The Philippine Online Chronicles

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The Scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus, "The disciples of John fast often and say long prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why is it that your disciples eat and drink?" Then Jesus said to them, "You can't make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. But later the bridegroom will be taken from them and they will fast in those days."

Jesus also told them this parable: "No one tears a piece from a new coat to put it on an old one; otherwise the new will be torn and the piece taken from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed as well. But new wine must be put into fresh skins. Yet no one who has tasted old wine is eager to get new wine, but says: The old is good."

Luke 5: 33-39

The announcement of Senator Mar Roxas's withdrawal from the presidential race to give way to the candidacy of Senator Noynoy Aquino was like much prayed for rain falling upon cracked earth due to a long drought. While people speculated that because of the rising popularity of Sen. Noynoy, Sen. Mar would eventually let go of his plans and let Sen. Noynoy take over the Liberal Party's presidential bid, Sen. Mar's sudden withdrawal took people by surprise. Indeed, like long desired and needed rain that unexpectedly pours, making farmers praise and thank the God of creation, this heroic letting go of personal ambition is equally refreshing and life-giving. Thank you for the "rain" Senator Mar Roxas.

Such act of magnanimity and humility clearly says that there is hope for our country and her people. Just when most of us have nearly resigned to a grim political future dominated by self-absorbed trapos, a totally un-trapo-like behavior jolts us and snatches us just as we were falling off the cliffs of despair. Mar Roxas comes from an old political family which would have justified a certain zealous protectiveness of both personal and family agenda. But, he did something new and refreshingly different. He gave up his and his family's agenda by withdrawing from the presidential race. Thus, we saw the new flowing from the old.

The occurrence of something new and different augurs well for all of us. The present administration seems to have succeeded in spreading moral mediocrity and uniformity. It has repeatedly promoted a carrot and stick culture that predictably rewards the carrot to all loyal, indeed, blindly loyal subjects.

A writer aptly observed how Mar's decision to forego his presidential bid paradoxically makes him presidentiable. This action seems to be the reverse of the analogy Jesus used in the Gospel which says: "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed as well." Yet, don't we in fact need to change the old wineskin of our political system and culture? While Jesus stresses the importance of preserving primordial and fundamental values, our problem are leaders who in fact have no values at all. Selflessness and concern for the common good are rare in a polluted sea of selfish and ambitious leaders. Philippine politics, old and jaded, badly needs the enduring freshness and newness of humble, self-effacing leadership. In one golden moment, this was Mar Roxas's gift to us. Our gratitude, more than words, should be manifested through similar big and small acts that will more and more spread the new wine to crack and replace the old wine skin.

Renew our country, Lord. Rid us of selfish and corrupt leaders. Raise up only those who lead with pure hearts and wise minds. Amen.