“Who can be the worst possible plunderer among the 2010 bets?” That was the question posed by William Esposo in his Philippine Star article last January 5, 2010. For years and years, in the electoral history of Philippines, the mass has always shown different tastes in choosing their next president—exceptional educational and political experience, popularity, charisma, personal background, character, credibility, and influence are only some of the obvious criteria the people sought after our past leaders. The Filipinos are in a continuous search for an effective leader after so many disappointments in the past—Filipinos are eager to choose the best possible leader in the coming 2010 elections that could bring about genuine and positive social transformation in our country. Ironically titled, Esposo’s article simply stresses that the next president of RP should be relied on trustworthiness and honesty. Esposo’s idea is agreeable but his reasoning, at the same time, is somewhat flawed.
Esposo’s essay underscored that “…our national salvation relies not on competence, as four of the five leaders have it—but on trustworthiness and character.” True enough, good moral background and character are ideal characteristics for a president. However, reality bites that a leader chosen solely because of trustworthiness and honesty is like giving birth to a political puppet easily manipulated by the more knowledgeable and erudite government officials. The country is in dire need of a more effective, performing government and the coming 2010 election is a critical point of acquiring it, thus, our choice should not only rest on a trust or loyalty basis but also and more importantly on capabilities and competence.
In his article, Esposo also subliminally conveyed his support to Sen. Noynoy Aquino, by merely mentioning that “the sons of genuine heroes are not inclined to join organized crime” pinpointing the senator as the most suitable presidentiable without having to mention any name. This could be of an advantage on the part of Sen. Noynoy however, if we are to look at it on a different perspective, it could also be interpreted as an insult stating that the latter is not as competent as the other presidentiables are.
The Filipino masses have witnessed too many faux pas in the outcomes of our national elections—a brilliant leader turned dictator, popular and dearly loved president turned plunderer, and so on and so forth. The mass clearly would not want to have a trustworthy and loyal, yet incompetent leader turned to a political dummy in the future. If we are to set a criterion for our next president, character, experience, and competence is deemed necessary for our economy to move forward and progress.
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