General Admission
Duterte & Poe: When is official official?
By Al S. Mendoza
UNTIL he has confirmed it, that is a lie.
I refer to recently published reports, saying that Rodrigo Duterte is not running for president in May 2016.
He may have said it, or our newspapers could be guilty of telling us a lie?
Political statements are sometimes hard to believe because, as Otto Von Bismarck said: “Never believe in anything until it has been officially denied.”
But then, OK, let us believe what Duterte has said.
He is not running.
But that is today.
As The Beatles sang it, “Tomorrow never knows.”
Tomorrow, in the current jargon of politics, is up to October 16, the deadline for filing of candidacy.
Show me a person who hasn’t changed positions in his lifetime?
Marcos changed parties and he became president and, eventually, dictator of the Philippines.
Tita Cory changed positions (thanks to 1 million signatures urging her to run) and she became president of the Philippines.
Tabako left convention pact and he became president of the Philippines.
Erap dumped a friend for another and he got ousted as president of the Philippines.
Ate Glow changed positions on Rizal Day and she became president of the Philippines for 9 years.
And Mar Roxas changed positions to make P-Noy president of the Philippines.
Will Grace Poe become president of the Philippines if she will truly abandon a sure-win VP slot with Mar Roxas?
In the same breadth, will Duterte win if he changes positions?
Both Poe and Duterte have until October 16 to make up their minds.
What if Poe finally heeds Chiz Escudero and guns for the presidency in May, will she make it to Malacanang?
What if Duterte finally obeys the deafening clamor for him to run, will he succeed P-Noy in 2016?
Politics is oftentimes a game of questions, and answers aren’t as accurate most of the time, given that politicians are the masters of the possible.
Listen to Sir Winston Churchill: “Political skill is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it did not happen.”
I have known early in life that in politics (I’ve seen politicians come and go in our humble home in Mangatarem, from Marcos to Mar’s father, Gerry Roxas, from Balao to Liwag, from Climaco to Ambrosio Padilla, from Agbayani to Primicias, from Duque to Estrella, from Espines to Bataoil to name but a few) there is never any closure to anything.
To any politician worth his salt, a no is almost non-existent.
And so, has Duterte really said no to a Malacanang run in 2016?
Until he denies it, that is not official.
(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)
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