FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator
Atty. Joey Lina At the funeral and lying-in-state period of Queen Elizabeth II, it was obvious how the multitudes of mourner’s revere and love the United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch. Sacrificing for many hours waiting or queuing just to get a fleeting glimpse of her coffin is certainly a testament to the deep respect and admiration the people have for the revered Queen whose seven decades of dedicated service as a constitutional monarch can be deemed phenomenal. Queen Elizabeth’s reign was phenomenal in the sense that even in the dark years when many members of her royal family were mired in a variety of scandals, she herself still managed to exude dignity. It was the kind of dignity described in the 1867 writings of acclaimed British essayist Walter Bagehot who pushed the idea that a constitutional system needs two branches of government —one branch must be dignified and the other ought to be efficient. He argued that the job of the dignified branch, consisting of the monarchy, is to “win the people’s loyalty” while the job of the efficient branch, consisting of the prime minister and cabinet members, is to “use that loyalty to run the country.” During her 70-year reign, many believe that Queen Elizabeth really valued dignity and decency. A glaring example of such was when she stripped her second son, Prince Andrew, of military titles amid the sex abuse lawsuit that was beginning to seriously damage the reputation of the monarchy. Her quiet dignity also showed when she never publicly took sides on heated and controversial issues, unlike many world leaders and politicians who have no qualms blurting out any ideas and impulses that come to mind. An example of her discipline as a public figure was seen when a former prime minister apologized for revealing that she was supposedly pleased that Scotland voted against independence in a referendum. Of course, while many admired her reign, Queen Elizabeth also had detractors, who say that “her reign hurt millions of people and cultures spanning multiple generations, as she served as the head of state of colonies that were part of the British empire.” Yet, despite the criticisms, she was revered. “One need not like the monarchy to recognize that Queen Elizabeth was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, dedicated to serving her countrymen, a woman who showed grace and kindness in some very dark days. She led a life of quiet strength, duty, and dignity,” a typical social media post explained. Such dignity, quiet strength, relentless sense of duty, and other admirable attributes ought to inspire other world leaders. While Queen Elizabeth never set foot on Philippine soil, unlike her children King Charles III and Princess Anne who have managed to visit our country, many Filipinos love the late monarch simply for her recognition of the efforts of many of our compatriots who have rendered invaluable service. In 2019, the Queen awarded two Filipinos high honors. Joy Ongcachuy, who works at The Royal London Hospital, was conferred the Officer of the Order of British Empire for treating victims of the London Bridge terrorist attack in 2017. The other Filipino, Rolando Quetevis – who served as driver for British envoys to the Philippines – was awarded the British Empire Medal for his 33-year service at the British Embassy in Manila. Saying Filipino nurses bring “exceptional care and comfort to their patients,” the Queen also sent a statement coursed thru the British Embassy in Manila which said: “We are fortunate to have many nurses from the Philippines in the National Health Service… I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude for their work, especially in response to the coronavirus.” There’s no doubt how Queen Elizabeth was highly revered. Many offered their lives to fight for the Queen, and many are proud to be “in the service of Her Majesty.” And for the Queen to express appreciation for Filipinos who have been of great service is certainly heartwarming. Email: [email protected]