“Well Done”

By Farah G. Decano

 

THE speech of Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen delivered during the virtual oathtaking of the 2019 bar passers circulated extensively over different social media platforms. With carefully chosen powerful words, his discourse was an audacious mirroring of present realities that encapsulated his fearless views.

“Very well said,” commented a law school classmate who, like me, was a student of then-Prof. Leonen, some ages ago.

However, I am no longer awed by great speeches.  Too many have been written in the past and are now accessible over the internet.  In fact, countless netizens have eloquently professed the same amount of courage and passion for social justice, democracy, and truth.  Yet, it is very disheartening to know some fiery orators and prolific writers for truth, justice, and freedom who live a double life.  Nowadays, I have more admiration for actions that are in congruence with inspiring and powerful declarations.

More than “well said,” I long to say and hear “well done.”

After reading my law professor’s speech, my mind wandered into introspection.  We live in very uncertain times.  We have politicians who flaunt their double talk; curse religious leaders; disrespect women; and challenge their constituencies by using the full force of the government against them.  The usual fearless and outspoken traditional leaders have turned out to be meeker than lambs after the incarceration of Senator Leila de Lima.  Dissent nowadays has its expected ruthless reprisals: the removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the conviction of Maria Ressa, the closure of ABS-CBN, the recent termination of Philippine Commission on Women Chair Rhodora Bucoy, and the severe bashing of critics by trolls.   The unnerving situation is exacerbated by the recent signing of the Anti-Terror Law, which could be very oppressive under a vindictive and/or incompetent leadership.   The international front is not even comforting. One foreign country is getting more access to Philippine territories and special treatment by government agencies.   And there is the pandemic which made us give up the human rights to free locomotion and assembly, in the hope for affirmative action against the plague.  All these, during the watch of the generation in charge: The Generation X.   How could we have allowed all these to happen? What have we done?

Those born between 1965 and 1979 collectively belong to Generation X.  I fall in this age group.   The members of our generation are now the front liners in determining governmental policies; setting the nation’s direction; and protecting our children’s future.  We are now holding the torch for our descendants and on our shoulders is the huge responsibility of carving the next generation’s path.    In my ruminations, I cannot help but ask my fellow Gen X’ers:  How many of us have dared to battle against the powerful and the rich to safeguard truth, freedom, and justice? How many of us have risked our ambitions to stop systemic oppression? How many of us ignored many opportunities to live in luxury for the sake of upholding what is right and just?  How many of us lived by the very words we so beautifully profess? Is there a poverty of integrity in our generation?

Then an excerpt from Justice Leonen’s recent speech comes to mind, “Every generation is defined by its responses to the challenges and crises that confront them. Yours is no exception.”

I cringe at the thought of our grandchildren’s opinion of our age group. Are we passing onto them a damaged nationhood? A compromised Philippine territory and loans worth trillions of dollars? Has our generation taken the road to perdition?

Probably disappointed with Generation X’s performance, the baby boomer Justice Leonen, in the same speech, asked the predominantly millennial future frontliners, “Be better than us.”

Gen X’ers will not be judged by the beautiful, hifalutin speeches we make. We will be measured by the decisive actions we endeavor to pursue.  Can we sacrifice the accumulation of wealth and power in the altar of patriotism?  The shovel we use to carve paths is still in our hands. We could still pave a road that can veer us away from further misfortune.  Let us live with integrity – with actions consistent with our articulated views – so that the succeeding generations could say to us “Well done.”

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