Dis-figured speech

“It was a figure of speech that was not meant to be taken literally.”

Steve Harvey, the host of Miss Universe 2015, did not say that! When you fumble, when it’s your fault or when things mess up under your watch, YOU man-up. When he made a galactic mistake during the Miss Universe 2015 finals, Steve Harvey stepped forward and owned up and took the blame.

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Given all the bigger issues and concerns all over the Philippines, you have to wonder how or why a number of people have taken the time and made the effort to hound President Benigno Aquino III primarily for not arranging a train or LRT Caboose to run over him alongside DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya as promised, after failing to get the LRT1 Cavite extension project off the ground and completed by 2015.

I agree with Secretary Sonny Coloma that Benigno Aquino III is getting a bum deal because there is still 48 hours on the 2015 clock when this column gets rolled out. Who knows if the wonder boys in Malacañang can still get Santa Claus to grant them a train set for Christmas made to look just like the LRT1 Cavite Extension line! If not maybe his Cabinet members can all chip in and give him one as a belated Christmas gift.

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I envy President Benigno Aquino III because he at least has a Sonny Coloma who bravely catches the bullet or takes the shots intended for him. Coloma remains the rock behind Aquino, stepping up to defend the President as emotionless as a stonefish.

According to Sonny Coloma, people should be “reasonable” and understand that the President’s statement or construed “promise” was to emphasize his sense of urgency, commitment, and was an “aspirational” statement that should not be taken literally. Malacañang even pointed to an online article to put context to the statement as something said in jest.  That for me was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire! Not only did the President commit a monumental fail in project and communications, they’re quoting it as said in “jest,” meaning a joke taken out of context? We’re not laughing.

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The President may have said his promise in jest but disappointed commuters don’t and won’t find anything funny in Benigno Aquino III’s failure to do what he came to do on that faithful day and failing to keep his word. Unfortunately, “all the King’s horses and all the King’s men can’t put Humpty Dumpty’s (charm) together again.”

This current attack on the President is simply the tipping point for the people’s patience and tolerance for politicians and government officials who carelessly make glib statements for purposes of sound bytes and making promises they can’t keep. In the case of President Aquino III, his growing population of critics feel especially indignant considering he always sat on his high horse of self-righteousness while passing judgment on his enemies with statements such as “Saan kayo kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha,” “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” etc.

Granted that those he targeted are known or publicly perceived to be corrupt, it never helped that he was consistently blind, deaf and mute whenever his favorites committed serious mistakes or criminal offense. Given the track record of his administration, the iconic “Yellow Ribbon” may ultimately be replaced with an upgraded image of the three monkeys that see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing. The upgrade would be a fourth monkey with folded arms: Do Nothing.

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While Sonny Coloma was being rational in his discourse about the President’s figure of speech, this latest episode showed where leaders and Presidents fail. At the very least, P-Noy should have publicly displayed his intent, determination and consistency in pushing for the LRT1 Cavitex line the same way he has been pushing for the unpopular BBL.

Is it because the LRT1 Cavitex is a project that brings no glory to him abroad or punishment for his enemies at home?  Far from being a publicity seeker or a populist, Aquino III never supported popular change such as tax reform, increase of SSS pensions, or removal of “Palpak” or corrupt people in his administration. Had he done so, his ratings would be high up. While he dabbles in ribbon cuttings and opening of completed projects, I noticed that the only time Aquino III comes out guns ablaze is for projects or operations that get international praise or press coverage.

Aquino III certainly put his back to throwing President Arroyo in jail, impeach the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, throw a Senate President inside a military/police stockade along with two senior senators, pick a diplomatic /international legal fight with China, take down one international terrorist (lose 44 SAF troopers/plus civilians), force the passage of the unpopular BBL (that turns into a “foul” for forcing through), host a P10-billion annual get together for world leaders (“that resulted in” more loans not grants, not gifts and subject to final approval of the fund source).

Unfortunately, the LRT1 Cavitex is not at par with such global attention magnet events. So why sweat it?

Having failed at completing or even starting up the project, having opted not to commit “Hara-kiri” with the cold steel wheels and railway tracks, the President should have at the very least apologized to the people or commuters of Cavite who were hoping to see the extension project completed or even almost done. We don’t want forced and curt statements such as “I’m sorry” or “I lied” and certainly not: “Just kidding!” Had he put in enough effort, he could convincingly declare: “I tried.”

We are taught through generations that “Your word is your bond,” it is the mark of a person of character. No matter how difficult the task or how unpleasant the cost we must with all sincerity and effort attempt to keep our word for it is a sacred bond. For a President that bond is with the people, not just journalists or media covering an event. The reason it is a big deal is because breaking it is an insult and putting in more words simply show you find it ok to do so.

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