Forty-four members of the elite Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP SAF) lost their lives in pursuit of terror suspects. The President hailed the slain soldiers as heroes. Yet he didn’t see it fit to show up at the arrival honors of the fallen 44. Instead, he chose to attend the inauguration of a car manufacturing facility.
The President himself said that he is the father of the nation and that he considers the fallen 44, his children. Would you really choose to go to a corporate function, even of utmost importance, if your child was killed? To say that I was appalled is an understatement. But I chose to seethe in silence. Well, no more.
Adding insult to injury, the President’s spokesperson said that attending the arrival honors was not in the schedule of the president. Soon after, social media teemed with disgust over the President’s no show. Adding salt to the wound, the Palace said the President was unconcerned about the negative reactions of the public.
The President’s no show was not a simple, uncool moment. It was a significant lapse in judgment. The president showed an astounding lack of sensitivity not to mention an alarming lack of understanding about what leadership is about.
Leadership is more than just getting tasks done. It’s also about making people feel good about themselves. We were a nation in grief. We needed to see the president at the arrival honors because we needed to see a symbol of sympathy and strength. We needed him to stand with us.
A leader is more than a taskmaster. More than anything else, he is an inspirational figure. I’m not saying the president has not done the country any good. But I must say that the president’s response to a number of issues facing the country of late has been less than inspiring.
Do I want the President to resign? No. Do I want him impeached? No. I want the President to step up to the plate, listen to his bosses and acquire some much-needed wisdom in his last months in office.
I want him to stop invoking the name of his parents. I want him to stop dredging up the pain he and his family has had to undergo. We all know that story. It’s time for him to cut the umbilical cord and carve out his own legacy.
I want the President to stop seeking excuses for current problems. I want him to stop making scapegoats of past administrators. I want him to stop smiling in the face of tragedy. I want him to stop making inane and insensitive remarks.
No one argues that the world is a better place without alleged bomb-maker, Marwan. No one argues that police operations cannot go awry and result in unintended deaths. But we want answers to many questions. We want clarity. We want accountability. We want justice.
We all aspire for peace. But in the absence of clarity and in the poverty of truth, we should move with prudence. Without trust, everything should be off the table.
The President has belatedly accepted responsibility for the Mamasapano massacre. But he needs to do more to redeem himself. A true leader makes ultimate sacrifices for the greater good. I await his next move.
(email: sunstarcebucolumnist@yahoo.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/melanietlim)