Courage With Compassion: Why Some Leaders Still Stand Apart

In a political landscape crowded with speeches but short on conviction, statements that cut through the noise tend to stand out.

Congressman Leandro Leviste recently made one such statement, saying that across the country, he knows of no leader with courage and genuine concern for the people comparable to former Davao City Mayor and President Rodrigo Duterte.

It is a bold comparison—but one rooted in experience.

Leviste recalled witnessing Duterte’s leadership firsthand during his years as mayor of Davao City: a brand of governance marked not by polished rhetoric, but by decisive action, discipline, and a visible concern for ordinary citizens. For supporters, Duterte’s leadership style was clear—firm when needed, but grounded in a sense of responsibility to protect the public.

This kind of leadership resonates today because many Filipinos feel trapped between leaders who speak endlessly and systems that rarely deliver. In times of crisis—crime, corruption, or public disorder—people instinctively look for leaders who act, not just explain.

The comparison is not about perfection.
It is about presence.

Scripture speaks of this kind of leadership:

“Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
— Psalm 82:4

Leadership, in this sense, is not popularity—it is protection.

Politikanta Minute takeaway:
When courage is paired with compassion, leadership becomes felt, not staged. And that is why some leaders, long after leaving office, remain the standard by which others are measured.