misrule, I feel the nation is in grave danger.
Some disagree with my political assertions, some do, we must have our views. The exercise of good politics, its life in a democratic nation is dependent on a good exchange of views across all sectors by all citizens. Nobody must be muzzled into silence we must all become politically mature.
We are as good as the leaders we choose and we must learn from our mistakes. We should stop taking the wrong leaders to run our government. We must have leaders who will inspire great words and deeds in our souls and daily existence or we will wake up after May 9, 2016 without a democratic government and a respectable civil service that grows better and stronger to build our communities, serve our nation and its citizens.