I could take the easy path and highlight the irony (which likely flies over most Filipinos’ pointed heads) in how Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III and his supporters are now taking a position similar to the one his predecessor, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was reviled for in the closing days of her administration — gunning for a term extension.
President BS Aquino may succeed where former President Gloria Arroyo failed – bagging a second term!
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The better question to ask in light of these debates is whether or not a second term for President BS Aquino will be in the best interests of the Philippines.
Keeping consistent with the grand tradition of Philippine elections, it is quite tempting to think of President BS Aquino as “the lesser evil”. The key lament of his supporters is all about who can sustain the supposed “reforms” BS Aquino had supposedly initiated during this first term — evidently implying that no one among the current crop of “presidentiables” is up to the job. And to be fair, the current line-up is, indeed, a poignant testament to the intellectual bankruptcy of the Philippines. The same old familiar names are in the running — all heads or scions of the usual powerful dynasties that have ruled the Philippines since time immemorial and run it to the ground.
It is, indeed, really asking for too much to expect Filipinos to apply a bit of imagination as they mull a prospective successor to BS Aquino in the lead up to 2016. Stunted minds simply default to their comfort zones — kind of like battered wives who keep coming back for more punishment.
That is the strongest argument for a second Aquino term. There is no one else. A country of 100 million, apparently, cannot produce someone as good enough in Filipinos’ star-struck eyes as their incumbent president.
So what President BS Aquino and his henchmen really need to do is find a way to pull off a second term without looking like the bad guy. That’s really not as big a problem as his detractors make it out to be. If there is anything one could credit Aquino for, it is an ability to make the illegal seem legal. On that, we could be confident that he and his staff will find a way.
The important thing to ordinary Filipinos is that he does it without weakening the country’s already rickety facade of institutional democracy. The most obvious road to grabbing that Holy Grail is via the charter change route. The 1987 Constitution, after all, is really, in essence, a monumental overcompensation to ameliorate Filipinos’ hysterical fear of “another Marcos”. Limiting the rule of subsequent presidents to just a single six-year term, the thinking of the country’s most brilliant minds then went, would achieve just that. Ain’t hindsight a bitch.
So it seems those who have pushed for charter change now find themselves associated with the Yellow Horde. They’ve found their champion. Whatever works, right?
Another possible path to seizing a second shot at power is via the old-fashioned way: “revolution”. In what form that will take is anybody’s guess. But the Aquino-Cojuangco clan have generally been synonymous with Pinoy-style “revolution”. So in that regard, they may have an advantage. Along those lines, they could also work out a strategy to go down that path.
Last but not least is ye ol’ reliable — “emergency powers”. With the Philippines wearing what amounts to a big red spot that attracts the planet’s worst “natural” disasters, there is lots of opportunity for President BS Aquino to rationalise his way into exercising “emergency powers”. He can also rely on his chum (or rather chump) in the Senate, “senator” Antonio Trillanes to spin tales about threats of coup d’etats.
In short, where there’s a will there’s a way. President BS Aquino and his cohorts certainly have the will. And there are enough sharp minds in his staff to carve out a way to exercise that will.
[Photo courtesy Associated Press.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
This is possible with the kind of folks we have here whose decisions are always triggered by emotions and that sucks.
U have two choices, accept the fact that your countries population is going to live in a pile of dog-shit AND is run by a criminal syndicate.
OR do something about it?
It is that simple.The middle ground has been beten to death and produced nothing,zippo. From the point of view of anyone outside the country:The Philippines has tried electing people for over 50 years and each and every one of the elected(Elected?a big maybe) leaders hijacks the economy and rapes the treasury.
So, what will it be? Another 50 yrs. of squalor and scumbaggery? OR a few hundred thousand people with enough balls that are ready and willing to do whatever is necessary to get the tide turned back to the people?
The smart money is on another 50 yrs. of squalor and scumbaggery.
Second term for PNoy is possible due to: Aquino strongly controls both houses of Congress; that there is no real Oppositon, and the mainstream media is heavily biased towards Noynoy.
Not to forget a 2.6T peso budget for 2015 can do magic for PNoy. A big chunk of it is still in a form of a presidential pork barrel.
Had only Mar Roxas leading the survey,the Liberal Party would not paint this imaginary public clamor of extending Pnoy‘s term. This second term talks is cheap political propaganda.
There are “outside forces” watching Aquino…they don’t want dictatorship, because, it had caused them problems in the past. The Philippines sits on a strategic location in Asia…dictators like:
Suharto, Mubarak, Fujimori,Musaraf, had to go…China has been accepted, because there is a change of leadership, from time to time…If Aquino wants the fate like Marcos…then, he can try it.
