Truth and wisdom

“Plato is dear to me but dearer still is truth.” – Aristole (384-322 BC)

IN the ’70s, most businessmen in the land favored the MBA (Masters in Business Administration) graduates instead of experience––the youth was the “flavor of the moth” in the executive circles. As a consequence, coupled with the fact of the iron-fisted martial law in our country, I was among the few leftovers in the corridors of the College of Law. I chose to be left lonely rather than “swim with the current” because unlike many, I was––as I still am––convinced that wisdom comes with age and experience. Further, the best form of knowledge comes more from the door-steps of hard knocks rather than from the gates of the best universities. Lastly, wisdom is finetuned by the passage of time, the heartaches and excruciating pain caused by failures.

In his nth failed attempt at convincing Davao Mayor Rodrigo “Super Digong” Duterte to run for President, FVR, upon presenting the portrait of our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, was quoted as having said: “Make his life your guidepost in your presidency.”

I don’t know if “Super Digong” is a great fan of Dr. Jose Rizal. But based on my readings of what the man has done in transforming “a killing fields” into the 5th safest city in the world, Mayor Duterte is the kind who would rather shoot rather than be shot at and fearlessly impose discipline rather than watch with folded arms if not, in akimbo, chaos and lawlessness. How about you? Which would you prefer?

Live in constant fear of being killed, including your loved ones in broad daylight by ruthless armed rebels who want to rule our country with impunity?

The latest news report of Super Digong’s refusal to run for president of our country is because of lack of money, old age and the accusation of dynasty. To me, these truths are incontrovertible evidence, to wit:
• Super Digong is basically honest, a trait absent in all of the present published “presidentiables”: VP Binay and DILG Secretary Mar Araneta Roxas. Both VP Binay and Sec. Roxas are multi-millionaires, although earned differently, both are known for their generosity in donating money from our own government coffers but none from their own pockets to the victims of Yolanda in Leyte, Ondoy in Metro Manila and Sendong in our city and in Iligan, to name but a few calamities. In short, both are greedy for obvious reasons. Period.
• Super Digong is just a few years younger (three years to be precise) than two of the world’s well-loved presidents: the late Nelson Mandela who was elected president at age 73 in his own homeland of Africa, and the late Ronald Reagan, who was also elected at age 73––both of whom were overwhelmingly reelected. Super Digong has the advantage in age and wisdom over those famous and well loved presidents.
••
“A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all lies you can invent” – William Blake (1757-1827), English Poet, Artist
Listen to the commercials of both VP Binay and Roxas and you will know, without a doubt, that both are trapos. If elected President, our country would definitely experience more of the same if not, worst. If you watch and listen to them and their propaganda, you would be tempted to say, “It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.” (H.L.Mencken (1880-1956) American journalist.

Sovereignty resides in the people, and 90 percent of the Pinoys are poor. But how come the poor are never given the chance to be president in our country? Truth, they say, can always wait in our country.

But fear not. There’s always a first time.  We now have one of our own Duterte, a Mindanaoan and the only undecided “presidentiable” who commands the respect if not, love, of the teeming millions who are poor, deprived and oppressed Mindanaoans and elsewhere. He is the only leader in the country who has fearlessly announced in all public fora that he would declare a revolutionary government and call for a constitutional convention within six months (not just the greedy overhaul of the economic provisions of our Constitution) to address the broad daylight killings of journalists, lawyers, judges, human right advocates, righteous people, and he would wipe out the culture of impunity because he has the track record to make our country safe as he has successfully turned Davao City from being called a “killing fields”or “Nicaragdao” to the 5th safest city in the world.

Our inutile government is only good preening on national giant TV screens and shamelessly paying lip-service to the dead while the murderers of our 44 brave SAF commandos, the drug-lords and other criminals roam freely in our streets.

Decongest Metro Manila by having a federal form of government whereby our country shall be divided into independent States within a Federal government. In short, we will no longer have Imperial Manila as every State shall be independent of the other states. No more favored regions, no more BBL. Only “one for all and all for one.”

Mark my word: the Sunday before the filing of the certificates of candidacy, the country would, most likely, witness the awakening of the “sleeping giant” – Mindanao in Mindanao.

Today, the teeming millions of poor Mindanaoans are ready to go fasting and even abstinence for just a week or two on May 9, 2016 to install Duterte as the next president of our country or the first President of the Independent Federal Republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi.

Undoubtedly, “sovereignty resides in the people and all authority emanates from them.” We are the people and the world is ours.

Tsada, di ba?