The American Frank

Copyright by Frank A Hilario
Published by American Chronicle
April 7, 2006

 

Or,The Great Philippine

Search for a Redeemer

THE INTERNET IS A MESSAGE, A MEDIUM, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE A MESSIAH.

THE IDEAL: The Internet is a message of universality, borderlessness, relationships. The Internet is a medium of communication characterized by openness, earnestness and high purpose. The Internet is a Messiah as it is all of the above, as it loves indiscriminately, as it offers hope to everyone, as it impacts on all tribes, as it attempts to inspire all people, as it comes in peace, and as it wields authority over all it surveys, a slave to no man.

I know many a country that can benefit from such a Messiah if it were a person.

The Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah because they were expecting a political Savior who would liberate them from their Roman oppressors. Today, in the Philippines occurs the Messiah Phenomenon of too many political Redeemers of their country. This is what prompted this little study so that the whole world can learn from the mistakes of the Filipinos – and the Filipinos can learn from their own.

What is a Messiah anyway? (Image from Fotostock)

Simply said, to be a Messiah is to be a Redeemer, a Savior. ‘Messiah’ is a Hebrew word that means ‘the anointed one’ while ‘Christ’ is its Greek equivalent. As our short introduction to this study of Messiahs, let us look at a handful of Messiahs in moving pictures:

Luke Skywalker is the Messiah of the Rebel Alliance challenging the Galactic Empire in the ‘Star Wars’ double trilogy of films by George Lucas. Lucas himself is the cineaste’s Messiah who has single-handedly invented the prequel and catapulted filmmaking into the age of the intelligent film. I love the Star Wars books too, especially those by Kevin J Anderson, a thinking writer.

Neo is the Messiah in the ‘Matrix’ trilogy – ‘he brings peace and salvation’ (Mark Stucky, October 2005, Journal of Religion and Film, unomaha.edu/). I like the fight scenes too.

V in ‘V for Vendetta’ is the Messiah who liberates his people by destroying Parliament and, in the process, ignites a Revolution; in the end, he dies. A Messiah not only gives of himself – he gives himself. To see is to believe! Maybe the next movie will be that of a Messiah who destroys the Presidential Palace, inspires the people to build a Parliament, and dies?

With out-of-this-world box-office success, avant-garde films like Star Wars, Matrix and Vendetta elevate brutality to a social value, if not virtue. Todd F Eklof calls it ‘redemptive violence’ (15 September 2002, ‘Dominator Messiah: Rethinking the myth of redemptive violence,’ CliftonUnitarian.com/). Why do people flock to such movies? Eklof explains:

‘(It) is not because people enjoy being terrified and thrilled, as is often suggested to explain the popularity of such stories. Rather, it seems more likely the human psyche is attracted to movies like Jaws for precisely the opposite reason, that we collectively seek comfort amidst life’s disorder and uncertainty by witnessing the defeat of chaos, which for us has become synonymous with evil.’

We watch a movie, believe the story to be true and we become participants in it. Outside the movies, many a Messiah brings us immense relief in the midst of the mess of our lives even as we believe. We cry our release: MESS.i.AH!

There is another Messiah of film. Chris Weinkopf describes him (12 December 2005, ‘Movie Messiah,’ christiancinema.com/). Having produced ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,’ the Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz is the Messiah of cinema, ‘the modern entertainment’s rescuer, a lion-hearted savior of American film,’ who might as well be ‘a mighty lion Messiah (who) roars onto the scene to awaken warmth and hope.’ The film is the 2nd highest-grossing movie in 2005. The movie is the first in a series based on the series of 7 books called ‘The Chronicles of Narnia.’ Narnia reflects the thoughts of its creator, CS Lewis, who never converted but was a Roman Catholic ‘in many aspects of his faith and devotion’ (2004, ‘CS Lewis And The Catholic Church,’ Ignatius Press, Ignatius.com/). Lewis himself can be said to be the reluctant Catholic Messiah of children’s books. In ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ the lion Aslan is the Messiah: He sacrifices himself so that Christmas can come back to Narnia.

