Petulant Noynoy Aquino

Noynoy Aquino, the frontrunner presidential candidate, has become petulant.

On February 16, Tuesday afternoon, I served as moderator (no talent fee) of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) forum with six presidential candidates—Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd, former President Joseph Estrada, Senator Richard Gordon, former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Bro. Eddie Villanuev, and Senator Manny Villar Jr.

The forum consisted of four rounds—a five-minute presentation by each of the candidates, two rounds of questions, and a two-minute summation by each candidate. The order of speaking in the first round was drawn by lot an hour before the show. Gibo Teodoro picked No. 1; so he was the first to speak. Villar was No. 2, Aquino No.3, Estrada No. 4, Gordon No. 5, and Villanueva No. 6. I called on Teodoro without giving an introduction about him.

Later during the forum, I said Gibo is a bar topnotcher, has a Harvard masters in law, and seven presidents were bar topnotchers. I introduced Villar as “someone who is a self-made tycoon, former speaker, former Senate president and former future president, probably.”

I introduced Noynoy Aquino as having “a very good pedigree,” being the grandson of a national hero and son of national heroes—former President Corazon Aquino and slain opposition leader Ninoy Aquino; a congressman for nine years and senator for three years. “He will tell us what he is going to do,” I said.

I introduced Estrada as the most popularly elected president ever with the biggest number of vote-margin over his rival. I called Gordon mayor, builder of Subic, action man, and senator. The last presentor, Villanueva, is someone who wants to produce a miracle, I said.

In the second round, the first question-and-answer forum, per the PCCI script, the candidates were to reply to the questions in alphabetical order, from A to Z starting with Aquino each time, and Villar the last.

The third round, which had the second set of six questions, was in reverse alphabetical order, with Villar the first to speak and Aquino, the last. Candidates were given a minute to reply to all 12 questions. The open forum lasted for more than 72 minutes.

For final round, the two-minute closing spiel, since, in the previous round the speaking order was V to A, I went back to alphabetical order, A to V. After the second round, a staffer of Noynoy Aquino handed me a note which said, “the format is getting boring. Pls. shuffle the respondents.” That is exactly what I did for the final round.

Aquino was asked to speak first and Villar the last. Noynoy complained but I told him “a President should be prepared for surprises,” to which he replied sarcastically, “especially with an unbiased moderator like you.” In the PCCI script given me, it was clearly stated, “moderator to determine the order of closing statements.”

Noynoy had no reason to complain about the alleged bias of the moderator, myself. I understand from press reports, the senator showed clippings of my columns.

What I have been saying in my columns is that: one, Noynoy has had a lackluster record as a congressman of nine years and senator for three years; two, he has had very little management experience, except for a brief period as a salesman of Nike shoes, shirts and shorts; three, he has not even managed a household, because he has none; and four, yet, this is a guy who wants to manage the Philippines—the 12th largest nation on earth in population, with a government budget of P1.5 trillion and a work force of two million state workers, making it the country’s largest corporation; $54 billion in foreign debts, and two insurgencies—communism and Muslim separatism, both of them the longest-running in the world.

Also, I have scored Noynoy about the 6,400-ha. Hacienda Luisita. This huge estate was acquired with government loans (from the central bank and GSIS) by the Cojuangco family of Corazon Aquino, using their political connections, under the condition that it would be subdivided later on and given to its tenant farmers. After half a century, the estate still is owned and controlled by the Cojuangco family. Cory’s share of the Hacienda, about 7 percent (or 448 hectares), has been divided among her children, with Noynoy getting a percent.

Noynoy keeps harping about corruption. Please note that corruption is not simply the direct stealing of money from government coffers, thru kickbacks and commissions and overpriced sweetheart deals. It is also about abuse of power. Abuse of power is a more pernicious form of corruption.

Abuse of power is like rape using a condom. It gives you a feeling of security while you are being—you know the word. I am biased for the victim of that rape—you.

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