Sometimes talking to some people is like talking to a brick wall. Wait…I take that statement back. Sometimes talking to a brick wall is better than talking to some people. At least you don’t expect anything from a brick wall.
Starstruck cult following!
Take the case of some staunch Aquino supporters. They are calling for an extension on Philippine President Benigno Simeon (BS) Aquino’s six-year term. It’s as if his mismanagement of the public’s funds wasn’t enough, they want to give him even more chances to screw the taxpayers. As Manila Mayor and former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada quipped, “Iyong nagsusulong na ‘one more term for PNoy’, mga sira ulo yun!
They have lost their minds, indeed. They want BS Aquino to violate the Philippine Constitution again soon after he violated it with the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). And quite frankly, you know that the country’s situation has gone from bad to worse when Erap is starting to make sense. There are even people who say that Erap is a better administrator than BS Aquino.
Apparently, a convicted plunderer is a better alternative to a vindictive, lying, bribing and egotistical President like BS Aquino. So they say. Considering it was Erap who had the guts to apologize to China for the Mendoza hostage fiasco that ended in the preventable deaths of eight Chinese tourists in 2010 when BS Aquino refused to do so, they may have a point in siding with Erap.
Perhaps Erap is trying to prove something to the Filipino people or is trying to finish what he started after he was interrupted by the second “people power” revolt led by the incumbent President’s mother, Cory Aquino. Or maybe we are seeing the effects of Erap finally sobering up…but I digress.
Going back to BS Aquino’s supporters, they are trying to make it look like the world is going to end after his reign is over in 2016. It is only their world that is about to change because their narrow-minded view of the world sees only an Aquino as the country’s torchbearer and no one else. It’s quite baffling why considering the glaring incompetence displayed by the current Aquino government in the last few years. Their loyalty to someone whose first priority is to keep his political party in power is irrational. It’s as if they have been brainwashed the way cult members are brainwashed – using emotional blackmail.
Some members of mainstream media allied with the Aquinos help proliferate the notion that BS Aquino is the country’s savior. The only explanation they can offer is “he owes it to his parents”—Ninoy and Cory. Never mind that the son does not even think twice about violating his mother’s 1987 Constitution and has already damaged his parents’ so-called “legacy” since Day One.
Inquirer columnist Conrado de Quiros is good at painting a doomsday scenario for when BS Aquino’s term is over. In his recent column How long?, he worries about the possibility of the President’s “anticorruption” drive being reversed a couple of years from now.
Yes, De Quiros should be worried. He should be worried because BS Aquino helped continue the cycle of retribution in Philippine politics. While certain politicians are being prosecuted for their involvement in the pork barrel scam, some of the President’s allies who were also included in the list of those involved in the said scam like Budget Secretary Butch Abad are getting away. Since BS Aquino is engaging in selective justice, the next President will more than likely do the same.
De Quiros mentioned in his column that BS Aquino’s resolve resulted in the jailing of three senators involved in the pork barrel scam. First of all, they are not in jail. They are detained in a “special” detention cell. Second, De Quiros should be reminded that alleged criminals are also entitled to the “innocent until proven guilty” principle. BS Aquino would insist on applying that to his allies.
De Quiros asks, “who will continue his work? Who will continue to prosecute the prosecutable? Who will continue to jail the jailable?” His question is a bit silly because members of the country’s law enforcement agencies – the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Office of the Ombudsman — should not stop working even when BS Aquino’s term is over. They shouldn’t have to wait for orders from the Chief Executive because they are mandated to do their jobs. They should be able to function effectively without him.
The real question is why weren’t they doing their jobs before? Why couldn’t they arrest and prosecute the “corrupt” sooner? It’s hard to believe that they were just twiddling their thumbs all those years these scams were going on.
It seems the Filipino people are misguided in thinking that it is the President’s job to order the arrest and prosecution of criminals. And it seems the PNP, the NBI, and the Ombudsman only do what the President tells them to do. This explains why they prioritized investigating the allegations against former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona even when there are other more important cases waiting to be solved.
One of them is the case against the Ampatuans who are allegedly the mastermind behind the massacre of 58 victims in 2009 on their way to file a certificate for a rival candidate. The case against the Ampatuans might end up getting dismissed for lack of progress and the sudden disappearance of witnesses. There are even reports that the public prosecutors have been bribed.
De Quiros should not be asking WHO. He should be asking WHAT. What should the next Presidential candidate stand for? What is his vision and plans for the future of the Philippines? Hopefully, his agenda is not limited to persecuting his political enemies.
Filipino voters should not be too particular about the candidates’ names in the first place. They should be more particular about the candidates’ platforms. This is what some of us have been talking about for years. Unfortunately, talking to most Filipino voters is like talking to a brick wall.
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