P-Noy should attend Mandela funeral

It’s unclear why former president Fidel Ramos was not able to attend the inauguration of Nelson Mandela on May 10, 1994, sending instead his then-Vice President Joseph Estrada to represent the country to witness the installation of South Africa’s first black president. It was perhaps one of the world’s greatest moments in history that transformed the course of democracy not only in South Africa but in many nations — showing that one can rise above the barriers of race, color, poverty, inequality, anger — and all the things that go with the word “apartheid.”

Nelson Mandela’s passing is being mourned by many nations flying their flags at half-mast with world leaders expected to attend the state funeral scheduled on December 15. President Noynoy Aquino should make every effort to attend the funeral and pay tribute to a great man revered as an icon of democracy and freedom  — the same man who described the president’s late mother Cory Aquino as a woman who has been “an inspiration not only to her own people but to the world.”

This is an opportunity for the Philippines and the president to show solidarity with South Africa and join the many leaders all over the world who are expected to attend the funeral of the revered Nelson Mandela — the man who spent 27 years in prison but in the end, emerged as a shining example of someone who rose above bitterness and hatred to end the turmoil of segregation that has blighted South Africa for so many decades.

Accolades and praises are pouring forth for the man who is acknowledged as a giant among men, described by many as the greatest leader in the annals of South Africa. He said he was not perfect, and like every one else may have made mistakes. Mandela himself acknowledged, “I am not a saint” – but this “prisoner-turned-peacemaker” had one enduring belief that most likely defined and shaped his character: he had a great loathing for injustice, having experienced first hand what it was like to be despised, to be spat on, to be shooed away simply because his skin did not have the right tone and color.

As former Times managing editor and Mandela biography writer Richard Stengel said, “…deep in his bones was a basic sense of fairness: he simply could not abide injustice. If he, Nelson Mandela, the son of a chief, tall, handsome and educated, could be treated as subhuman, then what about the millions who had nothing like his advantages?” 

As Stengel also noted, “He could have been president for life, but he knew that for democracy to rule, he could not” — becoming instead a rare thing in South Africa’s history, a one-term president, knowing that he would be setting a precedent. He was called “Madiba” (the name of a 19th century Thembu ruler) as a form of respect and endearment, but to many other South Africans, he was simply “Tata”  — father — and indeed he was, for he gave them a legacy that should serve as an enduring beacon not only for his people but for everyone.

On that day in May 1994, Nelson Mandela said: “The time for great healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come.” Even in death, Mandela has the power to unite and inspire men to set aside barriers that divide, as people everywhere share in the grief of a nation who mourn the passing of a father.

Ping Lacson: Make or break

The appointment of former senator Ping Lacson as the post-Yolanda “rehabilitation czar” is considered to be a “make or break” for Leyte and all the outlying provinces that were pounded by the fury of super Typhoon Yolanda. Latest reports have placed the cost of damage at over P34 billion, and it would not be an understatement to say that the massive task ahead requires gargantuan effort, not to mention huge financial resources.

Ping has announced a target deadline of 2016, and Congressman Martin Romualdez told us they are prepared to fully cooperate with the rehab czar because as the saying goes, “what is good for the gander is good for the goose.” No doubt Ping will surely be good for Leyte — and all the provinces that were severely hit by the super typhoon.

After all, Ping has everything to gain, and some sources told us that the former PNP chief expressly said, “I have nothing to lose. If I am successful, then well and good; but if I’m not, at least I know I did my best.” This early, there are already whispers around the Palace that Lacson could in fact be the potential administration candidate for 2016. Some allies of the President say they are already looking around for a candidate for the much-anticipated 2016 presidential derby. But people around P-Noy say he is committed to Mar Roxas and pointed out that “the president feels indebted to Mar, not only because he is a close personal friend but also in gratitude for Mar’s giving way as the Liberal Party presidential nominee, standing aside in 2010.”

For now world attention is focused on the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda – a great opportunity to start from scratch and show the way forward to the rest of the world as far as disaster resiliency and rehabilitation is concerned. Leyte, in particular Tacloban City, can serve as a template for humanitarian and development experts with many countries already offering assistance to turn Tacloban into a disaster resilient community. Clearly, the success of Ping will ultimately be the success of the Philippines.

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