Another Leader Gone

Early this year, Lead Philippines conducted a small survey asking: Who are the three most respected Filipinos in the country today? For those who care to remember, the answer that came out at the top is no other than President Corazon C. Aquino. Sadly, last August 1, the most respected Filipino died after more than a year-long battle with cancer. There goes another leader.

Surely, most Filipinos would miss her. We feel sad about her death. Sadder though is the realization that rather than find new leaders to add to our roster, we lose the old ones.

Immediately after President Aquino’s death, many extolled her virtues. It can be remembered it was not so when she was still President. Then, she lacks the intelligence, she lacks leadership, she’s weak (she hides under the bed – not true), and she is subservient to her relatives (so called Kamag-anak Inc.). She survived a number of coup attempts. And as if it was part her fault, the coup leader became and is still senator.

Even recently, she with her weaknesses is supposedly the one who fumbled the chance to rebuild the country, to restore true democracy. We are supposed to have came from the pan where we jumped to the fire.

Next in the Lead Philippines survey comes Sen. Jovito Salonga. Indeed he is not bad of a Filipino, but has anyone heard of his accomplishments? Shall we now wait for him to die first before we can extol his virtues?

With these in mind we can further ask ourselves: Do we have a chance to find new leaders? Are we even really looking? Perhaps true leaders are just around us, but we do not recognize them. Perhaps it is that person called “Trapo”, or that unwinnable candidate, or perhaps that one whom we say just lost his mind. Perhaps leadership even calls us ourselves, but we just would not respond. We rather simply wait for miracles rather than make them.

Yesterday it was said, that with the number of people joining the procession to President Aquino’s burial, and that with erstwhile enemies shaking hands during the last rites for her, there is proof of “Cory Magic” at work. But come to think of it, the beloved leader is gone. What is left is her voice in our hearts, the voice that is already there even before Cory made her way through it. It is also the voice of Ninoy, even of Bonifacio and Rizal. It is merely love of country and righteousness, the urge to think, do or say what is right. It is with us all the while, it is in our Conscience. And if all of us listen to it, surely, we could relive “Cory Magic” everyday for the rest of our lives.