After that brief introduction, we now proceed to the study proper and look for the Messiah in several places:

(a) The Messiah in Mary’s son – Here, we might learn the lesson of love, as Jesus shows us a higher form of it: agape, or Christian love.

(b) The Messiah in mythology – Here, we might learn the lesson of hope, as Jason and the Argonauts show us that we need to keep faith with the higher powers.

(c) The Messiah in historical times – Here, we might learn the lesson of peace. In the Philippines, Jose Rizal shows us that peace is the only way, but it can be deadly. Because there are barbarians at the gate who believe in violence in peace.

(d) The Messiah in his own mind – Here, we might learn the lesson of discernment. In the Philippines, will Gringo Honasan prove to be the Messiah that my country needs?

My way of celebrating this year’s Holy Week, this small study on the Messiah covers the mythical ages, biblical times, what John Varrasi calls the ‘Age of Ingenuity’ (19th century) (February 2005, ASME memagazine.org/), and what I call the Age of Chaos (the new millennium). My study has been prompted by certain creatures, each claiming to be the Messiah of the masses – or acting like one. Readers around the world can learn from the experience in the Philippines, where the Phenomenon of the Messiah can be seen happening today and nowhere else in Asia, with more than half a dozen claiming the celestial crown. I say: Seven too many.

(A) THE MESSIAH IN MARY’S SON – IN LOVE, WE MUST DECREASE.

This is about the Redeemer according to the Bible. Jesus, the Messiah of the Jews, the Savior of all Christians, son of Joseph the carpenter, son of Mary the Virgin.

A Baptist or Born Again Christian or any other Protestant says it like this: ‘Jesus Christ, my personal Lord and Savior.’ That’s really saying Jesus Christ is one’s ‘personal Messiah.’ None of those words in quotes are in the Bible, and I’m a Catholic, but I have no problem with that. It’s really very personal. A Messiah cares for you and me, not some alien, scientific, technically correct ‘human species.’

I say to be a Messiah is to love, to love to the fullest, to sacrifice even oneself for the sake of the beloved. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ John 3: 16 New King James Version (New KJV)

That Messiah Son sacrificed himself willingly for us because he loved us. ‘Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’ Matthew 26: 42 New KJV

Did you know that husbands are called upon to be Messiahs in their own homes, to sacrifice? The author of the letter to the Ephesians writes: ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.’ Ephesians 5: 25 New KJV. Husbands cannot dismiss that as simply a figure of speech.

If love is the ultimate message of Jesus Christ as Messiah, why did he not get married? Because love is more than sexual love, more than begetting. Mankind already knew about physical love but had yet to learn the greater lesson of love.

Someone asked Jesus: ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ Jesus said to him: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’ Matthew 22: 36-40 New KJV. Christian love.

To be a Messiah is to sacrifice. So, if you don’t want to be (or if you know you are not) the Messiah, get out of the way!

John the Baptist did what he had to do. He did what he said: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease. ’ John 3: 30 New KJV. You get the point. It was time for John to exit from the scene; he knew it and he did it.

In Philippine politics, there are many self-proclaimed Messiahs today, would-be bringers of heaven and/or redemption, each of whom being really John the Baptist but will not accept such a diminished role. More on them later.

Learning from the Bible, let me state a few of my expectations from a Messiah. I say a Messiah must have at least a clear vision, a personal mission, and a preferred medium. Vision: a desired future. Mission: a desired turn of events to achieve a desired future. Medium: a desired means of communication proper to the occasion proper to the audience.

Jesus Christ as Messiah: What was his vision? In one word: Paradise. However you describe it, whatever you call it, that’s it, inclusive of Cloud Nine, Elysium, Garden of Eden, Shangri-La, Utopia, Hesperides, Nirvana. Happiness was His vision for me, for us.

