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Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Lee: GMA's broken promise
By Kelvin Lee
Babble On
SO. IT HAS finally happened. GMA has declared her bid for the presidency. She has gone back on her vow last year not to run. She changed her mind in a field where such reversals could mean the end of a career. She has flip-flopped on an issue so important it has been the center of attention for months on end. In short, she has broken her promise. And yet I am strangely relieved.
I am no fan of Madame President. During the early days of EDSA II I found her silence then to be unsettling. She was not my first choice to become President after Erap, but in those days anyone could have been better than him. I am not a fan of her people either. From Sec. Joey Lina, who was the force behind the foolish and flawed Lina squatter law, to Sec. Blas Ople whom many have forgotten to be once an Erap loyalist. I am also not a fan of her family, which has only served to drown her administration in countless controversies. And yet I am strangely relieved that she is running.
Consider: Ping Lacson as president. A staunch Erap loyalist who, if he wins during the elections, will inevitably pardon his former patron and bring his controversial and uncontrollable brand of authoritarianism into play.
Consider: Fernando Poe Junior as president. He of the action movies and the nationwide popularity with the masa. He is an excellent actor with an impeccable reputation. Yet what does he know of politics and leadership? Starring in a movie is a far cry from running a country. At least Estrada had experience as a politician years before becoming president. But look what happened to him. FPJ as president would mean a return to the Erap years. Or worse.
Consider: Noli de Castro as president. One of broadcasting's greats, he has served as a senator for the past few years. And yet, I am strangely unsettled with the thought of him becoming running for president. Intelligent broadcasting does not mean presidential potential. Furthermore, conflicts of interest ring true in his case. Can you imagine him continuing to come out on television as a broadcaster even when he is president?
Consider: Danding Cojuangco as president. One of Marcos' most loyal supporters. He was once a crony of the former dictator. Though his business sense is unequalled, his former loyalty to a tyrant and his complicity during that dark period make him suspect.
Consider: Raul Roco as president. A good candidate with a reputation for hard work, efficiency and competence, Mr. Roco would be one of the few candidates for president I would be happy with. He was once said to be Ninoy Aquino's protégé. His chosen successor. And yet, he has all but disappeared from the limelight of late. He also disappeared during Ninoy Aquino's time of persecution. He is a good candidate, one of very few I would even consider, but even then, I have to wonder.
I am no fan of Madame President, her people, or even of some of her policies. She has broken her promise to herself, her family, her people and her country. And yet, I am strangely relieved. Consider the alternatives.
(Email me at babbleon@atenista.net)
(October 7, 2003 issue)
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