Learning from Manny and Mommy Dionesia

AN amusing sideshow in the RH debate were the recent interventions of our Pacman, the boxer/congressman, and his supermom, Mommy Dionesia. I’m sure many of us had a grand time enjoying the scene, if only through the papers and the Internet.

I salute their bravery in their simplicity that was roundly mocked by our so-called intelligent senators and congressmen and many in the media who are supposedly also Catholics. I thought I was seeing a David and Goliath face-off.

We should be thankful to the mother-and-son tandem and emulate them in their effort to defend the moral truth in the RH issue. Indeed what St. Paul said about the foolish, the weak and the base things confounding the wise, the strong and the proud came to life again. We should lose our fear and shyness and do our part also.

This is Philippine politics. Not everything in it is bad and rotten after all. There can be good entertainment. And it can come to us cheap and with a surprising dose of good politics when morality is upheld where it usually is hidden and ridiculed.

Manny continues to unravel himself even outside the ring and is showing his true grit in the political arena as well. I could understand why many people would prefer Manny to just confine himself to boxing. But since we are in a democracy, we cannot stop him from entering politics if he wants to, can we? So, the tongue-loose Miriam should just keep quiet, please. What she said just could not be stomached by any decent man.

Besides, with how he is acting with respect to the RH issue, I must say that he is damn right in showing his raw guts about it. We may not agree with his style, we may say he is not credible enough because of his past, etc., but at the end of the day, his conclusion is right. And there´s transparent earnestness in his delivery in spite of his beginner´s awkwardness.

We should just give him a chance in politics. I don’t think we will lose a lot if he joins the ranks of the people’s representatives in Congress. As far as I can see, he seems to be faring better than many of them insofar as morals and the source of their war chest are concerned.

As to his past, or even to his present and future, I’ll borrow a line from a movie to say there is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future. Come on, just let him be. Let’s be kind enough to help him fill the shoes of a congressman. So far, he is showing good potential. Go, Manny, go!

As to the mother, let me apologize first because I must confess that the first time I saw her, she struck me as a comedienne catapulted from poverty to instant wealth and popularity. Only lately did I realize there´s a lot more inside her simple and funny visage that the media is also quick to exploit.

How else would Manny learn to pray before and after a bout if not through her? How else would Manny think about the RH issue if not because of her guidance? How else could Manny have the guts if the mother did not have the balls?

As far as I know, Manny and Mommy Dionesia did not graduate from exclusive Catholic schools. Their faith and sense of morals must have developed from a good heart touched by grace. Let´s keep them in our prayers. I have no doubt we are blessed with them, even more than we are with our highly educated politicians.

And, by the way, we should not be ashamed to include religion in our discussions of public issues. If religion would not be the underlying framework of the discussion, what would it be then? Some ideology, some reasoning, some estimations of what is practical, convenient and popular? We´ve had enough of those, and look where we are now?

These are some of the things I am learning from Manny and Mommy Dionesia, together with the stronger realization that in our politics we don´t need a high pedigree, nor IQ, nor wealth nor English proficiency to do good there and really contribute to the common good. A good heart and common sense would be enough, or at least, the basic.

I just pray that Manny and Mommy Dionesia remain as simple as they are now, avoiding the subtle corruption of power and money. Lord, protect them with your grace!