SO DOES the line of Nietzsche’s book say. The German philosopher tells us that human faults are universal, and that while there may be concepts of right and wrong, these are shaped by historical experiences, not by the innateness of these qualities.
There’s a clear line between condoning abuse on one hand, and seeing human frailty in the wider sense. Not even a saint could proffer that their lot never committed fault. Which brings me to the injustice that public servants have to suffer, all the while their dedication to work equal to those in the religious cove: that their errors are magnified beyond sense, as if they only existed to do these actions and serve as bad examples.
It is the nature of human beings to err. Mao Zedong had four wives, and is responsible for the famine resulting from the Great Leap Forward. This did not stop protesters all over the country from celebrating his name last May 1. Sukarno “disgraced” the highest post in Indonesia with his playboy antics, yet today he is celebrated as the liberation hero against the Dutch. John F. Kennedy’s “exploits” have surfaced in the recent years, yet he is still known for this line: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. De Lima herself, the celebrated figure of “progressive gender rights” in the country, had her “frailties of a woman”.
This is not to absolve Pulong of every wrong. This is just to say that the measure of every human is how he has gone to serve the needs of the greater population. When does that, in asking the bigger questions of morality, Pulong steps forward easily. Pulong is far from perfect. With that, I mean he may not have the patience and acumen that his father is known for. Also, that much like everybody else, (and this is tantamount to saying that “the sky is blue”), he is prone stumbling here and there. This did not stop him from being a good public servant. His continuous occupation of public office reflects that. As is the curse of every principled family thrust into the government’s reins, he had to endure the maligning, the personal attacks, the below the belt shots, all cannon fodder in the way blazed by him alongside his father.
And now that his family shows no sign of slowing down, even when the old man is caged in Europe, Pulong is making the strongest swings, making sure that the eagle’s nest repels every serpent. Most especially, those borne out by his father’s rivals in his prime.
And when the question is asked of what Pulong has done for his country, every Dabawenyo can say a lot. One can find fault in the overaggression of Pulong. But he will not be the insipid source of mandate for the government to purchase P33 NFA, so it can be reduced to P20. The enemies of the Duterte’s, for all their ill-gotten wealth, could barely scrape the armor of good governance worn by Davao leaders. And that’s why there’s one word that perfectly describes this NFA rice madness, and the recent antics of Pulong’s enemies: CHEAP.
- ‘Erwin Desamira’