Dr Abe V Rotor
This is a special article (reprint) for this Blog: Living with Nature which is linked directly to School on Blog (Internet) and Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid or People's School-on-Air (738 DZRB network and pbs,gov.ph).
The essence of this article is that Nature does not merely refer to our natural world, the Environment, but a kind of nature that resides in the mind, heart and spirit of man - Man's Nature. Here is such a man whom we may take a keyhole view of human nature, and from which we also view our own. AVR
Philippine Daily Inquirer Editorial
September 8, 2013
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In a TV interview, Secretary Leila de Lima recalled Rojas' words to her during one of the three times she tried to change his mind: "I feel that it is the most honorable thing to do and I want to keep my honor and integrity intact."
This is an unusual instance - at least in our day and age, when delicadeza is almost a museum piece, something thoroughly old-fashioned, best preserved behind a glass window. When Rojas insisted on resigning, despite repeated entreaties from De Lima and public statements from Malacañang officials, his conduct had all the impact of a museum artifact rousing itself to life and then walking out the main door.
People were stunned.
The point of honor here is not wounded pride, the sense that one has been unfairly blamed for the faults and shortcomings of others. Rather, it is the opposite: the sense that leaders bear command responsibility for the institutions they lead.
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... at least in our day and age, when delicadeza is almost a museum piece, something thoroughly old-fashioned, best preserved behind a glass window.
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While President Aquino was careful to make a distinction between the NBI as an institution whose reputation has been largely rehabilitated in the last few years and a few problematic officials and agents who answer to other bosses or baser motives, it is difficult to fault Rojas for thinking that the President's lack of trust in certain NBI officials was a reflection of his lack of confidence in the agency - and therefore in Rojas himself.
The crucial adjective "full" can be easily misinterpreted; it is only fair to state that in fact President Aquino has learned to depend on the NBI for critical tasks. But in the case of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the suspected mastermind behind the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam, the President thought it necessary to bring in a third party: the national police.
Napoles and her brother had accused the NBI of harassment and extortion, related to the charges of serious illegal detention involving her former employee and man whistle-blower Benhur Luy; having the police take Napoles into detention seemed like a reasonable compromise.
This decision, together with the President's concern is about moles in the agency tipping Napoles off about her impending arrest and especially his statement about "less trustworthy" officials in determining the work of the NBI, must have been received by NBI personnel as a slap in the face. For someone like Rojas, they must have amounted to an accusing finger, directed at him.
Taken together, the President's statements and actions suggest that the rehabilitation of the NBI, even under Rojas, was not yet complete. Rojas took that to mean his time is up.
Unlike other officials whose offices have been publicly rebuked by the President (Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon comes to mind), Rojas did not ask his principal whether he should resign. He just did it. ~
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Diogenes
By Dr Abe V Rotor
Oh, Diogenes, don't despair,
put off your lamp at midday;
save it in the darkest hour,
when people rage than pray,
raise the flag of the trilogy;
Liberte', Egalite', Fraternite'.
and if that dawn be spilled
with crimson then let it be
in the halls of true justice,
for head to roll in ignominy;
if so few make any difference
light your lamp again at midday. ~
This is a special article (reprint) for this Blog: Living with Nature which is linked directly to School on Blog (Internet) and Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid or People's School-on-Air (738 DZRB network and pbs,gov.ph).
The essence of this article is that Nature does not merely refer to our natural world, the Environment, but a kind of nature that resides in the mind, heart and spirit of man - Man's Nature. Here is such a man whom we may take a keyhole view of human nature, and from which we also view our own. AVR
Philippine Daily Inquirer Editorial
September 8, 2013
By all accounts, President Aquino did not have since-resigned National Bureau of Investigation director Nonnatus Rojas in mind, when he expressed his concern about "less trustworthy" officials working in the NBI. Just the same Rojas felt resignation was the right response, and the only option.
In a TV interview, Secretary Leila de Lima recalled Rojas' words to her during one of the three times she tried to change his mind: "I feel that it is the most honorable thing to do and I want to keep my honor and integrity intact."
This is an unusual instance - at least in our day and age, when delicadeza is almost a museum piece, something thoroughly old-fashioned, best preserved behind a glass window. When Rojas insisted on resigning, despite repeated entreaties from De Lima and public statements from Malacañang officials, his conduct had all the impact of a museum artifact rousing itself to life and then walking out the main door.
People were stunned.
The point of honor here is not wounded pride, the sense that one has been unfairly blamed for the faults and shortcomings of others. Rather, it is the opposite: the sense that leaders bear command responsibility for the institutions they lead.
------------------------------------------------------------------
... at least in our day and age, when delicadeza is almost a museum piece, something thoroughly old-fashioned, best preserved behind a glass window.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
While President Aquino was careful to make a distinction between the NBI as an institution whose reputation has been largely rehabilitated in the last few years and a few problematic officials and agents who answer to other bosses or baser motives, it is difficult to fault Rojas for thinking that the President's lack of trust in certain NBI officials was a reflection of his lack of confidence in the agency - and therefore in Rojas himself.
The crucial adjective "full" can be easily misinterpreted; it is only fair to state that in fact President Aquino has learned to depend on the NBI for critical tasks. But in the case of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the suspected mastermind behind the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam, the President thought it necessary to bring in a third party: the national police.
Napoles and her brother had accused the NBI of harassment and extortion, related to the charges of serious illegal detention involving her former employee and man whistle-blower Benhur Luy; having the police take Napoles into detention seemed like a reasonable compromise.
This decision, together with the President's concern is about moles in the agency tipping Napoles off about her impending arrest and especially his statement about "less trustworthy" officials in determining the work of the NBI, must have been received by NBI personnel as a slap in the face. For someone like Rojas, they must have amounted to an accusing finger, directed at him.
Taken together, the President's statements and actions suggest that the rehabilitation of the NBI, even under Rojas, was not yet complete. Rojas took that to mean his time is up.
Unlike other officials whose offices have been publicly rebuked by the President (Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon comes to mind), Rojas did not ask his principal whether he should resign. He just did it. ~
Diogenes
By Dr Abe V Rotor
Oh, Diogenes, don't despair,
put off your lamp at midday;
save it in the darkest hour,
when people rage than pray,
raise the flag of the trilogy;
Liberte', Egalite', Fraternite'.
and if that dawn be spilled
with crimson then let it be
in the halls of true justice,
for head to roll in ignominy;
if so few make any difference
light your lamp again at midday. ~