As surely as night follows day, every single presidential candidate in the 2010 elections will vow to end corruption and dishonesty in government and will swear to uphold the law “without fear or favor” or, in the words of Erap Estrada, in his inaugural speech, “Walang kaikaibigan, walang kama-kamaganak.”
And while they’re saying this, every single one of these would-be candidates has been merrily running circles around the law. Not really breaking it. Just bending it and making a mockery of it.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, turn on your TV sets and watch those “non-campaign” commercials that sure as hell look, sound and smell like political campaign pitches.
Sure, sure, none of those spots is saying outright, “Vote for me!” but it shouldn’t take a genius to guess what these spots are saying. Even an idiot can tell.
Of course, we know why our moral, crusading, honest, incorruptible, pure as driven snow presidential wannabes are doing this. They think that the Comelec rules on election campaigning are unreasonable. They think the gag on delivering messages about the qualities of candidates doesn’t make sense.
So what do they do? Instead of amending the law through the logical congressional process, they simply use the great Pinoy talent of “palusot.” Finding a loophole and getting away with it.
At least, Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin is realistic enough to acknowledge the idiocy of the rules although he is careful not to knock those who have been bending them (I wouldn’t be surprised if he has bent the rules himself). He has filed a bill in Congress that would make the rules on early campaigning more reasonable and logical.
But to go back to this penchant for bending or running circles around the law. It has become such a national habit that nobody notices it anymore. Besides, it’s so easy to rationalize breaking or bending the law, especially when you see national leaders, from the president to the members of Congress to the sages in the Supreme Court, conveniently justifying the means to their ends.
Having seen these presidential candidates start their campaigns with such mental dishonesty, is there any reason to believe that they will change their ways when they assume office?
I frankly doubt it.
I think we will all have to resign ourselves to the harsh reality that we will be electing to the presidency and the vice-presidency people who have no compunctions about bending the law to suit their objectives. Oh yes, they may even do that “for the greater good of country and people.”
The only question is, who will do it less often. Or, putting it another way: Who will be doing MORE GOOD, while breaking or bending the law.
This brings me to the choices that are left to the electorate, based on the current list of would-be presidential and vice-presidential candidates: Aquino-Roxas, Estrada-Binay, Teodoro-Manzano and Villar-Legarda.
You may ask: What is it that qualifies these individuals for the highest offices in the land?
Frankly, that may not be the question to ask, but, rather, “Who shouldn’t be elected to the highest offices in the land?”
Apparently, the Philippine electorate has a better idea of what they do not want in the next president, rather than in the qualities that the ideal candidate should possess.
From talking to prospective voters and pundits in Manila and in the US, it is clear that the first thing they don’t want to see occupying the presidency is anyone answering to the name of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. By extension, they don’t want anyone who is associated with her.
This is the monkey on the back of Gilbert Teodoro. It is doubtful that the charms of Edu Manzano, as vice-presidential running mate, can effectively lighten that burden for him.
If it is a truism that Pinoys have a penchnt for “palusot,” it is even more true that quic pro quo is the rule in politics and every politician is a wheeler-dealer. The only difference is the degree of wheeling and dealing. On that score, it is likely that that Teodoro has made a commitment to protect the interests of Arroyo if he should become president.
He can attempt to deny this in private conversations, but it is doubtful that he will ever distance himself from his patron. .Of course, that’s not necessarily the kiss of death for his presidential ambitions. Anybody who thinks that the administration party will not try to do a Garci II is a simpleton. And when that happens, Teodoro could be the next president of the Philippines.
Stung by the many scams and cases of plunder in government, the voters also don’t want someone who is perceived to be corrupt or who is suspected to have made his fortune under dubious circumstances.
If one were to look at the credentials of Manny Villar, he certainly appears better prepared to manage the affairs of the country than either Teodoro, Estrada or Aquino. His success as an entrepreneur is testament to his brilliance as a businessman. But it may also be a testament to his genius as a backroom manipulator.
Despite the efforts of several of his colleagues in the Senate to give him a clean bill of health in the face of the accusations hurled against him by Ping Lacson, Villar continues to carry a monkey on his back in connection with his real estate fortune.By avoiding the accusations and brushing them off as political vendetta, Villar leaves himself wide-open to doubts about his integrity.
Can someone whose wealth is under a cloud and is spending billions on his campaign be expected to keep his hands clean if he ever becomes president?
If Villar were running for president in America, you can bet that he would be roasted over live coal for this. He is lucky to be campaigning in the Philippines where the media depend mainly on press releases and innuendo.
Then there’s Erap Estrada. Assuming he overcomes the legal impediment to his candidacy, what can we reasonably expect from someone who has already shown us what he is capable – and incapable – of doing as president? Isn’t this like watching one of his old movies where we already know the ending?
This brings us to Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. No monkeys on their backs, except perhaps for the unresolved problem of Hacienda Luisita for the former.
