The
avid supporters and propagandists of two mayoralty candidates in San Jose, Occidental
Mindoro last May still couldn’t find time to move on even over a week have
passed when Mayor Romulo “Muloy” Festin and Vice Mayor Rey Ladaga, including
other elected and re-elected officials of said municipality have sworn in into
office, although held in two separate ceremonies. Festin and Ladaga came from
two opposing political yards. Mayor Muloy’s oath was administered by Judge
Cornelio Sy of the Municipal Trial Court (MTC) last June 26. On the other hand,
I’m not privy to Ladaga’s oath taking. But it did happen I am sure as
prescribed by law.
In
the past few days, the most used and abused quotation, which is actually the
title of President Manuel L. Quezon’s speech delivered for the Collectivists
Party Convention at Manila Grand Opera House on February 17, 1922, was this: “My loyalty to my party ends where my
loyalty to my country begins.” But to some quarters, the message is never a
two-way street.
A
book titled “20 Speeches That Moved a
Nation” edited by Manuel “Manolo” L. Quezon III and published by Anvil
Publication last 2002 was “turned over” to me for free by a bosom buddy by the
name of Jose A. Norella, Jr. who ran but lost for mayoralty race in Magsaysay town
but that’s another story. In the introductory part of the book, journalist Manolo
Quezon wrote, “Read. Learn. Journey to
the past, so that you may be better armed to play a constructive role in the
present and our future.” But it was only after May 13 that I was able to
find time to read that gem of a book.
Unknown perhaps to the people who uttered these
words in caucuses and radio broadcasts recently, the speech analyzed directly
how power may be gained and how far it may be wielded or utilized. This is what
Manolo Quezon told his readers on his grandfather’s oratorical opus. Not only
that, the grand old man Quezon, the controversial former provincial fiscal of Mindoro
in the 1900s and later became the first president of the Philippine
Commonwealth, had exposed the use of manipulative public opinion by some political
quarters. This reminds me of the two warring media groups and personalities in
this part of Tamarawlandia. Only few of them have realized that their personal
opinion and the things or hearsays only relayed to them through text or private
messages are not undisputed facts. I have written a voluminous entry about this
concern since I started this blog but to no avail. I am so frustrated.
Another
speech, actually a prayer, quoted in the book I think relevant in the context
of the political situation of San Jose today was rendered by a priest. A clergy
named Fr. Pacifico Ortiz, SJ who happened to be the personal chaplain of
President Quezon during World War II was later became delegate to the 1971
Constitutional Convention. Ortiz’ prayer for the nation was delivered in the
form of an invocation at the opening of the Philippine Congress in 1971. Not
unlike those times, we too today are at the point of no return, to quote Ortiz,
“[It] is a point of no return: it is a
moment of truth that can either remake us as a people or unmake us into mob.” Ortiz
concluded by reciting, “Grant us, O God,
that we may have the courage of wisdom to forget the past with all its partisan
bickering and recriminations – knowing as we do that each of us, if not by
design or malice, certainly by apathy, cowardice or gain, has been responsible
for the ugly things of the past.” We are all responsible why these things are
happening around us either by adding insults to injured egos of our sisters and
brothers or by adding logs to the fire inside each one of us, both citizens and
netizens.
In
that same speech Quezon vigorously declared something similar to our aspiration
as people of Pandurucan, referring to both his political rivals and party mates
he said, “There is no reason in the world
why we cannot consider ourselves as brothers.” This grain of truth given 72
years ago must remind our present politicians and their supporters, government
employees and members of the media, political personalities, those posting and
commenting in social networking sites, how should we understand and look into political
parties or groups the moment election is over: “It is not the unity of the party that should be sought. It should
rather be the unity of the people. Partisan struggles should never be involve
bad feelings and personal hatred. We can and we should remain as we have been,
brothers that we are.” Owning deaf
ears to such call after elections or beyond is a dishonor to the heroism, memory
and political philosophy of Manuel L. Quezon!
Mature
people do not ever toy with the idea that unity or cooperation is to succumb to
other group’s opinion and principle. That’s not a call for unity neither
cooperation. That’s an assertion for surrender!
If
we are to convey partisan political opinions without being open to friendship
and solidarity as citizens and netizens even among those we consider as
political antagonists, we are just giving lip service to Manuel L. Quezon’s legacy
and ideals. He who was one of the pioneers in statesmanship long ago emphasized
with full hope in his famous speech this unfamiliar but detailed nugget: “What a beautiful spectacle for the country
to behold political fights limited to discussion of principles and eliminating
personalities! What a magnificent spectacle for the people to see political
opponents eating on the same banquet tables, united by the same links of
affection and friendship!” You
people must make this elusive unity and cooperation happen if not today maybe
the day after tomorrow.
Being
both legitimate sons of San Jose, Festin and Ladaga, two men that I both respect,
could initiate further development and momentarily forget their political
affiliations and let their loyalty to the people begin. Judging them both at
this early stage is unhealthy. Let us allow them to lead us to progress and not
to put a wall made up of senseless intrigues between them, at least until the next
election. Or until if the protests of the “un-proclaimed” candidates from the
municipal level are legally settled before 2016 and if ever the verdict would
swing to their favor. If Festin and Ladaga including their colleagues just
fight objectively in a friendly manner in the spirit of the principles of
check-and-balance and participatory governance, we will be able to move even
farther. That’s how the non-aligned silent majority perceive all of these.
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(Photo: Flickr.com)
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