Political thoughts

With barely three months left, Philippines would be electing a new president who by all idealistic means should rear the country into sustainable and skyrocketing development. Frankly, it's been long overdue. We have already heard promises from politicians ranked from the lowest of the low to the highest, but still nothing materializes. Profound achievements are mentioned here and there, but Philippines is still in the same spot. We think we're developing, but we're only coping lest we crumble completely. Sometimes you think if there's a point to these elections.

Boyfriend thinks there's no use. He's not registered by choice because he feels his vote wouldn't make a difference. Whoever wins, there would still be corruption and it's the same banana. My sister and most of my friends share the same sentiment. They would go on with their lives hoping the best for the country, but don't expect them to vote. For them, it's a waste of time.

I can't help but just keep quiet whenever they say remarks like these. In this certain argument, it's best left to respect than counteract like I always do. I see in their faces that they've resigned from the electoral process. There is no room to react and to persuade them; and honestly personal decisions aren't debatable. They've simply given up. And I admit there were times when I felt that I'm slowly sharing their sentiments too. But no. I've decided that I will vote.

Frankly at 26 I've reached a point where I feel tired and frustrated with our system. Sometimes I just want to give up and join my friends who don't care at all. I could ignore the elections, bribe my way through everything, corrupt individuals and not hope for the betterment of this country, but the truth is I love the Philippines. I recognize my race and I recognize our strengths and I know we could make this work. I've lived here all my life to know that our situation's depressing, but could be cured. I may have traveled to some Asian countries and got slammed by their infrastructures and social systems. I've been ashamed of our country more than once, that is true. And as much as I hate stupid officers and corrupt officials that run this land, I realize that I would still love the Philippines no matter what happens. This is the only country I can call my own. My love for this country keeps me hoping. My love will take my ass to the precinct to vote. I'm not voting for the sake of citizen obligation. I'm doing this for the love of my country.

***

Once upon a time, I was shocked to know that the basic requirements of becoming a President of the Philippines are simply below:

1. Filipino Citizen of a certain age.
2. Sane or Normal
3. Can read and write

There are no tests. Anybody could apply. Of course COMELEC would screen the capabilities of these presidentiable wannabees. For one, the candidates should have enough resources to carry out campaigns or else they would be doomed to failure. The Electoral body would take out nuisance candidates based on technical requirements, but if you have the money and the right brand of sanity, you could have an equal chance to claim this position.

Sometimes I ask, what for? Of course, being a President is highly prestigious and coveted because it requires great amount of respect and honor from the local to international scene. Nothing beats the power of the highest official in the land. Even tycoons would bend on his/her orders. Yet living the president's life is not a glamorous one. The pay is horrible with the amount of stress and scrutiny he or she receives. It cracks even the most confident souls. It's the ultimate profession that practically eliminates personal life. And aside from the occasional death threats and public displeasure, this profession would be the end test to his/her psychological strength and faith.

That's why the new president should be ideally as follows:

1. INTELLIGENT

He or she should be smart enough to know the situation of this country and how to handle it. Advisers are there to present options and attend to detailed affairs, but the President is the end all of all suggestions and proposals. The president should be smart enough to develop mature opinions and decisions about national matters. A smart president cannot rely on hearsay and advisers. His or her mind should be mature enough to get the information, dissect it and understand it to come up with a sound solution.

2. INFLUENTIAL

The President should lead the nation as one. He or she could not lead a nation by simply being smart and action-oriented. He/she should exude confidence and charm to project and inspire people to follow his government. He/she could be the smartest and promising politician there is, but if his reputation isn't built, it would all go down to waste. A good leader is not supposed to be a brainiac. A good leader isn't supposed to be simply aggressive. A leader should primarily be influential to get people believing his side.

3. INTEGRITY GUY/GAL

Shall I still expound on this? God knows we need humble and honest politicians. We've had enough of corruption and stupidity. If the would-be president loves the country so much to spend thousands of money to campaign himself for the highest position, he/she should not be corrupted by temptations and forget his oath of putting the country's welfare first than his/her own. For whatever mistakes he/she makes, he or she should be accountable for it and be transparent enough to offer his services to his constituents. A leader may not be popular, but I'd pick him any day as long as he understand and lives with integrity.

4. IN LOVE

He should be in love with his work and the country. He is doing this not for the pay or just the prestige or the free travels and recognitions. He should be doing this for love. If he loves his country so much, the passion to do better will always be there.

5. IMPERFECT

Sadly nobody is perfect and for a person who is put on a heated spotlight, under pressure 24/7 with insurmountable stress at the first sight of dawn, the would-be president is bound to tumble once in a while. That is okay to some extent. How he would handle the situation would determine if he is a truly a winner. He must be realistic enough to realize that he would make mistakes because great that he is, he's still not perfect. Accepting that simple fact would make it easier for him to recognize which mistakes he should avoid and which bad traits he should be working on.

***

Truth is, I don't know who to vote yet for May 2010. I'm still in the process of weighing things out. As a voter and a citizen who loves this country, I should study this further. I should understand how I would want to choose the next president of this country. Do I like?

CHARM over ACTIONS
HERITAGE over TRACK RECORD
SIMPLE BACKGROUND over a WEALTHY ONE
INTELLIGENCE over PASSION
POPULARITY over CONFIDENCE

Frankly I'm not a fan of Noynoy except for his constant assurance that he is not corrupt and that he would not corrupt the land his famous parents fought for.

I was a fan of Manny Villar and how he was able to better himself from rags. His experience and capabilities of running an empire says a lot, yet I'm quite disappointed on how he handles his issues in the Senate by simply not handling it at all. I don't want a president that evades and I don't want a President that is arrogant of what he had achieved.

I believe I am a fan of Gibo Teodoro. He is an intelligent guy who knows what he wants and knows how to achieve it. He could best represent the Philippines even though he lacks exposure. But he has this invisible line that connects him to the most hated President now. Endless possibilities of changing the type of government is more crucial with him on the seat.

Shall I still comment about ERAP? I don't even understand why he wanted to run in the first place. The presidency is not a profession for redemption. He could just have been an adviser if he really wants to serve, but to be President? You've got to kidding.

Gordon and Madrigal are smart powerhouse on the block. They are experienced and aggressive, but sadly lag behind the race. It affects my strategies.

But then again, I still haven't decided.

***

I've just recently watched the interview of Ara Mina in Mo Twister's show. It's been re-posted in Facebook a couple of times. Now I can say that I am embarrassed for her. Clearly the woman doesn't know what she's talking about. She's running for councilor in QC and she answers questions with big question marks. Need I reiterate the basic requirements?

Allow me to put the things that I noticed in that interview alone.

1. She is not articulate enough to voice out her opinions. How could she efficiently represent her constituents?
2. She obviously contradicts herself in some issues. Anti Pornography Bill - against or for?
3. She doesn't know what she's talking about.


If her goal is to humiliate herself, then she did a very great job. If her goal was to act like a dumb politician wannabe, then she lives the part. If her goal was to prove herself in government just because she has the time and passion to serve, I wish she would just work for an NGO and let a superior guide her to the right path. She doesn't need to be seated in office to prove herself that she's caring and smart. Well, in MO Twister's show, she had already proved what she needed to prove anyways. It stops there...hopefully.

http://jellicleblog.vox.com/library/video/6a00fa96a4a3cd00020123de0bbd72860d.html