Do they deserve to be president and vice-president? I guess we’re talking here of the lesser evil. Because they too are guilty of mental dishonesty with their non-campaign political campaigns.
(gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)
And while they’re saying this, every single one of these would-be candidates has been merrily running circles around the law. Not really breaking it. Just bending it and making a mockery of it.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, turn on your TV sets and watch those “non-campaign” commercials that sure as hell look, sound and smell like political campaign pitches.
Sure, sure, none of those spots is saying outright, “Vote for me!” but it shouldn’t take a genius to guess what these spots are saying. Even an idiot can tell.
Of course, we know why our moral, crusading, honest, incorruptible, pure as driven snow presidential wannabes are doing this. They think that the Comelec rules on election campaigning are unreasonable. They think the gag on delivering messages about the qualities of candidates doesn’t make sense.
So what do they do? Instead of amending the law through the logical congressional process, they simply use the great Pinoy talent of “palusot.” Finding a loophole and getting away with it.
At least, Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin is realistic enough to acknowledge the idiocy of the rules although he is careful not to knock those who have been bending them (I wouldn’t be surprised if he has bent the rules himself). He has filed a bill in Congress that would make the rules on early campaigning more reasonable and logical.
But to go back to this penchant for bending or running circles around the law. It has become such a national habit that nobody notices it anymore. Besides, it’s so easy to rationalize breaking or bending the law, especially when you see national leaders, from the president to the members of Congress to the sages in the Supreme Court, conveniently justifying the means to their ends.
Having seen these presidential candidates start their campaigns with such mental dishonesty, is there any reason to believe that they will change their ways when they assume office?
I frankly doubt it.
I think we will all have to resign ourselves to the harsh reality that we will be electing to the presidency and the vice-presidency people who have no compunctions about bending the law to suit their objectives. Oh yes, they may even do that “for the greater good of country and people.”
The only question is, who will do it less often. Or, putting it another way: Who will be doing MORE GOOD, while breaking or bending the law.
This brings me to the choices that are left to the electorate, based on the current list of would-be presidential and vice-presidential candidates: Aquino-Roxas, Estrada-Binay, Teodoro-Manzano and Villar-Legarda.
You may ask: What is it that qualifies these individuals for the highest offices in the land?
Frankly, that may not be the question to ask, but, rather, “Who shouldn’t be elected to the highest offices in the land?”
Apparently, the Philippine electorate has a better idea of what they do not want in the next president, rather than in the qualities that the ideal candidate should possess.
From talking to prospective voters and pundits in Manila and in the US, it is clear that the first thing they don’t want to see occupying the presidency is anyone answering to the name of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. By extension, they don’t want anyone who is associated with her.
This is the monkey on the back of Gilbert Teodoro. It is doubtful that the charms of Edu Manzano, as vice-presidential running mate, can effectively lighten that burden for him.
If it is a truism that Pinoys have a penchnt for “palusot,” it is even more true that quic pro quo is the rule in politics and every politician is a wheeler-dealer. The only difference is the degree of wheeling and dealing. On that score, it is likely that that Teodoro has made a commitment to protect the interests of Arroyo if he should become president.
He can attempt to deny this in private conversations, but it is doubtful that he will ever distance himself from his patron. .Of course, that’s not necessarily the kiss of death for his presidential ambitions. Anybody who thinks that the administration party will not try to do a Garci II is a simpleton. And when that happens, Teodoro could be the next president of the Philippines.
Stung by the many scams and cases of plunder in government, the voters also don’t want someone who is perceived to be corrupt or who is suspected to have made his fortune under dubious circumstances.
If one were to look at the credentials of Manny Villar, he certainly appears better prepared to manage the affairs of the country than either Teodoro, Estrada or Aquino. His success as an entrepreneur is testament to his brilliance as a businessman. But it may also be a testament to his genius as a backroom manipulator.
Despite the efforts of several of his colleagues in the Senate to give him a clean bill of health in the face of the accusations hurled against him by Ping Lacson, Villar continues to carry a monkey on his back in connection with his real estate fortune.By avoiding the accusations and brushing them off as political vendetta, Villar leaves himself wide-open to doubts about his integrity.
Can someone whose wealth is under a cloud and is spending billions on his campaign be expected to keep his hands clean if he ever becomes president?
If Villar were running for president in America, you can bet that he would be roasted over live coal for this. He is lucky to be campaigning in the Philippines where the media depend mainly on press releases and innuendo.
Then there’s Erap Estrada. Assuming he overcomes the legal impediment to his candidacy, what can we reasonably expect from someone who has already shown us what he is capable – and incapable – of doing as president? Isn’t this like watching one of his old movies where we already know the ending?
This brings us to Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. No monkeys on their backs, except perhaps for the unresolved problem of Hacienda Luisita for the former.
Do they deserve to be president and vice-president? I guess we’re talking here of the lesser evil. Because they too are guilty of mental dishonesty with their non-campaign political campaigns.
(gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)
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