Today, the nation listens to, or ignores as usual, the final (fingers crossed) State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Her speechwriters are surely putting together the most dazzling, if not magical, presentation yet of her accomplishments. In parallel effort, spin doctors have been feverishly hard at work trying to patch up and mend a rather tattered legacy. The longest-sitting leader post-Marcos has earned the lowest trust and highest dissatisfaction ratings ever recorded in Philippine history. During her watch, the nation was catapulted as the most corrupt country in Asia, while hunger and poverty figures rose to their most alarming levels. It seems a foregone conclusion that without effective intervention, GMA will step down, voluntarily or by force, bearing the dubious honor of being the most unloved president of all time. The overwhelming negativity surpasses the public’s loathing for the dictator Marcos and cannot be mitigated by her flaunted base of loyalists from the south.
Her allies will no doubt bristle at this assertion. But if they were truly confident that GMA’s place in history is as secure as it is untarnished, why has the drumbeating intensified to a deafening volume? The ad spending on TV and radio alone placed the Office of the President as the 15th biggest advertiser last year. Today, the Palace’s media placements rival the intensity of presidential aspirants Villar and Roxas in terms of reach and frequency. In fact, if one didn’t know any better, one could confuse the incumbent as running for yet another term.
Then there are the front-page PR testimonials and endorsements coming from the most likely and unlikely places. Senate President Enrile suddenly rated GMA as having “done better” than her predecessors. This, despite a pronouncement, a few days earlier, that he is backing Erap’s bid as a “comeback” president. Therefore, Enrile is backing the ex-president who was worse than GMA? Even allowing for possible senior moments, this veteran politician seems to truly embody one of politics’ most quoted mantras: “There are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests.” In marketing, the endorser who is not credible does nothing for the product. In fact, it may damage the brand more when the patronage is given by an obviously paid-for hack.
It is not surprising that the other hard-sell tribute is coming from diehard Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, who gushed that “the nation would realize what a great country the Philippines had become on hearing from Ms. Arroyo the accomplishments of her team.” Furthermore, he lightly admonished senators and representatives who plan to boycott the SONA, touting, “You’ll miss a great speech!” Imagine what quivering anticipation such a superlative review must be generating for the SONA. They must not miss what could well become the modern equivalent of Mi Ultimo Adios. But, not content, he follows this with a mysterious piece of advice: “They should stop being worried by ghosts,” evidently referring to former Defense Secretary Nonong Cruz’s warning about a possible coup as “a nightmare, hallucination or wishful thinking.” Antonio Golez, deputy presidential spokesperson, also piped in with a straight face, “The President was never tempted to hang on to power.” Lightning and thunder!
There is a reason why spouses are barred from testifying for or against their partners. It’s because their testimony is deemed to lack the objectivity and reliability required by the court. Their emotional bond could make them willing liars, accomplices or abettors to crimes committed by their other half. No truth value can be expected from the patron’s mouthpiece. Especially one with an eye for an elective office; one who is tied to the apron strings of the serving president. He will need all the machinery, if not the trickery, that a sitting administration can let loose.
A surprising complimentary view came from business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan who expressed his opinion that “history would be kinder to President Arroyo who should be given credit for her accomplishments particularly on the economy.” Pangilinan said he agreed with Enrile’s evaluation that Arroyo was better than her predecessors. “I agree especially with respect to the economy and business.” He further reiterated that “history should be kinder and gentler to her.”
It is difficult to assess the genuineness of an appraisal coming from big business, especially those that bid for huge contracts that need the government’s blessing. As Robert Morgan pointed out, “Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity.”
GMA apologists appeal for neutrality in filling up her scorecard. Surely even the harshest administration critics will have to give a passing grade for the RORO, SCTEX, the new and refurbished airports and other infrastructures that were constructed during her term. She is also credited for holding down inflation, shielding the country against the global meltdown and keeping the peso relatively strong. Casting aside for a moment the fact that she has been at the helm for eight long years, isn’t she simply doing what she’s supposed to be doing? Are these achievements for real or the result of creative number-crunching hyped up with smoke and mirrors? Will these so-called accomplishments stand up to an unbiased, factual investigation?
The problem is, for every structure she has built, one wonders how much of the cost were “commissions” pocketed by those who are close to her. For every growth percentage publicized, one wonders why Filipinos feel poorer and hungrier. For the supposed economic gains, how much was actually the result of hard-earned remittances from OFWs? For every dollar that propped up the economy, what was the social cost?
The most important mission of a leader is to inspire the people toward a vision. And the vision is always a better version of what was there at the start of their reign. A true transformational leader will not be satisfied with a legacy that can be summarized by statistics. Only someone who had a purely transactional relationship with the people will be happy to be glorified in terms of peso value and low inflation rates.
The true test of leadership and the only score that matters is, ironically, not measurable. It is of a higher plane, and comes from a deeper psyche. There are no metrics to quantify the love of a people for their leader: the staunchness of their faith in the country, the loyalty and devotion of their allegiance, the pride of being a Filipino; the unquestioning confidence in their leader’s guidance and honor. These are “scores” that cannot be bought with a sack of rice, a health card or even a land title. In fact, a leader cannot hope to buy these values, as they have to be earned. The principal must live by the principles.
So here we are counting the days to a new lease for our nation. We cannot even rest assured that GMA will truly step down on May 2010. We cannot put our guard down, sure that she will not break her word as she has done in the past. Conspiracy theories and sinister scenarios abound. Plots of no elections (No-el), failure of elections (Fa-el), martial law, con-ass, coup d’etat with matching sub-plots and plans B and C. We protest at the label of a “nation of servants,” but we do not seem to discern that we are a people reduced to speculation and anxiety, and that might be worse. When the people cannot believe in their leader, it is not only a failing grade but the ultimate catastrophe.
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “A leader is a dealer of hope.” And that is the final but saddest mark of all. As PLDT’s Ako Mismo campaign said, our biggest problem is the loss of hope.
According to John Quincy Adams, there is only one true measure of leadership. Answer this question: Did GMA’s actions in the last nine years inspire you to dream more, learn more, do more and become more? You tell us.
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