The frenzied search for the new President

Whenever politics begin to color every decision and action, work and progress fly out the window.

The frenzied search for a new “Presidential” hope reveals once again our basic weakness as a people. We’re forever looking for a “savior”, a miracle-worker who will assure us instant salvation. No such savior exists. We will have to save ourselves by working together, enduring together, bringing ourselves up by dint of hard endeavor, honest sweat, perseverance and faith. There can be no such thing as a “strong Republic”, without a strong people.

As the political campaigns go into high gear, accusations, exposures, spurious white papers and acts of vilification, have been flying thick and thin. There are even vicious tales about candidates’ personal lives.

This is a time of testing that tries men’s souls. The aspirants for various positions have begun fanning out to the provinces, introducing themselves to the electorate, engaging in everything from singing, dancing to goofy acts – all to make themselves “memorable” so that the voter, when faced with that blank ballot on May 10, will remember to list them down.

There are apparently spell-binders on the entablado as in the tradition of Ninoy Aquino who as my late father recalled: The great Ninoy Aquino was a dynamic, charismatic, spell-binder, whose golden grace of expression in English, Tagalog, Ilocano, Pampango and other dialects, whose capacity for phrase-making, ease delivery and mischievous wit, made listening to him a pleasure – unless you were the target of his barbed tongue.

Ninoy was so much in demand as a campaign speaker that he was always scheduled last when campaigning for any position – whether for mayor, governor, and finally senator. When he ran for Senator, he always spoke at midnight or in the early hours of the morning, after all the other speakers, because his fellow candidates and rally organizers knew that, after Aquino had finished his bomba-studded speeches, the crowd would melt away.

Ninoy, however, was just an orator, a wit, and a performer, who kept his audiences precariously perched between thunderous acclamation and gales of laughter. He was a thinking man who did his homework, possessed an eidetic memory for facts and figures, and a firm idea of what “politics” and “service” were all about. He was ridiculed by his enemies and detractors as being too glib. We called him “superboy”, both in derision and admiration.

Most politicians bet on the sure thing. Ninoy gambled on the goodness and sense of decency of the Filipino. A pragmatist would have kept himself safely in the US, preserving his life until a “better day”. But Ninoy was a romantic who believed that promises must be kept, pledges must be redeemed and death – if it awaited him – must be faced in order to show the people that there are things more important than life.

We definitely cannot clone Ninoy Aquino, but surely in one way or the other there is a Filipino in this archipelago who has the same passion, charisma, vision, dedication and faith in our country.

So far the platforms given by our presidential candidates are not quite clear or consistent. Aside from touching the same issues on economy, education, justice and governance, no one exudes a strong and determined stand. It seems that our presidential candidates are playing safe. They need to have more guts to show the people that they mean what they say. They need to show more fervor and decisiveness.

They all talk about fighting corruption but how, when long before the onset of the campaign period streaks of corruption have already seeped through the veins of some candidates. Are they willing to set aside personal interests and ambition for the good of the country? We hear them wanting to improve the educational system but with no clear solutions. They also talk about wanting to alleviate poverty but with no concrete strategies on how to do it. Economic development seems to top their list but then again how, when a number of them have helped screw up the economy. And didn’t we hear the same platforms before? All these issues are so generic. I think the electorate is sick and tired of hearing them. Shouldn’t the candidates come up with stronger stance and with more grit? We need to be awakened and inspired by leaders with competence and moral integrity, leaders with “new” blood having a different approach to the new age and not be content with the traditional ways.

What should we be looking for in a leader? Topping the list of Colin Powell’s pointers on being a good leader is optimism, which he believes is a force multiplier. The country’s president will most likely face various economic, social and political problems. What is important is that he can rally the people behind him with a positive attitude.

Grace Abella-Zata, People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) president cited five essential qualities that each Philippine president must have, including political and people skills.

1. Navigator – Able to steer the country towards a just and humane society and knows how to get the country there, has specific plans of action in solving problems like poverty, education or corruption, is decisive when faced with complex issues and must be intelligent.

2. Mobilizer – Must be good at building alliances to achieve consensus and must work well with Congress and the Senate.

3. Servant leader – Must serve the people with a caring heart, must put the public interest first before vested interest and must work hard and well to achieve the goals of government.

4. Inspirational leader – Must know how to work well with the press, can inspire unity, trust and optimism among the people by being a good and moral leader.

5. Guardian of national wealth and resources – Allocates and uses the country’s resources properly, demonstrates strong political will and is able to make right decisions for the common good, even if the decision is unpopular.

The above qualities may be ideal but not impossible, and a God-fearing individual will always take the challenge knowing that he has a potential greater than his power to enable him to be the kind of leader this country needs.

So, do we go for an honest but weak (in character) president or a talented and intelligent president who is corrupt? It’s time the Filipino people become more analytical and enlightened in choosing a leader.

Who do you think will make the one supreme sacrifice for the good of the country? Abangan!