Among Ed,
Thank you for being open to new windows or new ways of looking at what’s transpiring in our country. Forgive me if at times my zeal and enthusiasm make me sound all-knowing–rest assured that these ideas are shared in the spirit of humility and the desire to perform a servant’s role in efforts to help our country and people.
Allow me to share with you some PR proposals/observations from a former Jesuit novice/scholastic, former Samahang Demokratikong Kabataan-KM member and long-time PR/Advertising practitioner:
I. THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF THE PHILIPPINES’ SOCIO-POLITICAL PROBLEMS.
As an exemplary Catholic priest you certainly understand better than any other Philippine politician that the root of the country’s problems are spiritual: the turning away from God. The manifestations are greed, immorality, corruption, injustices and all the other vices which ultimately produce social chaos, poverty and political instability. The true and real solution therefore is spiritual: the turning back to God. Unless, the Philippines turns back to God, we will never solve our problems.
Knowing this truth, you still decided to leave your spiritual duties temporarily because you also realize that prayer and spirituality must be accompanied by action. This was shown by Moses in the book of Exodus when God commanded Moses to send Joshua to do battle against Amalek with the sword while Moses raised his arm in prayer in prefiguration of the pose of crucifixion. The lesson being it is not enough to pray; we must also do battle. And we cannot win the battle without praying. The Cross and the Sword go together.
II. THE ROLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH/CBCP.
If the above is true, then the CBCP must mount a vigorous effort to make people understand that the solutions to the Philippines’ problems is to return to God. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS DENOUNCING THE POLITICAL PROBLEMS, THE CORRUPTION, ETC, BUT NOT DOING ENOUGH TO CONDEMN THE PERSONAL IMMORALITY OF MANY POLITICIANS AND OF THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES.
This covers the spiritual arena. In the arena of political action, I believe Among Ed or Kaya Natin should approach the CBCP or individual bishops who may be sympathetic about the possibility of Kaya Natin making a presentation to the CBCP Plenary towards the end of January about Kaya Natin’s position regarding the CBCP/Catholc Church’s role in the 2010 elections. I believe a strong argument can be made in favor of the proposition that the CBCP should actively and openly support Kaya Natin’s leaders whether as individuals or as a group in the coming 2010 elections. A sound historical and political analysis combined with arguments from the perspective of moral theology and the Church’s social teachings would I believe be convincing and persuasive enough to make the CBCP take heretofore unprecedented actions. Allow me to cite the example of Poland where the Church and Solidarity worked together to successfully bring down powerful Communist regimes in eastern and central Europe.
In Pampanga, Bishop Ambo can do so many things in the spiritual realm and in the political arena. A spiritual renewal and reevangelization campaign leading up to HOLY WEEK in Pampanga can be undertaken.
III. CENTRAL THEME OF PR/COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN IN PAMPANGA AND PHILIPPINES: GOOD VERSUS EVIL.
In Advertising/PR Campaigns we do for consumer products like toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc, we try to focus all communication campaigns towards a CENTRAL THEME from which or to which all individual communications or information materials radiate. Some advertising agencies call the central theme by diffrerent names like THE UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION OR THE BIG PROMISE, etc. but the basic idea remains: to bring focus and impact to the campaign, the campaign must be united or framed by a central theme. I propose that the central theme of Among Ed’s campaign should be on GOOD VERSUS EVIL.
Good Governance can be relative or subjective and Among ED’s rivals can always cite failings or inadequacies or deficiencies in the area of Good Governance. That is playing the enemy’s game, a game where the enemy has options and possible arguments. But the game where the enemy is weakest and Among ED is strongest is the moral realm–and it’s something that the common ”tao” can easily understand and they can see with their own eyes.
In this context, the conflict is not between Among ED and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan but between Among ED and the jueteng lord of Pampanga, the personification of evil in Pampanga, Bong Pineda. Vice Governor Joseller Guiao and Board members and mayors allied with them are mere puppets doing the will of the personification of evil, Bong Pineda.
And even the protesting dismissed quarry workers are not abused oppressed workers but Pineda allies doing Pineda;s work. THE CHOICE IN PAMPANGA IS NOT BETWEEN WHO IS THE BETTER ADMINISTRATOR BUT BETWEEN SOMEBODY WHO REPRESENTS THE GOOD IN PAMPANGUENOS AND SOMEBODY WHO REPRESENTS EVERYTHING THAT IS BAD, DESPICABLE AND SHAMEFUL IN KAPAMPANGANS. IN THIS SENSE GOOD GOVERNANCE BECOMES A PROOF OR MANIFESTATION OF AMONG ED’S GOODNESS. THE CENTRAL THEME IS AMONG ED’S GOODNESS. GOOD GOVERNANCE IS SIMPLY THE PROOF. THIS PLAYS ON AMONG ED’S STRENGTH AND SPOTLIGHTS BONG PINEDA’S FATAL WEAKNESS.
Thank you for your kind consideration. I hope this helps.
In Christ,
Enri
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