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LONDON – There was something both unique and yet oh so déjà vu about Benigno Aquino III’s inauguration as the Philippines’15th president Wednesday.
On the one hand, here – finally – was a Benigno Aquino taking the presidential oath at the podium. That was something his assassinated father of the same name, who was revered as almost a saint in the Philippines, never lived to attain.
But the scene, and supporting cast, was troublingly familiar: hundreds of thousands of cheering Filipinos stretched across Manila’s Rizal Park in a sea of yellow, Aquino’s campaign color.
AP
People gather at Rizal Park to witness the oath-taking ceremony of Benigno Aquino III as the Philippines' 15th President Wednesday, June 30, 2010 in Manila, Philippines.
The scene was reminiscent of the "people power" rallies back in 1986 for his iconic mother, Corazon Aquino, whose signature color was also yellow. She died last year from cancer, prompting a groundswell of sympathy and support for her son.
That self-proclaimed "plain housewife" – Cory, as she was known – was catapulted into international fame for taking on the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, by running against him in her husband’s place. And now her own son, known as a "lightweight legislator," won a landslide victory – seemingly out of nowhere. Pundits chalked up his win to his family name and the sympathy vote after his mother’s death.
True, Aquino, called "Noynoy" by his supporters, now 50, said all the right things in his mother tongue, Tagalog, and highly refined English.
"My parents sought nothing less, and died for nothing less," he told the crowd, "than for democracy, peace and prosperity. I am blessed by the legacy. And I will carry the torch forward."
He promised his people a new day, and a crackdown on endemic corruption. But those of us who covered his famous parents heard it all before.
Déjà vu all over again
Cory’s supporters once chatted, "Sobrana, Tamana, Politana," or "Too Much Already, Enough Already, Change Him!" (referring to Marcos). But long after Marcos and his cronies were "changed," corruption only changed hands.
Cory was squeaky clean, but, faced with a recalcitrant Congress, her land reform efforts were stillborn. Her promises to balance the budget were never met. In all, there were seven (unsuccessful) coup attempts against her by restless renegade military officers, some of whom went on to become popular politicians in a system that fed on corruption and nepotism.
Then came President Fidel Ramos who, granted, brought six years of relative stability, until former actor Joseph Estrada succeeded him and turned the presidential palace into a neo-colonial betting shop.
Estrada, after just two years in office, was impeached and jailed for "plundering the nation," only to be granted a pardon by his successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
She made big promises, too, but the trend hardly improved. Arroyo’s turbulent nine years in power saw another four failed coup attempts and several bids to impeach her on vote-rigging and corruption charges, though none ever stuck.
And that brings us to Noynoy, perhaps the greatest living personification of Filipino hopes and dreams.
But who was standing near him on the presidential dais? Joseph Estrada – the plunderer – applauded Noynoy’s every word. And Arroyo – the Teflon Lady – was even given military honors as she was sworn in, this time as a congresswoman.
"I can forgive those who did me wrong," said the new President Aquino at one point, "but I have no right to forgive those who abused our people."
Yet, Marcos never paid a penny for the abuse – martial law, tens of thousands of extra-judicial killings and political prisoners – that he wreaked on his nation.
And what about General Fabian Ver, Marcos’ Army Chief of Staff, a man linked to Ninoy Aquino’s assassination? Didn’t he go into quiet exile in the United States?
Even Imelda Marcos never received more than a suspended sentence for all her profligate – and often illegal – draining of the government coffers.
Still unrealized dreams
In steamy, tropical Philippine politics, the line between forgiveness and weakness is often blurred. It’s one reason why, nearly a quarter of a century since the fall of Marcos, the gap between "haves" and "have-nots" has never seemed greater.
Fully a third of the 90 million Filipinos live on a dollar a day. And that cocktail of poverty, corruption and a restless military feels just as combustible as ever.
True, the inauguration was democracy, of sorts, in action. And it was exciting to see. As the festivities went on long into the night, a relaxed President "Noynoy" sang jazz and pop tunes with a live band on stage.
But now the campaign rhetoric has ended and the work begins. I can’t help thinking it will be the same old song.
Jim Maceda is an NBC News London correspondent who was based in Manila in the 1980’s.
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Unfortunately, the common people of the Philippines is still faced with reality that nobody truly has the strength and the will to fight corruption and the vision to raise its economic potential. The newly elected congress of both the lower and upper house are filled with the same power hungry and self serving politicians from the old regime and the same political dynasties that plundered our economy. I expect nothing of the same and it will probably get worse. The new president is a lame duck and will be heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic Church in policy decisions just like her mother. Maybe someday in the distant future a true leader will arise and will have the character and "balls" to fight for us.
When I was ten years old back in 1966, I was told that we were only 20 years behind the US. I actually believed that. Now I am 54 yrs old and I don't think the Philippines is anywhere near the US in living standards. I have seen lots of changes on the surface. But I have also seen lots of things remaining the same or deteriorating. I don't have any high expectations of what the Philippines could be. Like my youth, I lost it many years ago.
Philippines, oh Philippines. When will you ever learn? This is a man who sat in Senate for several years and has not passed a single bill. He has done NOTHING! No accomplishment! Just because his mom died late last year doesn't mean he is qualified to run the country! To say that there is democracy in the Philippines is ironic. The government in the Philippines is pretty much like a Political dynasty. Same clans, same families run the country... and they wonder why there is no change.
