Mar Roxas and the Filipino ‘don’

Critics of former Local Governments Secretary Mar Roxas may have wrongly accused him of one thing: of being cold and unfeeling. 

This is unfair. In this column, we will explain why Roxas is one person who, as they say, “is in touch with his feelings.”

In fact, the public’s image of him is of one who tends to swing from one end of the emotion pendulum to the other, particularly in times of crisis. Roxas, it seems, is never unemotional – contrary to fears that he is too cerebral.

When at one end of the emotional spectrum, Roxas is angry and bitter, he is capable of exploding and dealing with the object of his anger in a steely, restrained manner.

When he swings to the other end, Roxas is lachrymose, appearing like one perpetually on the verge of tears, voice cracking, lips quivering in a manner that reminds one of the perfect dramatic moments created by the tandem of movie director Lino Brocka and actress Hilda Koronel.

The angry Roxas was in full display in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Yolanda’s devastation of Tacloban City.

The teary-eyed Roxas was spotlighted in the aftermath of the Mamasapano Massacre and when he visited the tomb of his famous forebears before he accepted the endorsement of President Aquino.

He was again on the verge of tears when he introduced his running mate to an adoring sea of yellow at Club Filipino.

Many ask: which is the real Roxas? The angry one or his on-the-verge-of-tears version?

People who swear they know him say both versions are for real. Except for the contrived versions of him portrayed by his “Palengke” and “Padyak” commercials, they attest that the Roxas we see in action is authentic.

The big question, however, is this: Would a highly emotional brand of leadership work in our country? Would an emotionally volatile leader be able to help our people survive and overcome the many calamities and adversities that perennially visit our land?

It is interesting that despite the display of a pendulum of human emotions, Roxas continues to struggle with winning public affection. It is worthwhile for his team to try and understand why Roxas does not generate the same spontaneous public excitement that other national personalities do by way of instinct.

In short, it is worthwhile analyzing why Roxas’s prominent emotional presence in the epic Yolanda and Mamasapano chapters in our history did not automatically create for him a public clamor to be the next president.

We had leaders whose display of outstanding leadership in times of crisis became their stepping-stones to the presidency. For example, then-Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay’s handling of the Hukbalahap rebellion endeared him to the masses and made him a shoo-in for the top office of the land.

Another good example is another former defense secretary—President Fidel V. Ramos. Ramos was sterling when he led the reopening of Kennon and Marcos roads leading up to a Baguio City isolated by the powerful earthquake of the early 1990s.

Magsaysay displayed anger publicly when he held the blood-soaked body of Moises Padilla. Ramos displayed displeasure publicly when the engineering works for the clearing of the roads leading up to Baguio were delayed.

Those emotional moments endeared them to the people. They showed us the stuff that leaders are made of.

How come the Roxas angry moments in Tacloban city post-Yolanda were not as powerful?

The reason is this: Magsaysay and Ramos – like most admired leaders – displayed anger that is directed at an issue or at a situation. Roxas vented his anger on a person —the then hapless mayor of Tacloban City.

When angry at a person, Roxas can be colorful. It was at that angry moment when he told the mayor, “You are a Romualdez and he is an Aquino.”

In that defining moment, Roxas struck fear. It conveyed to Filipinos that Roxas defines his world in terms of the power of family names and of the families that own the most land and money in this country.

Roxas’ paradigm is an oligarchy – a world where the few who have the most lord it over the many who have less.

He cannot be faulted for that. That is the world he grew up in. It is not Roxas’ sin that he was born into Visayan and Tagalog clans that inherited and possessed much land.

We cannot be faulted, too, that when he scolds, he reminds the Filipino of the wealthy “don” to whom everyone must bow. It is too risky to offend the “don.”

He might scold us and remind us of which wealthy families run this country.

Or, on a good day, we just might drive him to the verge of tears.