I cry very easily.  I cried in our summit last year as we recited our pledge of commitment to Filipino children.  I cried when Synergeia returned to Marawi after years of absence.  I cried after seeing a half-empty classroom in Barira, Maguindanao because most of the children were absent and working in farms.  I cry at a drop of a handkerchief and  I am afraid that people may think of it as a show.

And why not?  Our leaders have seemed to lead through performative management.  We see it all the time.  It takes all forms---antics, crass language, hyperbole, alliteration, street jokes, emotional rant, political incorrectness, gripping portrayal of a crisis.   Where we considered foul language as a sign of bad manners before, it is now taken as a sign of toughness and courage, especially when thrown at the wealthy and powerful.  Finally, we found someone who will carry the fight against inequality.  His voice is taken as our voice which has long been repressed.  The leader is cheered for his bravado and is almost taken as a Savior.

Performative leaders have succeeded in demonstrating that they are one among us, and that they understand our plight and will therefore care for us.  There is this tagline of a leader who says, “ I care”.  There was this Mayor running for office with complete props---a towel on her shoulder and a buri hat over her head.  And who would not be swayed by a statement of a leader who allayed our fears at the start of the pandemic, “Huwag kayong matakot, kasi may pera ako at kung mayroong palpak diyan, aayusin namin yan.” (Do not be afraid because I have money.  And if something goes wrong, I will sort it out?” And then like a movie star on the screen, he says, “Huwag ninyo akong subukan.” (Do not try me).     “I do not care if I burn in hell as long as the people I serve live in paradise.”  The leader catches almost everyone in one swoop.  He is the caring father who will be there for his children at all times.  He is the tough guy who will not tolerate any wrongdoing.  He is the action man who will solve any problem.

They all remind us of a song by Shirley Bassey where she croons:

Tonight, I gave the greatest performance of my life.
I never lost control; I played the part so well that not a single soul could tell that I was lying.”

For performative leaders, it is all a show.  But what is more sad is that we allow them to become by believing and voting them into office.  We easily believe that the country is at war on drugs and all resources should be devoted to winning the war.  We believe that poverty, growth, peace and progress will follow by fighting the war he leads.  Just look at how most of the resources of government including local governments were devoted to fighting the drug war!  And all the while, many of our problems are sidelined: corruption, health, poverty, inequity, poor governance, violation of human rights, repression of the opposition,   and access to quality education.

And yet, we continue to believe and be impressed by performative leaders who employ theatrical language, symbols, and gestures to foster an impression of good governance.”  (Iza Ding) They are used to “mask the lack of performance and when public expectations exceed its actual governing capacity.”

And so unless we educate ourselves and help others to evaluate performance by the results of the work of our leaders, we will forever be attracted to elect movie stars who are portrayed as heroes on the screen.  We will continue to believe that our Congressmen /Congresswomen who lead medical missions once in a blue moon and give away gift packs during Christmas will lift us from poverty.  We will elect someone despite being absent from Congress and the Senate because he gives away money to the poor.  We will consider someone who stands up to the US President and tells him to go to hell as our deliverer.

A true leader makes our dreams come true—like Jesse Robredo who turned Naga into a “maogmang Lugar” (happy place).  And Mr. Washington  Sycip who helped the poor without fanfare or publicity.  There are still many true leaders among us. But beyond “idealizing individual leaders” we must draw attention to “collective achievements” (N. Curato) and use their performance as standards in choosing leaders who we deserve.

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