SMOKE » Musings, Politics » Trivializing the Presidency
Trivializing the Presidency
Wherever you go now, pundits like saying that “the race is on!” Or that “the games have begun!” Variations on the theme, repeated ad infinitum, ad nauseam. We get it. Left and right, people are declaring their intentions to run for president; each one claiming to be riding the crest of public clamor; nearly all of them running on a platform of righteous anger and sweet revenge.
And pundits – both on-line and in the mainstream – continuously feed the egos of these wannabees by devoting column-inches and blog posts to their merest utterances. But more than just feeding egos, this predilection to writing up every little off-the-cuff remark, every bluster, and every knee-jerk reaction of these aspirants for the presidency (not presidentiables, mind you, because in the strictest sense of even that made-up word, they are not presidentiable) adds the patina of legitimacy to what would otherwise be dismissed as plain and simple chicanery.
They are not presidentiables because, in the strictest sense of even that made-up word, they are not presidentiable.
Take Joseph Estrada, for instance. The political racket this man is raising is premised on one thing only: a strained – and patently unjustified – re-interpretation of the Constitution. And for what? So he can prove to himself that the people would vote for him still? He is reducing the presidency to an act of self-validation.
And what of Ed Panlilio? Why is he running? People close to him say that he sees the Presidency as a kind of messianic destiny he was ordained to fulfill. If I were running his PR, I would prolly have him announce his candidacy in front of a big-ass stone with a sword sticking out of it. And just in case that message proves too subtle, I’ll have him pull it out and stick it into a GMA-effigy.
Does anyone seriously believe that this man can run a nation? He is practically just a smarter, more loquacious version of Fernando Poe Jr., running almost exclusively on a platform of righteousness. And of course, in this country of Pharisees, claiming righteousness is half the battle.
But certainly, in the category of self-righteousness, Panlilio cannot hold a candle to Chiz Escudero. This man who catapulted himself from being a no-output member of the House of Representatives to being a Senator (please, shoot the next person who says “Senator of the Republic”) by harping on the evils of the Arroyos, is now drawing on the same playbook, from the hut-hut-hut to the switch-off to the long pass down the end-zone. He’s likely to score a touch down too, but not because he’s good, so much as because he gives good face.
To be fair tho, Escudero is the closest we have to Barack Obama – a parallelism other candidates are dying to appropriate for themselves. He is young, he is a excellent orator, and he captures the imagination. But as the jury is still out on whether gambling on an orator was a winning bet, so it is too early to tell whether these attributes actually make a good president. Myself? Form ought not to trump substance. And Escudero has shown precious little substance. For him, the Presidency is clearly nothing more than a feather to be won for his cap; a place in history as the youngest Philippine president.
Mar Roxas at least has his cheaper medicines law and his track record as DTI secretary a lifetime ago. Of all these jokers, I reserved judgment on Roxas the longest. Like I said, he had an okay record as DTI secretary, and for the first part of his being a Senator, he showed a remarkable amount of stability. I felt like he didn’t glom on to issues with as much alacrity as his peers did; that he chose his battles. Recently, however, once it became clear that he was throwing his hat in the ring, Roxas has steadily been morphing into a traditional politician – complete with the very public courtship of a beloved media personality.
His infomercials are worse. Sentimental pap, overflowing with treacly reassurances of solidarity with the poor … blech. Unfortunately, none of those infomercials truly reveal why he’s running for office. Perhaps, like Panlilio, he sees manifest destiny. Or maybe it’s just naked ambition.
Nothing wrong with ambition, certainly. What gets my goat is that he is trying very hard to portray himself as a giant-killer, rather than as the man-with-the-plan. It might be easier to win on a platform of get-GMA, but it is more important for this country that we elect a president who knows how to undo all the damage this administration has done. Unlike in a murder where the death of the murderer offers poetic justice and a sense of resolution without bringing the dead back to life, getting the presidency means also getting the power to bring the country back to life – altogether a better goal than just sending a corrupt president to the chair.
