Noynoy not for the big league, says Belinda Cunanan

Political Tidbits
Petulant Noynoy

By Belinda Olivares-Cunanan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:12:00 02/17/2010

Filed Under: Benigno Aquino III, Elections, Politics

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LP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NOYNOY AQUINO WAS heard complaining about the “biased” treatment he received from the moderator of last Tuesday’s PCCI forum, Tony Lopez, editor and publisher of BizNews Asia. This came on the heels of his lament about the “bias” of Standard columnist Emil Jurado, which Noynoy gave as reason to turn down the MOPC’s invitation for him to guest at its presidential night. Newsmen were surprised to realize that he came to the forum prepared to lambast Lopez, as he later showed newsmen clippings of the latter’s writings.
I was at the PCCI forum and frankly I saw no basis for his complaint. Lopez was merely resorting to alliteration, a writing device, to liven up the forum, when he referred to Joseph Estrada as “past president” and to Manny Villar as “former future president, probably.” But Noynoy couldn’t complain, for Lopez cited him as “a man with a good pedigree, grandson of a national hero, son of national heroes” and four legislative terms. But the final proof of Lopez’s “bias,” as far as Noynoy was concerned, was when Lopez ruled that in the third round the first to respond to the questions would be Noynoy instead of Villar at the other end of the stage, as was the case in an earlier round. But does it really matter who answers first or last? Shouldn’t it be more what the candidate says on issues?
This latest episode demonstrates the increasing petulance and childishness and the seeming inability to brook criticism that Noynoy has been exhibiting, as the race tightens between him and Villar. But as President GMA knows only too well, the corridors of power are not always paved with hosannas and hallelujahs. He just isn’t ready for the big league.
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