OTHER CONCERNS

by the Cathedral Clergy

Erap is us

Against our better self, sometimes we feel like saying to those calling for Erap's resignation: Let Erap be. Let him stay where he is. We need him there.

Why?

Because Erap is us. Because Erap is our mirror, reflecting back to us what we are, who we are, warts and all. And we need, badly need, to know ourselves if we are ever to get out of the morass we are in, the rut we have been in as far as memory can recall.

Is Erap an inveterate gambler? Isn't the Filipino? If Erap's gambling is scandalous, it is only because it involves millions of pesos. And because he is the highest official of the land, supposed to be a role model for the youth. Otherwise, gambling is part and parcel of our culture. And there are no signs that we are determined to erase it from that culture.

Is Erap blatantly and shamelessly unfaithful to his spouse? Is fidelity a value that is spontaneously associated with the Filipino character? Didn't we show how much we value fidelity when we elected Erap as out president knowing fully well, from his own lips, that he had several queridas? Didn't Erap take our voting him president as our approval of his marital -- and other? -- infidelities? Hasn't he recently introduced with pride and self-congratulation another of his several out-of-wedlock children? And we, the people, did we take offense at what he did?

Did Erap accept bribes? Doesn't the Filipino exchange his vote for the right amount? Of course, there are exceptions. But don't exceptions prove the rule?

Is Erap guilty of cronyism and favoritism? Have we not learned to expect that of our elected officials? Do we express anger when cronyism rears its ugly head?

Etcetera, etcetera. Put in every wrongdoing and malfeasance Erap may have committed. It is the wrongdoing and malfeasance that is committed all the time and everywhere. Although when it is mere citizens who commit them, they do not attract as much attention as when it is the president who does.

Erap is us. After all, the president is the highest symbol of the nation, the personification of the people's values, attitudes, beliefs, idiosyncrasies, character, principles or lack of principles. We are what we choose. We choose Erap.

Erap is our president, and the kind of president that he is, because we are what we are. We get the leader that we deserve, and we deserve the leader that we get.

By their fruits, you will know them, as the Good Book says. Erap is the fruit. We the people are the tree. You don't like the fruit? Blame the tree.

So let Erap stay where he is. We need to look hard and long at the mirror in order to discover who we are, what we are, what we are made of, what makes us tick, why we act as we do, why we think as we think, why we make the choices that we make. Hopefully, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.

On the other hand, however ugly we may be, however fractured our character as a people, we need and we deserve to be inspired to rise above ourselves. That is the prime task of our leaders.

Our highest leader, our mirror, must inspire us to dreams. Erap is giving us nightmares.

Time to put the mirror aside and turn to the task at hand?