How to pick a President Part 2

"Columnist ako. Pero hindi ako ang nagsusulat."

 I was having breakfast at a coffee shop by myself when I heard the man sitting at the table beside mine get up and introduce himself to a group who joined him. I almost choked on my bagel. The concept of a columnist who does not write was difficult to absorb so early in the morning.

It was only after I finished my second cup of coffee when I realized what he meant. Having a ghostwriter for a column is probably more common than I think but it is not something one casually admits to in a very public place to people one has just met.

I remembered him when I came across Facebook discussions on who is best qualified to be our next President. If writing (or having a ghostwriter) is to columnists, what basic qualifications should our next President have?

Supporters of Senator Manny Villar believe that his skills as a businessman are necessary for a President. They think that if he could make his businesses grow, he could also make our economy grow, too. Those who do not like him say that the way he made his businesses grow only shows that he is willing to do anything for profit, including allegedly using his government position to benefit his companies. Becoming President is just part of his plan to make his businesses grow further. After the C-5 extension controversy, his alleged pressuring of the Philippine Stock Exchange to ignore its own rules is the latest story to come out.

Supporters of Secretary Gilbert Teodoro have come up with a catchy slogan "I think therefore I am for Gibo," which has infuriated supporters of other candidates. They make much of his "galing at talino" and point out that he graduated with honors and topped the Bar exams, qualities that show that he is smart and therefore, qualified to be President.

I have always been uneasy with equating academic honors with being "magaling." Some people just excel in standardized tests. That does not mean that those who do not are less intelligent. He also happens to be President Gloria Arroyo's official candidate and while his supporters insist that Gibo is independent, it is impossible to dissociate him from her.

Supporters of Senator Noynoy Aquino say that he is the cleanest candidate and the only one who is serious about fighting corruption. Some dislike him because they think he is merely riding on his parents' coattails. They also think he has done nothing, is weak, and will just be manipulated by the people around him. His detractors say that he has no accomplishments in Congress, as if authoring numerous bad laws is an accomplishment. I refuse to forget that Sen. Villar sponsored the Anti-obscenity Bill, which considers all nudity obscene regardless of artistic merit.

I think that Noynoy's biggest hurdle is his less than dashing looks and lack of charisma. As the Time magazine article pointed out, Noynoy looks like "an abashed computer nerd."

Good looks, a glib way of talking, swagger, and the ability to ooze with charm pass for "galing" in this country. In the courtroom, I would see how the audience would be mesmerized by a dapper lawyer looking very sharp in his suit, speaking loudly in English, acting as if he is a contestant in a declamation contest. He could be making admissions damaging to his client or spouting nonsense and almost everyone would still be enthralled. Except the astute judge and others who knew better.

We only have two weeks left before we pick our President, lawmakers, and local leaders. I hope that we use the time to see through the lies, doublespeak, and innuendo that we are being bombarded with and will be bombarded with in the days ahead. Think, feel, trust your gut, pray, meditate, discern. We need to use everything we have to choose the right person. We don't get this chance every day.