Its a vicious cycle of politics and politicians. A big production number spanning all electoral years either led by politicians trying to be actors, or actors acting as politicians--and a mixture of sorts. I think the Filipinos will still face years of hardships that it is going through now. It is a "you-are-who-you-vote" that the country is still in its current state. If it continues to have the same characters in the government either wanting to change or reform the constitution acting on its own selfish agenda, constitution will change but not the country and its peoples' condition. Having said these, do I still have hope for the country? Definitely. I just know that it will take some time to reach a point where it can actually be at par with other developing countries. Maybe not in my lifetime. Still hoping that Noynoy would have the balls to stand for what his later father fought for. If he wants to carry the torch, he better make sure that its lit with wisdom and the heart for the people--not just one who carries the torch and the last name.
It is the constant dilemma of the developing countries, many SE Asian countries suffer from the same issues. They look to the US and Europe to dream of affluence. However, they forget that to realize that dream it takes hard work, determination, integrity and consistency.
Where many parents bring up their children with a chip on their shoulder "to succeed you need to belong to the right class", " prejudice and jealousy for the hardworking ethnicities", "don't give them a chance to gain authority", "oppress those that are not of your group", how then will there be democracy, how then can a nation prosper and raise the welfare of the masses?
One man of good will can change a nation, if only the nation wants to. Look at George Washington, at Abraham Lincoln and many leaders that led the US to prosperity. It was not though without saxrifice, hard work and integrity of many of good will.
Look at Europe, same spirit where the millionaires themselveheir offer to pay 10% of their income to help the nation's budget.
Jim's article, unfortunately, rings true to me too... What will it take for a leader to come to power in the Philippines who has a true heart for the people, integrity, strength, courage, wisdom, and the support of Senators, judiciary, and military? I ponder often and deeply: what will it take for a leader to come who will not put their own selfish interest and ambitions over the needs of millions of impoverished Filipinos?
It's not "Sobrana, Tamana, Politana" but "Sobra na, Tama na, Palitan na".
Jim is "right on". I came back from The Philippines just 10 days ago. It was my 6th trip there in the last 8 years and nothing has chanced. Corruption is everywhere from the taxi drivers to the Police and Government officials. It's a "culture" of corruption they live with every day. Yes, there is a middle class but most just walk by the bundles of filth sleeping in doorways or on the sidewalks just one block from The American Embassy. Davao, in the south, which is my final destination, is even worse than Manila. Americans walking the streets are met by starving children with their hand out begging for a Peso or two as their fingers point to their mouths. It's a real culture shock for any American. The "fix" must come from the top down. I just don't see any change in 8 years and my real feeling is, it's getting worse every day.
The regular Filipino wants to work but jobs are hard to find. Everything needs fixing. Why not put the common man and woman to work fixing what needs to be fixed? The answer is, because corruption is everywhere and everyone is on the take. No project can begin till the Piper is paid and there are a lot of Pipers to be paid, so mostly nothing gets done. It's sad. The Philippines is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. It's people are friendly and want to work. It's too bad a leader can't be found to lead them forward, not sideways. Mabuhay!
I was also there in the inauguration. I did not vote for him nor did GMA when she was candidate for the President. But lets give him enough time. I am giving him 100 days also to make the changes we would like to see. But the changes must come from each one of us, not the president alone. I am a government employee and I am doing my part as a good and honest employee. I dont like corruption yet I can see some corruptions. And perhaps the one handling corruption cases be more strict and look at what is really happening. God Bless to all of us.
A quote by Aristotle, “In a democracy, the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.” My family and I left the Philippines right after the 1986 revolution that resulted in Marcos being overthrown. We immigrated to the U.S. and as I was leaving the airport in Manila at the age 11, I thought the country was heading for a better change. It was called the "People's power", and I thought the people finally realized they had the power and had woken up. Sadly in the coming decades to follow, all I read and hear about is how the country keeps sinking lower and lower in living standards. I wonder what happened to the realization of the 1986 revolution, that the people have the power. And why as a country, the people keeps looking to one man, when it was clearly demonstrated before that it takes the majority, a "people's power" to make the change.
Is the oppression that great in the Philippines that people really have no time to fight for equality in all aspect of living standards, from food, clothing, housing, and the law. Are the rich really that heartless that there is not one politician in that country who thinks about the majority but themselves, and their immediate families? I think the answer is yes to both questions and that is the reason why the Philippines will stay the way it is for years to come. And the answer for change still lies not in one man, one politician, one ruler, but in the majority. Why is this so hard to do?
The majority have no time to waste in politics and making sure that politicians do what they promise. The lives of the poor on a daily basis is based on having to search for where their food will come for that day. It is a form of oppression that the rich have instilled in the lives of the poor, unconsciously or consciously. So when the poor people are out looking for food, for the basic needs for survival, then no one holds the politicians responsible for whatever they do to the country, to the people, to the laws, and to the land.
It is such a waste to see such a beautiful country with many bright and talented people be nothing more than a mediocre to the rest of the world. A stomping ground for people from other countries to visit, to enjoy the scenery, the food, and the locally made souvenirs. And for some of the foreign men, to come and sleep with the young women who have had to sell their bodies due to a lack of option and the need to survive.
Even in America, having lived in the San Francisco bay area for the majority of my life, I see the division between the Filipino's. We establish group, present a united front just for show, but when push comes to shove, when a Filipino tries to climb the ladder, another Filipino will bring him down. It is a cultural mentally, a form of jealousy, a disease that we must destroy in order for the country, the people, to have any hope for change.
The power is in the people. The truth of anything is not found in one entity, nor in one man or in one God but everyone still keeps looking up rather than looking at each other for change. Change will come if the majority realize that they have the power, that they need to destroy the mentality of bringing each other down, and sacrificing their time, their livelihood, even their lives not for the benefit of one man, woman or child, but of a nation.