An African proverb says that when elephants fight, only the grass dies. Some attribute this saying to the genocidal Ugandan president Idi Amin who killed an estimated 500,000 of his own people in his infamous murder factory called the State Research Bureau.

While we may not face the same brutal physical oppression as in Amin’s Uganda, we experience a different form of suffering when our elected officials, abetted by their partisan allies, engage in vicious public verbal battles. The casualties are the unemployed, the marginalized, and the broader economy.

As a result of this political circus, the Philippines has once again been deemed, hopefully temporarily, an unattractive destination for further investment. A number of investors hesitate, delaying critical business expansions, while foreign trading partners observe cautiously, unwilling to commit until the political noise subsides. As the bitter conflicts intensify, economic activity grinds perilously slow, derailing business plans and programs, which can only exacerbate unemployment, poverty and hunger.

If these political squabbles escalate, the end game most likely is economic stagnation which leads to a slow and torturous death from malnutrition and hunger for many unemployed citizens. While this may distinctly differ from the brutality of physical torture itself, the suffering is no less profound.

There is still an opportunity to mend these fractures and restore good governance and political stability. But the protagonists must step back and realize that in a democracy, principled leadership demands collaboration, collective decision-making, and the willingness to set aside personal differences for the sake of the national interest. Key players must genuinely prioritize the nation over their rivalries, else the persistent discord exposes the country to greater vulnerabilities.

The sorry spectacle of openly and frequently watching elected national leaders and their allies dangerously provoking each other to cross the line, with total disregard of public opinion and rising resentment, risks causing policy paralysis, the erosion of public trust, and destabilizes institutions in this critical time of territorial threat in the West Philippine Sea and will drive the poor and the hungry further down the miserable pit they are in right now.

Before the situation becomes irreparable, these political combatants must be reminded of their sacred duty which is to dedicate themselves to national service and lead the country toward prosperity.

Leadership is not about individual legacies, nor personal vendettas, nor partisan victories. It is about transcending personal ambitions and rivalries, recognizing that their actions set the tone for the entire nation. It is not about political dominance but about collaboration in order to create a cohesive and effective government that addresses the needs of its people. It is about having a shared vision for a brighter future for all, leading with compassion and ensuring that no one is left behind.

The essence of true leadership is to lift the nation as a whole by committing to a higher purpose, inspiring hope to the citizenry for a better tomorrow. Only through unity and collective action can we hope to reach our own promised land, a land of plenty where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and build a better tomorrow.