‘Lumang tugtugin’

The image-building planners of Liberal Party standard bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III should be jittery by now with their bet’s fast skidding popularity rating. It is clearly manifested in Aquino’s latest television commercial. Nanunumpa na siya sa Diyos na pag-iboto ng taumbayan ay hindi siya magnanakaw! Lumang linya, este tugtugin, na ang campaign line na ito. Although with slight difference, it was used in 2007 by Ali Atienza in his campaign for the mayorship of Manila against now incumbent Alfredo Lim. The young Atienza practically pasted all available space in the city declaring himself as “HINDI AKO MARUNONG MAGNAKAW!” giving the inference that his opponent a former policeman was a crook. Incidentally, Ali Atienza ran under the Liberal Party at the time.That campaign line proved disastrous for Ali Atienza as he was clobbered by Lim with a commanding lead of 98,000 votes. His claim that “hindi ako marunong magnakaw was mocked by Manilans, especially children who would shout at the young Atienza during motorcades that “tama hindi ka pa marunong magnakaw pero tuturuan ka ng tatay mo!” The rest, of course, was history.”Now here comes Noynoy Aquino in a television campaign asking the people to support him because he swears in the name of God that he won’t rob the national coffers and serve the nation faithfully. Walanghiya din talaga. Ginagamit ang pangalan ng Diyos mabulag lang ang taumbayan upang suportahan siya. Wow!Maybe he won’t steal public funds just like her mother, the late President Corazon Aquino. But what is the assurance that the Kamag-anak,Inc. will not resurrect themselves and corner juicy government contracts through front entities? We must take note that the balding Aquino is presently surrounded by relatives and close associates of her mother. These are the same people who wanted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo kicked out of office because they could not compete with notorious blocs cornering big ticket transactions in government with the alleged blessing of the fat man everyone referred to as the First Gentleman.Most importantly, the Presidency is not only about not stealing a single cent from the national treasury. It is about competence and the decisiveness to confront the multifarious problems and concerns of government like the precarious economy, serious unemployment problem and poverty, worsening peace and order, political instability, et cetera.Can Noynoy Aquino stand up to the challenge of handling the Presidency? Will his experience as youth promotions supervisor of Nike Philippines be enough to help him address hunger and the deeply embedded culture of graft and corruption in the bureaucracy?If you think, he can, then, this country could already be hopeless. Frankly, I am hoping that the nightmare the nation underwent with the soon to end Arroyo administration won’t be repeated even in the distant future. But again, here we come with a prospect of having the next President as another scion of a former President.Indeed, what’s happening to this country? Can we not trust ourselves by voting for a new name, a President who is not the daughter, son, brother, sister, grandchild or relative of a former President?Come to think of it. We are now 90 million souls occupying the 7,000 beautiful islands of the Republic of the Philippines. Can we not dispense with the Aguinaldos, Quezons, Quirinos, Roxases, Laurels, Garcias, Magsaysays, Macapagals, Marcoses, Aquinos, Estradas and Ramoses? Are we not capable of voting a President who has proven track records of managerial and administrative competence but carrying new family names?Now should be the time for us to stop being emotional or clannish. We must begin thinking of building a nation under the leadership of a person who presents a doable work plan or agenda of development for the country and supports it with a record that he or she, indeed, can do it if given our mandate. Let’s forget about this man who says surveys can be bought in Quiapo when the indicators point he’s losing fast his undeserved popularity.Let’s admit it. When a person praises to high heavens the survey results giving him a commanding lead and scorn at the same survey firm when the results show he is losing public support, the man should be viewed with great doubt. Persons seeking public office should take surveys as guide in making correct decisions and actions and should not present the alibi that such surveys are readily available in Quiapo just like the abundant herbs for abortion.

Via Zamboanga Times

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