By Atty. Howie Calleja
As the air crackles with anger, with the righteous fury of a people tired of broken promises and whispered deals in dimly lit rooms. It’s a feeling you can taste in the streets, a feeling that fuels the calls for President Marcos Jr. and Vice President Duterte to step down. And in the heart of it all, stands Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David during the Trillion Peso March, a shepherd of souls, offering not a rallying cry for immediate revolution, but a hand outstretched, urging caution and a path less travelled.
It’s easy to dismiss the Cardinal’s stance as being out of touch, as clinging to a system that many feel has already failed them. But look closer, and you see not complacency, but a deep, abiding love for the Philippines, a love that compels the Cardinal to ask the hard questions, the ones that whisper of unintended consequences and the fragility of democracy.
Imagine the power vacuum, the sudden jolt to a nation already teetering. Can we truly be certain that what follows will be better? Can we guarantee that the forces that rise to fill the void will be driven by a genuine desire for justice, or by the same hunger for power that plagues the present? These are the questions that keep Cardinal David up at night, the questions that shape the Cardinal’s calculated, yet unwavering, stance.
The Cardinal sees the fiery passion of those demanding immediate change, the Cardinal hears their cries for justice, and the Cardinal understands the depth of their pain. But the Cardinal also sees the ghosts of history, the specter of good intentions paved with unforeseen consequences, leading to a road even darker than the one they seek to escape.
The Cardinal speaks not as a politician, hungry for power, but as a pastor, concerned for his flock. The Cardinal is apprehensive and cautious at the thought of a military junta, even one draped in the robes of religious leaders. The Cardinal’s faith teaches the Cardinal that true power lies not in the sword, but in the quiet strength of the human spirit, in the unwavering pursuit of justice through peaceful means.
The Cardinal’s is a plea for patience, not apathy, hope not rage. A call for dialogue, not division. The Cardinal knows the road ahead will be long and arduous, filled with setbacks and compromises. But the Cardinal believes, with every fiber of the Cardinal’s being, that lasting change can only be built on a foundation of democratic principles, on a commitment to peaceful solutions, and on a unwavering faith in the power of the Filipino people to build a better future, together.
So, before we rush to tear down the house, brick by painful brick, perhaps we should pause, listen to the voice of the shepherd, and ask ourselves: are we truly ready for what comes next? And are we willing to commit to the long, hard work of nation building? something stronger, something more accountable, transparent and just? A good and trustworthy government that will truly endure? Because the future of the Philippines depends not just on our anger, but on our wisdom, our patience, and our unwavering commitment to building a better tomorrow, together.