His prose is unhurried and reserved, each sentence reflective and audibly pleasant. His bearing and tempo quite relaxing, almost like a lullaby. The effects of his words are such that even if he threatens bodily harm upon our loved ones, we would accept it wholeheartedly.
If Noynoy, or “P-Noy” as his PR team so deftly suggested he be called, legitimately won the May 2010 presidential elections, it is clear that a lot of people are pinning their hopes on him making changes in the country. Thorough-going and genuine changes.
As I skim through the news blitz about his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), I began to relive a past life that was so immersed in Philippine politics I was awestruck by the magnitude of my involvement. It was a time when as a requisite to write any sensible opinion, I had to read at least three newspapers a day (two broadsheets and a tabloid) from cover to cover to produce an objective assessment of the country’s political situation. As you moved along surveying the political landscape though, you get used to certain absolute realities that simply never change.
People in power typically assume only two types: the haves and the have-mores. For the conscientisized, political analysis only vary in form but remain fundamentally the same in content. Thus, commentaries become a simple exercise of packaging something old into something new. Or news-worthy, to be precise. In the grim and grimy world of politics, commentary becomes mere reiterations of the obvious that even the media get picky with what they opt to publish.
Indeed, press relations is a sordid and often ignoble battle for media attention, with sensationalism and embellishment almost always winning the day. It’s a tempting notion, and I have observed how proponents, the government not excluded, have engaged in the most badly conceived PR campaigns and yet gain media mileage. If media exposure is to be the final gauge, the State is an irrefutable success.
P-Noy included.
In fact, P-Noy rode on the banner of anti-corruption to bag the Presidential post, a wise PR move that automatically endeared him to many Filipinos familiar and sickened by pervasive corruption. His avowed crusade against corruption also effectively set him apart from the other candidates, demonizing them and nicely setting himself up as the voters’ best choice. He also capitalized on the leftovers of the “Cory Magic,” securing the votes of the indecisive youth and conservative religious sections of the country. P-Noy offered an alternative, although hardly a fresh one, to a people already jaded by decades of rotten politics. In one of those man-on-the-street interviews made by a TV reporter, a commuter explained why she voted for P-Noy: “He is a God-fearing man and he was raised right.”
Telling the difference (or resemblance) between truth and conveniently arranged facts is simple. You say yes to one and agree to the other. The latter is superior because it inspires action or, in our case, inaction.
If you can’t be original, you can at least try to be consistent. Consistency, or at least a semblance of it, is the key to an interesting story. And P-Noy knows it. I gather that the centerpiece of P-Noy’s first SONA is still about corruption. Already he chastises the previous Arroyo administration for fund allotment discrepancies, particularly in the latter’s home province of Pampanga just before the May elections. A classic case of misdirection, or maybe just a good investment to chafe off some future heat under his watch, just in case.
Incidentally, the Arroyo’s appear to have cornered a sort of political bloc of their own right in the Lower House. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo replaced her son Mikey Macapagal-Arroyo as Congressional Representative for the 2nd District of Pampanga. Meanwhile, Dato Macapagal-Arroyo and in-law Iggy Arroyo occupy seats for the 1st District of Camarines Sur and 5th District of Negros Occidental, respectively. To compound this absurdity, Mikey still joins them, but this time as a supposed Party-list Representative for security guards and tricycle drivers.
How long P-Noy will hold his anti-corruption stance, only time will tell. But if he must prosecute, he has to do so with resolute haste, lest he be accused by pundits as simply witch-hunting. Because whether the tact was intended or not, P-Noy’s administration will be a case in comparison against the fetid backdrop of the previous one. So far, his current media bytes are appealing (although not that impressive). He at least has the Arroyo camp on the defensive, which is a welcome start. We await the follow-through eagerly. For now, he can bask under the sanctuary accorded by due benefit of doubt. And if he falters, well, he can be understood (but not forgiven) for simply being true to his class.▼
If Noynoy, or “P-Noy” as his PR team so deftly suggested he be called, legitimately won the May 2010 presidential elections, it is clear that a lot of people are pinning their hopes on him making changes in the country. Thorough-going and genuine changes.
As I skim through the news blitz about his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), I began to relive a past life that was so immersed in Philippine politics I was awestruck by the magnitude of my involvement. It was a time when as a requisite to write any sensible opinion, I had to read at least three newspapers a day (two broadsheets and a tabloid) from cover to cover to produce an objective assessment of the country’s political situation. As you moved along surveying the political landscape though, you get used to certain absolute realities that simply never change.
People in power typically assume only two types: the haves and the have-mores. For the conscientisized, political analysis only vary in form but remain fundamentally the same in content. Thus, commentaries become a simple exercise of packaging something old into something new. Or news-worthy, to be precise. In the grim and grimy world of politics, commentary becomes mere reiterations of the obvious that even the media get picky with what they opt to publish.
Indeed, press relations is a sordid and often ignoble battle for media attention, with sensationalism and embellishment almost always winning the day. It’s a tempting notion, and I have observed how proponents, the government not excluded, have engaged in the most badly conceived PR campaigns and yet gain media mileage. If media exposure is to be the final gauge, the State is an irrefutable success.
P-Noy included.
In fact, P-Noy rode on the banner of anti-corruption to bag the Presidential post, a wise PR move that automatically endeared him to many Filipinos familiar and sickened by pervasive corruption. His avowed crusade against corruption also effectively set him apart from the other candidates, demonizing them and nicely setting himself up as the voters’ best choice. He also capitalized on the leftovers of the “Cory Magic,” securing the votes of the indecisive youth and conservative religious sections of the country. P-Noy offered an alternative, although hardly a fresh one, to a people already jaded by decades of rotten politics. In one of those man-on-the-street interviews made by a TV reporter, a commuter explained why she voted for P-Noy: “He is a God-fearing man and he was raised right.”
Telling the difference (or resemblance) between truth and conveniently arranged facts is simple. You say yes to one and agree to the other. The latter is superior because it inspires action or, in our case, inaction.
If you can’t be original, you can at least try to be consistent. Consistency, or at least a semblance of it, is the key to an interesting story. And P-Noy knows it. I gather that the centerpiece of P-Noy’s first SONA is still about corruption. Already he chastises the previous Arroyo administration for fund allotment discrepancies, particularly in the latter’s home province of Pampanga just before the May elections. A classic case of misdirection, or maybe just a good investment to chafe off some future heat under his watch, just in case.
Incidentally, the Arroyo’s appear to have cornered a sort of political bloc of their own right in the Lower House. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo replaced her son Mikey Macapagal-Arroyo as Congressional Representative for the 2nd District of Pampanga. Meanwhile, Dato Macapagal-Arroyo and in-law Iggy Arroyo occupy seats for the 1st District of Camarines Sur and 5th District of Negros Occidental, respectively. To compound this absurdity, Mikey still joins them, but this time as a supposed Party-list Representative for security guards and tricycle drivers.
How long P-Noy will hold his anti-corruption stance, only time will tell. But if he must prosecute, he has to do so with resolute haste, lest he be accused by pundits as simply witch-hunting. Because whether the tact was intended or not, P-Noy’s administration will be a case in comparison against the fetid backdrop of the previous one. So far, his current media bytes are appealing (although not that impressive). He at least has the Arroyo camp on the defensive, which is a welcome start. We await the follow-through eagerly. For now, he can bask under the sanctuary accorded by due benefit of doubt. And if he falters, well, he can be understood (but not forgiven) for simply being true to his class.▼
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