A Question of Presidentiables

Nick Joaquin wrote a book entitled “A Question of Heroes” and it was a beautiful read. He  “exposed” the failings and major shortcomings of our most venerated heroes (Rizal, Bonifacio, etc). Now it’s my turn. For whatever it  is worth, let me just give what I think are the principal reasons why you should not vote for each candidate. Of course, you’ll ultimately make a choice. If you’re going to exercise your right to vote, you would have to pick the person whom you  think has the most bearable faults. So, here we go:

1. Binay:

This guy has the executive, administrative and managerial abilities, plus the kind of personal relations-building skills we don’t usually see from the ordinary mediocre politician. All that, I concede. However, to say that he is controversial is a major understatement. It is like saying Michael Jordan knows a few tricks on the hardcourt. He is every bit as controversial as Grace Poe. This is what I think: if the allegations of corruption are coming from a single individual or faction, then we (the public) may just dismiss it as being biased. But what do we have here? All the accusations come from so many fronts. Are all of these folks merely harboring grudges against Binay? Are all of them politically motivated to destroy him? No, the answer is no. Maybe some of them, but surely not all. I believe the charges. Binay is not as clean as he would like the Filipino people to believe. Let me quote my idol (the late Joker Arroyo). Can you imagine if he wins the elections? “We cannot have this country run by a thief.” – Joker intoned, referring to Erap. Now it is my turn to give my line: We cannot have this country run by an alleged thief. Take note I am using the alleged word. (Hey, I do not want to be bothered by lawsuits, knowing this family.)

Another thing on Binay: the way his family members keep on mouthing off. I am not sure if it’s his wife or daughter, but she said that if Binay wins the elections, their accusers/detractors would better watch their backs. Not in those words, but that is the essence of the statement. Hey, Mr Binay, if you cannot do something about the preponderance of evidence showing (your) acts of corruption/malversation, then at the very least, you can do something about your immediate family, right? Tell them to be more circumspect in their verbalizations.

2. Roxas: 

On the upside, he has never been involved in any major scandal. He presents himself as “Mr. Clean” and I suppose, all things considered, he is that. If  we view the current crop of politicians/public officials (think of barangay and city hall levels, not the national levels) – the present lack of decency and decorum, and then use it as our barometer, then Roxas is indeed one of the few with a strong moral compass. However, to be a respectable presidentiable, integrity and honesty should be a given, not a requirement. (I am sure most people above 40 years of age will agree with this). So, besides these laudable traits, what else does this guy have going for him? Answer: nothing else. Is he imaginative? (Translation: is he capable of thinking outside the box?) Answer: no. Is he gutsy? The answer is no. (Even if he crossed words with Duterte, I’m not impressed. If he actually came up to Duterte and punched him in the face, then it would be another story. Call me violence-inclined, but I’ll probably vote for him. Haha. Wink, wink.) Does he have charisma? Well, this one is subjective. Being a guy (I mean, hetero as opposed to being gay), I really don’t correlate charisma with guys, but if I need to, I can. Think of these two political figures: Ninoy Aquino and Chiz Escudero. For me, these two possess (past tense in Ninoy’s case) charisma. It’s one of the reasons I consider Ninoy as the greatest president that we never had. What about Roxas? I don’t find a single ounce of charm or charisma in him? Sorry, but I really don’t.

Is he incredibly skillful in administration or delegation? Well, he is not exactly an idiot in these areas, but I do not see a master at work. So my answer here is neither yes nor no. Call it a draw, in terms of chess. Will he capture the imagination of Filipinos from ages 15 to 22? These people will be the ones who will carry on with all responsibilities and duties for the country long after we are all gone. (I am referring- when I say “we” – to all of us, above 40 years old.) The answer: I really do not think so. Our young will gravitate toward Miriam – social media inputs reflect  this at present. 

Lastly, will he be able to connect to the “poorest of the poor”? He has been portraying himself as somebody who came from humble beginnings. Maybe he actually did, or maybe it’s all hype. Honestly, I do not give a f$%^&ng damn. This guy is no Ramon Magsaysay. (Now, that was another person with tons of charisma.) In that senatorial race many years ago, he packaged himself as “Mr. Palengke” and yes, it did wonders for him. It could be argued that it worked not really because he was what he portrayed himself to be, but for the sheer novelty of “image”. Like in basketball, imagine your most hated PBA/NBA player…you will forget your animosity toward him if you see him do a move on the court that not even Jordan or Kobe can do, right? Your jaw will drop from the sheer novelty of it. Get my drift? If Roxas can be compared to a chess grandmaster, he would be Ulf Andersson. Ulf was one of  the globe’s top ten in the late 80s. His style on the board was incredible. He favored draws and prioritized defense over offense. Good news: he was one of the most difficult to beat during his peak. Bad news: I could say with confidence that he has so few fans outside his home country. Why? He was boring. (Don’t get me wrong, as an expert chessplayer myself, I idolize the way he defended during difficult games, just to be objective about it.) But he was really boring. Just like Roxas. Boring. I am getting bored now, so let us move on to the next candidate.

3. Duterte:

You know. I will not be able to vote this coming elections (don’t ask why please). However, if I were to vote, this guy would be my second choice. I like his style, generally speaking. I voted for Lim when he ran for president because I firmly believed that during those days, peace and order was the number one issue. Then  and still now. Lim and Duterte are cut from the same cloth, but it’s a big cloth. It is the kind of cloth that does not have a single texture. Lim comes  from the smooth part while Duterte was cut from the roughest segment. How so?

