THIS IS AN ARTICLE I wrote for another newspaper in 2004 for the anniversary of the EDSA Revolution, Feb. 25, 2004. Exactly 15 years ago today. I like how I think even then. For those new to my writings, here’s a historical flavor.
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THE THIRD WOMAN PRESIDENT
I have always been proud of my country because of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
I was very young when it happened but I felt the power and overwhelming joy when the newspapers screamed the headline in big bold capital letters: MARCOS FLEES!
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Since then, many things have happened.
Scandals beleaguered my poor country.
We were headlined as the nation of thieves and pickpockets, ballot snatchers, nose-pickers, acting award envelop switchers, junior baseball cheats, domestic helpers, congressmen-rapists, greedy politicians, puppet presidents, to name just a few of the types that pull our nation down to gutter-level reputation.
But I kept my faith in the Filipino people.
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Woman-in-Yellow Cory Aquino was a big inspiration that kept me going.
I thought that for as long as Ninoy’s widow continues to survive, we will survive as a people worth dying for.
Whatever else is said of the Aquino administration, I really don’t care.
I know better.
Cory did the best that she could do under her circumstances.
I think that it was the Filipino people who failed her by not doing their best to help her during her presidency.
They expected too much, without giving any help.
They thought that putting her into office was everything.
They expected her to magically heal the dying nation.
To put galunggong in every table.
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To blame Cory for anything is, for me, an utter ingratitude.
She didn’t promise a rose garden.
Only that the seeds for it be planted.
She wasn’t a leader; she was an inspiration.
And what great inspiration she was!
To expect more from her would have been greed, one of the seven deadly sins.
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I began to lose hope in the Filipino people when Erap won the 1998 elections.
I thought that too many ambitious politicians wanted to be president.
In an election with at least seven presidential candidates, votes were greatly divided making Erap the country’s popular (meaning ok na lang) president.
I didn’t blame Erap; I endured him.
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But I blamed all the stupid people who thought that Erap could have saved the country.
I know that intelligence is a discriminating quality.
And clearly, the Filipinos are discriminated upon.
There’s no doubt about it, we are a nation of morons and idiots and imbeciles.
And we are making world records for being such.
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We are so stupid that we aren’t learning from lessons in our own history.
We repeat everything.
We repeat EDSA, we repeat the same mistakes, we repeat false-name bank accounts, we repeat electing corrupt officials, we repeat experimenting with the next movie actor.
We perpetuate political dynasties, we sell our votes, we take elections lightly, and we pay for it all the days of our suffering lives.
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I, the visionary, will die.
And you will be left lamenting the cursed life that you bring to yourself and your children.
Some psychics and seers say that the Philippines will only be able to rise again starting with the administration of the country’s third woman president.
After Cory, I very much wanted Miriam Defensor Santiago to be president so that we would have the third woman president soon after her.
But Miriam lost her chance.
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Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?
I never would have thought of her.
She is too much like Nora Aunor, too much acting and role-playing.
Too much hype for so mediocre (or is it diminutive?) a talent.
And it’s a scary thought.
But now, she’s the second woman president!
So, let’s move on.
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Third woman president.
Could it be Loren Legarda Leviste?
With a six-year term as vice president starting this year, why not?
A third woman president in 2010.
Not a bad idea!
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But meanwhile, who do we choose for president?
My conscience vote goes to Raul Roco.
At least, when he will be president, there wouldn’t be many claims to his presidency (unlike Fernando Poe Jr.).
Not many advisers with questionable interests.
Roco is not popular among, and not close to, politicians.
And by this, you will know that he is going to be a no-nonsense president.
You know that he is going to be a difficult, meticulous president because he knows better than to please the select few people (unlike some ass-licking presidents).
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At least with Roco, you can hope that he will only remain faithful to his commitment to the higher ideals of the common good.
Roco is obviously not a “third woman president.”
But I’m sure he is going to be a respectable, decent, and capable intermission.
But… wait a minute.
Didn’t Roco announce himself as the “honorary woman”?
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Keeping superstitions can be exhausting.
But at the rate things are going in this country, there’s no harm taking chances with what seems to have the most obvious object signification.
I, the visionary, will die with my one vote for Roco.
But I will die knowing that I was right.
It’s EDSA anniversary, so here’s some “relevance” even in my column.
Think of it as more than just entertaining writing from me.
I am Peter Solis Nery, and I am a newspaper columnist! (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
