The Metamorphosis
By
Ernie D. Delfin
MANNY VILLAR’S LENTEN JOURNEY TO DAMASCUS,
OPS TO MALACANANG PALACE
(while Benigno “NoyNoy” Aguino III just awakened
from his deep slumber since his mother’s funeral)
From where I stand somewhere in Southern California, I am having fun while gazing over the political landscape as I am critically analyzing, dissecting and discerning over the complex political circus that is now happening in my benighted land of my birth, to borrow my former professor Lito Banayo’s adjective . This is one man’s soliloquy disguising as a political satire , written at the beginning of Lent 2010, about 80 days before the May 10th election, to provide some amusing political entertainment.
At the outset, a disclaimer: I cannot vote in the Philippine election nor do I personally know the top two candidates, and more so the others. I only knew them from what I read and hear (from online, magazines, online newspapers and the internet and YouTube) and also from informal discourse with politically-minded friends. Whoever wins the election (praying that there is NO failure of election) will have a very insignificant impact on my life, socially, economically or financially simply because our business and livelihood do not depend on the Philippine environment but rather on the realities of America’s business climate. I am just as concerned as anybody else as I am still a Filipino who happens to live in another land.
Now, on my lead topic.
Every body has read about the gargantuan political expenditures of Mr. Manny Villar (not spelled MONEY) from his own independent wealth in having his name recognized by all voters, especially the WoWoWee crowd (the show that “exploits the poor people”) that go to this shallow but popular show to win something without any labor except to fall in line and get a ticket , and if lucky enough to be a recipient of dole outs from big businesses marketing their products or wealthy people like Manny Villar. (This WoWoWee mindset or phenomenon deserves another commentary, another column).
* * *
Dreaming and assuming to be Manny Villar for a few minutes, I felt that I am just stricken – like Saul --- by an invisible lightning on my way to Damascus… ops Malacanang. I just made a timely, if not remorseful, decision not only to spend my wealth in my political campaigns but an inexplicable but profound heavenly voice told me to rather spend most of my wealth to make 1,000 more Manny Villars inside the Philippines. This silent voice advised me to invest more in the countryside, so the rural and poor people know that I am serious on my way to the Presidential Palace, after the term of GMA. my ‘secret’ supporter and ally for the years to come. After all, all that Gloria who wants is more MONEY (and protection), while I, Manny, want more GLORY.
Once I become the president of this archipelago of a nation, I can make more money by buying agricultural lands like where my friend Joc-Joc Bolante in Capiz, and converting them into residential zones and asked my party mates to invest their pork with me. But I will also be very generous to those who support me. I intend to become both a Robin Hood and a benevolent dictator. I am convinced that the money that Manny makes makes, makes more money that Manny really does not need, but to provide as an opium to my own brand of Ali Baba followers, like my friend Gloria successfully did the last nine years.
To decrease potential opponents I will build healthy coalition$ by hiring some of my opponents and a few unemployed politicians, to tap their talents and expertise and even arrogance, like Gordon who can be in my cabinet. Gibo can be the head of the AirForceAcademy, Bayani as an engineer can head the Dept of Public Works. Perlas to be in the Dept of Agriculture. Jamby ,the tomboyish senator, can be my partner to expand the Maritime Industry, to build more ships for fishing as well as transportation between our islands. Combining our wealth, this Villar-Madrigal Industry is a done deal, to lure back all the DH s to work in this rediscovered industry.
Erap can be tapped, while he is still coherent somewhat and can still enjoy his drink, to become the official “wine taster” of the Republic as my administration must also embark the wine making industry in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao and in the Cordilleras. It will take time, however, to think where the others can help me, if at all. I will extract from all my appointed government officials their “beginning balance sheet: how much they own and owe” as of July 1, 2010, and every year, we must audit them that under my command… I will not allow anyone to be richer than me. Nor do I want that in six years of my Administration, any of my appointees will be richer than Gloria Arroyo or his very “talented” investment savvy son, Mikey, who made fortune only after marriage compounded a thousand times by being the son of a shameless, evil mother, as described by her former cabinet members.