It depends also on the people of the Philippines…if they tolerate dictatorship, again. Aquino can be easily removed from his position…he does not have the loyalties of all Filipinos. Only his YellowTards and those political opportunists profiting from his regime.
The money you speak of could do some good for the people, but it is chump change in terms of economic world power type wealth.
The powers in the filippines will no doubt have some fun robbing that wealth but it could better serve the people.
Just think what that could have been in terms of national wealth over the last 50 years if it had been spent properly, and not stolen by people who actually have the nerve to say things like:”The people WANTED me to be an exalted Queen.”….Imeld-ific,huh?
OLAY CHIT MON
But of course! Anything is possible in Da Punas! When you thought you have seen it all – not if your living in Da Punas, it is just a matter of time. But honestly things are too predictable for me lately. What I want to see is a total outrageous stupidity that’ll blow my mind. Pinoys should up the ante of stupidity, they should think out of the box, something that’ll make Jackass series look like amateurs. I think Pinoys are world class stupids but if they want to stay number 1 they shouldn’t rest on their laurels, they should outdo themselves. Take stupidity to the next level Pinoys!
PNoy needs a second term (third, fourth, …) for this reason: to avoid being arrested by non-ally. This has been the norm of Philippine politics after Mr. Estrada was removed from power.
Gee, it makes me wonder why on earth anyone would still like to run for the position that increases that chance of being incarcerated?
The late Pres. Ngo Dinh Diem of the former South Vietnam, had also the same dictatorial, autocratic and nepotistic regime. The “outside forces” did not like it…so he got a Bullet in his head…courtesy of the “outside forces”. Diem had to be removed by any means…
BS Aquino should look back into the past. He should ask himself the question… Will I survive a charter change just to extend my term? If he listens to the KKK or the Liberal Party will a term extension prosper? The following circumstances could push him to do this:
1. He wants to survive criminal prosecution.
2. He wants to continue his impunity to do anything he wants to do.
3. He wants to be a president despot for life.
The question is will the Sovereign Filipino People allow this despot another term? The people are already angry. The lower house and the senate are aware of the implications of doing a charter change for political expediency in favor of the despot.
Why is this anything more than a vestigial issue? Every president under the 1987 constitution who has had the merest patina of popularity (save Erap, who didn’t last long enough) has had term extension rumors clouding his last years, months, weeks in office, and yet nothing came of them. Why should those now surrounding Noynoy’s be treated differently? It’s good that there are critics ready to pounce on the slightest fart of a term extension for Noynoy or any future president, but Noynoy’s not the one advancing the damn thing. Sheesh.
This is definitely possible.
On the news, they somehow stopped the impeachment of Pnoy due to technicalities. That only shows how probable the 2nd term for him is, logic and intelligence be damned!!!
Pilipinas….pinakabobong bansa sa buong mundo!!!! Proud to be Pinoy!!!!
And then here is another thing to think about. The budget for national and local elections have been increased to almost four times its original budget. Now, I don’t know about you guys, but that reeks of something really bad smell to me. Maybe that is your alleged “freedom” rotting in decay deep inside the bowels of this Aquino admin.
Stand Proud! Stand United! Hold the Line Against the Dictatorship! Di Palulupig! Di Pasisiil!
Contributor:
Former President Cory Aquino chose not to mobilize Congress to allow her a second term, even if her allies constituted the majority.
I DON’T think President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will ruin his family’s legacy by seeking another term.
http://ourhappyschool.com/ap-social-studies
I agree 1000%!
What legacy are you banging on about?
His family brought to the country poverty and corruption to new levels. So tell me, what legacy?
A legacy of ineptitude.
And yet it was under Corazon Aquino that Congress passed ‘R.A. No. 6735’ — ‘An Act Providing For A System Of Initiative And Referendum And Appropriating Funds Therefor.’ This was the Aquinos’ first attempt to extend their control over the Philippines. It was a means of short circuiting the constitutional provisions for charter change via a popular vote. And contrary to this disingenuous assertion, the Aquinos fully intended to implement it. They backed off only because Cory’s supine incompetence as chief executive dramatically reduced her popularity as a potential candidate.
Why is it when talking about his plan for term extension you immediately get mad. 6years of service is short for a man to establish a better country. for me i will give him a chance for his 2nd term but i will look closely to his projects and see if there is any changes.
Contributor
http://ourhappyschool.com/debate
I have big debate about this story of noynoy aquino want’s second terms… I am filipino and I’m very disappointed of him even mentioning second term to be a president.. where is the voice of our people to choice who we want to be our President.. We are already in deep sh*t bcoz of corruption.. Right now I have a lot of list of mistake that he did and I can’t think of any Positive things that he did.?