Some 31 million votes appear to be a resounding victory for the son of a dictator who ruled the Philippines with an iron fist through martial law and who amassed ill-gotten wealth through his more than 20 years in power. Most of the detractors of incoming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (BBM) fear that he might follow the footsteps of his father in keeping with the saying, “the apple does not fall far from the tree,” a popular quote attributed to author and minister Ralph Waldo Emerson. It simply connotes that a child grows up to be similar to its parents. It’s the long version of saying, “like father, like son,” which is another expression of what the Bible tells us in Matthew 7:17-18 which says, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” It is too presumptive for all those who did not vote for BBM to say that good governance is not possible under his presidency. After all, as I wrote in this same column last year—“But who knows, we might be in for a surprise if ever BBM will be given a chance to atone for the dark days of Martial Law. The Marcos family has been dethroned, ostracized, and vilified for the longest time… Almost any person given a chance to redeem the name of his family and prove his detractors wrong would likely exert best efforts to make things right!” Even though he was a victim of Martial Law, one friend echoed this sentiment, telling our small V group that we should not prejudge the son just because of what his father has done.
But should President BBM show some evil inclination, similar to what his father did, then the Marcos skeptics, myself included, should criticize him for his own deeds as president, not for his father’s deeds and misdeeds. For now, we must support the voice of the majority, if not the will of God, and give President BBM a clean slate, coupled with a prayer and daily declaration that he becomes our righteous leader. Despite the questionable numbers presented by statisticians and IT specialists, all Filipinos, regardless of political color, should embrace a BBM presidency. The majority has spoken, which the Lord has allowed (for all authority comes from God- Romans 13:1). For critics, myself included, best to use words of blessing and not of curse—that the heart of the incoming president will be pure and steadfast towards the Lord, that he will do justice for the people particularly the poor, and that he will seek the Lord’s guidance in all his decisions. In keeping with his campaign promises, I hope BBM will make peace with his opponents to promote harmony regardless of class, political color, and creed. I say this, not just because I want their family honor and name redeemed, but because I want our nation to heal and thrive. Should there be more wealth hidden outside the Philippines, President BBM ought to know where these are stashed. I hope he feels compassion for the Filipino nation and do what the PCGG and the past presidents failed to do —bring back the loot. After all, the incoming president is inheriting a massive debt in the trillions! The son can do the exact opposite of what his father did. Worthy to note that, in Biblical history, Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:20) turned out to be a good king despite having a wicked father in Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28) as much as Josiah (2 Kings 22; 2) was also a good king despite having a bad father in King Amon (2 Kings 21) I suppose the verse—“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit,” has some exceptions. In Biblical history, Samuel was known for his obedience. He was a fair judge and a very obedient prophet. Like father, like son(s), Samuel’s sons, Joel and Abijah, also became judges. But unlike their father Samuel, the sons took bribes and became corrupt. Such is another exception to the general rule—“like father, like son.”
In Hebrew, the name Samuel means, the “Lord hears.” When Samuel learned that his own preferred “candidate” King Saul faltered, he mourned as 1 Samuel 16:1 tells us, Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.” Samuel obeyed and eventually anointed King David, despite Samuel’s preference towards Saul. Similarly, in these 2022 elections, Leni supporters can all be like Samuel who grieved for the loss of their preferred leader yet dutifully obeyed by listening to God. Leni Robredo asked her pink supporters to stay calm and accept what seems to be inevitable as initial results showed that BBM bamboozled all of the other presidential candidates, convincingly. The slogan “unity” trumped “radical love,” at least in the ballot boxes. As to the cheating allegations and computerized fraud, I remain steadfast in the promise found in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” With the ridiculously efficient rate of counting the ballots, could there be another “Hello Garci,” in the future?
So, for the 14 million who voted for Leni Robredo, let’s be “Pink Samuels,” and, in obedience, accept the reality that she did not win the elections. After all, Leni Robredo said that her fight continues, but not to win an election, but to achieve “a good kind of governance” that our country badly needs. Samuel stood firm on God’s wisdom; we should do the same. Let’s take in the comfort in the Lord who foils the plans of the nations and thwarts the purposes of the peoples. “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” (Psalms 33:11-15). There’s a divine purpose why God allows good kings like Hezekiah and Josiah and bad kings like Ahaz and Amon to reign.
For Leni’s supporters, be pink and never stop in sharing kindness to others yet be like Samuel who mourned yet accepted the will of our Almighty God. Be pink by helping the country through various volunteer initiatives organized by Leni Robredo yet be like Samuel who never begrudgingly obeyed God. I think Leni Robredo, with the launching of the largest volunteer group in the country, “Angat Buhay,” will remain as a relevant force to unite well-meaning Filipinos who clamor for good governance in government. Supporters of the other non-winning candidates should do the same and now help the President lead this country by simply being good citizens and help the government in any way they can, following the lead of Samuel. Be “White Samuels” or “Blue Samuels” or “Samuels in Plaid”; just trust and obey God like Samuel did. Regardless of political affiliations, all Filipinos should be reminded “to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” (Titus3:1-2 NIV).
God is still watching over us.
A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission.
For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.