Sereno, Acosta and Delima: Will they be matriarchal leaders?

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Two weeks ago, we had our mandatory continuing legal education in Manila and aside from our chief at the Public Attorney's Office, two top government officials were invited: the DOJ chief and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. And what they have in common is that they are all women.

It was a rare ocassion, listening to the three women manning the top agencies of the branches of our government. Of course, I was all so pleased just by knowing that women are now accepting the highest ranks in their respective league. However, a hindsight struck me: Will their being women enough for them to become maternal, productive and cooperative kind of of leaders?

Will they perpetuate the patriarchal leadership? In generations that passed, patriarchal society has been proven to be destructive for having leaders who are thirsty for power and controlling by use of power. Thus, the crafting of the book, "48 Laws of Power," which were all based on male-dominated societies.

Will they be matriarchal? Our future generation needs a matriarchal society. It is one whose power is generated through empathy, co-existence and sustainability. How will she entitle her book? Will it be "48 Laws of Sustainable and Empathic Governance"?

While women in public service is a happy news, their being women is not enough guage for us to secure a matriarchal society. We do not want to hear them participating in or cooperating with any kind corruption. We want to know how they will fight against political machinations. We are interested to know whether they will stand against the popular.

In our country, we tend to see women as powerful in the household as mothers only. We give deep and wide credit to the microorganization in our society led by mothers (which is, of course, very fitting) but forgot that in order to effect changes women should also involve themselves in macroorganizations like our government.

Of course, one important note before I proceed further is that let us not forget that men can also pave way for a matriarchal society in the same way that women can also perpetuate patriarchal society.

At any rate, with these three women in our top government, I am happy to find my personal role models. I still have to watch out for their future decisions and actions, though.


Presently, I am happy to know that our Chief Justice is a listener. Under her leadership, she put the speedy trial law in action by putting the burden of making sure that the adage "justice delayed, justice denied" is the burden of all stakeholders including the judges and prosecutors, not only by the PAO lawyers. The circular also seeks to remedy the pitiable congestion of our jails which can lead to inhumane condition of the detainees who are presumed innocent and cannot post bail.

Meanwhile, her objections to the appointment of a new justice on grounds that involve our national security is a laudable stance. She expressed her objections even though she cannot put it into writing and she inhibited herself in the voting.
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Our PAO Chief is a matriarch too. Under her leadership, she makes sure that her house is in order and not neglected, as well as also praised when fitting. She fiestily represented in Congress for the passage of the PAO Law and now makes effort for the PAO to be seen by having high marks in the Anti-Red Tape Act Survey conducted by the civil service. All the additional workload is all designed by her to make PAO an important agency of the executive branch and for the provisions of the PAO law budgeted and implemented.

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The DOJ Chief who is fiesty and seen by everyone as a DOJ secretary who means business. I still want to see more of her bloom in her leadership in a matriarchal way rather than merely replicate the men before her office.

We had women president but they did not set as role models for me. Thus, I want these three women succeed in their leadership so that they can put "faces" to many career women who contribute to civil service and try hard to be catalysts for change within their sphere of influence.

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Location: Manila Hotel, Katigbak Parkway, Port Area, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

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