His mission? Teach. Teach the way, the truth and the life. ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ John 14: 6 New KJV. His mission is to get you to believe in Him and do what He says. So: If you say you believe in Him and not do what He commands you to do, you’re a fake. Say: If you are generous in your grants and gifts to outsiders but are stingy with your subordinates and staff, you have been taught but have not learned.

His medium? The sermon, relying on the parable and the paradox.

A parable is a short story or a simple simile that contains a symbolic message or moral lesson. Here are some Jesus parables: The Sower (Matthew 13: 3-23), The Lost Sheep (Luke 15: 4-7), The Mustard Seed (Mark 4: 30-32), The Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20: 1-16), The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13), The Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37), The Rich Fool (Luke 12: 16-21), The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32), The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19-31), New Cloth, New Wine (Mark 2: 21-22, Bread of Life (John 6: 31-38).

And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ And He answered: ‘Because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.’ Matthew 13: 13. In other words, if you are not in the spirit, you will not understand; if you are, you will. A New Testament lesson in communication: Use figures of speech. That leaves the interpretation to your audience. With parables, you the teacher are teaching your student to learn by himself, the only kind of learning that works.

Here are some Jesus paradoxes (all from the New KJV) : ‘He who loves his life will lose it.’ John 12: 25. ‘But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’ Matthew 19: 30. ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.’ Luke 6: 27. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’ Matthew 5: 5. If you love me, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury the dead.’ Matthew 8: 22. ‘Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ Mark 10: 21.

Paradoxes are ridiculous – and/or very funny: Take up your cross and come follow me! (Lord, I can’t, for my burden is heavy.) For all their seeming illogicality, paradoxes are true; they all work out in the end. The Messiah in the Bible is telling us we can’t be happy without perceiving parables and pursuing paradoxes. And if we truly love, all that we can do; in fact we can do anything, including the impossible.

(B) THE MESSIAH IN MYTHOLOGY – IN HOPE, WE MUST INCREASE.

In myths, the pattern of the Messiah/hero’s journey is repeated in many cultures according to Joseph Campbell in his book, ‘The Hero With A Thousand Faces’ (Princeton University Press, 1968, 416 pages). So, to talk of one is to talk of the others. This time, let’s talk Greek. Before I thought of writing this article, I didn’t think the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece was a Messiah myth, until I examined the premises: kingship lawful, throne usurped, baby saved from murder, child growing up to try and redeem the kingship of his father by agreeing to go on a mission that could kill him. A parallel to the story of Jesus as the Messiah.

Jason’s father was King of Iolcus in Thessaly whose brother Pelias usurped the throne, threw Jason’s father in jail and tried to kill the son (Jason), but his mother saved him by pretending that the baby was already dead, and bundled him off to the wilderness. Chiron the Centaur adopted and tutored Jason in the arts of plants, hunting, and civilized life. When Jason came of age and laid claim to the throne that was rightfully his, his Uncle Pelias agreed to yield the crown on condition that Jason would fetch for him the Golden Fleece in Colchis. Pelias knew Jason would not survive this quest, because it was full of unimaginable dangers and impossible tasks: surviving the Symplegades, two clashing rocks that would crush between them any ship that attempted to pass; plowing the Colchis King’s field with bulls that breathed fire; planting seeds that when sown grew and became deadly inhuman warriors; and finally slaying the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece. Aided by the gods, Jason succeeded despite the terrible odds. In victory, he redeemed his father’s kingdom. And he lived happily ever after.

In myth, the Messiah lives. The lesson is that of hope.

(C) THE MESSIAH IN MODERN TIMES – IN PEACE, WE CAN MULTIPLY.

Like in biblical times and unlike in myth, in history the Messiah dies. Yet the lesson is not that of death but that of peace. ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ John 16: 33 New KJV.

Peace must be a terrible lesson because mankind has not learned it. I know the United States has not. Have gun, will travel? Not my Messiah.

