A common defensive argument routinely issued by Leni Robredo’s Yellowtard supporters is that the “vice president” is “not corrupt”. Yes indeed, she is not that among many other things that she is not. That does not mean she will be a good leader, of course. In fact, there really is not much her camp is claiming that she is other than one who “helps the poor” which, come to think of it, any other politician and his dog claims to also be.
Consider that the late former President Noynoy Aquino also run on a similar bullshit platform, that he is the Son of Filipino Political Gods and, as such, a virtual saint who “helps the poor” and regards them as his “boss”. He too was, Yellowtard logic dictates, “not corrupt”. Indeed, the tagline of his administration was “Kung walang kurap walang mahirap” (“If there is nobody corrupt then there is nobody poor”). Apart from being a nice rhyme, the statement makes no sense considering a lack of corruption does not necessarily cause a lack of poverty.
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The dishonesty in the Yellowtard rhetoric notwithstanding, Aquino went on to win the 2010 election anyway. Unfortunately for Filipinos, he presided over one of the most corrupt administrations on record. Erupting under his watch was an enormous pork barrel scandal to the tune of billions and billions of pesos disappearing into the shady pet “projects” of a who’s-who of members of Congress and their henchmen in various non-government organisations (NGOs). Aquino’s sidekick, then Budget Secretary Butch Abad engineered much of the accounting slights of hand that enabled these crooked appropriations. Did heads roll as a result? Nada.
Thus one could now appreciate just how tone-deaf Leni Robredo’s I-Am-Not-Corrupt rhetoric is. Tone-deaf because it deliberately ignores the billions of pesos lost to the Yellowtard Era’s pork barrel excesses and tone-deaf because they now laughably use it as campaign fodder again — basically demonstrating the small regard they have for Filipino voters’ intellectual faculties. Would Filipinos still elect someone whose campaign platform is built almost entirely around not being corrupt? Yellowtard “economist” Winnie Monsod thinks so…
But a Leni presidency would be a game-changer. They would have no hold over her—because money has never gotten to her head. Nine years in politics, and still no splashy cars, no large houses, no jewelry, and still taking public transport (!). No potential lines to get to her—her husband (Jesse Robredo would have made an excellent president as well) is dead, her three girls hate politics and drugs.
One cannot really call that drivel bullshit because it is just so downright corny. Oh wait, we left out one other thing Monsod writes that describes that other pillar of Yellowtard corniness;
Moreover, she is the only candidate with hands-on experience working with the poor, the marginalized.
All hail “The Poor”.
The Poor are that other god traditional politicians prostate themselves to whenever the bells of the Church of Philippine Elections start tolling. Leni Robredo is indeed that quintessential saint of traditional Philippine politics and Winnie Monsod is her prophet.
Aren’t we all just so sick of politicians who “help the poor”? It looks like we actually finally are sick of that crock. Despite all Yellowtardom’s choir of angels singing praises to the “plight” of “The Poor”, they still fail to get their Madre a decent ranking in the popularity polls.
The fact is, the Philippines’ prosperous future is not hinged on “The Poor” getting their ayuda-funded three meals a day. Prosperity will be built on the backs of the country’s best, brightest, most promising, most intelligent, best-fed, best-educated, and most affluent and enterprising citizens. We talk about capital investment — whether foreign or domestic in origin — being the key input into a growing and strengthening economy. Well guess what: capital does not come from the blood and sweat of labourers and the whining of mendicants and their communist champions. It comes from the economic product of entrepreneurs, innovative and creative people, scientists, engineers, and artists — people who are worth investing in and supporting.
Being “not corrupt” and “helpful” to “The Poor” does not make one the sort of leader who will lead a promising people to greatness. To promise — and desperately argue — that one is “not corrupt” and “helps the poor” is a downright dishonest way to pitch one’s self to Filipino voters as their future leader.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Jesse is rolling in his grave laughing. Oh, he also wants to know what happened to the suitcase full of money that was in the plane when it crashed.
The thing is, she does what she says. Hindi katulad ng mga ibang politicians na ngpapangap na mahirap at tumutulong daw pero patagong ngnanakaw..kaya hindi umaasenso ang pilipinas dahil sa mga pilipinong di na natuto sa pagpili ng kandidato
All she says is basically sh*t, so it cant be helped that all she ever does is take a huge huge dump and give a big fake smile..
If we go by the theory advanced by the write up, it failed to justify its condemnation of Robredo (by campaigning to help the poor and not being corrupt). Why do I say that? Simple, ALL candidates, past and future, opposition or administration bets, without exception, based their campaign on a promise to being not corrupt and to helping the poor if they get elected. This electioneering oath is not even exclusive on the presidential level. Anyone aspiring to run for public office, local or national, yes, including the barangay level, has to have this mantra about helping the poor and not helping to enrich themselves at their expense.
If we go down to the basics of applying for a job, no applicant will promise uncertainty on his conduct and demonstrate lack of empathy to the downtrodden. Necessarily, one will make sure the employer-to-be will see in him an employee they can trust and defend on to exercise good judgement and possesses high moral standards. We all do that.
And why is Robredo and ALL candidates guilty of this kind of political persuasion we call “insulting” the poor? Majority of the voters are poor and everybody knows they have the power to affect election results.
One, for sure, can still attack Robredo on other grounds of infringement or disqualifying act but never on the ground of ‘insulting’ the poor.
If we cancel her on that we might as well cancel elections. ?
“pro-poor” – feeble position for good governance, it might actually be a cover for corruption…