Mindanao in limbo

Butch Bagabuyo

“Fire tries gold, misery tries brave men.” – Seneca

MILLIONS unabashedly cried while a few mortals pretending to be leaders were embarrassed after Davao Mayor Rodrigo “Super Digong” Duterte chose to be a man of his word: “I will not run for President.” Consequently, Mindanao’s dream turned into a nightmare but not for long, trust me. Right now, yours truly cannot be likened to “a voice in the wilderness.” Now, we all know that it was the “voice in the wilderness” that introduced the man who came to save humanity and made us, Catholics, members of the largest religion in the world.

Truly, “misery tries brave men.”

If I had my way, I would have wanted the President of the PDP-Laban, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, to file a certificate of candidacy for the presidency. Undoubtedly, Senator Koko has all the makings of a tough President of our country or the first President of the Independent Federal Republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi.

But it is not yet too late in the day.

As an outsider looking in, I would like to believe that the only purpose for the filing of a presidential aspirant by the PDP-Laban is to ensure that in the unlikely event Duterte changes his mind, he could easily substitute the nominee since Mayor Duterte’s party is the PDP-Laban. But the latter has already said he would not be a substitute because he has no ambition to be president and he is an “orig.” So, there you go. As the saying goes, “You can pull the carabao to the river but you cannot force it to drink.” Further Super Digong is not thirsty to become president unlike the four who filed their certificates of candidacy for the presidency. However, Mindanaoans are sick and tired of trapos and ambitious ingrates.

As far as the idea that the only a Mindanaoan can provide justice, lasting peace and posterity for Mindanao is concerned, none of those who have filed for the presidency of our country is qualified. Ergo, the only remaining question is, is it providential that Senator Koko become the next president of our country or the first President of the Independent Federal Republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi? However, it is not for us to answer this question. But we all know that God helps those who help themselves.

Right now, the country is in dire need of Super Digong. No doubt about it. But only God knows if Mayor Duterte will change his mind. In fact, I would like to believe that Sen. Mariam Santiago filed her certificate of candidacy for the presidency only because she was convinced that our man will not run for president. And right now, we owe Super Digong the necessary space and time to meditate. We, Mindanaoans, owe him that much. And definitely nagging will only boomerang on us.

This being the case, it is high time, we, the poor and only the poor, did our best the way of the ants: sharing and caring for one another. Now is the time when “the most gifted members of the human species are at their creative best when they cannot have their way,” according to Philosopher Eric Hoffer.

Unless I’m wrong, the law on substitution of candidates belonging to a political party limits only the date but not the number of substitutions within the period allowed by law. Let us, therefore, continue to pray daily for Super Digong’s change of heart.

In the meantime, let us, on our own, form groups of 10 in every nook and cranny in our country between now and Nov. 30, 2015 as a fitting birthday tribute to our poor yet brave hero, Andres Bonifacio, and to the late Vice President Emmanuel N. Pelaez, my hero. And, as this process is going on, the poor members of the PDP-Laban should individually and collectively ask the party’s president, Sen. Koko Pimentel, to forthwith replace the political party’s nominee for the President. This is the time, to find out if PDP-Laban’s president has balls.

It is time for the millions and more who love Super Digong to give him time and space. But we should never give up our “impossible dream” to attain dignity and equality with the rest of the Filipino people the way of the ants –slowly but surely.

Trust me, the idea of having a Mindanaoan for president has come. It can no longer be held hostage by anyone. And more than that, it is the most unique, inexpensive and fastest way to make our dream of having a Mindanaoan  president of our country and the independent federal republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi.

This is my take.

By dividing all the Mindanaoans into groups of 10, we can easily form a core group of 1,250,000 leaders in less than a week, and by dividing that figure into groups of 100, we could have 12,500 leaders in two weeks. Finally, by dividing further those groups into a contiguous group of 1,000 each, we could easily have 12.5 summoned leaders within a month. And with the advancement of IT, social media and all, we could already have a summoned leader from our own paradise-like islands of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi by Nov. 30, 2015.

When that happens, chances are Super Digong would only be too happy to answer our call to be the sure-winner in the May 9, 2016 presidential elections. Or, he could be the first President of the Independent Federal Republic of Mindnao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi.

Remember the “Aldub nation” was born only three months ago. And it is now reaching the world. I would like to believe that the dreamer of that kalyesersye never dreamt of capturing a country. And I’m certain that the late Nelson Mandela did not think even for just a moment that at age 73, he would become the most successful hesitant President of a huge country. Truly the man became the most loved leader of the world at a time when he thought his time has passed.

And, yet Super Digong is only 70 years young.

“Galileo called doubt the father of invention; it is certainly the pioneer.”––Bovee