My Messiah in history comes from the 19th century, the one that saw the rise of Germany, Japan and the United States as world powers and the decline of the Spanish empire. At this time, the Filipinos with only their bolos and bravery defeated the Spaniards with their guns and coarse conscience. This century also saw the birth of science, which became the new Messiah: deliverer of the true, the good and the beautiful. Not my Messiah.

Pardon me, but my Messiah comes from my country, 19th century Philippines, in the person of Dr Jose Rizal, now the national hero of the Filipinos. Where the other hero, Andres Bonifacio, advocated violence against the colonizing Spaniards, Rizal advocated non-violence, the very first in Asia to do so, predating Mahatma Gandhi by 22 years (read my book, indios bravos! Jose Rizal As Messiah Of The Redemption, Lumos Publishing, 2005). Bonifacio championed Revolution; Rizal championed Reformation. Bonifacio took the road to war; Rizal took the road to peace. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Indeed, peace is deadly: my Messiah died according to the dictates of barbarians who would perpetuate the slavery of the Filipinos. Yet war is deadlier: Bonifacio died in the hands of his own countrymen – and the Revolution devoured many more of its own children. Violence begets violence. What’s more, a Revolution never dies, that’s why it’s called the Unfinished Revolution.

War is division and subtraction; peace is addition and multiplication. We have not learned the arithmetic of progress.

(D) THE MESSIAH IN HIS OWN MIND – IN DISCERNMENT, WE CAN AGGREGATE.

I want my Messiah in peace. Peace perpetuates itself. Violence, not learning from history, repeats itself.

Let us therefore learn to distinguish the true Messiah from the false. Once we learn to discern, we can then work together to support him – and in working with him, we are working for ourselves.

For the exercise, let us try and discern the true Messiah in my own country, the Philippines, where vested interests keep fanning the flames of political revolution in the capital city, Manila. We have had failed Messiahs before: Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, Cory Aquino, Joseph Estrada. Each became President; each was hailed by the people as Savior of the country. After their political deaths, no redemption occurred, which showed that they were not true Messiahs. All they had was the Messiah Complex. Careful: Those who have the Messiah Complex are not insane: They know exactly what they are doing. They’re just terribly mistaken in why they’re doing it.

For almost 2 years to today, the opposition has continued to mouth the accusation that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated in the 2004 May elections. GMA is my President and she has my support. On her day in office, she said something like this: ‘I don’t want to be the best President. I want to be a great President.’ She will be.

Instead of crying in the wilderness, her opponents are simply crying over spilt milk – making it salty for the cat. Some men cannot behave like good sports and accept defeat; instead, they act like bad losers. And now each of them wants to be the Messiah of my country?

Aside from Cory Aquino and Joseph Estrada, both ex-Presidents, the would-be Messiahs of the Philippines are Ping Lacson, Aquilino Pimentel, Susan Roces, Bro Eddie Villanueva. Ping Lacson is a former Chief of the National Police; he ran for President in 2004. Aquilino Pimentel is a Senator; he also wants to be President. Susan Roces is the wife of the one who also ran for President in 2004, charismatic movie actor Fernando Poe Jr, who lost and died, perhaps of a broken heart – she believes she is worthy to be President in his place. Bro Eddie is pastor and lord of the Jesus Is Lord Church; he also ran for President in 2004. None of them has spoken of his vision for the Philippines once he becomes President, only his mission to replace the incumbent. Not good enough.

I want to write more of the most colorful of the would-be Messiahs of my country, not yet a Presidential candidate, but who is most worthy of (this little) study. Alfred McCoy writes of him as the warrior-hero-larger-than-life Gringo Honasan, ‘The soldier as Messiah’ (July-September 2003, Public Eye, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, pcij.org/).

