Senator NoyNoy Aquino & the presidency *

What kind of a leader does the Philippines need after the Gloria Arroyo administration? Will Noynoy Aquino be equal to the big task of addressing the seemingly intractable ailments that beset our nation? Our nation is desperately needing a leader who can journey with us towards our national goals that still need to be crystallized and articulated as agendas or policies that will generate mass based support. For the long term, the next presidency should not only be a knee- jerk reaction nor a symptomatic treatment of the pathologies of the moment but one that governs towards being a great nation : more wealth that is shared, good governance, justice and human rights prevailing and with good social institutions ( family, schools, health system, mass media, religion, etc) that will nurture all our resources for the current and future generation.

Noynoy has charisma and credibility and the burgeoning massive support which should translate into campaign funds and ultimately votes will be enough for him to win the presidency. Already, some political party turncoats have expressed to join the Liberal Party of NoyNoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. But, the Liberal Party has announced that it will be discriminating in their choice of local standard bearers. One presidential wannabe said that our clamor for Noynoy is part of the so called “ politics of personality” which is traditional politics. Some say that Noynoy did not really dazzle us with landmark legislations while he was at the 11th & 12th & 13th Congress and even now in his post as Senator of our Republic.

But, his accomplishment as a legislator is impressive enough. One would conclude that he is both a fiscalizer and an institution builder. He was deputy speaker of the 13th House of Congress. Currently in the Senate, he is chair of the Committee on Local Government and therefore he is privy to the state of the art of our local bureaucracy. He is a member of various congress committees because after all legislation in both houses of Congress is collective work. For this reason, it is crucial that legislators who will be elected will champion and support the people’s agenda because legislation requires the so called needed numbers for the passage of proposed bills into law.

Similarly, the seat of the Presidency is a plural agency with the support of hundreds of line agencies all over the country. Every cabinet member who is the alter ego of the President implements hundreds of millions worth of programs. In this sense, sans corruption, a cabinet member who is the head of a national line agency can really make a difference in the lives of millions of our people. While the budget is ultimately appropriated and legislated by our legislature, the budget originates from the Office of the President. That is why the post of the President is the center of power especially if the President has the support of the legislature. Equally important in this electronically wired world is the support of the community of nations in our global village.

Many government well entrenched existing programs need reforms and many bureaucratic processes have not been working according to the current requirements of our changing economic landscape. But, every now and then, we are able to recruit to our civil service well meaning, competent and honest bureaucrats or technocrats who will take on the role of public servants seriously and as well look up for guidance and inspiration from a good leader sitting at the Office of the President of the Philippines.

* from my column at the Mindanao Times/ Opinion Page/ WomenWise Sept 9, 2009