Right away, I will re-align millions of education budget to construct and establish my MONEY aka ENTREPRENEURIAL COLLEGES for groups of 5 towns or less to teach how a “poor” boy from places like Tondo sell fish and then go to a private school, take up Business and MBA degree and then become one of the richest men in the Philippines in just one generation , which cannot be equaled even by the Ayalas, Sorianos or the Zobels. I can teach teachers to teach how I became mega-wealthy by simply selling fish in every town that capitalized my real estate developments without using my political powers as a Speaker and Senate president. My innocence in the allegation of unethical behaviors is already explained to many naïve journalists who went along with me in the circuitous and zigzagging journey along C-5, that is also explained in my website. Those who accused me of impropriety and corruption are just “inggit” (jealous) of my wealth! They refuse to “read my lips” that I am not guilty!
I believe in teaching the poor people “how to fish.” To the good fishermen, I will give them loans to build or buy a boat, so they can employ other poor people to fish with them… With the over supply of fish to be eaten domestically, I will partner with the Koreans or Chinese or Japanese or any of our Asian neighbors to can our catch and export them rather than importing them.
I will also lure back the supermaids to come back by creating jobs for them in the countryside, to become P.T. (Punas Tae) Pinays to their own young children and tend to their aging parents in their own backyard in the Philippines. I will give great incentives to the thousands of caregivers who will come back to the country and who can bring with them their aging patients and bosses, to take care of them in the Philippines, instead . This can be arranged government to government especially the countries of Japan, the United States and Canada where there is a serious shortage of nursing and caregivers.
I will also create an ASaP (Alay Sa Pilipinas) program to have the 10% of the 8-9 Million Filipinos, especially those belonging to the baby boomers generation, like me, those who are about to retired or have been retired to give back to the country of their birth. After they achieved some degree of success in the foreign land, many successful doctors, engineers, CPAs and businessmen have acquired and been conditioned to a better economic system where merits are rewarded more than affinity or pakikisama or the cumpadre system. With the full support of my administration, these balik –talinong Pinoys can be my priceless and effective partners as they will spearhead and create a new paradigm and a better environment for all to share and enjoy. These SCORE (Service Core Of Retired Expatriates) can be new breed of heroes, and not just the super maids, in our New Philippines!
There is too much to do, that I may not be able to finish it only in six years. I am now getting stressed out just thinking how to make this nation great again! Can the people who are now making more MONEY in Manny’s administration start a nationwide referendum to extend the term of a moneyed President another 6 year term?
Then, I woke up from this fantastic dream!
* * * *
On a serious note, there are so many factors to consider in choosing the “best” leader that the country needs to lead the Philippines to progress. Let me advance some leadership CRITERIA, that can somewhat measure the qualitative attributes of a better leader, based on our educated perception, if not factual knowledge. Although I cannot vote, I am optimistic that I can “dictate” (I mean recommend) to my relatives who still receive pecuniary, spelled dollar$$$$, considerations from me, to vote according to my invented criteria.
Let me share my scoring between Aquino and Villar with my readers, done this Ash Wednesday 2010, the beginning of Lent. It is still incomplete and will change again as soon as I am done with more research in some equally important areas, especially in Social Justice issues. However, the intelligent readers will somehow get the “drift” to challenge them to have their own criteria and not just vote for a candidate based on their self-serving advertisements.
C R I T E R I A MAXIMUM POINTS AQUINO VILLAR
A. INTEGRITY/CHARACTER 25 24 11
B. COMPETENCY 25 12 23
(Executive, Entrepreneurial
Experience)
C. DECISIVENESSS/INTELLIGENCE 10 6 8
(Decision making experience)
D. TEAM (COALITION) BUILDING 10 6 8
E. CHARISMA / COMMUNICATION
SKILLS 10 8 6
F. WORK ETHIC (industriousness) 10 7 8
Sub Total 90 63 64
G. SOCIAL JUSTICE PLATFORM 10 ?? ??
(Example: level of support
to empowering the poor like
the Gawad Kalinga Movement) ____ ____ ____
TOTAL 100 ?? ??
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(NOTA BENE: I will update this CRITERIA every month or so, and will then publish it in my
“THE METAMORPHOSIS BLOG :
http://ed-metamorphosis.blogspot.com
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Email this writer at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
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