Gringo Honasan is most enigmatic, most charismatic. Oh yes, he is a hero, an authentic hero, an original. He was the 3rd man in the People Power Revolution, the one that showed the world how to make love, not war; how to shake the world without shaking the foundations of the universe. The two other original military heroes of People Power were Juan Ponce Enrile (Secretary of Defense) and Fidel Valdez Ramos (Chief, Philippine National Police). Gringo was Enrile’s Chief of Security. Fired up with their ideals, these three militants declared their withdrawal of support of the dictator, their Commander in Chief and Philippine President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos on 22 February 1986, although they knew they could be slaughtered like cattle, having a military force of only 300 men. That took courage. Meanwhile, Jaime Cardinal Sin called on the faithful and at least 1 million warm bodies flocked to and jammed a big part of the long, circumferential EDSA (Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue), crammed Camp Crame (the home base of Ramos), crowded Camp Aguinaldo (the home base of Enrile), and literally stopped the tanks and the helicopters from attacking, for 4 days, from 22 to 25 February 1986. I know because I myself was there. This one is also called the EDSA Uprising, probably a total of 2 million warm bodies jamming EDSA, and I walked many a long mile from Guadalupe Bridge in Parañaque to Channel 4 in Quezon City, and back. Peace won, not a drop of blood was shed, and Gringo became a hero in the eyes of the people – and in his own eyes.

From People Power, the South Koreans learned the Philippine lesson and ousted their dictator in 1987; Pakistan was next, in 1988; then Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia (Anthony Spaeth, ‘Glory Days,’ Time Asia, 20 February 2006, Time.com/). Don’t forget Poland, in 1989. When the Filipinos are good, we’re the best.

Times have changed; at least, Gringo Honasan has. The Philippines is in trouble, at least the future of the country is up in a mist formed by emanations from political hotheads. Gringo has not portrayed himself as the last great hope of his country, the deliverer from the nation’s sins; however, if I take the document he has been brandishing as his weapon for change and which he calls the ‘National Recovery Program’ and combine it with his numerous pronouncements over the last 20 years, he is like saying: ‘We need a new Messiah, and that would be me.’ And that would not be a surprise, as the report of the Fact Finding Commission on the coup attempt on 27 July 2003 said that one of the root causes was the ‘Messianic Complex’ bred by socialization in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) (TAG, ‘The facts behind the Oakwood Mutiny,’ based on the Commission report dated 17 October 2003, Tag.org.ph/). Gringo is a PMA graduate, Class 1971. The Messiah Complex is ‘the will, intention, compulsion to be a Messiah, to be the redeemer and savior of the world’ (Rabbi Adin Even Yisrael, TheHope.org/). Max V Soliven, publisher and columnist of the Philippine Star, writes of ‘the self-perpetrating dangers of the military Messianic Complex (15 August 2003). This is an intellectual pest that would not die.

Notwithstanding, let us grant that Gringo has no Messianic Complex and that he is a man of honor. Now then, since for all intents and purposes Gringo claims to be the modern Messiah of my country, I must rigorously apply on him Hilario’s 7 marks of a true Messiah, and these are his (1) vision, (2) mission, (3) medium, (4) strategy, (5) suffering, (6) steadfastness, and (7) sacrifice of self.

Sex is not a criterion of mine. My Messiah can be a female with male qualities, like someone known as ‘a woman of steel.’ That would be my GMA. A leader in his own right, known nationally, even internationally. Gringo Honasan is macho by definition, one with a strong sense of masculinity and aggressiveness. He has the courage of his convictions. ‘He has spoken eloquently about the need to implement radical change for the good of the nation’ and once described himself as ‘resident adviser on failed coup attempts’ (PJI, 1 March 2006, Journal.com.ph/). Incidentally: A failed coup is a putsch. I have had a name for Gringo and all the other putschists since the December 1989 putsch; my letter to the Editor that year was published by the Philippines Daily Inquirer under my own title, ‘Anak ng Putsch!’ Son of a Putsch!

