EDITORIAL - Something for PNoy to work on

As commander-in-chief of one of the world's weakest military forces, President Aquino is indeed in a very unenviable position vis-a-vis the Philippines faceoff with China regarding a chain of islets in the South China Sea that both nations claim, along with several other claimants.

But his position would be far worse off if he heads a divided nation. Right now, Aquino cannot claim overwhelming unity of support in relation to the China crisis, not even with patriotism running high in the breasts of most Filipinos.

Normally, patriotism causes everyone to drop everything in order to rally behind a leader in times of national crisis involving a foreign party. Not so in this instance. For while everyone is behind the Philippines against China, not everyone is behind Aquino if he has to lead them into battle.

It is therefore imperative for Aquino to look around and see why not everyone is on board. He needs to make a no-nonsense assessment of why he continues to fail to earn the loyalty and respect of Filipinos, even at this time when the sense of patriotism is very high.

We do not profess to know the cause or causes of this tepidness of support. But if we can hazard a guess, maybe it has something to do with the way he plays his politics, which many describe as selective and vindictive, which in effect means divisive.

It should be instructive for both Aquino and his advisers that while probable cause has been found to charge three senators and several others with graft and plunder, the anticipated cheering from the public has come, quite surprisingly, rather muted. There is no dancing in the streets, so to speak.

And that can only be because the public is not satisfied with the results. And the public is not satisfied with the results because it knows more are involved but have not been included in the determination of probable cause because they are friends and allies of the president and are therefore being protected.

When citizens feel shortchanged in such a matter, when they feel their intelligence is being insulted, not even the prospect of foreign aggression can force them to rally behind a leader they cannot trust. Having sold them once down the river, it is very difficult to regain what has been lost. You want respect, earn it.