His innocent remark made me feel even worse. For many hours, well into early morning, I was overcome by many emotions dominated by deep sadness. I recalled how we had worked incessantly in Washington DC, to seek all forms of assistance for our security forces. This included building a comprehensive reform program for the AFP and, subsequently, a transformation plan to strengthen the PNP.

I remembered the many brave and outstanding members of our military and police services whom I have had the privilege of working with over the years.  It was so difficult to associate their professionalism with that fearful TV newscast, which I wanted to banish from memory, most especially from Joshua’s.

Joshua’s father happens to be a dedicated senior officer in our AFP. Because he is as well such a caring husband and father and is an ideal role model for my grandson, we are proud to have him in our family. In our military and police, there are many like Joshua’s father.

As Filipino citizens, we should all be encouraged that our authorities have begun to investigate this terrible incident.  We should trust that those in charge will censure and sanction the guilty. At the very least, given the unresolved doubts surrounding the issue, those heavily implicated in the apparent abuse should not be decorated for good conduct.

Official apologies should go to the aggrieved community.  The  public should be reassured that undisciplined behavior from our security forces will not be tolerated and that such actions will not occur again. This kind of behavior, moreover, has implications beyond simply the local.  In this information age, our actions are subject 24/7 to the cold unblinking eye of the news camera. What happens here at home, can just as easily be seen abroad. Today we live in a global village made of glass huts.

When we negotiate foreign assistance with other countries, for example, we have to demonstrate that we will responsibly employ their inputs to improve our country.  We must convince foreign governments, and invariably, their electorates that watch television just like us.

In this regard, we have aggressively sought the cooperation of our foreign friends and allies to enhance the capabilities of our military and police. We have promoted cooperation with them to address corruption and good governance issues through programs like the Millennium Challenge Account of the United States. In Mindanao, we are working with other countries, including our partners in ASEAN, and with international bodies like the United Nations, to support the peace process and development in conflict-ridden areas.

Respecting the democratic space of our people is not only important for itself.  It is a key determinant of how we are seen as a democracy overseas.  Our image abroad defines how foreigners appreciate and react to us. This is particularly important with respect to perceptions that foreign businesses and tourists may entertain about us.  Negative perceptions can easily be translated into lower foreign investment and visitor arrivals, to the detriment of the national economy.

Thus, every Filipino has the duty to help our country put its best foot forward.  But we cannot do so if we ignore or underplay abuse.  In the Management Association of the Philippines, we will avoid undue negativism.  We will aspire to focus on promoting the constructive.

Having been recalled after serving as our country’s envoy to the United States for five years, it fully remains my intention to continue being of service.  I have unequivocally declared in public forums, here and abroad that, in all my travels, nearly all  persons I have encountered want this administration to succeed. I do believe that we should support our national leadership by encouraging and helping our officials to do what is right.

At the earliest opportunity, therefore, all of us would need to tell our Joshua and others who are near and dear to us that, if we see something that is not right, we will stand up — not only to raise an objection — but also to support our leaders who are responsible for making it right, and do what we can to ensure that it is made right.

As we can no longer afford to sit back and “leave it to others”, we Filipinos must stand together. Division and discord must not defeat us.  With resolve in ourselves, and faith in Divine Providence, we can prevail.

By Ambassador Albert del Rosario