Politics is indeed unfair - Manila Times

Philippine presidents come into office via two routes. The first is winning the office after the requisite apprenticeship. Presidents who assumed office under this route started by building up resumes (the bona fides to be president), the necessary linkages and a formidable funding base. Finally, all of these preprations are capped by developing a sense of gravitas or political heft. And the swagger of a winner.

There are two recent presidents who came to office via this safe path—Fidel V. Ramos, who cultivated a Steady Eddie image, and Joseph Estrada, who became president after serving as mayor, senator and vice president. In terms of professional work and academic training, Ramos was the more prepared one. But he did not have Estrada’s more formidable plus—charisma.

In contrast, former President Cory Aquino returned home after her husband’s assassination in 1983 “to bury Ninoy.” Politics consumed her life but it was not something she sought and relished. She was the steadiest support base to her husband, true, but one largely uninvolved in the mechanics and application of politics.

So when she returned home in 1983, the most she thought she would do was to help unite the political opposition to Marcos, help break the regime and help in the restoration of Philippine democracy. No one thought that the silent but palpable courage she demonstrated during those tense days after Ninoy’s murder would move the usually chauvinistic leaders of the political opposition to ask her to be their leader.
The intersection and confluence of several events changed her standing overnight: from the widow who bore so much of the tragic events in her life with strength to the leader of the opposition, and later, candidate in the snap presidential election of February 1986.

So this is the second one-great and extra-ordinary events pushing one with neither ambition nor preparation into the presidency. The 2010 presidential election is developing into another 1986.

A few months back, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd was the most enthusiastic supporter of then LP presidential candidate Mar Roxas. There was hardly a public occasion attended by the two that ended without Noynoy endorsing Roxas. Noy-noy was determined to be Mar’s most vocal supporter, cajoling the entire Liberal Party leadership to line up behind Roxas.

Then came the death of her mother, a well-loved former president. Her funeral stirred a lot of memories, aroused the slumbering sense of public duty among those who opted to stay out of politics and its dirty innards. The fond and teary recollection of the days her mother was president and was mother to the country so defied the ningas kugon burst of sympathy, and was potent enough to move the attention to her only son, who, by then, was neither a candidate or even a known presidential material. Suddenly, there was this glimmer of Noynoy as a possible president.

The attention did linger. And lasted. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was this push to make Noynoy the presidential candidate of the party. Other big events followed in succession and the climax came with the decision of Roxas to give up his presidential bid in favor of his most vocal supporter.

To the critics, it was a political soap opera. Maybe, but it was definitely a political blockbuster. A recent survey of Luzon voters showed Noynoy Aquino getting one out of every two voting preferences cast. Even the phony surveys staged by other presidential hopefuls to stop what appears to be a pro-Noynoy juggernaut revealed Aquino’s competitiveness.

As if the rise of Noynoy were not enough, the Lakas-CMD—the ruling party—has named a Gibo-Ronnie tandem as its preferred team. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and DILG Secretary Ronnie V. Puno used to be outside of the ruling party’s radar screen. It was either Noli or Bayani.

All over the landscape, fresh names with neither the plan nor the long preparation to compete in the presidential polls, have eclipsed those who have prepared long and hard. The usual names have either been rendered irrelevant or have flamed out.
Now, it is all about Noynoy and Gibo.

It is not fair, according to critics: second cousins from the same province occupying the primest political space. And from the same region (Central Luzon) that has so far contributed five Philippine presidents.
But as we said before, life and politics are essentially unfair.

mvrong@yahoo.com