Well, firstly, Lim does not curse in public. Maybe in private yes, but not in public.  Duterte does. When Lim was in his peak as Manila mayor, he did great things for that city. Actually, the same for Duterte, he did incredible things for his place. The focal difference? Duterte has this tendency to brag about his accomplishments, whereas Lim remains humble and quiet.

Another thing, I have never known Lim to challenge anybody to a brawl or a slapping match. Duterte did. Being a “terminator” in the eyes of criminals is one thing, but having a street “goon” mentality is another. Duterte should know the difference. He is an adult, he’s not a ten-year-old brat.

Lastly, who indulges himself in trivialities? From what I remember, Lim has always focused on major issues. He never once bothered if a fellow politician or rival has actually graduated from this or that university from whatever country. Duterte did, right? Let me be straight, whether or not Roxas lied about his academic credentials is another story. I will not dwell on that right now. Do we really need a guy like this to be president?

4. Poe:

When she first got elected as a senator, I expected that she would be like Ramon Revilla, a waste of space for a national position that is so crucial. Then slowly but surely, she surprised everybody by making a name for herself. She exudes integrity, passion and yes, competence. What made me sit up and take notice was when she personally boarded an MRT coach (or maybe it was the LRT) to experience firsthand the scourge that the commuting public experiences everyday. It was not done to be a publicity gimmick, it was done with sincerity.

Having said that, what is wrong with her? I’ve read dozens of articles/columns from lawyers and experts, and indeed, the Constitution is clear on the issues. There is really no way Poe can prove her biological parents are actually Filipinos, for the simple reason that nobody really knows who they are. Add the fact that she did renounce her Filipino citizenship. I’ve always thought of people with dual citizenship as having the best of both worlds. Fact is, it could be argued that somebody with this  privilege is abusing both countries. Well, he/she is enjoying the privileges of both nations and YET, will not commit to total loyalty to either nation A or nation B. Hey, that is just me. I don’t know about you.

The focal issue is: Poe has become so controversial. What if she wins the elections and months later, the Supreme Court declares a final verdict the victory should be voided? Then we will be forced to accept the sitting VP to rise up. What if  the second placer in these elections insists that he/she should be proclaimed as the legitimate president, what then? Stranger things have happened. I can just imagine another Edsa revolution or worse, an actual civil war. Can we risk all these by voting for this candidate? (I’m not even talking about that mandated time frame of residency that is one of the contested issues.) I know that Poe has the best interests of the country when she joined this presidential derby. However, I think that a lot of people (that includes me) will respect her more if she withdraws from the race. The best (I think this is just fantasy) scenario could be: Poe withdraws, tells the nation that she would run six years from now because by then, all the obstacles she is facing right now will no longer be applicable. Then she can endorse Miriam, God, how I hope.

Just some humble words to this honorable lady: as a senator, you exceeded all expectations, but I sincerely think it is not yet your time to shine. One journalist referred to you as somebody with a strong sense of entitlement. I’m sad to say, I think he was not exactly wrong. Maybe six years from now, you will be the most deserving candidate, but not just now. Not yet.

5. The Others:

Before I go to Miriam Defensor Santiago, let me just run through the three other presidentiables who are in the race. God only knows why. They are: Cong. Seneres (OFW), Mel Mendoza (PMP) and Dante Valencia (Independent). What can I say? Nothing. Nada. I do not know a single important thing about any of the three. (Translation: I’ve never heard of any accomplishment that any of them has done, I mean…something life-impacting to Juan dela Cruz. There, enough said.  

6. Miriam

You guessed it right, I reserved the best for last. If only I could vote, she would be my choice, without reservations. (Notwithstanding all the things I’ll be saying right after this.) I’ll keep this one short. Miriam has everything: brains, impeccable academic credentials, connections, wealth (nobody is doubting she can finance her own campaign, unlike the nuisance candidates that were crossed off from the list), guts, EQ (which the incumbent is sorely lacking), experience, sense of humor yes, and the respect of the international community.

Why is she at the bottom of the surveys? (Surveys are not including the 3 candidates I mentioned in the “Others”.) I’m actually hard-pressed to find an answer to this. My humble opinion is this: many Filipinos already think she is past her prime. Not so much that some people find her arrogant, that merits another blog post. Not only is she too old (this is a dynamic century, we really need somebody a decade younger than her), she is sick to boot. Many voters will choose a candidate who is very old yet relatively healthy – OR- somebody who is not 100% healthy yet still young. The thing is: Miriam is both. She is quite old (“quite” being a kind term here) and at the same time, she’s afflicted with a very serious condition.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing on earth the nation wants is to see an incumbent (assuming she wins) president dying in the middle of the term. Right? You agree with me right? Reports came out that she is in remission from cancer, but do we really know that for a fact? (I mean, there are cancer forms that are already beatable in this modern age, but it is still one of the terminal conditions. I really do not know how serious her condition is, but Miriam cannot say that this is a personal issue. The overall health of the president is always the concern of the public. Remember Marcos and his lupus?

(If only she had won way back in ’92. Sigh. Sigh again.)

MY LAST WORD:

Let me just throw this, just to end on a positive note. This field of five (excluding those three you know whom I’m referring to) – is surely more interesting and more accomplished than the batch we had in the last presidential derby. That field was a pathetic bunch. Really...and it produced our current president whose EQ is down to his socks. FINAL SIGH.