Comments on: GMA And Her Upcoming SONA: Where is RP Headed?

By: Ding G. Gagelonia

Ding G. Gagelonia — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:30:54 +0000

Signing off on this exchange the, Bencard, history will indeed be the judge, as it has in the case if Marcos.

Erap is still alive, yet most feel the verdict of history is in.

So let’s say the jury is still out in the case of the sitting president.

Indeed for leaders, past and present, till they themselves meet their Maker, history will not yet be done with them.

By: benign0

benign0 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:30:26 +0000

One thing’s for sure.

In small minds, perception (an outcome of these “surveys”) usually trumps an objective view of reality (something only that rare activity called thinking — as far as Pinoy society is concerned — can uncover).

By: Bencard

Bencard — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:24:24 +0000

ding, as long as what she says is verifiable as true, who cares about surveys? let’s face it. the president is not popular. that doesn’t mean she is necessarily a bad or ineffective president. maybe, fifty or hundred years from now, our progenies will look back at her presidency with open mind and conclude that she had been, at least, a good president.

By: Ding G. Gagelonia

Ding G. Gagelonia — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:46:48 +0000

Bencard,

I agree with you on all points, most definitely. Let’s simply note, if we may, the obligation of any leader to be held to account for actions that erode the country’s democratic institutions. No elaboration needed here.

Note how latest press reports quote a survey as saying only 18 percent of Filipino believe the president will be truthful in her upcoming SONA.

Sad, indeed.

By: Bencard

Bencard — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:51:14 +0000

you know as well as most of us here that what a president (any president) says in a SONA is a plan of action – a roadmap if you will – of what he/she wants to achieve for the nation, and what he/she intends to do to attain it. it’s by no means a “promise”, a contractual obligation, or a binding pledge, to produce a successful result. it’s no more than an aspirational wish the fulfillment of which is subject to the vagaries of the unknown.

positive accomplishments do not necessarily translate to instant gratification. the policies that are put in place today, or a few years ago, may not bear fruit in one person’s lifetime. but that doesn’t render the policy bad or useless.
someone said the strength of democracy is its weakness. it is weak because, for the most part, it is not capable of instant solutions, instant justice, instant condemnation, or instant retribution.

despotism and dictatorship come about when people become impatient with democracy. that’s why the enemies of democracy love to exploit perceptions of miseries that they themselves usually promote.