Debt of gratitude gone awry

By Alex P. Vidal

“Let us remember that, as much has been given us; much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips and shows itself in deeds.”—Theodore Roosevelt

IT’S hard to blame the very influential and powerful characters in Davao City led by the Duterte family for coddling suspected child sex fiend and wanted person, Apollo Quiboloy, leader of a religious cult.

Especially if we are aware their actuations are motivated by a strong desire to payback a boundless political debt of gratitude.

The Dutertes probably believe debt of gratitude is permanent and not temporary. United we stand, divided we fall.

Thus, they could apparently afford to tolerate the cult leader’s imperfections and, to some extent, alleged criminal acts because of debt of gratitude—even if it would mean crossing the borderlines of reason, decorum, justice, civility, and respect for rule of law and order.

Because of Quiboloy and the support of his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC), a Restorationist church based in Davao City, the Dutertes have achieved colossal political power not only in Davao City but also in the entire Philippines.

Debt of gratitude made them think it’s OK to exempt Quiboloy from rule of law; that Quiboloy is a demigod (he has been claiming to be a chosen son of God) perched on the shoulders of his (blind) followers.

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Debt of gratitude could also be the culprit behind the spooky behaviors exhibited by Messrs. Ronald “Bato Dela Rosa and Robinhood “Robin” Padilla, two of the Duterte and Quiboloy lapdogs in the senate.

There are a few powerful points theologian Dietrich Von Hildebrand has invoked as some insightful things about the virtue of gratitude.

Gratitude means understanding the value of the benefit we have received.

Gratitude also means that we understand the beneficence of the giver-that the gift or service communicates love or regard.

Loving relationships are not based on a tit-for-tat exchange of goods, but they are based on an assurance of mutuality.

In other words, we are able to freely offer ourselves to our loved ones because we know that they will in turn freely offer themselves to us.

Loving is supposed to be about giving and receiving. Gratitude builds loving relationships because it is an assurance of mutuality. It assures us that we are not being used by the other.

Finally, gratitude is supposed to be good for the one who is grateful. Gratefulness is supposed to bring us a sense of wholeness when we complete the circle of giving. Gratitude is supposed to satisfy the debt we sense that we owe for a person’s goodness to us.

The case of the Quiboloy-Dutertes liaison is a debt of gratitude gone awry.

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THE U.S. presidential election is nine weeks away. From time to time, we will continue to update our readers with the latest in the rivalry between Vice President Kamal Harris and former President Donald Trump

As of August 25, 2024, The Hill reported that Harris holds a 7-point edge over Trump nationally in a new poll, marking the latest gain for the Democratic presidential candidate as the general election approaches.

A survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University, released last August 23, found Harris leading Trump 50 to 43 percent nationally, while 7 percent said they will vote for someone else.

Trump and Harris fare equally well with voters from their party, each having 95 percent support from their partisans, pollsters found.

With independents who do not lean towards either party, Harris still leads Trump, but by a smaller margin, 38 to 33 percent, the poll found. Harris holds a large lead among self-identified liberals, 87 to 10 percent, along with progressives, 93 to 5 percent, and moderates, 62 to 30 percent.

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HE is not yet a celebrity, but Filipino International Master Daniel Maravilla Quizon (2457) continued to make waves in international chess when he recently downed Indian Grandmaster Narayanan, SL (2649) to score 7 points in 9 rounds and tied for first in the 30th Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival Masters in United Arab Emirates on August 24. According to our regular contributor, National Master Marlon Bernardino, Quizon wound up in 6th place after the tie breaks.

Quizon had a performance rating of 2749 beating four strong GMs along the way. He gained an additional rating of 33.3. He needs to up his rating to 2500 to become a full pledge grandmaster. Quizon improved to 2490 from 2457. He also got GM results or GM norms for his efforts.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)