NARROW unity, leadership of vindictiveness.
That is Vice President Leni Robredo’s apparent platform, not a leadership for national unity and democracy, justice, people’s welfare and sovereignty.
I have a high respect for VP Robredo. But her decision to run for president on the basis of her desire to block the return of a Marcos family member and her assembly of senatoriables mostly recycled traditional politicians is troublesome, senseless and dangerous.
Troublesome because it posits lots of questions on her character. Senseless because it speaks nothing of the kind of leadership and governance’ thrust she could bring to the presidency. Dangerous because her vindictive platform could incite a wave of anarchy, public defiance to the civility of modern republics.
I couldn’t believe that VP Robredo, revered by many for being a cool and principled woman, could spew such a form of vindictiveness. It’s not only uncommon, but unusual for a woman perceived to have the leadership and agenda.
Was she taken out of context, or without a context? Maybe, but she should have clarified what she meant by blocking any Marcos return to power and her handpicked senatoriables.
Unfortunately, sadly, frustratingly, she failed to satisfy the broad opposition, much more the vulnerable sectors expecting her to take up the cudgels for them.
Right after her filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC), she could have presented her presidential vision, goals, and development platform which reflect that she is serious in her decision to bring real change in governance, condition of the people, and foreign relations.
But again, and till now, her platform is still devoid of the popular cries for “food and freedom, jobs and justice,” to quote the political battle cry of the late senator Jose Diokno, a staunch nationalist and civil libertarian.
VP Robredo has no moral high ground to demand for change in governance, if she simply picked up the bad governance, poor programs, of her chosen recycled politicians and leaders.
VP Robredo could only gain moral uprightness and politically trustworthiness if the change she cries is about waging war for “food and freedom, jobs and justice."
I also expected her to unify the leaders from a broad array of real opposition from the true and firm left progressives led by the Makabayan coalition, the flip flopping centrists, and the expedient rightists, to form a formidable united front against the powerful bets of the ruling administration.
Again, she did not. Instead, she expediently assembled a team of senatorial aspirants, most of whom are perceived traditional politicians, and conservative oppositionists whose loyalty is on expediency of interests, not on people and nation.
This shows VP Robredo's bias for her elite backers, sections of the police and military, the centrist and rightist politicians, and in order to isolate the left progressives, popularly perceived to be the only credible opposition because of the consistency of their platform, their bigger and well-organized forces nationwide as shown by their consistent winning of the most numbered of partylist seats.
It is still far to November 15, the end of any substitution, replacement or representation, as set by Comelec.
Unless VP Robredo appreciates the imperative and urgency, and the beauty of a broad anti-administration and anti-BBM united front, she can still redeem her shortcoming towards a legacy building.
If not, VP Robredo and her chosen senatoriables could even be perceived as an instrument for the perpetuation of the ruling administration and any Marcos return to power.
Will the other presidentiables, Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao, Ping Lacson, do what VP Robredo failed to achieve? Just read between the lines of their public statements.
Meanwhile, the ruling administration bets whoever they could finally assemble, will enjoy directly and indirectly, deliberate or not, the enormous resources and formidable machinery of the administration including the backing of majority police and military and the mostly pro administration state executives and employees’ associations.
Just a sounding perspective.