Chaff from the Grain
BY FORMER PRESS SECRETARY HECTOR R.R. VILLANUEVA
MANILA BULLETIN
“There is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
PRESIDENT Benigno Simeon Aquino III, like a man possessed, promises exciting times and more fun for his “bosses,” the masses, except those caught in the crosshair of his ire.
As John Steinbeck, in his best-selling novel “The Grapes of Wrath” on the tragic hardships of the Great Depression of the nineteen-thirties, had written, “A man got to do what he got to do.” Thus, President Benigno Aquino, in his zeal to pursue his straight-path mantra, seems bent not only on upsetting traditional institutions and norms but also on upending the etiquette of good manners and right conduct.
When President Aquino deliberately snubbed and ignored the sitting Chief Justice at his inauguration, and successfully engineered the impeachment and ouster of the same Chief Justice, and short-circuited the detention and incarceration of former President Gloria Arroyo, it was a classic example of the arrogant exercise of power.
In the process, the President is not only revising the political rules of engagement, to the chagrin of many politicians, but is also beginning to reveal an authoritarian streak, inherited from his “cacique” upbringing, which must have been repressed or dormant during his unremarkable and forgettable years in the House of Representatives and the Philippines Senate.
Be that as it may, the Philippines for the first time ever, has a maverick leader who not only appears disinterested in serving beyond 2016 but is also revealing previously undetected personality traits. He is obdurate, unafraid, unimpressed, and unintimidated by money, political dynasties, Big Business, taipans, power brokers, rebels, or trapo politicians.
In fact, President Benigno Aquino III appears diffident and does not seem to care, or give a hoot, towards any of these pressure groups as he focuses mainly on his perceived political enemies, detractors, and critics from the previous administration.
On the contrary, it is the traditional pressure groups, whether tycoons, political dynasts, senators, congressmen, justices, judges, parvenus, has-beens, and religious sects that appear intimidated by President Aquino’s penchant for rudeness and ruthlessness. Most have opted for prudence and a wait-and-see attitude.
Thus far, whatever President Aquino wants, Mr. Aquino gets, by whatever means that will justify the ends, which is highly alarming.
In brief, any business conglomerate bigwig with vast holdings to conserve, or political dynasties with constituencies to protect, will not dare tangle with, or cross swords with President Aquino at this time.
While these novel and refreshing developments are revitalizing the nation which should result in less corruption and better governance, the propensity of President Aquino to use and mobilize the entire resources of the government to persecute his political foes regardless of the means and the rule of law, is symptomatic of autocratic tendencies that will put freedom at risk.
On the other hand, the masses do not care one way or the other, provided there is food on the table, regardless of the political system in place, or, to paraphrase again a dictum of President John F. Kennedy, “A free society that cannot help the many who are poor will not be able to save the few who are rich.”
When all is said and done, these are exciting times that bear close watching as President Benigno Aquino thrashes and slashes away at the weeds of corruption and at his political foes that can lead to abuse of power and loss of liberty.
There is method in his madness.
You be the judge
* * *
(For comments and views please e-mail chaff_fromthegrain@yahoo.com.ph)
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/368764/interesting-times-with-president-aquino
Incisive commentary.
The rule of law in the Motherland, or rather, the law that rules the Motherland, is: Kung sino and nakaupo, doon namumupo. When PeeNoy’s reign is over, another one will come along, and that one will reign with “arrogance,” too.
And say:
Alis diyan, ako naman,
Pana-panahon lang,
Panahon ko naman.
And, what’s happening now with Gloria, will also happen to PeeNoy. What goes around, comes around, ika nga. Lintik lang ang walang ganti is a Pilipino way of thinking. When the right time comes, ikukulong din yan si PeeNoy, and will be seen and pictured also to the world, wearing a neck brace, sitting on a wheelchair and looking kawawa, his arrogance all gone. And same-same, many will laugh and many will cry, too.
Whatever it takes to get the job done and get the country back on track as long as it is within the confines of the law, I say go for it. And whoever is in-charge to get this done should have the support and blessing of the people. Of course, there will always be others who coulnd’t care less whether the country sink to the bottom of the ocean as long as their own personal interest is not hamper by this “matuwid na daan concept” by this president. Our government, I’m sorry to say, is actually the root of what ails our country. It has become the breeding ground for corruption, and by the look of things, it will not be going away anytime soon. Our system of government is infected by a virus similar to that deadly disease we all know as AIDS. Until they find the cure for it, I’m afraid our country is doomed.