Safeguarding Hope

I started this entry determined to produce incisive commentary on the political situation in the Philippines, but decided to eschew the timely for the timeless: namely, that despite all, hope springs eternal.

I first met Gen. Samson Tucay in Valle Verde Country Club for exploratory talks regarding the use of the Alpha Course in the Philippine National Police (PNP). Not only is he a dedicated officer, but it is due largely to his efforts, which he tries his best to downplay whenever he can, that increasingly, an honest and dedicated police officer is no longer a rarity in the PNP. Rather, in his capacity as Police Chief Superintendent of the Police National Training Institute (PNTI), he has been putting into practice long-term institutional measures to ensure that policeman who want to start off on the right path have a fighting chance of staying the moral course that they have chosen. He labors in anonymity, and yet his contributions to Philippine society can, potentially, outstrip the more ephemeral contributions of our political leaders and emotionally charged citizenry.

It is largely due to Filipinos like Samson Tucay that despite all the political upheaval, the uncertainty of the times, and the brutal violence of the corruption which threatens to overwhelm our social structures, hope springs eternal.