The next leader of the country

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
8/1/2006



Sometimes it gets difficult to find a topic to write, especially when so many legitimate, vital and urgent national issues plead for clear analysis and prescription range from Gloria Dorobo’s continuing use of the illegal E.O. 464 as in the case of the OWWA Funds investigation by again stopping her cabinet secretaries from attending hearings to the inexplicable hospital visits of Gloria for small ailments like stomach trouble and flu, to the wonderful “Babala sa Tuko” poem of Bien Lumbera; but while I hesitated I noticed an interesting columnist’s comment on “the next leader”.

There is an unwritten and I think pointless rule in Philippine column writing never to confront other columnists in frontal debate on issues. It allows for a subject of controversy to be brought up but does not allow for the holder of the contentious adverted view to be named. I shun that view, and in practice I name the holder of a contrary or even adversarial view to bring the debate to a real level – yes, personal, and preferably not to an acrimonious level but to a respectful and productive end. Everything is really personal, you see, contrary to the disingenuous etiquettes of “nice” writers. If a view is not held very strongly personally then its not a sincere view.

The opinion about the ideal “next leader” that triggered my combat ready critical faculty was from a respected fellow columnist from another newspaper, Billy Esposo, who sought to compare his own thought about the “next leader” with Fidel V. Ramos’ view of the same and choose one name, one leader for the country. His piece was interestingly entitled “FVR: I am not pro-Gloria”. In the end, the two pointed to Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte and his “sterling performances” in various posts in government. Billy and FVR had set up the prey for my sniper’s rifle perfectly, a prey we’ve been stalking ever since his Edsa Dos treachery against the nation.

Sonny Belmonte is the man behind the “payola of the decade” in 2001 when as Speaker of the House he distributed the half-a-million pesos each envelopes to congressmen to get the EPIRA bill passed to authorize the full implementation of the privatization of electricity and it various provisions that made our power rates “the highest in Asia”. Belmonte is the single biggest factor, aside from Gloria, in the backbreaking power costs that have ruined our national economy and the simple comforts and convenience of modern living with affordable electricity rates – after
Belmonte greased the EPIRA into law Filipinos have had to scale back all their home comforts.

To be praised by FVR too is to be given the kiss of the Satan in this Christian country, but FVR has to praise Belmonte because they are one and the same kind – opportunistic, unprincipled, predatory and always thinking that the “Teflon” is still there. They don’t realize that people begin to see them as “kapalmuks” when the Teflon already wears off, although Belmonte has stayed low keyed enough to keep his coating on for the most part. That is why we’re here to expose his toxicity as Dupont’s Teflon has been exposed by consumer protection advocates. So, we’re here to say about Belmonte caveat emptor, buyer beware – when Belmonte presents himself as senatorial candidate, which is what all this balloon floating is about.

What will Sonny Belmonte do as senator? Work for the vested interests of special interest groups again, particularly for FVR and the vile foreign and local special interests he represents? Will he use it to ingratiate himself again with the big corporate interests and pass laws for them that exploits the public and consumers? But what else can he promise since Belmonte has never represented any redeeming principle in his decades in government service, not an ounce of self-sacrifice for the public good has ever been shown by this man. Increased revenues for Quezon City – but I know how he’s been taxing businesses there to death!

The next leader (or leaders) will be Filipinos who have a track record of correct policies and actions that protect the nation from predation, from injustice and exploitation, and possess a proven record of self-sacrifice for higher values and aspirations of the nation. I’d point to Bishop Antonio Tobias who raised the public debate on the economic issues in his last sermon on a Channel 5 celebration of the mass and has a record of giving haven to dissidents seeking genuine change and uplift of the country. I’d point to President Estrada who’s sacrificed five years in jail to stand up for justice and against FVR’s “sovereign guarantees”.

President Estrada was elected with a 60% margin over FVR’s chosen candidate in the 1998 election – Joe de Venecia. President Estrada mandate is still running. His continuing popularity attests to his correct leadership. His only fault was to abide by reason instead of force, shunning even the popular force like Mexico’s Lopez Obrador calling for his popular base to takeover Mexico until his votes are fully counted - and the Mexican ruling party isn’t shooting at protesters yet. Now, the Filipino people know better, there will be no viable “next president” until the last legitimate President is restored along with the Rule of Law.

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