Last week, I made an appeal in this column space for parents to think about the future leader that they want their children to emulate.
Well, a few days ago, some of OpinYon’s employees had a discussion with our president, Ms. Michelle Nikki Junia, about the current state of affairs in our country and our own personal views on the upcoming May 9 elections.
During that discussion, I mentioned how a leader should bring out the best qualities of his or her subordinates to the point that they themselves will work together to achieve their common goals.
The sad thing is, our past leaders have only succeeded in bringing out the worst qualities of the Filipino: mendicancy (too much dependence on the government), toxic “utang-na-loob,” idolatry, inability to accept facts, and toxic nationalism.
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Bongbong Marcos has repeatedly denied accusations of running well-oiled troll farms and social media strategies to whitewash his family’s excesses during Martial Law and rebrand himself as a “unifier.”
But it cannot be denied that his campaign has pandered to the worst attitudes of Filipinos.
The word “credulous” first pops into my mind, a notorious attribute once held by some die-hard supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Marcos' supporters appear to be too ready to believe any item in social media that favors their idol, even without even a smidgen of truth in those posts.
The most ridiculous one so far has been the claims that the Marcoses and the Lunas of Ilocos Norte are closely related – an apparent attempt to discredit actor John Arcilla of “Heneral Luna” fame who has thrown his support for Vice President Leni Robredo.
And even though there’s TONS of evidence in our legal records, in our history books, and even in foreign publications of the Marcoses’ guilt, his die-hard supporters tend to dismiss them as “bias” and a concerted effort of the “dilawans,” Communists, and Western countries to destroy the Marcoses.
Wow, imagine, they have this “we-against-the-world” delusion!
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Worse, many of his supporters are not averse to use ad hominem arguments, name-calling, and racist and sexist remarks.
They’re also apparently calling for violence against their supposed “opponents,” even to the point of warning of bloodshed should Marcos lose.
What kind of perverted attitude is that?!
That kind of attitude has now spilled outside of social media into real life, with reports of Robredo supporters being heckled, tarpaulins and paintings being removed, parents who were die-hard Marcos Jr. supporters allegedly restricting the movements of their children who supported the Vice President.
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As I said in my social media, I fear Marcos, Jr.'s supporters even more than himself.
I had the gut feeling that whether Marcos, Jr. wins or loses this crucial election, they would band together in a kind of “mobocracy” where they – and only they – will have the right and privilege to run this country.
A healthy democracy, may I point out, is composed of people from all walks of life who are willing to work together to achieve a common goal despite differences in believes.
And as I said earlier in this space, Marcos’ supporters want you to conform to their twisted logic and lies in order for you to be included in their “unity.”
That’s not democracy – that’s conformity (yeah, that “sumunod ka na lang” attitude).
Conformity kills initiative, stifles free thought, and makes leaders immune to criticism – not a healthy sign of a government that is willing to bring out the best in its people.