The Philippines has a leadership crisis. There is no one in sight who is truly, absolutely and purely pro-Filipino in heart without a shade of self-interest. We have a total leadership vacuum. We need someone who will die for the Filipino. We have never had a President since World War 2 who was truly for the Filipino. All had been for themselves. Their minds were focused on power politics.

The Filipino leader we urgently need in this time of geopolitical crisis must be devoid of self. He or she must have a purity of heart beyond all doubt. Is there such a person? That is the big question. And if he/she does not exist, can we find someone close to the pure as a compromise?

Beyond the two current warring presidential prospects, is there a possible third force? Or is this just wishful thinking? In the absence of a leader with total purity of heart, can we perhaps compromise and get someone who is closest to a third force, who can serve the Filipino people? If he or she truly exists, even if not so pure, will he or she survive the mega-forces whipping up political storms in the name of power?

The requirements for survival, which are nearly impossible to meet, are the following: 1) total charisma with both the elite who can swing the movement organizationally, and the grassroots who are the largest source of votes; 2) an effective campaign funds manager, not necessarily to draw in billions or a Filipino Elon Musk; 3) wisdom and vision — what is the use of charisma if he or she has no brains to craft a proper governance; 4) valor in the face of the lions and wolves all around; 5) will power to implement policies and programs; 6) a team of all the president’s men/women, loyal, trustworthy, rendering service together, including a cyber czar, a crisis manager, a public relations czar and others, to name a few. A good leader can be any of these. But it is a tall order.

Mahatma Gandhi as role model

Mahatma Gandhi of India had all the qualifications of a leader as outlined above. He had total charisma. The warring Muslims and Hindus both respected him. But he could not establish peace between them. So he told them that he would go on a hunger strike until they shook hands and agreed on peace. They continued fighting anyway. It was only when Gandhi began getting blind from hunger that they agreed on peace, lest their charismatic leader totally lose his eyesight. That was the power of Gandhi as a peacemaker, based on his charisma with both Muslims and Hindus.

Gandhi fought against the British colonial power by opposing its oppressive control of the cotton industry, which supported millions of Indian farmers. He opposed the control by large British-owned cotton mills, which underpriced their purchase of farmers’ unprocessed cotton. He successfully campaigned for cotton to be produced by Indians in their homes using native looms, rendering the large British cotton mills useless.

The Philippines needs a Gandhi to fight government corruption which has evolved into an unstoppable culture. It is the greatest factor in the suffering of Filipinos, rich or poor. For the rich, their corporations are fleeced with forced “donations,” otherwise they would lose their licenses. Investors leave because doing business here is so difficult. Capital flight induces unemployment and crime. For the poor, there is hunger because food prices soar beyond control.

A true leader must emerge who must be able to fight this corruption which has made the lives of Filipinos harder and harder. This hardship induces crimes and destabilizes society. It induces hunger among the marginals.

Truly, we need a Third Force urgently to solve our leadership crisis — a monstrous task which defies a proper solution.