Razor’s Edge By Jose Mari Mercader
Mixed Emotions about the New President
|
| |
Washington D.C. May 25, (PinoyGlobal) - Presumptive president-elect Benigno “Noynoy”
Aquino III has not been sworn to office yet, and already some people are pre-judging him to
be a failure. They say he was “non-performer” in the Senate and so he will be as president.
If by non-performer they mean he did not grandstand and perorate in the floor like most of
his circus barking colleagues do in the Senate, then his critics are right because he does not
flirt with the gallery. Formulating laws is different from the vaudeville of rhetoric. This brings
to mind Kahlil Gibran who said: “I have learnt silence from the talkative, tolerance from the
intolerant and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I have been ungrateful to these
teachers.”
There is nothing in Aquino’s demeanor corroborating the notion that he lacks the dynamism
of a great president. Captious people or faultfinders will always be around casting the spell
of death wish (failure) on well meaning leaders. This is what they are doing to Noynoy who
has nothing but the best interest of the country at heart, and that is to perform with
integrity and transform our prostrate world into a vibrant economic nation in consonance
with his commitment in the election.
His body language alone should tell all and sundry, he is not the rabble rousing breed with
diarrhea of the mouth. Can’t people accept that men are different from one another in a
million ways just as children are to parents, as Kahlil Gibran observed? There are super
loquacious characters while others are reticent. Noynoy prefers to work than to use the
versatility of his tongue to mislead people. Why can’t they not appreciate that?
The most brilliant legal luminary we ever had – the late Don Claro Mayo Recto – was not a
riveting speaker but he was erudite and his pronouncements were taken as shibboleths of
wisdom. There are many like him - recoiled and people-shy: they do not scintillate as
speakers but are extremely productive and competent in their given mandate.
If silent water runs deep Noynoy passes the test with flying colors. He talks only when
necessary. The Spartans of old were laconic to a fault – their sentences were crispy but
embroidered with profound wisdom. In fact, the virtue of less talk was an indelible trait of
Spartans. The few words they spoke left no room for further elucidation, they fully conveyed
the thought.
For instance, when the wife of the famous king Licurgus was asked by the wife of an
ambassador why she did not bedeck herself with decorative jewelries befitting the wife of a
great husband? Her answer was brief and simple: “His good name is my jewelry.”
It is not even true that Noynoy’s silence mirrored his meager performance as a legislator. If
our readers saw him during the campaign on television, they would agree that he was not
only voluble but very intelligent, which should debunk the black propaganda that he is an
under achiever. I will not dignify the word they use to describe his alleged brain deficiency.
Not because I was first to endorse Noynoy’s presidential ambition in my column at the
Filipino Times and Pinoy Global Online (filamimage.com, which is read around the world,
particularly in the Philippines), that I defend him against this post election demolition barrage
heaped on him, which ostensibly is drumbeat by sour-grapping losers. I strongly believe he
epitomizes integrity. Voters from all walks of life unified solidly behind him because he is
capable of delivering the government back to the people in contrast to his predecessors who
were grossly incongruous to the job and bankrupt of moral integrity.
On this I am vindicated because he really won on the issue of honesty against callous and
recycled politicians who did nothing but character-assassinate adversaries during the
campaign period. To his enemies’ credit they centered their attacks on him sensing that
Noynoy was the most formidable contender for president with our people tired of the same
faces in the government.
His detractors say he has no laws enacted. This misconception stems from the fact that he
does not publicize what he is elected to do. Most politicians advertise anything they do. But
the sum total of their input in terms of note worthy laws is nil and they call that performance.
That is not Noynoy’s style, he just works.
A person may not be a good debater but he could be a dynamic chief executive. Aquino’s
talent could be more attuned to the presidency. How many great people were discovered
after their mental prowess and leadership had been challenged? Lincoln was one of them, so
was Reagan who walked from the pages of heroes to the larger than life legend in history.
Emperor Claudius was frivolously installed by soldiers who thought he could be their puppet
after disposing of the insane Caligula. The seeming mentally weak Claudius turned out to be
one of the most fruitful and effective emperors of the Roman Empire. The list is endless.
Give Noynoy a chance to prove himself. We gave Gloria her chance and Erap his. But they
recompensed the people’s trust with nothing but more woes, misery, broken promises,
sunken economy and exodus of Filipinos that led to broken homes. Some OFWs became
victims of perverted employers who raped and brutalized them. Well educated Filipinas
coming from decent families became prostitutes in foreign lands and the sad stories go on
and on because the leadership at home is corrupt and insincere. Rather than alleviating the
wretched plight of our people, government officials compounded it by exploiting their public
trust instead of uplifting the economy.
If that is the kind of leadership we want then Noynoy is incongruous to the presidency. But if
you want to give an honest leader a chance to prove his mettle of stabilizing the economy
and promoting social justice, then give him a chance to fulfill his campaign promises. Let us
not listen to discredited politicians prejudging him even before he has sat in office.
So far what he is doing is already inspiring. He does not care about your affiliation or
political color. If you are worth your salt he taps you in his administration. He even
contemplates on appointing erstwhile officials to cabinet positions. He believes in tested
integrity and capability and does not act on the dictates of political warlords whom to
appoint and where. You can be a foe sympathizer if you have proven before to be honest
and loyal to your duties, you could be appointed in his administration.
It’s about time Noynoy’s policy of enhancing government performance to its fullest by having
the right people in sensitive positions, prevails in the government. The debilitating syndrome
of tapping only party affiliates is anachronous today in light of the horrendous and highly
complex problems facing the nation that cannot afford to pamper partisan deadwoods and
scalawags. That would be scandalously wasting money we can ill afford on unworthy people.
I don’t necessarily agree with Noynoy’s adamancy to recognize Supreme Chief Justice
Corona but at least he has proven to be his own man. He is just consistent with his view
that a lame-duck president should not abuse her power on the eve of her exit. In a manner
of speaking he has shown his detractors that he is man enough to stand by his conviction.
Can they match that?
|
|
