The pursuit of popularity, not purpose

My friends have warned me that I am slowly becoming known as a prophet of doom, what with my many negative assessments of this government.

Believe me, being an ambassador of negativity is the last thing I’d like to be. In fact, my journalistic body of work over 20 years shows that I have always been a drum-beater for Team Philippines and government’s good work. I have always wanted what’s best for the country.

I’ll be honest. My recent spate of negativity stems from frustration. I have become increasingly repulsed over the sheer brazenness of corruption and the shameless practice of partisan politics among supposed public servants. I can tolerate stupidity and, to a lesser extent, incompetence. But I draw the line at thievery and the blatant pursuit of self interest.

I have said this many times before. Corruption is the reason why the country is performing below its potential. It is the reason why national development is stunted and why we have a dysfunctional government. With their shameless rackets and flagrant pursuit of political advantage, our elected officials are literally hijacking the future of our children.

Which brings me to President Marcos. Despite my critiques, I actually like the President as a person. I support his foreign policy. I admire his kind nature. I applaud his dignified demeanor.

My frustration stems from unmet expectations. BBM has openly acknowledged that his life’s mission is to redeem the Marcos name. Fair enough. But I had always believed that this mission extended beyond simply attaining the presidency or revising history. I assumed it also meant confronting and correcting the severe damage inflicted by his parents’ regime. That damage is grotesquely manifested in today’s widely entrenched culture of corruption; in a justice system that is sluggish and often, for sale; in the erosion of our industries due to crony-friendly policies; in the chronic underinvestment in social services and other systemic failures.

I banked on BBM to be the transformative Chief Executive we badly need, but it’s become clear he is not. Rather than reversing the decline, the erosion of our institutions is accelerating. Our economic competitiveness remains stagnant and dismally low. Corruption is as pervasive as ever. BBM holds the power to fix what’s broken in our eco-political system, yet he seems unwilling – or unable – to meet the task. That, precisely, is the source of my deep frustration. (In my column last week, I outlined five critical eco-political flaws in urgent need of reform.)

The SONA told the whole story

Perhaps the problem is that he is misreading the country’s true situation – or maybe even in denial of it. Take the case of the economy. In his SONA, he said the economy is in good stead. No, far from it. GDP growth has been revised downwards several times; debt-to-GDP ratio is rising; investment confidence remains low as seen in stagnant FDI intakes; agricultural outputs have declined in 2022, 2024 and probably 2025 too and manufacturing growth has been sluggish, growing at a measly 1.3 percent and 3.6 percent in 2023 and 2024. How can the President solve a problem he does not even recognize?

Then came the familiar posturing. For the third SONA in a row, BBM vowed to crack down on agricultural hoarders and smugglers. After three years, I no longer believe him. Nor do I believe that abusive water concessionaires or the sabungero murderer/s will be held to account.

BBM is evidently more concerned with being popular than being transformative. This is the core problem. Practically the entire SONA was dedicated to promises of giveaways – clearly aimed at pleasing the public. Discounts on MRT and free WiFi do not deserve space in the SONA. We need to hear about structural reforms! This leads me to believe that Marcos has no real reform agenda. This is not governance – this is a he self-serving pursuit of applause.

We all know that the current political system – flawed, corrupt and destructive as it is – serves the interest of the political elite handsomely. I see no intention on BBM’s part to change the status quo. The fact that he offered no list of priority bills only reinforces the notion that his presidency is bereft of an ambitious vision and a reform agenda. At the rate he is going, his six-year presidency will be inconsequential and a grand waste of time.

And then came the centerpiece of the SONA – the threat to expose those that abuse flood control funds. It was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.

In the first place, it was BBM himself who signed off on over P1 trillion in flood control funds for 2023 and 2024. By approving the budget, he abetted the heist which law makers lapped up like greedy vultures. In the second place, BBM has no moral ground to call-out corruption. A sincere leader would have at least offered an acknowledgment of the family’s ill gotten wealth – or perhaps a symbolic gesture of restitution. He offered neither. Who is the real shameless one here?

Watching kickback takers among senators and congressmen rise in a standing ovation made me want to vomit. It was yet another reminder of the rot festering in our system. These supposed public servants are the cause of that rot.

All things considered, can I, or anyone else for that matter, be blamed for being a prophet of doom?

We are running out of time. Only a reform-driven presidency – not one obsessed with popularity – can change the trajectory of the country. As citizens, we should not settle. We should demand strong leadership, an ambitious national vision and good governance. We should call out and reject hollow populism.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan