If we are to believe the pundits, the manipulators and the masters of intrigue, President-elect Noynoy Aquino is already mired in a quicksand of conflict within his camp – the result of victorious allies now turning on each other instead of on the enemy.
We are reading column items written by folks who used to concentrate their firepower on the Manny Villars and the Erap Estradas, now heaping unflattering adjectives on erstwhile allies. Of course, this is not surprising. Allies are often glued together by the fact that they have a common enemy. But when that enemy is vanquished, their latent animosity emerges and they turn on each other.
One reason is the cliff-hanger vice-presidential contest. This is understandable. The stakes are high and the contenders have invested considerable resources to win the prize. You can't stop people from taking sides. Nasty language is to be expected, no matter how civil those involved may want to portray themselves.
But there are other stakes involved, most of all, the welfare of the country. The contenders and their supporters should not forget that. Their work has not even begun. Infighting will impair their ability to do a good job. And their enemies would like nothing better than to see them fail.
The other reason is the reported fight over turf and the spoils. This is normal. In the aftermath of any conflict, there will be spoils. Not wanting to partake of them takes a great deal of self-control and a capacity for abstinence.
After World War II, with Hitler vanquished, the allies immediately engaged in a struggle over turf and spoils. Among other things, this resulted in the partitioning of Germany.
But, given this reality, there is every reason to believe that the various factions in the Aquino-Roxas camp have the capacity to set aside their differences and focus on the task at hand. After all, while the battle for the presidency has been won, the war against poverty and corruption stilll has to be fought, and the struggle to arrest the erosion of the values, resources and the future of the country still has to be undertaken.
Wasn’t this what brought these diverse factions together, in the first place? Aren’t they duty-bound to pursue their avowed mission?
I’m reminded of our efforts to ensure the proper observance in the US of the first centennial of the declaration of Philippine independence on June 12, 1996. In many cities, we had to deal with the problem of rival community organizations competing with each other for the most meaningful and most impressive commemoration of the historic event.
Because I was a pro bono deputy executive director for the US of the commission, I was caught in the middle of some of these conflicts. In one instance, I was asked to join Consul General Josue Villa in mediating one such dispute between two FilAm federations in Las Vegas over the conflicting schedule of activities that the two groups were lining up.
Addressing the rivals, I said that theirs was not an unusual case. I pointed out that during the Philippine revolution, the Katipunan had two factions, the Magdalo of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, and the Magdiwang, which supported Supremo Andres Bonifacio.
But both factions acknowledged that they were fighting for the same cause, liberty, and against a common enemy, Spain. And they realized that the only way to defeat the enemy and achieve their goal was to fight alongside each other, despite their rivalry.
“That’s all I ask of you,” I concluded. “You don’t have to like each other. You just need to be willing to work with each other to ensure a successful centennial celebration.”
I reminded them that success would enhance the image and prestige of the FilAm community in Las Vegas and failure would embarrass them all.
After my remarks, the leader of one federation stood up and declared, “I don’t like them, but I’m willing to work with them.”
Not to be outdone, the head of the other federation also spoke up. “We don’t like you either, but we’re willing to work with you.”
Having said that, the two groups sat down to reconstitute the centennial festival committees, making sure that each group had a significant role in the event. The result was a very successful commemoration of the centennial in Las Vegas, with both groups sharing in the credit.
I guess, the same could be said to the groups in the Aquino-Roxas camp who are rumored to be competing and intriguing against each other. I say, “rumored,” because, having spent my younger years in showbusiness, as a reporter and as a movie insider, I know that molehills tend to grow into mountains as word is passed on from ear to ear. Often, the intrigue is fanned by the “alalays” or the underlings, eager to score brownie points with their bosses.
Some people relish the intrigue, and don’t allow facts to get in the way of their fiction. But it would be a mistake to ignore the normal conflicts that are part of the aftermath of an election campaign, where there are winners and there are losers and where there are those who still are uncertain if they have won or lost.
For sure, people are jockeying for media mileage, whether belonging to the Jojo Binay camp or to that of Mar Roxas. Some folks are firm believers that perception is reality and the stronger they can create the perception, the greater the possibility that reality will follow.
And yet the reality is what will result from the canvass that the Congress will hold. Whatever perceptions are being developed by publicists and media allies, the harsh reality of a winner and a loser will eventuality dawn on everyone.
But none of that should detract from another harsh reality, which is that the real war has not yet been won, the struggle isn’t over, the promises haven’t been fulfilled, in fact, the work has not yet begun, and everyone involved in making those promises and raising the expectations of the Filipino people have a moral responsibility to deliver on their promises, whatever their loyalties, agendas or personal feelings.
In other words, whether they like each other or not, they all agreed at the outset to address a common challenge, they vowed to carry a common burden, they made loud and solemn promises to millions in this country, and they are duty-bound to make good on those promises. Otherwise, their credibility will be suffer.
But the only way they can succeed is to agree to work with each other, whether they like each other or not.
The only way they can help Noynoy Aquino to succeed is by agreeing to carry their part of the load, even if they dislike some of those who are sharing the burden. It will take some degree of heroism and nobility on their part. Setting aside selfish interests for the greater good is easy to say but not easy to do. Yet it can be done.
Wasn’t it Ninoy Aquino who declared that the Filipino is worth dying for? For that, he gave up his life.