(1) VISION. My Messiah must have a vision, and that vision must be clear and must include everyone. If Gringo’s vision is ‘Transforming the government into an instrument for fundamental changes in society’ (Sol Jose Vanzi, 17 May 2003, Philippine Headline News Online, NewsFlash.org/), I say the vision is blurred – anyone can interpret it any which way.

A Malaya editorial (4 November 2005, Malaya.com.ph/) talks of ‘Honasan’s vision’ but fails to state it; Herman Tiu Laurel (20 March 2006, The Daily Tribune, Tribune.net.ph/) makes much of Honasan’s ‘vision’ and also fails to state it. For the past hour I have been surfing the Internet using Google Advanced Search, and not seen Honasan’s vision; I can only conclude that either he has not articulated it, which is a venial sin, or he has none, which is a cardinal sin in messiahship. In contrast, his country’s national hero Jose Rizal’s vision was very clear: The Philippines as the Pearl of the Orient Sea. Crystal clear.

(2) MISSION. The Messiah must have a mission in life; it is the mission that which will advance the vision. I will use Gringo Honasan’s own words during the Citizens’ Caucus in Baguio City 16 May 2003 (Vanzi as cited) : ‘Getting us out of the current debilitating crisis spawned by adverse domestic political and economic problems and unfavorable external environment.’ I cannot subscribe to such a vague mission. My other problem is that I cannot see how such a mission will help bring about the vision since I don’t see the vision.

Not only that, the mission must be impossible, or it is not a mission of a Messiah. The mission I would like to see stated is something like this, borrowing from Christopher Adams who writes of the Christ (‘A Christian view of the Messiah,’ OutsideTheCamp.org/) :

There is a far more important mission than merely saving the Filipino from corruption and colonial mentality. THE TRUE MISSION OF THE FILIPINO MESSIAH IS TO SAVE THE FILIPINO PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.

From what I know of what Gringo as Messiah has said or written, the language of the author of the Lord of the Rings, the Roman Catholic JRR Tolkien, reflects his own. Tolkien writes in despair of the world situation: ‘The spirit of wickedness in high places is now so powerful and so many-headed in its incarnations, that there seems nothing more to do than personally to refuse to worship any of the hydra’s heads’ (Bradley J Birzer, ‘Tolkien: Man behind the Myth,’ Christianity Today Library, 1 April 2003, ctlibrary.com/). Not liking the age he was in, what Tolkien did was create another: Middle-Earth. Friends CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien may be said to be the Messiahs of English literature. Perhaps Gringo wants to create another world, a Middle-Philippines? Then let’s talk methods.

The many-headed hydra of corruption in high places in the Philippines, Gringo Honasan would like to annihilate it. Not so fast, Mister Messiah. There is corruption in medium and low places too, even more pervasive. It is not the hydra that is the enemy – it is the hands that feed it. And these hands belong to the people. Starve it and the hydra will die. The corrupter buys favor. To paraphrase the World Wide Fund: ‘When the buying stops, the corruption will too.’ That’s where the mission of the Messiah must be coming from. The corrupter tempts. ‘Get away from me, Satan!’ the Messiah would declare and be done with it.

(3) MEDIUM. My Messiah must have a working medium (or media) appropriate to his (and his disciples’) talents and audiences.

Gringo Honasan knows his art and science of communication. As the 20th going to the 21st century Filipino Messiah, for the last 20 years he has been using not just one medium but all the attractive and popular mass media: radio, TV, print, meeting, conference, seminar, caucus. But: He does not have a website – and that, I say, is a millennial mistake. Or he is hiding in one, which is another millennial mistake. Ferdinand Marcos’ daughter Imee Marcos has her imeemarcos.com, once-National Security Adviser Roilo Golez his golez.com, movie actress-activist Boots Anson-Roa her bootsansonroa.com, Presidential aspirant Aquilino Pimentel his nenepimentel.org. All of them are in the opposition camp. Someone in Gringo’s camp doesn’t appreciate the power of the Internet?

