My concession

The people have spoken. Now the hard part begins for the new president, Noynoy Aquino.

Someone has reminded me to observe the hundred-day honeymoon period that new presidents are supposed to enjoy after they are sworn in, before those of us who don’t like Noynoy can start criticizing him again. On the other hand, another friend is already taking orders, this early, for stickers that will read: “Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote for him!”

I prefer to go down neither route. I accept that Noynoy is the new Chief Executive, even if I confess to doing everything I could so that this would not happen; still, I believe that his mandate —or any elected official’s, for that matter —does not give him a free pass at the beginning of or at any time during his six-year term, including now when he is still president-in-waiting.

The problems that require his immediate attention are just too great and too urgent to ignore; Asia’s sick man is still in a coma and will not wait until the new doctor is ready. At the very least, right now, Noynoy must endeavor to reassure those of us who didn’t vote for him that he is the kind of leader who will heal the wounds of toxic partisanship and become president of all Filipinos, instead of just those who supported him.

Later on, of course, he must prove to us that the millions of people who chose him to occupy the highest post in the land were not mistaken. And that all of his promises were not made just so he could convince them to return him to Malacañang, this time as president.

At the same time, I would like to state that my position against Noynoy was never personal. And while that has not changed, I promise to continue criticizing him only when he needs to be criticized (which I wager will be often, though).

My job, after all, also requires that I afflict the comfortable. And Noynoy Aquino cannot expect to get too comfy just because he’s now president—or sycophantic praise when he’s just bumming around as if he was just voted Slacker-in-Chief.

That’s because Noynoy has only proven so far that he can win a presidential contest. Whether he actually has what it takes to become a good president is something only he can really say.

Noynoy must understand that, far from being done, his real job is just about to begin. His first real job, if I may say so.

So, congratulations on winning the election thing, Mr. Soon-to-be-sworn-in President. Now, get to work. –Jojo Robles, Manila Standard Today