GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Senator and Olongapo City ex-mayor Richard Gordon wonders why Filipinos would pay P22,000 to hear fellow-”RG”, New York City ex-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, speak on “Leadership in Time of Crisis.” More so since, as Navotas chief Toby Tiangco, one of the 300 who paid, notes, we already knew what Giuliani had to say yet listened as if hearing them for the first time. “Choose a leader you can trust; a leader must be honest,” the two-day visitor said, adding that he doesn’t know enough of RP domestic issues to speak about it with authority. Still, many felt Giuliani was talking about us, Senator Francis Pangilinan sighed. Or, to be exact, he seemed to know what we don’t have in our leaders.
Trust? Gloria Arroyo cannot claim to have that key leadership virtue. In her latest poll, 60 percent said they were dissatisfied and only 22 graded her okay, for a net rating of negative 38. Before her State of the Nation last week, 40 percent were sure she would lie as usual and only 19 percent gave her the benefit of the doubt. Of her performance under food and fuel crisis, 75 percent said they are worse off today than in the past two years.
The Arroyo admin doesn’t even understand the word trust. When the poor ratings came out, a spokesman scoffed at the surveys, saying, “let the people and not just a few respondents decide.” Strange, but in polls where Arroyo scored well, they proclaimed, “the people have spoken.” Yet they prattle as if she is not forbidden to run again in an election where the people can decide or, worse, as if her last election was not rigged.
Honesty? Arroyo can’t claim to that either. Her admin’s sleazy deals stink to the core. In order to win the Presidency, there were the ghost swine (P2b) and fertilizer (P728m) deliveries. Afterwards, there were Northrail ($503m), Southrail ($692m), ZTE ($329m), cornered telecom frequencies, smuggling, and overpriced coal purchases. And to cover up, there were the P500,000 bribes to congressmen and governors. Not to mention, the buyout of bishops and generals.
Because crooked, the Arroyo admin can’t take constructive criticism. It has taken to maligning even past staunch allies. At ousted Speaker Joe de Venecia, Arroyo’s executive secretary sneers: “He’s beginning to behave and talk like any other opposition member, so we don’t give him credibility.” And ex-President Fidel Ramos they are smearing by text brigade; eg., from 0915-4129036: “FVR shud stop hitting GMA policies n talk abt resignation hyatt10 what he left us r problems up 2 now filipinos remember IPPs, PEA-Amari?”
Instead of being trusty and honest, the admin is habitually opaque. If asked to explain irregularities, cabineteers invoke executive privilege even when no national security or diplomatic ties is at stake. Officials who wish to blow the whistle are kidnapped or demoted or ordered to stay away from the Senate. Investigative journalists are harassed with false raps.
Malacañang ignores transparency. Though claiming to represent the people, it has not bothered to consult Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan folk who will be most affected by ceding territory to armed separatists. It wanted Filipinos to pay $329m (P17b) for telecom tools from ZTE, whose contract it hid on the pretext first of theft, then on confidentiality of proprietary info. It exiled Jocjoc Bolante to prevent testimony on the fertilizer scam that funded the 2004 presidential run. It induced Ignacio Arroyo to own up to the Jose Pidal alias bank account of First Gentleman-brother Mike. Worst of all, Arroyo herself obfuscated about her two-dozen phone calls to an election official while her votes were still being canvassed.
Palace officials are wondering why Arroyo’s survey ratings are so low. They can’t seem to get it: dishonesty has led to public distrust.
* * *
In his talk Giuliani recounted a basic lesson he learned from his dad on human relations. It was to make it a point to attend weddings, which are the most joyous of persons’ lives, but more importantly funerals, when the grieving kin need consoling.
Makati Mayor Jojo Binay, whose foundation was among the sponsors of the leadership talk, knows that maxim well. In his many years in public office since 1986, first as officer-in-charge, then as elected mayor, and once as husband of the mayor, he has made it a point to go to
* * *
