Bongbong Marcos: The Son Has Risen.

MANILA: Yes and No.

Certainly I disagree with Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr when he says, "Love, not gender, defines marriage" (Ron Lopez & Justine Dizon, Inquirer.net, lifestyle.inquirer.net). I'm a Roman Catholic. Like is not love; the Bible limits marriage to between man and woman and considers same-sex relationships as an abomination, intensely to be loathed, disgusting. The Catholic Church recognizes male-female marriage as a Sacrament, "a rite believed to be a means of or visible form of grace" (American Heritage Dictionary). It is God-given; otherwise, it is Devil-given. I say: No to same-sex unions!

Certainly I agree with Bongbong when he speaks of the position of Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao on same-sex unions (Ron Gagalac, 15 February 2016 news.abs-cbn.com). Manny says (almost), "No!" Referring to that, Bongbong says, "Everybody is entitled to (one's) opinion, Iyon ang kanyang paniniwala. May karapatan ang bawa't isa na magdesisyon kung ano sa kanya ang tama. Respetuhin natin ang kanyang opinyon." My translation: That's his belief. Everyone has the right to make a decision on what he considers is right. We must respect his opinion.

Actually, it was not Manny's opinion but the stand of the Catholic Church, my Church, as well as his new church, whatever it is now – he used to be a Catholic.

That tells me Bongbong has an open mind. But there is more to Bongbong than an open mind. On 27 February 2016, I wrote (see my essay, "Vision, Not Division: One State, One Spirit, One Struggle," A Magazine Called Love, blogspot.com):

I saw in the report by Jaime R Pilapil who said, "Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr vowed to put an end to political divisions that he said had hindered the full development of the country" (09 February 2016, "Unity key to progress – Marcos," Manila Times, manilatimes.net). Vision, not division. "The younger Marcos said the country's leaders should have one vision and a concrete plan to help the poor." Music to my ears!

That's how Bongbong Marcos finally became my VP. As a leader. If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch. Not with Bongbong. He has Vision. (Image taken as Bongbong spoke in a gathering of a religious group in Quezon City on Valentine's Day, 14 February 2016, philstar.com).

As if I needed to be convinced some more, here comes columnist Rigoberto Tiglao of The Manila Times telling me he is convinced that "Bongbong towers over political and moral midgets" (27 March 2016, manilatimes.net). For me, that does it, that's the clincher, that's my affirmation.

Tiglao has 3 reasons why he says "Bongbong gets my vote" and these are:

(1)     Moral fiber and intelligence. Tiglao says: "For his courage and intelligence in voting against Corona's conviction, Marcos has got my vote, and I don't care if he were the Devil's son." Bongbong voted No to the conviction, explaining: "When the furor has died down and this political storm has subsided, I know – that like Lady Justice – we shall find solace in the fact that my decision, though maybe not popular, was fair, impartial and just." Tiglao explains: "It is not what a political leader says or claims to be that he must be judged. It is what he does in the crucial periods of a nation's history, or in times of crisis, which tries 'a man's soul,' when his moral fiber and intelligence are tested. Bongbong passed it with flying colors." In contrast, Bongbong's rivals in the VP race received millions of pesos before, during and after Renato Corona's impeachment trial, Tiglao says: Trillanes, Cayetano, Escudero and Honasan.

Only 3 Senators upheld the innocence of Chief Justice Renato Corona: old-timers Joker Arroyo and Miriam Defensor-Santiago and neophyte Senator Bongbong Marcos. My own personal favorite Senator Tito Sotto voted to convict Corona, so I lost confidence in him – Sotto, not Corona.

(2)     Statesmanship.A statesman is "a political leader regarded as a disinterested promoter of the public good" – American Heritage Dictionary. Tiglao says of Bongbong: "He boldly stood up again against another Aquino plot, which was to dismember the Republic by giving the Moro Islamic Liberation Front its own nation-state through the Bangsamoro Basic Law." As Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, "Bongbong exposed the BBL for what it really was through the many hearings he had led, despite the enormous political pressure brought upon him."

I too was against the passage of the BBL (see my essay, "A Climate Of Peace," 28 March 2015, A Magazine Called Love, blogspot.com). There was the time Noynoy Aquino called for a National Peace Summit "to deliberate on and discuss the BBL." I'm glad there were no takers. In the meantime, I noted Bongbong's handling the mess via his committee on local government with finesse. He was exposing the enemy within, ever so slowly, in an indirect way, the things that were very wrong with the BBL as proposed. Bongbong had a full grasp of it that Noynoy did not, so he could not manipulate the BBL with subtlety. Somebody didn't have subtlety in the first place!

(3)     Executive and legislative experience. 

Tiglao says: "He has the best qualifications." He has been Senator for 3 years; he was Ilocos Norte Governor for 12 years. "That is the ideal mix of experience, in both the executive and legislative branches, for running the country. (And let's not kid ourselves: the vice president is just a heartbeat away from the presidency.)"

Years ago when Bongbong was Governor of Ilocos Norte, I don't know but I kept bumping on his speeches, and I said to myself, this boy had a good grasp of the science of agriculture and the art of governance. Even then I thought he would make a good President.

Tiglao begins his column saying, "It's a no-brainer, really, if you can drop all the brainwashing since 1986 over the Marcos era." My point exactly! You cannot visit the sins of the father on the son. (See my essay, "The Son Also Rises," 24 February 2016, A Magazine Called Love, blogspot.com). He ends his column saying it will continue on Wednesday, but I don't have to wait 2 days more; his 3 reasons are good enough for me. In fact, they're excellent.

Thank you Rigoberto Tiglao for your intelligent and independent thinking. What else can I say? Today is Monday after Easter Sunday. The son has risen!