Who will be statesman?

Or stateswoman for that matter. Instead of beauty contests or movie awards, this is one race I would enjoy watching. Can you imagine the skills, the stamina, the wisdom, the capacity for sacrifice, and the character of those who would want to win in such a game? I think that game is on except the players themselves are yet unaware of the contest being fought, inured as they are, in deadly Philippine politics.

Still, most Filipinos wish we had leaders who were statesmen/women. Indeed, it could be said that never was there a greater need for statesmanship than we do now at a critical juncture of revamping the system through which we are governed.

Former President FVR may have had that in mind when he strongly criticized the no-elections in 2007 transitory provision in the Concom report. Why couldn’t President GMA bring herself to resign as an example to all the rest of the 2010 termers and make way for a new Parliament and system of government? he might as well have asked. It is said President GMA may have reneged on her word when she allegedly promised that to both FVR and JDV last July 8.

But if she genuinely believes she won the elections, can we blame her if she wants her term respected so she see her program through? In the background of the latest skirmishing among Lakas bigwigs is Speaker JDV, the prime mover of charter change. He, too, would like a crack at seeing his vision for the Philippines come true. See what I mean by the unstated competition on who should wear the crown when the Philippines takes off. Indeed a contest on what is good for the country is not bad, not bad at all. Your guess is as good as mine on who would eventually emerge as winner. Ironically, the contestants must take a hard look at who among them is capable of statesmanship, the country so badly needs.

What makes a statesman/woman? Former French president Georges Pompidou said succinctly: "A statesman is a politician who places himself (herself) at the service of the nation. A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service." From the dialogues of Socrates we learn "the statesman is he or she who has the care of human beings. A divine shepherd is higher than a king because a king is just like his subjects in breeding and education, but not a shepherd who rises above the foibles of his people."

Whatever contestants GMA, FVR and JDV have in mind, they must match their words with action. They have the duty to transform lofty words into action. Who of them will be up to being a statesman? That is what the contest is about. The hope of the Filipino nation and Filipinos, both living and yet unborn, lies on decisions each will have to make in the coming days. They can be compared to long distance runners.

In Allan Sillitoe’s book on the long distance runner, the principal character is a young man who runs deliberately to lose the race in order to preserve his own independence and integrity.

So will it be in the Philippine contest for statesmanship. It will require will, courage and a capacity for personal pain. It will mean sacrifice. Who of them will give up the glory of public victory? Looking within oneself is a lonely task. But it may be the only way to save the Philippines. Who among them will have the courage to claim the prize of the loneliness of the long distance runner whose only liberation is from within? Let us wait and see.

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These days when I visit Europe, whether it is London, Paris or Brussels, I am seized by an inexplicable panic and sadness: how did my family and I live through those long years of exile? Recently I saw our house in Brussels all locked up, barely seen in blinding snow as we drove past. In London, 49 Connaught Street where all the children grew up is still as it had been when we left. It is now owned by a wealthy Indian barrister. I walked around the corner and turned to Connaught Square, a route I had taken almost everyday on my way to Marks and Spencer’s or Selfridges where I shopped for our evening meal. The neighborhood, fondly called by its residents as Connaught Village has acquired a new resident, well, future resident with the news that Prime Minister Tony Blair has bought (a long lease as houses are owned by the Church Commissioners) one of those lovely Victorian houses around the square. Paris looks different from the perspective of a tourist coming as I did recently as part of an official entourage. I missed using the train and the ferry and arriving at the Gare d’Nord, meeting with Filipino domestics I had befriended in the course of our advocacies to politicize Filipino overseas workers.

These memories are most sharp and poignant at Christmas. I cannot ever imagine how my family and I could have spent as many as 20 Christmases away from home. Although my children are proud to be Filipinos, they can be said to be global citizens. They can live anywhere. They are the new generation of jet travelers connected by email and text messaging. But I belong to a different generation even if I have learned to use email and mobile phones. I admit to having been desperately homesick all those years in exile. If I managed to keep on it was because I never dwelled on it. That was my defense mechanism.

Paradoxically, we re-live those Christmases in exile since we returned home. For Christmas we have the inevitable turkey with Austrian stuffing, an excellent recipe I learned from Robert Carrier, wild Scotch smoked salmon, wines carefully selected by my husband who mastered wines in gastronomic Paris and of course minced pies or Christmas pudding to top Christmas meal. Albeit there will be no the walk in Hyde Park after Christmas lunch – an English tradition.

As most of former CNN anchor Veronica Pedrosa’s fans already know she has joined Al-Jazeera International and will soon be based in Kuala Lumpur. My other daughter, Marta is in Manila to look at the architectural scene and meet up with other Filipino architects. Her work is one of "25 Tropical Houses" compiled in a beautiful coffee table book put together by Elizabeth Reyes and photographed by Chester Ong. Liz has had other best-selling books. I saw one of her books for the first time in a Singapore bookstore. Speaking of Singapore, my son, Eduardo who used to work with the Pacific Economic Council (PECC) has now joined the Economist Intelligence Unit. So we will only have a part reunion with Marta and sons Alberto and Ricardo, both bankers who have made the Philippines their home as well. Merry Christmas to all of you, don’t eat too much, but if you have to, be sure to exercise!

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My e-mail is [email protected]