“Can Noynoy do it? Believe it. Yes he can” –Conrado De Quiros
Up until today I was somehow undecided whether I will vote for Noynoy or not. I knew Mar Roxas endorsed him, and I believe in Mar’s decisions and principles, yet I was somehow skeptical of Noynoy. I agreed with the critics notions that he is still unprepared and incapable of the presidency and he is merely riding on to his parent’s fame and the recent surge of the Cory magic. I agreed with the critics that he lacks experience as evidenced by his mediocre performance as congressman and as senator. I agreed with critics that shrewd advisers will take advantage of him and he may end up another Erap – dependent on his advisers’ greedy and self-serving advices. I agreed with them, now I disagree.
After reading several, I admit not quite a lot, people’s opinions on Noynoy’s bid for presidency; I must say that I have already decided which side I’m on. Before I was on the gray side, but I knew there’s only black and white in this race we’re in. There are only 2 sides of the coin – there’s nothing in between. Times are different now, I can feel that and as responsible voters and citizens of the country longing for change, we need to make a clear-cut stand on the matters and issues at hand. I have decided to take my stand.
I will vote for Noynoy and support him in the upcoming presidential race. I agree with a lot of points in De Quiros’ recent article about Noynoy, Yes, he can. Indeed what our country needs is not a leader that will act like a CEO of a company – serving only the needs of the stockbrokers and not of its employees; having a lot of skills and impressive accomplishments but questionable in integrity and moral standing. What our country needs is someone we can be confident of to rally behind to – a president we can support instead of rebut; a president we would be comfortable to trust with our resources and not fear that he or she would take it to his or her personal advantage. I agree that what the country needs is someone who can clean up the mess that has been accumulated over the past years – the mess that has made us apathetic and disillusioned about the country that we now live in. I agree that the elections this coming 2010 is not a regular and peaceful one. First there is the new automated system which I believe will raise a lot of complications since I don’t think it has been prepared adequately. Second, unlike other Presidential election periods, this election does not entirely guarantee a peaceful transition – not with talks of GMA wanting cha-cha and possibly not relinquishing her power in a docile and quiet manner. And with Erap seeking a re-election, what can we really expect?
Then again there is the persistent nagging feeling, one that I cannot simply dismiss, that Noynoy has been unproven till now. He is unknown for his own accomplishments and the only big thing to his credit is that he is the son of Ninoy and Cory and that he has an untainted record – simply because there’s not much on the record? I hope not. To appease this nagging sensation I would have to really read his bills and other accomplishments, no matter how petty they maybe. I do not doubt that he is the most morally upright candidate who has the support of a pretty large and powerful crowd. Next to him, my choice amongst the really limited bunch is not so much a choice really – wala na kasing iba – is more like it. Yet will I really chose accomplishments and a questionable integrity over non-accomplishments yet proven integrity? I will definitely go for the latter.
A friend said that it will be better not to vote; that since there is no good choice we should simply forego voting. But that is a wrong attitude. It does not mean that just because the solution that we really want is not there point blank, we should give up hope for a solution completely. It does not mean that just because the ideal that we want is not offered, we will settle for apathy. Even if the solution offered is mediocre, it is still better than zero especially since excellent is not an option. Unless we can think of an excellent solution and provide it, we must make do with what is offered. Of course this does not hold true for everything in life, but for the upcoming elections I believe that this is applicable, in fact, necessary.
As De Quiros pointed out, democracy is not about a single person or a group of person leading the people – that’s dictatorship or anarchy. It’s about the people voicing out how they want to be governed. The whole point of democracy is us, as a people, including ourselves in the governance. The change in government that we want in the country does not really depend so much on the change in leadership but rather on the change in how we as a people deem ourselves as part of the government. Are we merely on the receiving end? Do we merely come alive during elections or when something really outrages us? Or are we active participants in how officials carry out their jobs; on what bills and laws they get to pass; on how laws are implemented and justice is passed out?
I have stalled posting this article. Why? Because I needed time to solidify my stand. I needed time to validate in myself that I will indeed vote for Noynoy. Unless of course a better candidate rolls out, that is. But for the present, it is Noynoy I will vote for, and I admit it, actively campaign for. I needed time to prepare myself to weather out debates whether from dire skeptics or hard core critics of the man.
I am voting for him because of all the candidates I see, I believe that he is the one who would listen to how I want this country run. I believe he is the one who will be honest and transparent enough to his constituents and I don’t think that he is ignorant or dumb to follow everyone’s advice. I believe he is smart enough to filter advices and to follow them not on account of who gave the advice but on the soundness itself of the advice given regardless of whether it came from his cabinet member or street vendor he encountered on the streets.
Yes he is inexperienced. Yes he is untested. Yet all the more should we put him in the fire. Why would I vote for people who I know have achieved so much yet I also know have disfigured the country a lot? How can I be sure they will listen to me when I know they will consider themselves better and more experienced than I am in the field their in. With Noynoy and his lack of experience, I am sure he will want to listen to what the people has to say. When I was in UP, I got a lot of invites to movements and forums whose themes basically ran “OUST GMA”. They were dissatisfied with how the President runs the country. I attended some of the forums and when I asked this people what solutions they have for the current way of how things are run – they have no satisfactory answers. That’s why I never joined those rallies. Because their solutions were never sound to me. But now, I want to be able to voice out my opinions on how the country should benefit from things; how the country should function. I want to air out solutions and not complaints; suggestions and not angst. And I believe Noynoy would listen.
I have never really voted for GMA. This will be my first Presidential election – make that my first National elections. And when my bets win – whether that is a Congressman, Senator, Vice-President or President – I will make sure that my vote is not wasted on him or her.