Manny Villar isn’t doing any better, that’s for sure. With all the money he’s pouring into this pre-selling phase of his political development project, one gets the sense that Villar believes he can buyhis way into office. The tragic part is that he’s prolly right. So for him, the presidency seems to be just another hostile take-over. Just another business deal. And he will likely treat the presidency the same way, if he ever gets it.
Noli de Castro, on the other hand, is a cypher. About the only thing certain with de Castro is that he didn’t really want to be Vice-President, and prolly does not intend to be President either. Which, in my opinion, is worse than everyone else’s motivations.
And yapping on the fringes, Loren Legarda – desperate for vindication; Richard Gordon – perhaps the most sincerely driven … but frighteningly driven to the point of megalomania. Him, Bayani Fernando, and Jejomar Binay? Clearly three-of-a-kind; and Gilbert Teodoro – he who makes all the right noises and seems to be acceptable to the leadership on both sides of the divide, yet clearly lacking the charisma needed to unite a fractious nation, Teodoro seems to be running just to mix things up.
With people like this in the running – people for whom the Presidency is apparently not principally about service to the nation – how do we choose?
The pundits are no help. When was the last time you read an article that tried to delve deeply into what a Roxas presidency would do for the country? Or an Escudero presidency? All you can read nowadays trivialize the presidency into nothing more than a prize to be won, hence the proliferation of attempts at pseudo-thinktankish analyses of who will most likely win. All that does is engender the belief that it is better to pick the winningest candidate than to support the one that will do the best job.
Like
Written by rom
Rom is a twenty-one year old experiment. She began life with the notion that she was a Filipino-Chinese Ilongga. Now, she just thinks of herself as Ilongga, having realized that she has failed at being Chinese. At least that's what her aku told her upon learning that she had fallen in love with a Filipino.
Filed under: Musings, Politics · Tags: Among Ed, Bayani Fernando, BF, Chiz Escudero, Dick Gordon, Ed Panlilio, Erap, Gibo, Gilbert Teodoro, Governor Panlilio, Jejomar Binay, Jojo Binay, Joseph Estrada, Kabayan, Loren Legarda, Makati, Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, MMDA, Mr. Palengke, Noli de Castro, Presidentiables, Sipag at Tiyaga
13 Responses to "Trivializing the Presidency"
Leave a Reply
SUBSIDENCE
FOR PRESIDENT
Recent Comments
- David on The Ballot
"The elite will always stay in power. The Philippines is no different than the U.…" - Tangama on It’s better automated
"Amen to this. But wat up with Dr. Manalastas? He just can't get enough! While co…" - Maria Elizabeth Embry on Rom
"(tweaked by Maria Elizabeth Embry) Hacienda Luisita, 42 years Blowin’ in…" - suburbandude on It’s better automated
"Aba, ayos yung logo ng Comelec sa huli ng video. (woot)…" - danton remoto on Candidates
"thank you for your kind words. and of course, i agree with what you said about m…"
Hey you have any thoughts bout Nicanor Perlas? http://www.nicanor-perlas.com/ He seems to be setting his sights too on the presidency.
This is the first I’ve heard that Nick Perlas had presidential ambitions. Still, there’s a lot of stuff on his site (thanks for the link) that I’d have to go through before I can say anything for or against.
However, he claims to have been instrumental in mothballing the bataan nuke plant… bad call that.
I know Nick Perlas. I cannot summarize who he is in a few statements because he contains multitudes. In fact, you won’t hear people complain that he is unqualified. He has done so much as an individual without being in the tainted field of politics. Perhaps that is why people give up reading after a few minutes of visiting his site. He’s brilliant and has actively engaged in the world, despite not being known or popular. Even so, knowledge and experience are no longer enough to take out this country out of the dark. I believe what sets Nick Perlas apart from everyone else is his unquestionable integrity. He lives and breathes it. And if there was someone who could awaken Filipinos to their true potential, and move them to engage in the world, and take real responsibility for the country, it will be him. Everyone else would allude that they are the change this country needs and they will entice you with images of honor and virtue. But these are just images, packaging, an allusion. Nick Perlas is the true/real choice. And it is because of him that an apathetic Filipino like me has registered to finally vote at 33.
