Sunday, May 2, 2010

A father's son is not his father

A father's son is not his father



Last time, I read a post online about a man gone "addicted" to the Aquino mania not knowing the problems that the prominent family involved. It is really interesting and the writer somehow makes a good point within the sheet of criticism.

Here are the words being said by the writer, it was also posted in every site, including Facebook.

"My best friend is an avid Noynoy-Mar shipper. She wears the baller, has the sticker on the rear-end of her car, and wears yellow on Fridays. When I asked her why she supports the tandem, she said it was because they represented hope for the Philippines. She goes on to say that the Philippines has been wracked by corruption for so long that political integrity must be an essential trait of the country’s next set of leaders. This was the only way change could finally make its way to the Philippines, she adds.

And while this well-worded reasoning has worked for millions, I’ve been fortunately taught to question everything I’m told.That said, I am writing this not because I mean to slander Noynoy and Mar but because I feel as if their tandem seems too fantastic. Their campaign reminds me of magic: amazing but nonetheless fake.

Maka-Diyos at pro-poor, these two have been marketed as defining qualities of Noynoy while Mar has taken it upon himself to rechristen himself as Mr. Palengke. What I find odd in all these (aside from the glaring tastelessness of Mar’s nickname!), is how nobody ever bothered questioning the authenticity of these claims for the two are practically scions of elitist society! Just the other day, I was thinking how clever the pairing was. It was as good as a marriage between the Cojuangcos and the Aranetas, those influence-peddling clans who’ve managed to hold ownership of their lands despite the fact that CARP was passed into law decades ago. And to think these are the same people who consistently hurl accusations toward Villar saying he isn’t "tunay na mahirap!"(Genuinely poor!)

Let’s also not forget the E-VAT Law, authored by Senator Mar Roxas in 2003, which put an extra 12% on the cost of all our expenditures, including our most basic necessities. Notwithstanding, the idea behind the E-VAT had been a noble one (i.e., raising government revenue so as increase funding for healthcare, public infrastructures, etc.). However, a quick look at status quo would clearly show that things have not turned out the way Mar intended them to be.Perhaps we now know where PGMA got the money for her fancy steak dinner party?

Have we been given a glimpse of the obliviousness and selfishness of the arrogant elitist class or must we wait for Kris Aquino to utter, "Let them eat cake" before we realize the pitfall we have dug ourselves?

With an administration such as ours, politics is too easy. A candidate must only declare himself as opposition and he instantly has the entire populace at his side.Marcos was corrupt, so Aquino was the solution. Estrada was corrupt, so Arroyo was the solution. And now that we hate Arroyo’s guts, here comes Noynoy and Mar, claiming to be "opposition" and we have hoards of people willing to eat up everything they say.Never mind that Noynoy has practically done nothing in his 12 years in Congress and the Senate. Never mind that Noynoy and Mar are practically the face of elite society. What’s important is they’ll be sending GMA to jail, right?

And while I have nothing against retribution for soon-to-be-ex- president GMA, I just have to ask: what happens afterwards? If Noynoy’s track record is any indication of what to expect from his presidency, then Philippines, start familiarizing yourselves with the word "stagnate".

They say Noynoy would not dare tarnish the reputation of the Aquinos. Ironically, the same people said the exact same thing about Gloria, daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal, otherwise known as the Incorruptible. The lesson here? First, not all desirable traits can be passed down the gene pool. Second and more importantly, a father’s son is not his father.

When I was a freshman at UP Diliman, I interviewed Professor Edmund Tayao, a renowned political analyst, for a history project and asked him if he believed there was still "hope" for the Philippines. His answer slightly embarrassedme as he laughed and said, "Hope is the only cheap and accessible thing we can have as a people, but to tell you frankly, it’s not too far in the future that a good number of us would also lose it!"

I don’t mean to diminish the hope inside you. What I do hope to achieve by all this however, is to raise a simple question: are Noynoy and Mar really worth elevating to the pedestal?

Don’t vote for someone because of what they haven’t done. Vote for leaders who’ve actually earned it. Examine the choices and pick a set of leaders who would not just give hope, but would actually deliver.

I hope you make the right decision."


True as I may expect, Noynoy is far from Ninoy, and by the way-who's Ninoy whom we praised for? The once Ninoy of the Liberals or the forgotten Ninoy of the LAKAS ng BAYAN (LABAN) where Ramon Mitra, Ernesto Maceda, and the Left's Alexander Boncayao involved? More people somehow praised the elder Aquino as a Liberal, but forgotten as a LABAN candidate-a trying radical while imprisoned in the prison cell and recognizing revolution as a solution.

Anyway,
That's all. Just vote for a good candidate, if you don't like to vote then good.