For a long time, I really considered him because at first it seemed he was a symbol of a return to decency.
I turned a blind eye to the way he took advantage of his mother Cory Aquino's death, to launch his presidential bid. I brushed away his choice of a younger mate who's motives seem to be questionable. I tried to ignore the way he vacillated when there was a clamor to have him run for President--even if I really found it laughable that he still had to consult with his sisters & went on a retreat to 'accept his destiny'. It was charming when Cory did it, but with him it just felt choreographed. I didn't mind that his achievements personal or as senator were neither noteworthy nor relevant.
We were tired of savvy trapos (traditional politicians) who manipulate and fool us to our faces. Noynoy was the messiah against these evils the same way his mother was against the most infamous dictator of all--Marcos.
Then he started cavorting and dealing with the very politicians we were trying to reject.
Then he made this statement:
That made me sit up. How can he be that thoughtless and tactless?! The unconsciousness of the implication of his public statement is what alarmed me the most. It's not just because he's threatening the balance of power of the branches of government. It's a bad signal as to his general attitude.
His popularity right now is directly pinned on how most people hate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. They're marketing him as the anti-Gloria. How he will be everything she is not. That would mean that he's going to be forthright, 'good' and not power hungry.
But that's his marketing. And to me it's largely untested. An honest man is not someone who has never lied. An honest man is someone who, being given the opportunity to lie, did not. At this point, I am becoming certain that it's just the image they're projecting on him.
It also came to mind that this incident is the sign of a petty man bent on vendetta more than on good governance. Just like his mother was. I am afraid of history repeating itself: That instead of using the people's rallying support to manage this country better, he would spend his time undoing and going after everything GMA-related. This is exactly what Cory exhausted her efforts on when she was President: getting back at the Marcoses and their cronies. Here is a man who could believe that popular support would give him a free hand to re shape the governmental structure as he pleases. Screw the repercussions (if he knows what they are.)
It is with a heavy heart that I came to this conclusion. I really wanted to vote for him.
But as the way things are, I have deduced for myself that Noynoy does not have the savvy, backbone nor compassion (malasakit) for this country.
You do not trash the system just because your predecessor is closely identified with it. There are ways of managing that personal directive without publicly challenging a pillar of this society.
If he lacked the foresight and tact to avoid saying inflammatory statements this early in the game, then he lost my vote.
I cannot in good conscience vote for some clueless individual as President. The margin for error is much much smaller at that high level.
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