That’s great, Paula. I’ve always said that a good candidate was the way to re-connect the citizen with his right of suffrage!
And welcome to the House of Smoke!
Good piece, Roma!
I’d say you’ll be an ideal heart and conscience for a good President but not a wheeling dealing brain of a wily political president.
Sadly, benevolent politics, especially in RP, is an oxymoron.
The title of your blog caught my attention and really intrigued me, which prompted me to read on and ponder for a while your analyses. Frankly speaking, u scored a point about some “presidentiables” (as they are generally called), but not all of them. The “pundits” authoritative manner in giving an opinion thru mass media is of common knowledge and is being widely practiced all over the world, including here in the Philippines, I suppose eversince the world of media began!
Might as well ask, why trivialize the “presidency” when in here, lies who will emerged as the best opt to lead the nation, and who will eventually, “undo all the damages this present administration has done” (quoting from you).
From my own point of view, presidential election in the Philippines is the most-awaited event by our fellow citizens who already predilected over the candidates, not just thru these “pundits”, but also from their own personal experience, views and opinions which mattered most for a voter in choosing his candidate!
Who among the presidents was able to bring the country back to life right after the exit of a predecessor? Not even Barack Obama in his first 100 days of office has done at least a remarkable “rebuilding” of his nation at once! Because, it is a long-term process of undoing all the damages done by other’s governance! What with the mounted loans incurred, civil wars, corruption, natural calamities, which greatly affect and contribute to the devastation of our economy?
You claimed Loren’s vindictive, and Gordon’s driven to the point of megalomania. Panlilio’s just a loquacious version of FPJ,and Estrada’s reducing the presidency to an act of self-validation. Neither Villar’s buying his way to the office and Noli’s yapping on the fringes did not conform to your standards!
But you reserve ur judgment on Roxas,after pointing out some “petty comments on his public courtship of a beloved media personality.
It is of public knowledge that Mar and Villar spent billions of money in those commercial ads! Portraying themselves as the “champions of the poor” when in reality they are not, instead, they irritated most of the people whom they just cant fool! Who are they kidding? And how will they be able to get back these millions? Nice if they lost in the election, but if they win, (God forbid) “kawawang kaban na naman ni Juan?” Do I make sense?
You pointed out Mar’s Cheaper Medical Law, but failed to disclose Escudero’s Tax Relief Law (RA 9504) known as the National Internal Revenue Code of 1977. Again you mentioned Mar’s remarkable amount of stability but failed to acknowledge Escudero’s credibility! Informed the public of Mar’s achievement as former DTI Secretary, while ignored Escudero’s credential being the House Minority Leader in the House of Representative where he was elected as Congressman of the !st District of Sorsogon!
True, Mar did not glom on issues and chose his battles, but Escudero made sure to tackle and give resolutions to issues affecting the nation, to even hit the damned governance of the present administration..not to give credit to himself but to truly bring the issue to public knowledge, thereby gaining support from the people, with the way he approach and converse with them ,in full tagalog, that helped the people understand what he is talking about. A real good “orator” has an added advantage than a mere commercial “drama king”, eh?
Now, this is my perception of what’s really happening around lately but few people noticed. I never share ur opinion of Chiz Escudero’s candidacy as a”feather to be won on his cap”, neither a place in history as the youngest phil.president! We’ve had somuch “firsts” in our history of presidents: Cory, being the first woman president of the phils., Erap, being the first celebrity pres. being paralled to Bill Clinton…So there’s not much intriguing factor in Chiz’being paralled to Obama as the Philippines’ Youngest President!
Would it be an overstatement should i share Escudero’s achievement as one of the Youngest Global Leader 2008 by World Economic Forum who’s criteria Chiz has successfully met? For professional accomplishment,commitment to society,and potential to contribute and shaping the future of the world…drawn from a pool of 5000 candidates chosen by selection committee of 31 Eminent International Media Leaders, from Reuters, to New York Times, to Publisher and Wall Street Journal, among others?
