A LAW EACH DAY (Keeps Trouble Away) By Jose C. Sison (The Philippine Star) Updated December 27, 2010 As expected, the nation’s mood is rosier this year than last year. Sixty nine (69%) percent of adult Filipinos surveyed by SWS during the period between November 27-30, 2010 said that they expected Christmas to be “happy” this year than 62-64 percent of them who said so last year. This is not surprising given the difference in the country’s condition now and last year especially in politics.
As the end of 2009 approached, political uncertainties prevailing in the country occupied the minds of most Filipinos that obviously affected their “happy” disposition. At that time most of us were still unsure whether there would be election in May 2010 even if political aspirants were already in a campaign mode and had began to promote their candidacies long before the start of the campaign period. The uncertain atmosphere still prevailed then because of apparent moves by the outgoing administration stalwarts to perpetuate themselves in power beyond the term limits set in the Constitution. These moves further contributed to negative thoughts that even if elections would push through in May 2010, the same would not be honest, orderly and peaceful in the face of a formidable administration machinery and logistics out to ensure the victory of its anointed candidates at any cost.
In fact, according to SWS, that “less than happy” mood at the end 2009 had been prevailing since 2004 when the perceived “lying, cheating and stealing” of the Arroyo administration that was catapulted to power in the 2001 people power II, had been confirmed by the exposure of “Hello Garci” election scandal. The peoples’ hopelessness at that time lingered on as more scams were exposed after then President Gloria Arroyo weathered the storm of resignation calls and frustrated every inquiry into the anomalies wracking her administration. This was the situation as the end of 2009 neared.
But as the end of 2010 approaches, the country’s situation has indeed changed. The feared “no election or failure of election”, did not happen. The attempt of the former administration to retain power through its anointed candidates was foiled. The poll surveys on the peoples’ choice as the country’s new leader in the person of Benigno Simeon Aquino III who anchored his campaign on the slogan of “kung walang corrupt walang mahirap”, was confirmed in the first automated election, although some unconnected loose ends affecting the accuracy of the machines remain unexplained by the Comelec up to now.
The euphoria of the first people power in 1986 has been resuscitated as a new leader depicted to be the catalyst of change who preferred to be called PNoy, took the helm amidst so much optimism. Trust in the leadership remains high and the peoples’ hope has been vibrantly revived. But is it really this favorable political situation and up-beat atmosphere that somehow contributed to the prevailing happy mood of the people this Christmas?
Taking a second and closer look, there appears to be more bases in saying that most Pinoys look forward to a happy Christmas this year not really because of their optimism and high trust in the new administration. The serious legal setbacks suffered, the botched jobs and poor performance of some of PNoy’s appointees after only six months in office cannot definitely make people happy and remain optimistic this Christmas and the coming years. Evidently the peoples’ prevailing rosy disposition despite the looming dark clouds is simply due to the fact that Pinoys are inherently happy people whatever their situation in life; that they have the capacity to smile and even laugh away all their troubles and problems.
Time and again it has been shown in the past especially during the Marcos and Erap years that Filipinos have the resiliency to cope with difficulties and hardships and to endure the excesses and bungling of government officials. They just grin and bear it and adjust to the situation without losing hope that sooner or later, the corrupt and abusive officials will have their comeuppance. Their bright outlook has never faded. So far that hope has been realized; but only up to the extent of toppling the regimes by non-violent means in the streets or in the polling booths.
The problem however is that their resiliency is also coupled with the tendency to forget and eventually to forgive as time goes by. This is the minus side of the smiling Pinoy. This is the side that allowed so many corrupt officials of the past to evade prosecution or to remain unpunished; that enabled a convicted plunderer to obtain a pardon; that allowed another plunderer to bargain for a lighter offense; that enabled the family, cronies and supporter of disgraced former regimes to be back in the saddle by just biding their time until people forget about their past corrupt acts. In sum these admirable Filipino traits are also the reasons behind our inability to check graft and corruption.
Pinoys are therefore, by nature, simply happy people year in and year out, in good times and in bad. This is a fact that PNoy and his team should not lose sight of so that they should not continue relating directly PNoy’s high trust rating to the happier mood of Filipinos during this Christmas; nor should they rely so much on the survey results as signs that most Filipinos are satisfied with the present administration’s performance. His high trust ratings may be due only to an effective public image build-up and not necessarily due to good performance in public service. People are still looking for the image of a statesman in PNoy rallying all sides and sectors of society to work for the common good according to a road map clearly laid out.
Note: “A Law Each Day” will take a break starting tomorrow until January 3, 2010. So advanced HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL!
E-mail us at jcson@pldtdsl.net
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