Ninoy, the political role model

In a few months, the Filipino people will have to choose who will be our political leaders in the remaining years of this decade. Each time we talk of elections, we lament the lack of political heroes — politicians who can serve as role models for our children.

Political heroes are those who have used their leadership to bring critical issues to the attention of his or her people and convince them to get involved in helping to make this world a better place for everyone and for future generations.

It is always difficult to choose a present leader as a hero because there will be groups that will always oppose any current leader. But Filipinos face a unique and critical moment in the history of their country. They will now choose the political leaders who will either bring us back to the old days of systemic corruption and crony capitalism or those who will lead us to the golden age for this country. With all the corruption in politics, it is easy to keep pointing the finger at all the bad guys and forget that it is still possible to have good guys — even heroes — in politics.

Philippine history has a gallery of heroes. But it is very rare for a politician to be hailed as a national hero. Even presidents have seldom been considered heroic figures in our history. The two presidents generally acknowledged as heroes were Ramon Magsaysay and Corazon Aquino. Both were never considered as being in the mould of typical politicians. Magsaysay was more known as a guerrilla leader and as Secretary of Defense when he was able to suppress the growing Communist rebellion. During his 1953 presidential campaign, his campaign jingle’s most famous line was: “Our democracy will die kung wala si Magsaysay.”

Corazon Aquino never ran for any government position before she ran for the presidency against Marcos in 1986. Her campaign was more of a crusade than an electoral campaign. Marcos used guns, goons, and gold to defeat her. But Marcos had to resort to blatant cheating to try and stay in power. Aquino’s victory was the result of a People Power Movement, not a victory based on a political machinery or campaign funds.

Ninoy Aquino was that very rare person. He was a thoroughbred politician who became a national hero by exercising political leadership. Even his martyrdom was a political act if we again define politicians as those who use their leadership in order to attain a national vision for the people.

He was elected as mayor of his hometown and then ran and won as a congressman. Finally, in 1967, he survived a Nacionalista landslide and became the lone Liberal to win in the senatorial elections. His popularity made him the most logical candidate to replace Marcos as the president of the Philippines.

Ninoy did not have a private army nor did he start an insurrectionist movement to topple the government. He did not believe in an armed revolution. He had faith in the democratic process and the rule of law. Even in jail, he remained the most popular political personality in the nation. Marcos always considered him as the most dangerous opponent of the martial law regime.

Even as a senator, Ninoy was already establishing that rare distinction of a politician also becoming a statesman. His most famous speeches could be full of criticism but always contained elements of a political ideology. On August 25, 1971, on the floor of the Senate, Ninoy gave a speech defending himself from charges of being a communist. But his speech also included these lines:

“If the inexpressible cruelties of official oppression and repression cannot cow us, the tyranny upon us will fail. In the end I say, tyranny will bend to moral justice. Official injustice is still the Filipinos’ burden. It is their government’s shame. The demand of the hour is upon us, my countrymen, and it is simple: We must weld; separately, I must warn, we shall perish.

Greatness, Mr. President, is not willed, it is earned. It is not a crown put on one’s head, it is given by a people as a tribute to a leader. If Mr. Marcos has ruled selflessly and wisely, when the historians write the chapter of Philippine life under his rule, they will pause and say of him: ’There lived a great man, a great president who made a priesthood out of the presidency.’ This, I know is a great challenge and an overwhelming responsibility. Unhappily Mr. Marcos, who started off with a pledge to lead this nation to a great-again society, has failed to come up to the measure.”

There is one characteristic that separates the political hero from the run of the mill politician. The hero politician stands for a set of beliefs or values that is clearly manifested in their political life so that there is credibility. This belief, however, must be clearly communicated to the people.

The run of the mill politician is one who sells himself or herself to the public based on promises or being against something or somebody. It is easy, for example, to be against the BBL but what is it that opponents of the BBL stand for and what is their alternative proposal.

On August 21, 1983 Ninoy returned to the Philippines after being exiled by the Marcos regime. Upon arrival, he was immediately arrested while descending from the plane surrounded by military escorts. Unknown to most Filipinos, he had a speech ready for his home coming. The speech was never delivered.

In his prepared speech, he outlined some of his political beliefs. He said; “National reconciliation and unity can be achieved but only with justice, including justice for our Muslim and Ifugao brothers...Subversion stems from economic, social and political causes and will not be solved by purely military solutions. It can be curbed not with ever increasing repression but with a more equitable distribution of wealth, more democracy and more freedom and for the economy to get going once again, the workingman must be given his just and rightful share of his labor and to the owners and managers must be restored the hope where there is so much uncertainty if not despair.”

These are ideals that still relevant in the world today. In fact these messages are also found in the writings of Pope Francis.

Ninoy ended his prepared speech with these words: “I return from exile and to an uncertain future with only determination and faith to offer — faith in our people and faith in God.” He was prepared to give up his life for the values that he espoused.

Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was a Fiipino politician who had an ideology; an ability to communicate his personal values and political beliefs; and who had the courage to sacrifice his life for his people. He is a political hero and role model for our young people today who need to believe that heroism can still thrive in the world of government and politics.

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