When his troubled adopted son Joavan was arrested and jailed yet again last week, Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez was caught by cameras visiting him behind bars. The mayor had on a motorcycle crash helmet that he never took off during their pained dialogue.
The resulting pictures of Mayor Soc, head encased in the helmet, reflected a pathetic, feeble and vain attempt to shield himself from the glare of public scrutiny, an attempt showing he finally understood how ruinous to his own life Joavan has become for as long as he is alive.
Mayor Soc no longer stood defiantly before the cameras in defense of his adopted son, despite the well-meaning advice of friends and associates for him to let go and do what is best for him under the circumstances, which is commitment in a rehabilitation center.
This time, the beleaguered father, while duty-driven and honor-bound to go see how his son was in custody, felt compelled to do what an ostrich allegedly does in face of adversity — bury its head in the sand, only that a helmet is more prudent for humans for the same purpose.
The popular belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand has, however, been largely discredited by animal experts. On the other hand, ostriches can be obstinate. For a man to hide inside a helmet for reasons other than physical safety can be a sign of obstinacy too.
But Mayor Soc is not an ostrich. And we apologize for the allusion. On the contrary, he is a known man of God, having been for decades a leading light in a group known for its passion in defending the Catholic faith. It is time he deals with his son with similar passion.
And by similar passion we mean a fervent desire to do what is good for his son, not what is good for his own self. For quite frankly, Mayor Soc is being selfish in trying to cling on to his fatherly love and obligation when clearly the circumstances no longer permit him to do so.
Mayor Soc has to look beyond himself. He cannot be there for his son forever. It is best that, while it is still within his power to at least partly control his son’s destiny, he should give him up to the professionals.
By the way, an ostrich does not just bury its head in the sand according to legend. In reality it can also attack and deliver a mighty kick that has been known to kill even lions. This is how Mayor Soc should deal with his problem: Attack it and deliver a mighty kick against it.