someone like him…

January 21, 2009

Two nights ago, I dozed off while listening to CNN. I don’t usually watch CNN as I am more interested in local news, i.e., happenings in my country, but I wanna experience the festive mood of America, even on TV. It’s been such a long time when Filipinos got together to celebrate as important an event as Obama’s inauguration. The only events I know where there are so many people, some of whom were allegedly paid, were when Filipinos were exercising mob rule. haha!

Anyway, while I was half awake/half asleep, I’ve been thinking of how it’s been too long since we have our own Obama. Of course, he still has to prove himself, though his speeches are impressive. But the real magic was that he was not only the President of the United States, but also a symbol of many good things—hope, courage, change.  In fact, he can be all things good, as Americans referred to him as a symbol of so many things.

It depressed me that the closest thing we had, and I believe someone better, was long gone, assassinated in our national airport in broad daylight. I was barely a year old when he died, but he has become a legend in our history, a national hero.

He had the eloquence and audacity to gather solid support for anti-martial law groups. He had the youth and charm that captured Filipinos’ heart. He had superior intelligence that questioned tyrannical rule. He had the courage to fight the tyrannical ruler. He had the nationalism that allowed him to leave his family in the US to return to his struggling country and die in his land.

I believe he could have been our Obama. He was not just a leader, but an inspiration to all, especially the youth. He could have changed the face of Philippine politics and government that up to now are being haunted by incessant human rights violations, crimes, and corruptions. Ultimately, he was not only a person, but a symbol. A symbol of hope, courage, change, and everything that is good.

We have two “leaders”: those with charisma but no reason and those with reason but no charisma. Is there someone like Ninoy?