Media outlets have been falling all over themselves conducting “Presidential Job Interviews.” Jessica Soho fired the opening salvo with her version in her program. Taped as live snippets from each of the candidates following a format.
That got ugly fast. Whoever was behind the concept must have really thought it should be a job interview, literally. There was describe in one word the image you see on the screen. Most questions were slum book in nature. But eventually, she got down to the hard questions which had the attendees squirming up to an extent.
The exception was the question asked of Vice-President Leni Robredo which pertained to lugaw. That was easy. Robredo was squirming in her seat trying to explain her statement about vote-buying. Not much difference there. You have to wonder how she can be a lawyer and not be articulate.
Bongbong Marcos made his debut on the DZRH version of the same job interview Bakit Ikaw? Prior to that, he guested on a showbiz talk show, Sa Totoo Lang, on TV5. He sounded piqued about a particular question which the female host kept on repeating.
The DZRH program was an accident that happened for both the host and the guest. Marcos laid a big fat egg. It didn’t help that the “panelists” came up with a segment about “strategic crisis situations,” which was nothing more than a scenario-building exercise. It was supposedly designed to “test” the candidates decision-making process in a crisis situation. BBM’s response not only fell short. It fell flat.
Unfortunately, the same was true with the earlier questions on hot-button issues asked of him with reference to corruption, ill-gotten wealth and federalism. His supporters have been busy defending him on various social media platforms and showering him with accolades. If this keeps up, it will be a repeat of Cory in 1986.
Manolo Quezon’s posits that BBM will end up just like Cory signaling the beginning of an era of populist Presidents who fall short of expectations. This was probably a Freudian slip on the part of the guy who looks like a walking Bart Simpson doll because one should not patronize the saint of Philippine democracy.
But if you think about it hard enough and align the same with Marcos’ performance thus far, you get this eerie feeling that there is truth to it. I watched Marcos being interviewed on Joey Concepcion’s Kandidatalks and he acquitted himself well-enough there except for some instances when he was going off the mark with his argument. Still, it wasn’t as bad as the performance he turned in at the DZRH Bakit Ikaw? presidential job interview.
The Boy Abunda version aired at 6 pm yesterday and I didn’t watch it anymore because I have had enough on the inanity of the program format. Abunda now packages himself as The Interviewer, he who is so enamored with American anchors like Barbara Walters. You get the feeling he wants to be the local version but he comes out trying hard with the issues he brings up and the forced American accent similar to what Karen Davila parades around on ANC. What’s wrong with the accent you were born with to begin with?
A lot of friends who were for BBM sent messages with a common theme; “di ko nagustuhan yung interview” and those to the effect that they were now in a quandary because of the limited options among the five frontrunners.
I realized that early on in the afternoon and it hit me that this was the reason why the late National Artist for Literature, Manong Frankie, characterized Duterte for consideration as the greatest President ever. None of the current crop of candidates comes close in terms of charisma and common sense.
I got a lot of flak over my recent statement that Duterte may yet be the best president we ever had next to Magsaysay. It is so obvious and sad that after all these years of public instruction in English, Filipinos still have a poor comprehension of it. This includes even those whom I consider intelligent because they are in media. I said, “may yet be,” which means that judgment should be held in abeyance until his term is over. I said, “next to President Magsaysay.” I did not say that Duterte was equal to him.
Why is there so much vehemence and blindness in political discourse today?
What has happened this last four years of his term, Duterte has polarized Filipinos with his foul language, abrasive style and continued flip flop in policy. It is very difficult for Filipinos to make an objective view of the man. You either like him or hate him. But I have never met Duterte, so I can make quite an objective appraisal of what has transpired in the last four years. First, I learned to ignore his rants, I looked at what he had done, and most importantly, I became aware of the attitude of the people towards him, his great popularity. His tremendous influence is proven in the last election when, through his endorsements, he was able to place nobodys like Bong Go and Gen. Bato to the Senate, defeating more popular national figures like re-electionist Bam Aquino.
So the best advice is manage your expectations whoever you candidate is in this Presidential horse race. Do not be blinded by sentimentality or emotion. Think of the present and hot it will relate to the future six years hence. We should be scrutinizing the Presidentiables with a fine tooth-comb because we are at a crucial crossroad because of the pandemic.
In 2016, Duterte ran because he believed that it was only he who was qualified to lead the country out of the quagmire it was in. I am sure he still has this in mind with his failed attempt to have Sara and Bong Go succeed him. The present crop of candidates leaves very much to be desired. Not all who run can fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the Presidency with the political realities one has to contend with once in office.
Rodrigo Duterte is still the President and he still has one last card left to play before May 2022.
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