“One of the most deadly causes of destruction of divine destinies is when a leader is failing, but he or she does not know it. Ignorance about your role is a death plot against people’s successes.” –Israelmore Ayivor
If I were a politician in the Philippines seeking reelection or higher office in next year’s midterm elections, I would avoid national leaders like House Speaker Pantaleon ‘Bebot’ Alvarez. The likes of such figures are morally unfit to lead the Filipinos; they are a bad influence and do not serve as positive role models.
The 60-year-old Alvarez, who is married to current Congressional Spouses Foundation head Emelita Apostol Alvarez, not only “justified” his extramarital affair with a certain Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio but wore it like a badge of honor.
The Davao del Norte first district congressman, one of the PDP-Laban “big bosses,” also slut-shamed embattled Senator Leila de Lima regarding the romantic relationship she had with her driver during a November 2017 congressional hearing.
Ilonggos and their elected officials may not be perfect, but they know the bounds of decency and indecency; they are cultured and educated at the best universities and venerate women as symbols of virtue and epitomes of chastity and courtesy.
Alvarez is adored by traditional politicians across the country as they desire to remain in office beyond 2019. He is also glorified by power-seekers and those applying for higher government positions because of his position within the party and closeness with President Rodrigo Duterte (although the latter said he would never tolerate it).
Every time the speaker was in Iloilo, or the Western Visayas, both incumbent and aspiring city and provincial officials were in a mad scramble to get his attention; they wanted his blessing to anoint certain candidates for the next elections – in other words, Ilonggo politicians were “worshipping” a false political god, barking for blessings and campaign funding at a poisonous and sinful tree.
Ilonggos should rejected politicians who glorify Alvarez, he and other dirty politicians are not the answer to the Filipino people’s most fundamental problems.
Ilonggos (Filipinos for that matter) don’t need politicians as band-aids to solve their immediate needs, but individuals with economic and spiritual vision who can lead with dignity and inspiration. We should eschew politicians who irritate the nation’s soul and with a convoluted sense of machismo and misplaced braggadocio./WDJ