E·N·Q·U·I·R·Y
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL
My Man of the Year 2007
Sunday, 01 06, 2008
But first, the criteria: First, the awardee should be one whose persona best exemplifies the way the opposition should go against the Arroyo government. Second, the person who gets the distinction must have ingrained himself deeply in the psyche of every Filipino who longs for good governance. Third, his influence on the course our country is taking must be the consequence of his own ingenious - or even ingenuous - acts of asserting his will over people and events. And, fourth, he must have defined the mores of contemporary society or, at least, provoked the nation into some soul searching.
My choice for this honor is Makati City Mayor Jojo Binay. He had been meeting all the above criteria the past 365 days of 2007, and more.
The opposition in 2007 was endlessly mocked by apologists of the administration. as having no leader qualified to sit at Malacañang if and when. The opposition, as the lackeys of Gloria Arroyo delighted in picturing it, was but a ragtag gaggle of ambitious wannabes, each one of whom desperately wanted to lead, that they failed to come up with one common choice for a leader.
I say hogwash to these obsequious statements, which are actually said more in secret awe of the large roster of qualified men and women in the opposition. It betrays more the uneasiness of those in the administration over the tremors that have been rocking the foundations of the Arroyo government.
Anyone in the opposition can emerge the leader and be the president, when that time comes, and do far better and differently than the way Arroyo misruled and dishonored this country. And over and above those who would make the best alternative, I believe, is Mayor Binay.
Binay, better by far than most, has kept the flame of the opposition burning since that grand theft of the May 2004 elections. He had effectively shepherded the surly rage of the corps of FPJ supporters who were orphaned by the death of FPJ. He has never wavered in the fight to bring out the truth in the shameful and shameless election of Arroyo. He enjoys the confidence of the widow of the man whose presidency was stolen from him, as well as that of the widow of another man who would have been president but ended up being assassinated as he stepped down from a plane.
The loyalty of Binay to the cause of the opposition is without question. He relishes the job of nurturing the opposition forces without expecting any reward. Ask the man on the street, and he’d probably tell you that Binay moves around in his crusades without any effort to be recognized. But then when one becomes a regular customer of prosecutors investigating for sedition and rebellion, but always manages to beat those who manufacture cases against him, nationwide recognition and admiration of that maverick will unfailingly follow. Especially so when hounding Arroyo appears to be second nature to him, and he is doing fine in that regard.
Binay’s Makati is the refuge of the many who cannot articulate their gripes against the Arroyo administration, simply because the mayors in the other cities of the metropolis are blind to the truth and deaf to the cries for justice.
By rights, it should come as a gratuitous gift to Binay’s to be anointed the leader of the opposition because of his loyalty to the cause and his dedicated efforts to put meaning to the protests against the administration. In fact, he does not even have to be anointed. By force of his performance and dedication, he is the leader, albeit the dark horse (pun unintended), who could meet head on and buck off Arroyo’s rusty knights.
Binay’s heart beats for the poor and underprivileged, from whose ranks he rose. He knows how to respond to their needs - nobody gets sick in Makati; everyone dies in dignity; people can walk down the streets and feel safer than they would if they were somewhere else. The city’s coffers are bulging, which makes him successful in extending the much needed social services to his constituents. His performance as mayor beggars comparison. The marked improvements in Makati, never before attained by anyone else, are testimonials to his effectiveness and excellence as an administrator and city executive. Surely, what he has done to Makati, he can do for the whole country.
His administrative skills aside, what stands out is Binay’s self-effacing efforts to bring order to this country. This diminutive executive knows exactly how to lead: by being a good follower. These past many months, he has followed the wishes of those determined to bring order and bring out the truth on many issues. No effort to impose came from him.
The rallies in Makati for the unending protest actions against Arroyo is a testament to the leadership of Binay. No one else but Binay can muster a rally of 50,000 strong and bring together all shades of the social spectrum with the same objective: to get Arroyo to step down. Applied on a national scale and for a more noble and patriotic end, this brand of friendly persuasion should make Binay stand out as the country’s current hope for unity.
Which explains why, in the run-up to the May 2007 elections, Binay was targeted by the forces of Arroyo. But in a triumph of tenacity and being on the side of the truth, he vanquished the evil forces. It was a victory at the polls for the opposition, and the nation looked up to him as the hero.
At the proper time, which is soon, not very long from now, Binay should make a good president. The flame he has held for the opposition for many years burns ever brighter this 2008, and it should light up the road leading to 2010, when he takes on a greater and more responsible role for the nation.
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