And for additional info, on Chiz Escudero’s being a “no-output Congressman” (quoting from u), please take into consideration the folowing House and Senate Bills he has passed:
RA 9576 – known as the PDIC charter
RA 9514 – known as the Fire Code of the Phils.
RA 9504 – Tax Relief Law
RA 9503 – Act of Further Expanding the Organizational Structure of Court of Tax Appeals (CTA)
RA 8980 – Act Promulgating a Comprehensive Policy and a National System for Early Childhood Care and Dev. (Eccd) Providing Fund Therefore and for Other Purposes. Approved by the Pres. on Dec. 05, 2000 11th Congress
Hey, it actually dawned on me that Chiz Escudero has all these exemplar characteristics to lead our nation in the near future! Thanks for helping me choose my candidate!!
Belinda Carlos
Tarlac City, Tarlac
Facebook.com
Awesome, Bel! Although I doubt that I had anything to do with your decision to choose Chiz.
Welcome to the House of Smoke!
So you’ve found Chiz’s website a convincing salesman.
You could study the most detailed, most comprehensive dossier on Escudero and STILL miss the point of the problem with him. This list tells nothing of how his past work combines and singularly translates to a structured, focused buildup of what he intends to accomplish as president and why, and necessarily, HOW. His solution to everything is the removal of the Arroyos. That’s it. In 2010, that will happen. What now, brown cow? His behavior in front of the media only tells me one sure thing: that he sees himself a dragon slayer, with every ambition of being an accomplished dragon slayer, but with no concrete idea how. You get the metaphor.
So many motherhood statements with practically NOTHING for follow through – that’s the problem. Ask him how he will follow through on a motherhood statement and he’ll answer with another one. Really, his weakness is: HOW.
How will he work the machinery? Better yet, how will he OPPOSE the machinery and actually get results? Of all the supposed changes he says he’ll bring about, which will be most difficult and how EXACTLY will he deal with it? I doubt if he can answer any of this without resorting to platitudes. And he hasn’t.
Here’s an idea: List down each of Chiz’s unique criticism of this evil dragon of an administration- every complaint, every shortcoming, every disservice, every alleged lie. Then on the right hand side write down how EXACTLY he says he will slay the dragon point-by-point, piece-by-piece.
hey rom,
And what of Ed Panlilio? Why is he running? People close to him say that he sees the Presidency as a kind of messianic destiny he was ordained to fulfill. If I were running his PR, I would prolly have him announce his candidacy in front of a big-ass stone with a sword sticking out of it. And just in case that message proves too subtle, I’ll have him pull it out and stick it into a GMA-effigy.
that’s a very good point.
as for escudero… i’m sorry to say, i haven’t been impressed by him. i think he’s just like the rest of them. i don’t think he’s old school, status quo guy too.
guilty as charged.
i’d guess this punditry is part of the reason why you’ve been feeling blogged out. it is for me.
i’ve been trying to look for more positive things to write about in my blog. i have a few but clearly they’re not enough. there’s just something about politicians and the things they do that seem to draw out my inner pundit.
‘the belief that it is better to pick the winningest candidate than to support the one that will do the best job.’
and this has been the case ever since i learned how to vote,from evil to lesser evil to pwede na.
and the sad part is, that majority of the Pinoys who will support and who will vote for them are the same people who have been fooled once and who are willing to be fooled again and many times over.
let me just quote something from The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity:
“In a country which is moving downhill, the fraction of stupid people is still equal to å; however in the remaining population one notices among those in power an alarming proliferation of the bandits with overtones of stupidity (sub-area B1 of quadrant B in figure 3) and among those not in power an equally alarming growth in the number of helpless individuals (area H in basic graph, fig.1). Such change in the composition of the non-stupid population inevitably strengthens the destructive power of the å fraction and makes decline a certainty. And the country goes to Hell.“
[...] course, the butt of that joke was George Bush, but I suppose the same might be said of our own talking-bush-listener, Ed Panlilio. And what of Ed Panlilio? He sees the Presidency as a kind of messianic destiny he [...]
[...] rom and Benign0s witty pieces, I add my two cents of [...]