DO we have fake leaders in our national community? It is respectfully submitted the answer is YES.

Definition
1. What is a fake leader? One who pretends to assume responsibility for guiding one or more followers to achieve a certain goal when, in fact, he or she does not assume any such responsibility.

2. He is the opposite of a true leader. While the fake leader is preoccupied with the appearance of leadership, the true leader is preoccupied with its substance.

Popularity or accomplishment
3. To the fake leader, popularity is more important than accomplishment. To the true leader, accomplishment is more important than popularity.

4. To the fake leader, unpopularity must be avoided at all cost. To the true leader, unpopularity must be accepted in the interest of honest public service.

Honesty
5. To the fake leader, honesty is negotiable. To the true leader, it is non-negotiable.

Money
6. To the fake leader, money in the millions, billions or trillions symbolizes a successful economic or political career. To the true leader, such money symbolizes a successful plunder.

Public office
7. To the fake leader, a public office is primarily a source of livelihood. To the true leader, it is essentially a privilege to serve the Filipino people.

Public service
8. To the fake leader, public service is a part-time job. To the true leader, it is a full-time commitment.

Politics
9. To the fake leader, politics is a matter of showbiz expertise. To the true leader, politics is a matter of statesmanship.

Political dynasties
10. To the fake leader, democracy allows political dynastyism. To the true leader, it is undemocratic.

Common good
11. To the fake leader, the common good must be consistent with his/her selfish interests; otherwise, it is not good. To the true leader, the common good prevails over any individual or sectoral good.

Might v. right
12. To the fake leader, might is right. To the true leader, right is might.

Moral v. immoral
13. To the fake leader, morality or immorality is not important in politics where getting elected or appointed is all that really matters. To the true leader, political success in the constitutional sense necessarily involves upholding morality and rejecting immorality in the citizenry’s private and public life.

Statistics
14. To the fake leader, manipulation of data is politically acceptable. To the true leader, it is unacceptable like any other form of misrepresentation.

Elections
15. To the fake leader, being officially declared the winner in an election is more important than being the true winner. To the true leader, an honest defeat is always better than a dishonest victory.

Electoral campaigns
16. To the fake leader, an electoral campaign is a game of amusing the electorate. To the true leader, it is the exercise of political will to determine who among the candidates is fittest to serve and protect the sovereign interests.

Conclusion
17. Fake leaders deserve fake followers, and fake followers deserve fake leaders. Like birds of the same feather, they naturally flock together.

18. Upon the other hand, true leaders need and deserve true followers. The truly patriotic leader cannot single-handedly breathe life into the ideals enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. It would take nothing less than a determined and concerted effort on the part of the sovereign Filipino people to do that.

19. The good news is it is neither too late or too early at this point in time to do what is best for the present and the next generation.