|
Thursday, November 27, 2003
Wenceslao: Battle has begun
By Bong Wenceslao
My wife’s relative, upon seeing on television the report that actor Fernando Poe Jr. has finally announced he is running for president in 2004, was ecstatic: “Sigurado man gyod na siyang modaug, ba.” She later talked about FPJ being buotan and insisted that reports that he is a high school dropout are not true. She heard FPJ did study in college.
Welcome to the political battle that I earlier said would be the next big one following the tug-of-war on the fate of Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. Seeing what the country went through since the people erred in voting into office actor Joseph Estrada, I would say the 2004 elections can be considered a critical for the country.
With FPJ in the hunt for the presidency, there seems to be many believers in the gospel that, yes, the action star will win it all.
Supposedly, he will get the overwhelming support of the masa. And the Muslims, too (remember that joke about a Muslim spraying the movie screen with bullets because the role FPJ played had him beaten up initially?).
But I am a believer in the saying that it isn’t over until it’s over.
Last year, most basketball fanatics said the Los Angeles Lakers would four-peat—until the San Antonio Spurs proved them wrong. Just recently, only a few gave Pinoy Manny Pacquiao a chance to win against pound for pound best Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao won.
From now until May, many things will still happen. And those who are concerned with where this country will be heading still have a chance to make a difference. That is, if they will put their acts together. My wish, then, is for those who went out of their way to defend Davide to again act in defense of another beleaguered entity: our country.
BONIFACIO. Onofre Venceremos of Tutay, Pinamungajan, Cebu, in his text message, said that FPJ may yet become our next president. “But like Erap,” he added, “FPJ will be toppled. Remember Andres Bonifacio? The elite and the intellectuals hated him and so he was exterminated with extreme prejudice. So don’t worry about an FPJ presidency.”
It is difficult to say whether an FPJ presidency needs to be toppled, after all, he might overcome the odds and become the best leader this country ever had. Besides, it would already be taxing to wage another People Power. What I am worried more is another power grab by a faction of the military. With a weak president, it could succeed.
As for likening FPJ to Bonifacio, I think that is an insult to the latter. Ka Andres was an authentic hero; FPJ is a hero only in the movies. Besides, FPJ is not a plebeian—he’s as rich as hell. So consider him as part of the elite, though not necessarily an intellectual. To say that FPJ is masa is to indulge again in myth making.
ADVISER. Another Text Reax contributor, who wants to remain anonymous, has this take on FPJ surrounding himself with advisers if he becomes president: “If that’s the case, then it would be the advisers who will be running the country and not the president…Because of the overlapping, contradicting, complex and sensitive problems this country have, we need strong and wise leaders to bring us to progress.”
P.S. “Happy 21st anniversary to you and Sun.Star. I agree with your claim about the paper having professional people with high ethical standards. But my unsolicited advise: Be alert and watchful…Sun.Star is an institution, thus it needs to be protected.”—from an anonymous texter.
(e-mail: cowens21@lycos.com; cell phone: 0927-4912362)
(November 27, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
