Few nights ago, while watching the early evening news, I saw my college classmate’s name in TV. It drew my attention because I’ve been searching for that person in Facebook and Google for quite a long time now. Got a crush on that person and been wondering what happened since we parted ways eleven years ago. The report said that my classmate is in Bangkok and now trapped by the unruly protests in the capital city of Thailand. Now the poor friend does nothing but drink vodka and smoke at home because curfew has been declared in the entire city. Nonetheless, I am happy because I was able to find and communicate with that person again.
When I saw the pictures of the protest in Thailand, my first reaction is to condemn the “Red Shirts” for paralyzing the Thai government and economy with their violent actions. I even said to myself, “we are luckier here in the Philippines because we do not experience such kind of disturbance.” But after few days of observing the Thai protesters and reading stories about the mob in news websites, I realized that I am a Red Shirter, in a way, in my own country.
It actually started after the May 10, 2010 presidential elections. I am a staunch supporter of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, the far fourth in the race for presidency. Gibo, as he is popularly known, has the most concrete programs for social and economic development among the nine presidential aspirants. Besides, he is the only candidate who did not resort to mudslinging to get votes from the electorate, thus elevating the level of campaigning in the Philippines to a higher plane. In my own way, I campaigned for him. He is part of my class discussions. I encourage my students to compare the candidates and become educated voters (most of them are first-timers). I also utilized the power of new media and social networking to spread the “green virus” among my friends. But my efforts were futile. The majority of votes went to Benigno Simeon Aquino III, the unico hijo of the late charismatic president Corazon Aquino and the assassinated senator Benigno Aquino Jr., and maybe it is worthy to note that he is also the lone brother of the highest-paid female television personality in the Philippines – Kris Aquino.
A lot of friends are telling me that I should get to know him better, give him the chance to prove himself, and be one with the Philippine government with its vision, of course under the new administration. Sorry, I can’t help myself but hate him, for he is the foremost power-hungry person in this country today. Remember last year when he was just a nobody? A senator who hasn’t passed any law in his years of stay in the upper house, he was the unlikely presidential candidate until her mom’s death. At first he is hesitant to heed the call of a certain group encouraging him to run on 2010 elections. He even had a “televised retreat” with the sisters of a certain order in Mindanao, and after realizing that he has inherited the magnificent Cory magic, he grabbed the opportunity to steal the Liberal Party’s nomination from Senator Mar Roxas, who had a grand public wedding with a popular broadcaster in preparation of his candidacy. The politically-immature son of a hero in the country was overwhelmed with support of the equally politically-immature electorate, thus he seized the opportunity to run for the highest position in the land.
I was about to give in, accept the defeat of my political advocacy, and surrender to the balding president-apparent, until he made eyebrow raising statements lately – that he won’t swear to the new Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court because the latter was appointed by the unpopular diminutive lady president of the Philippines and he’s going to have his oath taken before a village leader. I believe this is his own decision, not coming from his all-knowing political advisers, because if they only did advice the incoming chief executive, he will not look stupid in the eyes of the many who understand the three co-equal branches of the government. Okay, it is given that the CJ was appointed by the president during the period when new appointments are prohibited, but it is the Supreme Court itself which said that there is a need to appoint a new CJ. Isn’t that clear to the president-apparent? Or he just simply doesn’t know the processes. Maybe he should take refresher units in political science, our university is very much willing to teach him.
Another wrong statement of this ****ing president-to-be has something to do with his smoking. God, sir, you are justifying your bad vice! You promised during the campaign that you will give up smoking. Now you are saying that you need this to cope up with the stressful job of your office? I understand you actually, because I am a smoker too. But with your mindset and attitude, you are encouraging and justifying the young people to smoke. I am very sure that your mother will frown at you from heaven.
I know I don’t have to wear red shirts yet. There is no need to go to streets – yet. But remember, Mr. Aquino, you only got 40% of the total votes, you still have to please us, the remaining majority, and I am giving you one year to make yourself a respectable president of our beloved Philippines. Or else I will just join my former classmate and impose a self-exile in Bangkok for the rest of your term.