To blog or not to blog, that is the question. Blogging alone is awesome and free; in a gush of appreciation I have called blogging ‘the revenge of the unpublished writer’ (15 August 2005, creativeleaps.blogspot.com/). The American Chronicle itself reports on blogging becoming serious business (9 January 2006). And I report that I have more than my share of blogsites: After reading this article, you are invited to click on my website and walk into my Wide Witching World.

(4) STRATEGY. To his credit, Gringo’s National Recovery Program (NRP) contains the strategy to lead to the accomplishment of his mission, whatever it is. Gringo has a 7-headed strategy as far as I can tell (with minor editing) : (a) peace and order – reform the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (b) economy – moderate globalization and address unemployment, factory closures, decline of agriculture output. (c) poverty – promote labor-intensive rural infrastructure and expand agrarian reform. (d) corruption – overhaul the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs. (e) population – promote both natural and artificial means of birth control. (f) leadership – install ‘a national leader who possesses a strong political will, has an unquestionable electoral mandate and who upholds the rule of law at all times,’ and g) Citizens’ Caucus (presided over by ex-Senator Francisco Tatad) – lead the Filipino people in effecting the change in leadership, using the NRP as guide (Vanzi, source cited). Not bad.

(5) SUFFERING. One other lesson in the story of Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece is that a Messiah must undergo terrible dangers in his quest. A Messiah must undergo persecution, which is one sure sign that his mission in life is not acceptable to the people. ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ Matthew 13: 57 New KJV. If your mission is not acceptable to the people, it means you are trying to impact on the people’s cherished traditions – which is exactly what a Messiah should be doing. So Gringo Honasan should not be surprised that he is hated, reviled, his name cast out as evil. It happens to all Messiahs. That is the whole point of Mel Gibson’s devastating film, ‘The Passion of the Christ’ – the passion of the Messiah is suffering, pure, unadulterated suffering.

(6) STEADFASTNESS. Since Gringo has been trying to impact the lives of the Filipinos for the last 20 years, I know he has steadfastness, a virtue that a true Messiah must have to be able to endure all the trials and tribulations that come his way. The Messiah must persevere and not surrender an inch of territory to the enemy of the people. He must push on as much as he can in his efforts to cultivate among the people ‘the hope of a glorious future.’ Jr Walter C Kaiser, The Messiah In The Old Testament, Zondervan, 1995: 15). That’s my Messiah.

(7) SACRIFICE OF SELF. To me this is the final sign of the true Messiah. In Luke 9: 21 New KJV, Jesus warns Peter and the other disciples that the Messiah ‘must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised (to life) the third day.’ The subtitle of my book – Jose Rizal As Messiah Of The Redemption – says all I want to say about the national hero of the Philippines. Rizal the Messiah was considered a traitor to Spain, and death by firing squad was the verdict in his kangaroo trial. The wild species devoured him. His ideas live on.

Is Gringo’s what Richard North calls ‘Messiah politics’ in referring to British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s own? Messiah politics is ‘very personal, very idealistic, very powerful, very vote-catching’ (richarddnorth.com/).

Christ was the Jews’ willing Messiah in the 1st century and he was crucified. Rizal was the Filipinos’ willing Messiah in the 19th century, and he was executed. As the Filipino Messiah in the 21st century, will Gringo Honasan offer himself as sacrifice for the sake of his country? ‘Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.’ John 15: 13 New KJV. In my book, my version is this: ‘No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for his friends – and enemies.’

The symbol I wish to associate the true Messiah with is that already appropriated by the World Wide Web, the @ or ‘at,’ which designates a virtual address of someone or some entity. I am assigning to @ a new meaning, and this is ‘dying to self.’ By sacrifice of self, the true Messiah need not die to the world, only die to himself, put himself in the proper moral place.

THE IDEAL: The real Gringo Honasan will show us his vision, reveal his true mission, and prove to be a genuine Messiah.