Mob mentality

WE are unable to read minds, so we can only guess at what was really going through Senator Mar Roxas’ brain when he decided to sacrifice his presidential ambitions in favor of his friend, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, whose unremarkable record as a lawmaker is an open book.

Certainly, pressure from his fellow Liberal Party members must have had something to do with it. Since the widely-mourned death of Aquino’s mother, the heroine of the Edsa Revolution, Senator Aquino’s political stock has risen well beyond any reasonable assessment of his performance as a legislator or his promise as chief executive of this nation would allow. Roxas, a politician of considerable acumen, must have realized this as soon as the move to recruit Aquino began to gain momentum.

We could take Roxas at his word, and accept that he was standing down for the sake of party unity, but doing so sidesteps the question: is his colleague and friend the best qualified for the job?

We certainly do not doubt Senator Aquino’s good intentions, but we do have serious reservations about his qualifications and his leadership. Faced with the most crucial decision of his life, Senator Aquino says he will consult with the nuns who gave refuge to his mother during the Edsa Revolution. At the press conference yesterday, Senator Aquino was present—but silent.

The problem with the draft-Aquino-for-president movement is that it is based on the same cynical assessment of the Filipino electorate as a mass of unintelligent and unquestioning voters who decide with their hearts rather than their brains. This is the same cynical approach that led to the drafting of an action star to be the opposition standard-bearer in the last election. It is also the same calculating mindset that led one presidential aspirant to announce his wedding plans during a widely popular but mentally retarded TV game show.

The notion that a well-meaning but unqualified candidate can run this country with the help of skilled technocrats and advisers is ridiculous. We tried that approach with disastrous results with the Estrada administration. Sadly, we had the same unhappy experience with the Aquino administration, which in hindsight proved inept in dealing with fundamental issues such as agrarian reform, constitutional reform and the adequate supply of power. It’s too bad the drum beaters for a new Aquino administration have forgotten this. –Daily Tribune