*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD, DM
“Pride shouldn’t enter into affairs of state. But part of our job is to give our nation pride, to uphold the ideal of who we are and who we wish to be at any cost. But if that ideal is based on lies, then our institutions begin to crumble, making us susceptible to division, even infiltration. When I returned home, I was broken, but then I met someone who brought me back. I will always have faith in the light, faith in the men and women who hold the spears, the ones who are brave enough to poke holes in the dark.”
— James Greer, Jack Ryan: Ghost War
When I watched Jack Ryan together with my daughter Juliana Rizalhea upon the recommendation of Congressman Dok Bong Acop of the Second District of Antipolo City, I honestly expected an entertaining political action series about espionage, covert operations, and international terrorism. Given Congressman Acop’s extensive experience in social welfare and public service, I assumed there was a deeper reason behind his recommendation. I was right. As the series progressed, I realized that Jack Ryan was not merely about intelligence gathering or geopolitical conflicts. It was a story about the soul of government, the burden of leadership, and the moral responsibility carried by those entrusted with protecting a nation. The explosions, tactical operations, and intelligence missions were impressive, but they were not what stayed with me after the final episode. It was the closing words of James Greer.
Those few sentences contained more wisdom about governance than many lengthy books on political science. They spoke not only to intelligence professionals but to every public servant, every elected official, every government employee, every citizen, and every nation struggling to preserve democracy while confronting the realities of power. The first sentence immediately captured my attention: “Pride shouldn’t enter into affairs of state.” I paused. Those words are remarkably relevant not only to fictional governments but also to the political realities we witness today in the Philippines.
One of the greatest dangers confronting any democracy is when government decisions become driven by personal pride instead of national interest. Pride manifests itself in many forms. Sometimes it appears when leaders refuse to admit mistakes despite overwhelming evidence. Sometimes it appears when political rivals become more interested in defeating one another than solving national problems. Sometimes it appears when public officials become obsessed with protecting their image rather than protecting public trust. Sometimes it appears when government agencies refuse to acknowledge weaknesses because they fear criticism. Pride, when mixed with power, becomes a dangerous political disease.
Unfortunately, we are seeing many of these tendencies in Philippine politics today. Instead of healthy political competition, we increasingly witness permanent political warfare. Every issue immediately becomes partisan. Every investigation is interpreted as political persecution by one side and political justice by the other. Every government accomplishment is dismissed by critics, while every criticism is dismissed by supporters. Truth becomes secondary, while political victory becomes primary. The unfortunate casualty is public confidence.
Government was never intended to function this way. Public office was never designed to become an arena where personalities matter more than institutions. The Constitution did not establish a government to glorify politicians. It established institutions designed to serve the Filipino people. This is where James Greer’s next statement becomes even more powerful: “But part of our job is to give our nation pride, to uphold the ideal of who we are and who we wish to be.”
This statement distinguishes two completely different kinds of pride. There is personal pride, and there is national pride. Personal pride seeks recognition, while national pride seeks respect. Personal pride protects reputation, while national pride protects institutions. Personal pride demands applause, while national pride earns public trust. The responsibility of every government official is not to become popular. It is to make the people proud of their country.
Citizens should wake up every morning believing that justice is still possible, that government still works, that corruption is punished, that honesty is rewarded, that competence matters, that merit still exists, and that the law applies equally to the poor and the powerful. That is national pride.
Sadly, many Filipinos have slowly become cynical. Ask ordinary citizens today what they think about government, and many immediately answer with words like corruption, bureaucracy, political dynasty, patronage politics, selective justice, and endless political conflict. That alone should concern every public servant. The greatest danger facing a democracy is not criticism. The greatest danger is when citizens stop expecting government to become better. Because once hope disappears, democracy begins to weaken from within.
As Greer continued, he uttered what I believe is the philosophical center of the entire series: “But if that ideal is based on lies, then our institutions begin to crumble, making us susceptible to division, even infiltration.” Those words should not merely be admired. They should be studied.
Institutions are built on credibility. The Supreme Court exists because people believe in justice. Congress exists because people believe legislation can improve society. The Executive exists because citizens trust government to faithfully execute the law. Law enforcement agencies exist because people believe they will protect rather than oppress. The Armed Forces exist because citizens trust them to defend the Republic. The intelligence community exists because people believe someone is watching threats long before those threats reach the public.
But what happens when lies become acceptable? What happens when statistics are manipulated? What happens when corruption is normalized? What happens when investigations become selective? What happens when appointments prioritize loyalty over competence? What happens when social media narratives become more influential than verified facts? The answer is exactly what Greer described. Institutions begin to crumble.
