Now that Grace Poe decided to run for
President of the Philippines, she is now what my barber calls, “fair game”,
meaning – open for scrutiny. After all, she is seeking the office with awesome
powers and correspondingly, with awesome and tremendous responsibilities.
In William Shakespeare’s “Julius
Caesar Act III Scene 2”, I remember reading and hearing two quotes from two
excellently delivered oratorical pieces by two famous political animals during
the Empirical Rome Era.
First was that of Marcus Brutus as he justified killing Julius Caesar,
“As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it;
as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was
ambitious, I
slew him.”
Second was that of Mark Anthony as he defended Julius Caesar,
“When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff”
These words remind me of Grace
Poe’s situation as she announced her decision to run for President.
Coincidentally, the two quotes apply to her.
As her critics would say, “for she
was too ambitious, we now have to ‘slay’ her. Ambition should be made of
sterner stuff – meaning, ambition itself does not get a job done. It must be
combined with the necessary experience, qualifications, determination,
perseverance, and a passion to get the job done well.
Three times she was offered to
run for Vice President with ample support and an almost guaranteed Presidency
in 2022. Three times she refused. Five to six years
of Vice Presidency and running a Cabinet department like DSWD to win the “war
against poverty” or DILG to localize and distribute resources and power would
have been an effective preparation.
But she thinks that because of her
ratings, she deserves the Presidency more than anybody else. Why? Chiz Escudero
who wants to be Vice President says so.
My barber watched Grace Poe’s
announcement. He tells me that she looked like she was campaigning for
President of the UP Student Council. He felt sad. I told him about my slogan
when I ran for President of the San Beda College Student Council – “MAyNIGONG
BAGONG PAG-ASA.” That of Poe is “MAY BAGONG UMAGA”.
At this point in our history, the
Philippines deserves to be more discriminating especially in the choice of
Presidency. During PNoy’s tenure we have witnessed unprecedented economic
progress recognized by the international community, and an undeniable
success in our on-going battle against corruption.
There are things left undone. For
the sake of continuity and stability, the people deserve to have someone who
shares PNoy’s “Daang Matuwid” Program of Government. They deserve a successor
who is the most prepared to continue the programs and one who, like
PNoy, would provide the Filipino people Hope, Honor, Honesty, and
Humility in government.
The candidates should be
scrutinized to the minutest details how their academic preparation and work
experiences match with the tremendous duties of being President.
Did her political science degree
earned in the U.S. prepare her for the Philippine presidency? Was her
three-year experience as a pre-school teacher at Montessori School or
employment at the US Geological Survey Company helpful in preparing her to
exercise the awesome Executive Powers? Was managing the FPJ Productions and the
MTRCB sufficient experience to run a government bureaucracy of about 1.5
million employees?
One must have sufficient knowledge
and exposure to the Executive Powers that include: Power of Appointment; Power
of Removal: Power of Control; Military Powers; Pardoning Power; Borrowing
Power; Diplomatic Power; Budgetary Power; Informing Power; and many other
powers granted to the President under the Constitution and by statutes. Does
Grace Poe have these?
She has admittedly renounced first,
her Philippine citizenship, then, her American citizenship. Does she know that
as President she would have Power over Aliens? In fact, the chief executive may have an alien in the Philippines deported
from the country after due process. The President may also change the status of a foreigner, as
prescribed by law, from a non-immigrant status to a permanent resident status
without necessity of visa. Will her husband and children
remain as American citizens?
There are six issuances that the
President may issue. They are the following as defined in the Administrative
Code of 1987: Executive Orders; Administrative Orders; Proclamations;
Memorandum Orders; Memorandum Circulars; and General or Special Orders. While
style could be provided by experienced civil servants, providing its contents,
and knowing when to issue them would be useful.
The lines have been drawn. Binay and
Poe chose to be on one side while “Daang Matuwid” is on the right side. The
issues will be more defined as the campaign progresses and as the candidates
are scrutinized. The people will examine the candidate’s vision: enlightened
reality or cinematographic and reel.
We hope to see Pope Francis next week. As we all know he
prayed to God Almighty “PNoy and the Filipino people be given plentiful
blessings of peace, prosperity, discernment, and wisdom.”