Surely, it’s so much easier giving up personal agendas and personal loyalties than giving up one’s life.
(gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)
We are reading column items written by folks who used to concentrate their firepower on the Manny Villars and the Erap Estradas, now heaping unflattering adjectives on erstwhile allies. Of course, this is not surprising. Allies are often glued together by the fact that they have a common enemy. But when that enemy is vanquished, their latent animosity emerges and they turn on each other.
One reason is the cliff-hanger vice-presidential contest. This is understandable. The stakes are high and the contenders have invested considerable resources to win the prize. You can't stop people from taking sides. Nasty language is to be expected, no matter how civil those involved may want to portray themselves.
But there are other stakes involved, most of all, the welfare of the country. The contenders and their supporters should not forget that. Their work has not even begun. Infighting will impair their ability to do a good job. And their enemies would like nothing better than to see them fail.
The other reason is the reported fight over turf and the spoils. This is normal. In the aftermath of any conflict, there will be spoils. Not wanting to partake of them takes a great deal of self-control and a capacity for abstinence.
After World War II, with Hitler vanquished, the allies immediately engaged in a struggle over turf and spoils. Among other things, this resulted in the partitioning of Germany.
But, given this reality, there is every reason to believe that the various factions in the Aquino-Roxas camp have the capacity to set aside their differences and focus on the task at hand. After all, while the battle for the presidency has been won, the war against poverty and corruption stilll has to be fought, and the struggle to arrest the erosion of the values, resources and the future of the country still has to be undertaken.
Wasn’t this what brought these diverse factions together, in the first place? Aren’t they duty-bound to pursue their avowed mission?
I’m reminded of our efforts to ensure the proper observance in the US of the first centennial of the declaration of Philippine independence on June 12, 1996. In many cities, we had to deal with the problem of rival community organizations competing with each other for the most meaningful and most impressive commemoration of the historic event.
Because I was a pro bono deputy executive director for the US of the commission, I was caught in the middle of some of these conflicts. In one instance, I was asked to join Consul General Josue Villa in mediating one such dispute between two FilAm federations in Las Vegas over the conflicting schedule of activities that the two groups were lining up.
Addressing the rivals, I said that theirs was not an unusual case. I pointed out that during the Philippine revolution, the Katipunan had two factions, the Magdalo of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, and the Magdiwang, which supported Supremo Andres Bonifacio.
But both factions acknowledged that they were fighting for the same cause, liberty, and against a common enemy, Spain. And they realized that the only way to defeat the enemy and achieve their goal was to fight alongside each other, despite their rivalry.
“That’s all I ask of you,” I concluded. “You don’t have to like each other. You just need to be willing to work with each other to ensure a successful centennial celebration.”
I reminded them that success would enhance the image and prestige of the FilAm community in Las Vegas and failure would embarrass them all.
After my remarks, the leader of one federation stood up and declared, “I don’t like them, but I’m willing to work with them.”
Not to be outdone, the head of the other federation also spoke up. “We don’t like you either, but we’re willing to work with you.”
Having said that, the two groups sat down to reconstitute the centennial festival committees, making sure that each group had a significant role in the event. The result was a very successful commemoration of the centennial in Las Vegas, with both groups sharing in the credit.
I guess, the same could be said to the groups in the Aquino-Roxas camp who are rumored to be competing and intriguing against each other. I say, “rumored,” because, having spent my younger years in showbusiness, as a reporter and as a movie insider, I know that molehills tend to grow into mountains as word is passed on from ear to ear. Often, the intrigue is fanned by the “alalays” or the underlings, eager to score brownie points with their bosses.
Some people relish the intrigue, and don’t allow facts to get in the way of their fiction. But it would be a mistake to ignore the normal conflicts that are part of the aftermath of an election campaign, where there are winners and there are losers and where there are those who still are uncertain if they have won or lost.
For sure, people are jockeying for media mileage, whether belonging to the Jojo Binay camp or to that of Mar Roxas. Some folks are firm believers that perception is reality and the stronger they can create the perception, the greater the possibility that reality will follow.
And yet the reality is what will result from the canvass that the Congress will hold. Whatever perceptions are being developed by publicists and media allies, the harsh reality of a winner and a loser will eventuality dawn on everyone.
But none of that should detract from another harsh reality, which is that the real war has not yet been won, the struggle isn’t over, the promises haven’t been fulfilled, in fact, the work has not yet begun, and everyone involved in making those promises and raising the expectations of the Filipino people have a moral responsibility to deliver on their promises, whatever their loyalties, agendas or personal feelings.
In other words, whether they like each other or not, they all agreed at the outset to address a common challenge, they vowed to carry a common burden, they made loud and solemn promises to millions in this country, and they are duty-bound to make good on those promises. Otherwise, their credibility will be suffer.
But the only way they can succeed is to agree to work with each other, whether they like each other or not.
The only way they can help Noynoy Aquino to succeed is by agreeing to carry their part of the load, even if they dislike some of those who are sharing the burden. It will take some degree of heroism and nobility on their part. Setting aside selfish interests for the greater good is easy to say but not easy to do. Yet it can be done.
Wasn’t it Ninoy Aquino who declared that the Filipino is worth dying for? For that, he gave up his life.
Surely, it’s so much easier giving up personal agendas and personal loyalties than giving up one’s life.
(gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)
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