The Philippines is currently experiencing one of the most politically polarized periods in its recent history. The impeachment controversies, the continuing power struggle inside the Senate, the accusations surrounding government spending, the controversies over flood control projects, the continuing concerns over the West Philippine Sea, the proliferation of online disinformation, the rise of political influencers replacing informed public discourse, and the increasing tendency to judge issues based on personalities instead of constitutional principles all point to a deeper institutional challenge. Whether one agrees or disagrees with particular political positions is not the central issue. The more fundamental concern is whether our institutions continue to enjoy the confidence of the Filipino people.
Our greatest challenge today is not merely electing better leaders. It is rebuilding trust in the institutions themselves. Administrations change. Presidents change. Senators change. Congressmen change. Cabinet Secretaries change. But institutions must survive beyond every administration. The Republic cannot depend on personalities forever. It must depend upon institutions.
One lesson I have repeatedly emphasized in many of my own writings is that intelligence is not merely about identifying enemies. True intelligence identifies weaknesses before they become national crises. It warns decision-makers before disasters occur. It reveals vulnerabilities before adversaries exploit them. Unfortunately, modern threats no longer arrive carrying rifles. They arrive carrying algorithms, fake news, cyber attacks, economic pressure, organized criminal networks, transnational syndicates, psychological operations, and carefully crafted disinformation campaigns designed to divide citizens against one another. The objective is simple: destroy trust. Because once citizens lose confidence in institutions, external enemies no longer need to invade. The nation begins weakening itself.
That is why I have always believed that the intelligence community should never be viewed simply as collectors of information. Its true mission is to preserve national resilience. It must detect corruption that threatens governance. It must detect organized crime before it infiltrates institutions. It must identify foreign influence operations before they distort democratic processes. It must provide policymakers with truthful assessments, not politically convenient assessments. Truth is the oxygen of intelligence. Without truth, intelligence becomes propaganda. Without truth, policymaking becomes guesswork. Without truth, democracy slowly suffocates.
Perhaps the most beautiful part of Greer’s reflection comes near the end: “When I returned home, I was broken, but then I met someone who brought me back.” Leadership has invisible wounds. Many public servants quietly carry emotional burdens that citizens never see. Police officers, soldiers, teachers, doctors, judges, intelligence officers, civil servants, and even ethical politicians often sacrifice far more than the public realizes. Many endure criticism despite acting with integrity. Many grow weary from serving institutions that sometimes fail to reward honesty. This sentence reminds us that even those entrusted with protecting the nation remain human beings.
Nations, too, can become broken. The Philippines has experienced political crises, natural disasters, economic difficulties, corruption scandals, insurgencies, pandemics, and periods of deep political division. Yet somehow the Filipino people continue moving forward. Not because we are perfect, but because there are still people quietly rebuilding hope every single day.
Finally, Greer says: “I will always have faith in the light, faith in the men and women who hold the spears, the ones who are brave enough to poke holes in the dark.” Those words deserve to become a philosophy of public service. The light is truth. The darkness is deception. The spears represent courage.
Who are these men and women? They are ethical intelligence officers who refuse to show synthetic reports. They are investigators who follow evidence regardless of political affiliation. They are prosecutors who value justice over publicity. They are judges who remain faithful to the Constitution. They are journalists who verify before publishing. They are teachers who educate rather than indoctrinate. They are auditors who refuse to sign fraudulent documents. They are civil servants who reject bribery. They are soldiers who remember that their loyalty belongs to the Constitution and the Filipino people. They are ordinary Filipinos who continue choosing integrity even when corruption appears easier. These are the people who keep democracy alive.
Watching Jack Ryan reminded me of something I have gradually realized after years of writing about governance, constitutional reform, intelligence, and public administration. The Philippines does not simply need better politicians. We need stronger institutions. We need leaders humble enough to admit mistakes. We need citizens mature enough to distinguish facts from propaganda. We need government agencies courageous enough to tell the truth even when it is politically inconvenient. We need intelligence organizations whose loyalty is to the Republic rather than to personalities. Most importantly, we need a renewed culture of integrity.
Corruption is not defeated merely by passing more laws. Disinformation is not defeated merely by creating more regulations. Political division is not healed merely by changing administrations. Constitutional reforms alone, while important, cannot transform a nation whose institutions have lost the confidence of its people. Everything begins with truth. Everything begins with humility. Everything begins when personal pride gives way to national purpose.
As I finished the movie with my daughter who helps me with the taking of notes. I realized that James Greer’s narration was never really about intelligence operations. It was about civilization itself. A nation survives not because it possesses the strongest army or the largest economy. It survives because enough men and women still believe that truth matters, integrity matters, institutions matter, and public service remains a sacred trust.
That is the kind of pride that belongs in the affairs of state. Not the pride that glorifies individuals, but the pride that inspires an entire nation to become worthy of its own ideals.
And perhaps that is the challenge before the Philippines today. May we never lose faith in the light. May we continue supporting the men and women who hold the spears. And may we always find the courage to poke holes in the darkness before the darkness consumes the institutions we are all sworn, in our own ways, to protect.
#DJOT
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