waiting for gibo

*picture courtesy of http://gibo.ph

last may 10, 2010, i cast my vote for gilberto "gibo" teodoro, jr.

several people had been asking me why i had voted for him when it was so obvious that he wasn't going to win. i had only one reason for choosing him: i truly believed that he could have made a great and positive change in our country.

i was initially nonplussed when it was announced that he would be the frontrunner and standard bearer of the ruling party. aside from being a cabinet member (he was the secretary of the department of national defense), he was practically unknown to me, and i didn't care much knowing that president arroyo was endorsing him.

it didn't help that the ondoy flooding happened during his watch. his department was practically useless at that time, and it was terribly frustrating witnessing on tv how private citizens were much more efficient in dispatching food rations and help than the government. it was quite odd though that while cameras were showing president arroyo surveying and "helping" out in the flooded areas, gibo teodoro was the first person who had to face the music. what an...efficient...president (and government) we have...

but as they say, don't judge a book by its cover. one needs to hear him talk to be convinced that he could have been a great leader for this country. he's not a smooth talker, nor does he make empty promises like he will alleviate us from poverty, or give us more jobs, etc. in fact, he does the exact opposite. when faced with a simplified question on a very profound issues, he admits to not knowing the ultimate answer but proposes a viable solution to very sensitive problems. he admits that he doesn't have a solution in eliminating poverty in the country, but he can establish programs and platforms that might help people improve their livelihood. he doesn't have an answer for the peace and order problem in mindanao, but he suggests that a more visible government presence in that region could help in seeing through peace talks and deter non-conformists from further terrorism. when asked about budget allocation decisions, he countered by saying that it's not really about allocation of money, it's more about the proper management of government funds. he showed his fortitude by standing by his political party despite getting so much bad press for serving the arroyo administration.

on one occasion, he was questioned how he could serve the country (and the masses) when he has only have had the privileged life. if he were a politician, he would have detailed a life of frugality and simplicity amidst all his wealth and would have claimed that he could identify with the poor. but he was not one, so he answered with all honesty that he was grateful for his inherited wealth, because it removes the temptation to steal and misuse the funds from the public coffers.

sadly, he is not the type of leader most filipinos are looking for. in general, filipinos still want their leaders to have charisma and to symbolize something or someone bigger than life. we want our leaders to be the heroes we see in the movies or the ones we read in books.

gibo was none of those things. he was simple, sincere, honest, fallible --someone all too human--therefore, he was fated to lose.

i came from a university where the practice of a magis lifestyle is highly encouraged to its students. magis is a latin word for more, and in an ignatian context, it applied to being more and doing more for god and for others. gibo has the magis philosophy down pat. he was a public servant who served without publicity and who didn't resort to any type of mudslinging--he was a true man for others.

in my utopian philippines, gibo teodoro would have been my president, and mar roxas would be the second-in-command. we would have leaders who are incorruptible, prudent, and politically capable. they would be articulate and transparent about their policies yet humble enough to admit when they have made mistakes. most of all, these leaders would recognize that being in office is neither a right nor a privilege nor a popularity contest, but rather,  a responsibility--an obligation to serve the filipino people.

but we live in a democratic philippines where the herd mentality always elects politicians over public servants and actors over leaders.

i guess this is one of those democratic glitches we just have to live with. hopefully, by 2016, filipinos would be ready for leaders like gibo, and we would have more candidates like gibo.