“Noynoy Aquino is using up political capital far more expeditiously and dangerously than Barrack Obama, probably the most popular president of America... Beijing refused to receive a high-level delegation led by Vice President Jejomar Binay and was viewed by many HK nationals as another slur by the Aquino administration... Then the SMILE; this was perhaps Aquino’s worst PR screw-up. At a time when both nations were in a state of mourning, Aquino’s jovial demeanour was callous and nauseating. “I felt like smashing the TV when I saw him smile and smile,” wrote a Hong Kong resident.”
Presidency not walk in the park!
By now, President Benigno S. Aquino 3rd knows that the presidency is not a walk in the park just because he has been elected with one of the best electoral mandates in Philippine history.
His predecessor, Gloria Arroyo once described to me that the Philippine presidency is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. She ended nine years with a 6.1 percent average GDP growth, the best among five presidents. She doubled per capita income. She delivered–on the economy. Yet today, she is the most hated president in history.
Noynoy Aquino is using up political capital far more expeditiously and dangerously than Barrack Obama, probably the most popular president of America. Today, after 20 months, less than half of Americans like and approve of Obama’s performance. And Obama is a chief executive with plenty of presidential gravitas.
Aquino’s presidential issuances have been questioned before the Supreme Court. They include the order to retain or fire government managers appointed by President Arroyo just before she left office and his order to create the Truth Commission. Their constitutionality is being decided by a high court chaired by someone he hated to be chief justice, Renato Corona.
Corona had been publicly humiliated a number of times by Aquino who questioned his legitimacy as the highest magistrate of the land and whom he barely acknowledged in at least two very public events, including the June 30 presidential inaugural.
Aquino also questioned the integrity of Philippine economic statistics. So when the economy grew by 7.9 percent in the second quarter or by 7.85 percent in the first half, the best semestral growth in 22 years, he couldn’t crow about it.
Yet, if there is any gain Aquino could mention, it is on the economic front. Business and consumer confidence surged to their peak after his election.
Outside of the economy, signs are there for an uncontrollable downhill ride.
The trigger was the August 23 early evening murder of eight tourists from Hong Kong when a disgruntled and dismissed Manila police captain hijacked a tourist bus with 24 passengers, 21 of them tourists, and demanded his restatement plus payment of P1 million in retirement benefit. Police botched a rescue attempt.
During the ten hours the bus was parked in front of Manila’s historic Rizal Park Grandstand and authorities were negotiating a deal with the hostage taker, Rolando Mendoza, the government had two very solid options: one, cut him down by sniper fire (there were at least two occasions for a sure shot when he stood at the door of the bus for everyone to see), and two, give in to his demands in exchange for the release of his hostages unharmed.
After all, what is P1 million? Mendoza was willing to negotiate. He even released nine of his 24 hostages. Government bureaucrats routinely steal up to 40 percent of the national budget, now at P1.5 trillion. And what is the reputation of a police officer with a checkered career compared to the lives of 24 innocent civilians, 21 of whom nationals of the fourth largest—and very fastgrowing—source of foreign tourists?By some fatal misjudgment or crucial failure of leadership, neither of the options was taken.
The result was the carnage of tourists on an unprecedented scale, thanks to the incompetence of a platoon of so-called SWAT policemen assaulting the bus with empty tear gas canisters, a heavier than usual sledge hammer and without gasmasks, without bullet-proof vests, and without high-powered firearms. The world watched everything on live television. Mercifully, Mendoza was finally killed by sniper fire but not before he sprayed some 58 armalite bullets on his helpless victims.
The Inquirer editorialized President Aquino’s invisibility during the critical hours. It shows how badly served he is by his advisers, the influential daily sneered.Hong Kong placed the Philippines on a travel black list. China, the biggest source of cheap imports, cheap capital and among the best technology in the world, is mad.
Beijing refused to receive a high-level delegation led by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo being formed by Aquino to convey his government regrets about the incident. Two Chinese Ramon Magsaysay awardees suddenly couldn’t come for the awards night in Manila. The Chinese envoy didn’t show up at the National Heroes Day rites. The Chinese government berated the administration for allowing the Philippine flag to be draped on the casket of Mendoza. The Chinese also didn’t like the way Aquino smiled at his midnight press conference almost four hours after the killings. And they want an earnest and official apology from him.
Sheepishly, Aquino ordered a thorough probe and the formation of a well-trained, well-equipped elite task force to handle future crises like hostage-taking. He publicly apologized to the Chinese, but not formally.
After two months, Aquino’s is suddenly a wounded presidency. Can he recover? Yes, of course. But he must take the right steps. What these are, he can ask his advisers. BY TONY LOPEZ
