Caught in Traffic
I could not believe my eyes when I read it. President Benigno Aquino III, whom we now fondly call “P-Noy,” got caught in traffic. “On his second day in office Aquino ordered his driver to stop for red lights and declined to use lanes set aside for public buses and as a result arrived 40 minutes late for the turnover ceremonies for the new chief of staff” (Source: http://inquirer.net/) According to his personal driver, P-Noy obeyed traffic rules even before he became a congressman, something he learned from his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.
Needless to say, it was a security nightmare for the Presidential Security Group. “Police escorts were also barred from using their sirens, and members of his security detail jumped out of their vehicles to secure the presidential car every time the heavy mid-morning traffic stopped the limousine” (Ibid). Last Wednesday, June 30, 2010, on his way to his inauguration as president, people saw that there were no blinkers or sirens (In Filipino, “wangwang”) in his convoy and that it took all the proper U-turns and left-turns. Then in his inaugural speech, people loudly applauded when he declared, “Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin… Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong.” (“Have you had to endure being rudely shoved aside by the siren-blaring escorts of those who love to display their position and power over you? I have, too… No more sirens, no more short cuts, no more bribes.”)
Of course, personally I think he should reconsider his stance, given the security risks he is exposing himself. Since, after all, he is lawfully entitled to use “wangwang” along with the Vice-President, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House and the Chief Justice. But he intends to model obedience to the law. Thus, we really felt he is one of us. I believe that his brand of leadership by example already endeared him to us.
That gives us a glimpse of what the Lord did when He became flesh. “Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross. Then God gave Christ the highest place and honored his name above all others.” (Philippians 2:6-9, CEV) That ought to make us love Him more.
Brethren, our Lord Jesus became like one of us.
Needless to say, it was a security nightmare for the Presidential Security Group. “Police escorts were also barred from using their sirens, and members of his security detail jumped out of their vehicles to secure the presidential car every time the heavy mid-morning traffic stopped the limousine” (Ibid). Last Wednesday, June 30, 2010, on his way to his inauguration as president, people saw that there were no blinkers or sirens (In Filipino, “wangwang”) in his convoy and that it took all the proper U-turns and left-turns. Then in his inaugural speech, people loudly applauded when he declared, “Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin… Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong.” (“Have you had to endure being rudely shoved aside by the siren-blaring escorts of those who love to display their position and power over you? I have, too… No more sirens, no more short cuts, no more bribes.”)
Of course, personally I think he should reconsider his stance, given the security risks he is exposing himself. Since, after all, he is lawfully entitled to use “wangwang” along with the Vice-President, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House and the Chief Justice. But he intends to model obedience to the law. Thus, we really felt he is one of us. I believe that his brand of leadership by example already endeared him to us.
That gives us a glimpse of what the Lord did when He became flesh. “Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross. Then God gave Christ the highest place and honored his name above all others.” (Philippians 2:6-9, CEV) That ought to make us love Him more.
Brethren, our Lord Jesus became like one of us.
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