Credentials and Credibility

There are at the moment several groups nationwide working for system change and regime change. The National Transformation Council (NTC) is one of them.

As the NTC becomes more and publicly known, some people’s immediate reaction has often been, “Who are these persons claiming to transform our country? Who authorized them to do this? Weren’t they part of the corrupt Marcos and Arroyo administrations?”

The questions are wrong. The first question forgets the fact that transforming the nation is everyone’s obligation. The questioner should instead ask, “How will they do it? I’m interested to know so I can learn and perhaps join.”

The second question forgets the same fact and therefore unnecessary. If transforming the country is everybody’s business, everybody does not need any authorization. Who by the way will authorize? There is no one!

And the third question is not only wrong, it is ignorant and malicious. To totally accuse the Marcos and Arroyo administrations of corruption is tantamount to saying the two presidents had done nothing good at all; everything they did was corrupt; and so everyone working with them was corrupt and will always be corrupt. No need to explain this nonsense.

To be fair, human and Christian, people outside of the NTC should know its basic aims, how will they be carried out, and what are the credentials of the NTC leaders. These aims can be easily found in the NTC Facebook. Four members have been speakers in the 7 NTC public assemblies nationwide and have been interviewed on television and radio. The rest of the Council members will reveal themselves in due time. The Council’s religious sector, Catholic and Protestant bishops, priests and pastors, can testify to their credibility and the authenticity of their credentials as well as the moral basis of NTC’s plans, decisions and actions.

From the faith perspective the religious leaders and all NTC members and supporters should be happy and grateful to realize that four of the Council members are being “persecuted” which to a Christian is symbolized by the cross. This is a good sign. There is no rising to new life where there is no dying. Or similarly, no one matures to perfection without pain or something similar to pain.

There are already signs of this. Lately one member is not allowed by higher authority to attend NTC assembly. Two are being accused of sedition and rebellion as coup plotters and threatened by the Secretary of Justice with a court case. Another member is being accused by Comelec for malice and defamation. To those outside of this faith perspective this paradox of death and rebirth is foolishness. (Cor.1:22-25).

This is how authentic personal and social transformation happens.

But it demands deep, humble and unwavering faith.