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Demonizing Erap again

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

10/23/2009

With the Erap magic still glowing, as shown by the crowd of thousands that went to Tondo to witness Erap Estrada’s official declaration to run for the presidency, there went the usual elite civil socialites, once again demonizing him, and even saying that Estrada has a poor track record and a bad Cabinet.

One truly wonders where they get their facts, because official records show that Estrada certainly did a better job as President than their anointed has. As a matter of fact, it was during Erap’s time that business competitiveness was at a high, as international surveys showed.

As for his having been convicted for plunder, they also know that these charges were framed and by them, to have him ousted, and that his conviction was politically motivated.

Still, if being a pardoned convict is the elite’s criterion in the making of a bad president, wasn’t Ninoy Aquino, as traditional a politician as they come, also a convicted murderer? Sure, his conviction can be said to have been politically motivated, but so was Erap’s. The fact that the same civil society groups call for an independent judiciary is proof that they know the courts today are politically influenced by Gloria.

So what’s the difference between the two convictions?

But civil society does not like to see an Erap return to the presidency, mainly because these elitists, who look down on the masses, do not favor his pro-poor programs, and worse, also know, from experience, that they can’t pull one over the Estrada government, by way of skewed contracts in their favor. As they already know, it was during the Estrada presidency that these businessmen could not get a sovereign guarantee approved.

And so they come up with the propaganda that there is no way for Estrada to win the presidency again, as their anointed, Noynoy Aquino, another political lemon, is certain of winning the top post as the survey showed he has over 50 percent of the vote, and that he has not even peaked yet. Still, they certainly can hang on to their dreams.

But what really is highly laughable is that these same elitist groups who claim to be intelligent and superior to the Filipino masses, are actually giving their all-out support to Aquino, despite the fact that he has nothing going for him as a leader. He certainly has no legislative track record to brag about. In all those nine years that he spent in Congress, Noynoy did not even craft a single legislative measure. As for his first three years in the Senate, just what has he come up with, by way of legislation, or even by way of inquiries, or at the very least, have a position on whatever issues that have arisen in all those close to three years. And oh, not to forget, he didn’t even make any protest on the 2004 electoral fraud, of which he was aware. That’s honesty and transparency?

Legislative experience is a virtual zero, as is his administrative experience. He never even managed a big company, which means he has a virtual zero in administrative skills. Yet this is what the so-called “intelligentsia” say will make a good president, because of his genes?

Even more laughable is the fact that in 2004, during the presidential campaign, these same elitists blasted away at Fernando Poe Jr., saying that he had no experience and was not fit for the presidency, being a movie actor.

They even laughed at FPJ, saying that he never even had a platform or program of government, along with the claim that he said nothing of importance.

But aren’t those the same things they said against FPJ that are present in their anointed, Noynoy Aquino? So why isn’t experience now important? And why should genes matter in the making of a president? But aren’t they being highly inconsistent?

These frigging civil socialites are never consistent — except for one thing: They all lust for power and privilege, and look to the return of their “good old days” of Cory Aquino where the elite reigned supreme.