Innocent Friendship in the Face of Adult Animosity

It pained me to watch the news on TV. It pained me to read about it again on the online news.

There was 13-year old JC Abalos, grandson of former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos being interviewed on TV and admitting to the public his close friendship with Abe Lozada, the son of Jun Lozada who is in the middle of this recent political debacle.

JC said his admission to being friends with Abe was not instigated by his family — that his decision to publicly admit to this friendship, amidst their elders being on opposite sides of the fence, was his own decision.

This friendship was confirmed by LSGH friends who were likewise interviewed. From the news I gathered, the friendship of these 2 boys went as far back as third grade.

My heart goes out to these 2 boys. They are innocents caught in the middle of a political battle way beyond their understanding. And I must admit I was impressed with the young Abalos who was reported to have said:

Yung pagkakaibigan, wala yun sa quantity of time na pinagsamahan niyong dalawa, wala rin yun sa number of times na nagkaroon kayo ng mga magandang conversations. [Sa] tingin ko, friendship is more on [its] quality. (Friendship is not in the quantity of time you have been together; it is also not the number of times you had wonderful conversations. In my view, friendship is more on quality.)

It must be painful for these 2 boys to watch the political drama involving their loved ones. There must be times when they are torn between their long bond of friendship and love for their families. I can only think: do they feel awkward having to bump into each other again in school, knowing the history of their elders? Do they wonder what people say or think about them when they are seen together?

This is what I pray as a mother who can imagine what it would be like if one of them was my boy (I have my own 13-year old boy too):

I pray….that media leave them alone and stop playing up on TV or in the news the stories of their friendship.

I pray…that all their friends, classmates, teachers and school authorities continue to encourage their friendship within the boundaries of their school.

I pray…that whatever becomes of the animosity that develops with the older branch of their families, that these 2 innocent boys may be spared.

I pray…that these 2 boys show us adults the magnanimity of their hearts and their ability to transcend everything going on around them and to preserve their friendship whatever the cost.

It is not their fight. It is not their battle. Let us leave them to be boys, remain good friends, and grow up to be good citizens of this country.