People Power Advice #1: Charismatic Leader

Revised 13 June 2009. The original short essay Advice #1 of 09 June has expanded into 7 different short essays uploaded separately – after suddenly 10 June I wanted to dramatize the phenomenon called People Power in distinct contrast with what Imperial Manila is now trying to raise to the nth power. The series is really my way of saying, 'Good luck! For People Power, you need more than good luck.'
People Power Advice #1: Charismatic Leader
People Power Advice #2: Martyr
People Power Advice #3: Challenger
People Power Advice #4: Love
People Power Advice #5: Systems
People Power Advice #6: Enlightenment
People Power Advice #7: Theory & Practice

HOW DO YOU MOVE PEOPLE?

Today, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 Manila time, 'Have we reached the tipping point?' Inquirer columnist Amando Doronila asks, half pleading, half pushing (10 June 2009, opinion.inquirer.net) – in my opinion. He says 'the administration has entered into one of the most inauspicious periods to change the Constitution' – pointing out the opposition to charter change from some (my term) Catholic bishops, Mr Doronila speculating on whether they (whoever they are) 'can mobilize mass action in numbers that would engage the army and the business community – two strategic sectors crucial to the overthrow of government – in actions demanding either the resignation of the government and the withdrawal of their support for it.'

In the meantime today, the Philippine National Police, PNP is activating a task force and imposing a Metro Manila-wide alert in reaction to today's rally against a Constitutional Assembly, Con-Ass proposed by the House of Representatives, to amend the Constitution (Paolo T Jamias, bworldonline.com). The program starts at 1700 hours and ends at 2000 hours; the rallyists will be given 15 minutes to disperse. The main venue is at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo De Roxas, near their idol, inspiration, intermediary whatever, Ninoy Aquino (the monument).

Now I want to go back to Mr Doronila because he is a respected columnist. More than that, he is most passionate about it. And, as it turns out, so am I.

Even so, I must also point out that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not worried by rallies (TJ Burgonio, 10 June 2009, newsinfo.inquirer.net) and, as it turns out, so am I. Rather, you worry when you join rallies. I used to join rallies, and even wrote against someone or something in the mid-to-late 1960s, but I never liked the feeling, and I'm sorry that I did.

What Mr Doronila writes about is a very interesting theory, if not very original. If I understand him right, he is saying that the 'overthrow of government' (his term) needs the support ('outrage' is his word) of the Catholic Church, the Army, and the Business Community so that 'the protest could gain momentum and draw wider participation and bring crowds to the streets on a scale that sparks military intervention in the form of withdrawal of support for the government.'

About Mr Doronila's tipping point, I have 1 tip of a point to make for those who would conjure for the 3rd time in the history of the Philippines People Power, assuming you have a moral, valid, very urgent cause:

Go find yourself a charismatic leader!

Remember People Power 1 and Jaime Cardinal Sin? You need somebody like that, no more no less, a religious icon, liked nationally and respected internationally, from the Roman Catholic Church.

I was listening to the radio when Cardinal Sin made his call for the people to go to EDSA to provide people support to those who had declared their withdrawal of support of the government of President Ferdinand E Marcos: Juan Ponce Enrile, Minister of National Defense, and Fidel Ramos, Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A little later came the voice of Butch Aquino, calling on his ATOM brods to meet somewhere near Camp Crame. The call from Cardinal Sin began the congregation of people, a million or more at one time, in that now-hallowed Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue – afraid at first, the very day I joined, Marcos flew. Epiphany of the Saints. You need a big Saint like Cardinal Sin to lead the epiphany of little saints like us. No, the Saint need not be blameless; he needs only to be charismatic and credible. Charismatic is like Joseph 'Erap' Estrada and Fernando Poe Jr. Raul Roco was credible but not charismatic enough. Maybe charismatic: Manuel Villar, Manuel Roxas, Francis Pangilinan, Loren Legarda, Noli De Castro, Bro Mike – but maybe charismatic is not good enough.

Which reminds me of our National Hero, whose birthday is coming, 19 June; Jose Mercado Rizal was not charismatic enough – he couldn't unite the factions of Filipino patriots in Madrid. The strong-willed journalist, my surname-sake Marcelo Hilario y Del Pilar was against his leadership; in fact, this Hilario became the Editor of La Solidaridad and would not publish him, to the chagrin of Rizal and who thereby decided to withdraw his support. Remember: La Solidaridad was fighting only for Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes, not to withdraw support of the friar government in the islands. La Solidaridad, solidarity, camaraderie, cohesion – they couldn't get their act together.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER!

You need a charismatic leader to get your act together. Where is he? Otherwise, if it's a she, in my opinion she will have to be 5 times better than the one in Malacañang already!