By Atty. Howie Calleja
The hallmarks of good governance are not only accountability and transparency but also the ability to determine what is best for those affected. A true leader knows what’s best for his country – while a dictator and a tyrant hold on to power, regardless of the consequences to the country.
We saw a true leader in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he put aside his political aspirations and announced his resignation, due to health concerns. With the postponement of the Olympics, it could be tempting to hold onto power and be the face of strength to the global community. Instead, he exemplified humility for the sake of his nation.
How important, then, is the health of a President? That, during a global pandemic, one leader would tell his constituents that he is no longer at his best? Prime Minister Abe’s health concerns are by no means incapacitating, as he has announced that he will continue to stay on as a member of parliament – so, why then, would he step down from the prestige that comes with the presidency? It is simple; the wellbeing of the President is directly correlated with the wellbeing of the country itself. When the President is no longer at his best, the country itself is not at her best. This is ultimately due to the nature of the job itself. A President has to confront immensely difficult dilemmas on a daily basis and without a captain who is physically, and mentally, in the best possible shape – the ship would steer into troubled waters. More troublesome is the question of who is steering the ship onto those troubled waters.
A decade older than Prime Minister Abe, our President is, instead, refusing to give the public the constitutionally-granted right to the information on his health. Aside from the announcement that he is “perpetually isolated”, nothing but silence on his wellbeing has come from Malacañang. What then can we do but infer that the perpetual isolation is brought on from some sort of illness? We can only hope that his health is not an issue, but the public concern grows, and we cannot help but see the stark contrast between a President who humbly steps aside, and one who slinks away in the shadows of an edited Monday night delayed telecast. The Presidency is a 24/7 job, and without the ability to show the people that you are capable of protecting their future, all they will see is an attempt to cling to power.
Early in President Duterte’s term he tried but failed, to be the picture of a strongman. Publicly disparaging the presence of the United States military in the country and statements regarding our claim on the Spratly Islands showed disdain to admit any weakness or vulnerability of our dear country. Those comments, and even his inability to show the state of his health, speak to a true desire to deny we as a country, and he as a President, have any issues. We cannot be narcissists who deny any weakness, and we cannot pretend that the country is not struggling. Admitting where we can improve does not mean we are weak, in fact, the ability to acknowledge our shortcomings allows us to put our attention towards these issues. We will not succumb to the words of the Karens across the ocean to make our country great again; the Philippines has always been great, though we are struggling to rebuild we will not do it on the backs of our people.
The health of the country, and of the President, is especially important in the time of a pandemic. Our people are anxious and overwhelmed, and they are uncertain about their own health – what more the health of their President? At this time, more than ever, it is a matter of duty on the part of our President to let his people know if he is capable of leading them, or if there is an impairment on his ability to serve. As COVID-19 presents a larger threat to the elderly and those with preexisting conditions, the constitutional right of the people to this information cannot be ignored, nor is it unreasonable. If Prime Minister Abe can admit his failing health is the cause of his resignation, and still have the ability to serve in parliament, then how can a President, a decade older, live in perpetual isolation with a cocktail of illnesses already plaguing him, and refuse to divulge his health records? One could assume it is an attempt to hold onto power. How is a President, with Barrett’s esophagus was “nearing” stage one cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Buerger’s disease, spinal issues, daily migraines, and myasthenia gravis able to promote unity among the people and effectively lead us? The weekly late-night statements to the press do nothing to soothe these concerns, as reading off of a prepared and edited script cannot fool the public.
Good leadership is not just talking tough, it’s knowing when the country deserves more. Real leaders know to provide the kind of effective leadership that their people need, and would sacrifice themselves to give way to others who might provide or fill that need. Prime Minister Abe has put the country before himself; knowing that he cannot give his best, he stepped aside. The country and its people are bigger than any one man, or his cronies, survival. Abe was not asked to disclose his health but, of his own initiative, he was honest to his constituents. It is clear that our neighbors believe in sacrificing oneself for the benefit of the country, but in the Philippines, it is denial for self-gratification and personal interests over the good of the country. Instead of a code of honor, our leaders have a choice to hang onto power.
Instead of writing off the public’s concerns about the stability of the office as attempts to destabilize the government, I hope our leaders instead recognize that we never wish ill will to anyone – but our concern is stemmed from a desire to save our country, and the Filipino people.
