Moral Authority and Leadership in Pluralistic Mindanao: A Hermeneutic Study of Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez and Archbishop Jose A. Cabantan

Abstract

Leadership in culturally diverse and historically complex societies requires moral credibility beyond formal authority. This study examined how Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez and Archbishop Jose A. Cabantan constructed and enacted moral authority within Mindanao’s multicultural and interfaith setting. Using a qualitative hermeneutic design and reflexive thematic analysis of elite interviews with political, religious, academic, and civic stakeholders, the study identified four interrelated dimensions of leadership: moral presence, responsibility and accountability, intercultural engagement, and the negotiation between idealism and pragmatic governance. Findings show that legitimacy emerged primarily from relational credibility, ethical consistency, and dialogical engagement across difference. Moral authority was sustained when leaders demonstrated integrity, transparency, and commitment to communal well-being. The study contributes to Philippine leadership scholarship by offering a contextually grounded account of how moral legitimacy operates in plural environments where political and ecclesial spheres intersect, with implications for leadership formation and governance practice.