Politics vs Public Service

Have just read an article reporting that Teodoro was advised as early as February of the urgent need to purchase rubber rafts to assist during flash floods. Teodoro opted to submit the purchase to public bidding and hence no rafts.

Teodoro would seem like the most educated of the presidential aspirants, with his Masters of Laws from Harvard. As chair of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, the recent events would have given him a platform to demonstrate his leadership abilities. Instead, he has played his hand meekly, being only good for probably downplayed figures of deaths and damages.

I listened once to one of his press conferences over the radio. He took literally five minutes to say that PGMA had given him authority to seek international assistance. He began, "In my capacity as NDCC chair serving under PGMA... PGMA has given me, as chair of NDCC, which serves under Malacanang and PGMA, the authority as NDCC chair, which serves as the disaster coordinating arm of the Palace..." jeezums...

The elections are next year. Noynoy and Mar, Erap and Binay, Villar, Chiz and Loren... those are the ones who I know are running as of now although Escudero and Legarda have not made a formal announcement. I'm not sure who Villar's running mate is yet.

There was a lot of clamor for Noynoy to run in the wake of Cory's passing. My take was that if he had no plans of running before Cory's death, then he should not have run for president. However, if Erap did decide to run, then I would have hoped that Noynoy declared his candidacy. If Erap's appeal is as strong as it was when he first ran and we have still not matured politically, then I think it might only be countered by unifying behind Noynoy and the Aquino mystique.

One tandem that dropped out of the race to throw their support behind Noynoy was Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca. I was excited about the idea of their running. For me, they represented a new brand of politics. Public service.

I'm not so dissuaded by arguments of lack of experience or lack of visibility. I think Panlilio and Padaca have concrete achievements in their provinces. I think it's also important to remember that a president has to be the president of the country and not of Manila. But they're not running anymore so...

I don't need a president with a postgraduate degree from an Ivy League school. I don't need a president whose achievements are based on how often they're in the newspapers. I just want a president who's honest and who has the Philippines' best interests at heart. For once.