MANILA
Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s “business-not-as-usual” stance is discombobulating many of us here, especially those who had become so used to the transactional style of doing business before.
As a consequence, there is a lot of resistance. PNoy (the President’s media nickname) came on the scene with a gang-busters attitude. Armed with an overwhelming electoral mandate from the people, Mr. Aquino is on a mission. He pitched his campaign in 2010 on a promise to go after wrongdoers in the previous administration and, having been given the go-signal by the electorate, he’s doing what he had promised
And he’s not to be deterred by opposing forces.
What Aquino is doing is something new in Philippine politics, something novel in Philippine history. He is clearing our politics and governance of a system and a culture of looting the nation’s coffers with impunity, with utter greed and with no shame.
For so many decades now most of our politicians have gate-crashed the political scene with the sole intent of making themselves rich by stealing the people’s money. This system and culture flourished because, one, the politicians created a cushy arrangement of taking turns in plundering the state treasury as long as they left something for their successors.
And two, the people willy-nilly have acquiesced to the arrangement because they fear the political warlords and have accepted their own powerlessness.
It’s an arrangement that’s been handsomely profitable for the politicians.
And with money came the power. Politicians throw their weight around and the citizenry cowers in fear and accepts the abuse as being part of their lot, of their being untitled.
With their power being unbridled, the politicians became extremely abusive. Aquino was thrust into the presidency, assisted by fate. Suspecting his elevation to the office as the handiwork of destiny, he has taken it upon himself to do something transformational, reformative and cathartic. And, most of all, lasting.
And so here we are. Aquino and the nation have passed the crossroads, there’s no turning back, especially for PNoy. He has stuck his neck out, and it’s do or die for him.
Convinced and accepting of his crucial role to play, Mr. Aquino has thrown caution to the winds and has put his own life, politically and literally, on the line. Emboldened by certitude, he is burning his bridges behind him and is going full speed ahead on his *daang matuwid *(straight path, the President’s metaphor for good governance).
Thus, his recent declaration of open war against the Chief Justice, who was recently impeached and is set to be tried in the Senate just about now. The journey ahead will be fraught with extreme danger. Aquino will encounter resistance and turbulence. While the great majority of the people have lined up behind him so far, pockets of opposition will continue to lay mines in his path.
The political opposition, decimated as it may be, will work hard to block the President’s reforms. They have very little choice; they are fighting for political survival. And they have a principal (former President Gloria Arroyo, who has been charged with serious crimes) to protect, however their efforts may have been futile so far.
Beyond the survival of the opposition is the survival of the system and culture that’s been in place ever since the Filipinos started running the country on their own. This is the preservation of the nation’s elite. This is the larger imperative currently animating those who rule the country.
Amid the loud and lively braying among the contending parties in the past weeks and months, there is a subliminal murmur that insinuates itself into the skirmishes. It consists of the voices that are counselling restraint among the protagonists. The voices emanate from within the Establishment.
Don’t go too far, the subliminal message goes. Don’t go too far lest you destroy the culture and the system. The culture and the system are what have coddled and allowed to flourish the lucrative arrangement that has kept the elite firmly in place in Philippine society.
It’s OK, they say; let’s bash each other in public. Let’s make the obligatory noises about safeguarding our democratic system and ways. Let’s have factions and divisions. Let’s argue and disagree. Let’s even draw blood every now and then. But let us not get carried away. Let us not destroy each other, let us not destroy the ruling order, and let us not destroy the elite. Because that is us. Let us not kill each other.
They don’t say this explicitly. They couch their alarums in nonsensical hogwash that foreign observers are watching and they might lose interest and trust in the country. But the outside world has enough problems for itself and it couldn’t care less if the Philippine elite’s factions annihilate one another. That, I think, is the larger message among those who counsel caution.
They have reason to worry. They have much to lose if Mr. Aquino succeeds in overhauling and revamping the system and the elite finds itself replaced by a political and economic order that will have more empathy for the masses, that embraces the common people and protects their interests, and that will allow them to participate more in running the nation.
Appropriately nicknamed Joker Arroyo (no relation to Gloria) of the Senate warns of a budding autocracy, with Mr. Aquino at the helm. It would appear to be out of character for PNoy to crown himself a dictator although he has been a pleasant surprise so far, making people scratch their heads in wonder at the many unprecedented moves he has made in his year-and-a-half in office
But still, let’s grant the Joker’s reservations and agree that a Dictator PNoy is not impossible but, rather, is within the realm of possibility, considering what is said about absolute power corrupting absolutely
This is where the people’s vigilance comes in.The people have urged on, or at least quietly consented to, Mr. Aquino’s Draconian moves, the dissenting voices of the dwindling Opposition notwithstanding.
The President’s approval ratings haven’t dropped below the 70 percent threshold. And, despite all the noise and the constant divining of PNoy’s intentions, this is the bottom line — the surveys. As long as Aquino’s approval figures are high, there’s nothing anyone, anyone, can do to stop him. Well, except for drastic measures that would be harmful to his health, literally.
But, yes, vigilance is in order. It doesn’t look like PNoy is out to install himself Chief Autocrat. But we the people should still be on the lookout. That is one of our roles in this era of transformation. ***
