Playing with Fire
New politics will make BF president
By Gonzalo Duque
THE advent of information technology in our country will definitely change the color of our political system.
The so-called great unwashed will no longer be pushed around. Their voices will be heard.
In this sense, our forecast is that the kind of political leaders that rules the land will change. The kind of MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando will become more acceptable and easier to “sell” during elections.
We say this because all this “temporizing” with incompetent but popular leaders will stop. Nasasaktan na ang mga tao e.
The signs are everywhere. There is also a clamor to restore the 2-party system (Nacionalista and Liberal Party with a Third force, maybe Lakas or Kampi). If Bayani Fernando will be fielded by the administration – and we really hope, it will – probably a Third Force will field Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio. The Trapo candidate will come from the ranks of Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Ping Lacson and Loren Legarda. Noli de Castro will fall under this category. Ditto with Jinggoy Estrada and Dick Gordon
We say this because the pogi guys and gals belong to the traditional variety. Matunog ang mga pangalan nila, mga sikat, pero walang solid na prinsipyo.Walang karakter, ika nga.
The type of leader we have in mind is a doer. Image is secondary. Di ba ganyan si Bayani Fernando at si Ed Panlilio? We place here the likes of Secretary Jesli Lapuz , a technocrat.
When we mention Fernando, we have in mind the squatters of Metro Manila who seem to hate him to the bone. This is exactly what we mean. Bayani doesn’t like to court or woo them, but they, the squatters know deep in their hearts that Bayani is working for their welfare, their liberation from poverty and making them self reliant.
Isn’t that good? Don’t we now rea-lize after all these years of wallowing in poverty, incompetence and corruption that we now need to change in order to take the big leap forward?
Some say that Bayani is a dictator, arrogant, cold and parang walang pakialam sa damdamin ng mga masa. Far from it. Look at Marikina City, Manila’s squatters, ghettoes, traffic snarls – all have improved so much or are on the way to massive positive change. We say, he is not a dictator; he is a doer. He implements. What is good and what is a must-do; yes, even if these will hurt people temporarily, but will make them comfortable in the long run.
Take another look at the man. He is, to our mind, cut perfectly for the presidential job, RP style.
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Sorry to have missed the Media Night at the Provincial Capitol. There’s one thing we want to tell Gov. Spines: he must go on and continue what he has begun as our governor.
Some newsmen, we were told, are very critical of him — but upon closer look, they are only a few.
The trouble with our new governor is that he is telling the truth. Truth hurts when it afflicts our comfort zones. Anyway, they say that in journalism we afflict the comfortable . . . but comfort the afflicted.
Our so-called premier province, says Spines, has lagged very much behind its counterparts.
Are we not hurt?
So be it.
Kung tutuusin talagang pogi si Victor Agbayani. Mahirap tatalunin sa pulitika. Ganyan talaga ang pulitika sa Pinas. We remember our sister Tina who lives in the US. She told us this classic line: “Gusto ko si Bush but I voted for Clinton — kasi mas pogi.” This is a reality in politics not only here but in other places, too. But the attitude should be changed. Electing a public official is not a beauty contest – but choosing who best governs.
Go ahead Gov. Spines. You are doing something great for Pangasinan!
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NOTES: We wish to greet Speaker Joe de Venecia a belated Happy Birthday last December 26, and Happy New Year to you all!
(Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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