MABINI AND RELIGION
Mabini’s reliance on people’s selfgovernance (the True Decalogue: “Do not recognize the authority of any person who has not been elected by you and your compatriots”) and virtue inevitably led him to concluding religion as a vital moral force in governance.
Setting aside his questionable ideas on establishing a State religion, Majul makes this significant point: that Mabini “never fought religion as such and never made an effort to take away religion from the people. He believed, however, that there should be religious toleration for all. To him all forms of religious ceremonies should be permitted in the country provided that they did not violate any law or any of the moral tenets found among all men.”
For Mabini “the doctrine of the separation of Church and State was inextricably bound with the principle of religious freedom.” (citing Cuestiones Sobre las Corporaciones Religiosas)
MABINI AND HIS VISION OF A PHILIPPINES
Certainly Mabini has his flaws. He was uncomfortable playing politics. He did not suffer fools well. His personal failings allowed Emilio Aguinaldo’s lack of experience and confidence and the mestizoillustrado class’ selfishness, lack of patriotism, and obsessive concern for their property and standing get in the way of nation building.
This article will not dwell further on an area that Nick Joaquin and others already explored. Instead, here emphasized is an undeniable value of Mabini – that in a country where academics, journalists, and policy makers have a propensity for seeing anything foreign as better and then demand that such be applied on the country, Mabini was the reverse.
Mabini knew the country he wanted and — more importantly — he knew the countrymen of the country he was trying to fashion. He was able therefore to craft a pragmatic, coherent, and defined vision of the Philippines. Any thought or policy he advocated emanated from this vision and designed to advance the country closer to it. It was never a question of making the Philippines be a copy of another country.
All things considered, even as we are, now in 2018, 120 years old as a Republic, it’s still not too late to build a better nation based on a true Filipino vision.
Perhaps the State of the Nation address, which coincidentally falls on the day of Mabini’s birth anniversary, would be a good occasion to start again.