Wednesday, March 05, 2008 Editorial: Battle for the public mind
AFTER rallies failed to gather the needed critical public support to unseat President Arroyo, the battle shifts to media and opinion surveys.
The survey Pulse Asia took in Metro Manila last month showed GMA’s approval and performance ratings tumbling.
The situation, however, has become more complicated.
It may be true that the “sins” the current administration committed against the country and people are worse than in previous governments.
Yet there is cynicism toward the opposition’s call to arms.
Discontent
It does appear that Filipinos before were more trusting of their leaders’ capacity to initiate reforms in the political system and undertake changes in governance.
They were more trusting in the politics of promises.
But after the two “Edsas” failed to institute substantial changes in our political values or reforms in the structure and process of governance, discontent seeped in.
Former president Corazon Aquino even told more than 1,000 students, nuns and priests who gathered to hear her speak recently that apathy among Filipinos could stall efforts to unseat GMA.
Skeptics
Indeed, critics of the Arroyo government may have exaggerated their capability and strength.
Those who think that last Friday’s interfaith rally had generated further moral suasion on the people may wake up to realize they are gravely wrong.
More and more of the citizenry have become skeptics of political actions, the kind that the radical left and civil society organizations have been staging against the administration.
That they are not emotionally reacting to the recent rallies despite the Church’s participation proved this discontent and distrust.
Sanctions
Former presidents Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada no longer appear to possess the moral ascendancy they used to have during their respective administrations because they were not able to fulfill the promised reforms.
What moral sanctions can they foster before our people will give weight to their demands for GMA to resign?
Let he/she who has no political sin before country and people make the demand first.
