Clutch situation! It’s time Noynoy Aquino brings his A-game

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He knows no failure. He knows no fear. He knows nothing. He is Noynoy Aquino.

I find it amusing, to say the least, that president Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino would use a basketball metaphor to describe what would be the remainder of his term…

“Papasok na naman po tayo sa panibagong taon sa pagtahak sa tuwid na daan; at kumbaga po sa larong basketball, papasok na rin tayo sa last two minutes. Sa natitirang yugto ng ating termino, wala tayong sasayanging sandali; bawat makabuluhang ambag ng Pilipino ay magpapanalo sa laban natin tungo sa pag-asenso (We are about to enter a new year. If this were a basketball game, it would be the crucial last two minutes. We have no time to waste. Each achievement we make will be a victory for Filipinos in our struggle towards progress),” he said.

“Last two minutes” – it looks like BS Aquino considers 2014-2016 a clutch situation then.

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Even from that statement alone, one can infer, to a considerable degree of accuracy, how BS Aquino thinks:

First of all, he considers his presidency a zero-sum game where if someone wins, someone else has to lose. And the people he is hell-bent on seeing lose are those who are not his party allies, his critics, and basically anyone who is on the opposite side of what he believes in. When BS Aquino talks about the last vestiges of corruption being eradicated it shouldn’t be that hard to take it with a grain of salt, and to make an educated guess that what he actually means is anybody left still associated with the former president Gloria Arroyo, any political party not allied with the Liberal Party (LP), or any media outfit who is not part of the Yellow Media.

Second, he wants to paint himself as some sort of comeback hero who is going to win in the end. If you think about it, the number of times BS Aquino has blamed Gloria Arroyo for the current state of the country is not few and far in between. He has complained about criticism and “negativity” all too often. In fact, he has become so exasperated with it that it has led him to exclaim Bahala sa inyo si Lord, busy ako! (I am busy, all you critics can go to hell!)

Third, time is running out for him. But for what? I can guess that of utmost importance to BS Aquino is to accomplish three things within 2014, and certainly within his term:

1) To keep Hacienda Luisita within the family, as it comes up for review in 2014 under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP);

2) To keep his Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) from being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, and;

3) To position his allies in as many key government posts as possible for the 2016 elections.

A true leader, a true president, does not view his/her term as a zero-sum game; he should be creating an environment where he/she brings the whole nation together, supporters and critics alike. He/she is of the mindset that the ultimate goal is to get the nation from point A (current state) to a more improved point B (future state). He/she has a plan, a vision for what that future state is. His/her ultimate goal is not make the opposition lose but to make a win-win situation for the entire country. Instead, what BS Aquino has been doing is to sow divisiveness among the Filipino people. He has displayed his insecurity, vindictiveness, and general incompetence for everyone to see.

Let’s stop and think about something: BS Aquino’s ultimate goal should be to improve the economy at as many levels of society as possible. And one would expect that he knows how to do it; after all, he is an Economics graduate, from the Ateneo no less, and he’s no stranger to the Senate or the House of Representatives either. Whether he accomplished anything at all is another question.

Yet here we are, with BS Aquino content to bandy around Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and credit ratings upgrades as “indicators of a healthy economy”, despite the average Filipino citizen not feeling any effects from it. What he/she can see, is that there are not enough jobs within the country. What he/she can see is that the poverty rate did not significantly move down. What he/she can see is that Filipinos are still forced to become overseas workers (OFW’s) in order to support their families because what is available back home is not enough.

So where has BS Aquino’s A-game been all this time?

How You Place the Blame IMG_4311 2

BS Aquino’s motto on the placard – “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you place the blame.”

From the start of his term, he has been given many opportunities, many clutch situations, to step up, take charge, and prove to his “bosses” that he is worthy of being called a leader and a statesman: the Mendoza hostage situation, the numerous typhoons that struck various parts of the country, the earthquake in Cebu and Bohol, the pork barrel issue, the Zamboanga stand-off, the Sabah situation, and most pointedly, typhoon Yolanda. Not surprisingly, he and his government choked in all the situations I mentioned. In fact, some of his decisions in these situations have cost lives unnecessarily.

Noynoy Aquino is no leader. What he has been is a cheerleader president, and a spin doctor. We needed a leader, a coach who will form his team members into a coherent unit with only one goal in mind: to be better than yesterday. Instead we got a buffoon who refuses to take responsibility for his bad decisions, who refuses to listen to criticism, who is utterly convinced of his own infallibility, and who is more pre-occupied with blaming everyone but himself for shortcomings that he should have had control of.

Oh, let’s not forget to mention that he trivializes the problems of this country by saying it would be boring if there weren’t any. But this statement is easily contradicted by the fact that the people don’t see effort, much less results, in the resolution of such problems.

Filipino society has been functioning like a headless chicken for quite some time now. All that hope that Filipinos pinned on BS Aquino to steer them in a direction towards change has been for naught. As it turns out, he is an advocate for the old ways because he is a part of the oligarchy who wishes to remain entrenched. So even if BS Aquino were to be benched indefinitely it wouldn’t matter; even if he is present, Filipinos still remain a wretched lot. He is better known and better off as an absentee president.

But then again, BS Aquino could just be the linchpin that does effect change in Filipino society, not because he did something good, but because the people will be utterly disgusted with him and the entrenched oligarchy that he represents.

Perhaps this is the legacy that he could think of leaving behind. A perfect example for future leaders of what not to do.

Will Filipinos however, learn from being burned once again, from picking the wrong type of government officials? That is the million-dollar question that aches for a resolution in this new year.

38 Replies to “Clutch situation! It’s time Noynoy Aquino brings his A-game”

  1. the 3 objectives listed – spot on.
    and at any cost!!
    and tgere will be a cost not just financial but to democracy itself.

    additional objectives
    – position to use PCOS and reprogramming in 2016
    – villify/attack any potential 2016 candidates through any means

  2. Must be playtime at the asylum. GRP suddenly hit with an outbreak of moronic proportions. Michael Jordan actually won games and did not depend on Mommy . “Proud Pinoy” Proud of a guy who did nothing for 50 years except use public money to hire you.

    1. Mr. Aquino is not comparable to Michael Jordan, he is instead comparable to Wile E. Coyote,
      Dick Dastardly, Elmer Fudd, Bebop and Rocksteady…in other words, he is just as competent as a inept saturday morning cartoon villain.

        1. @ Gogs, Aquino is not a dumb guy. He is doing EXACTLY what he is being told to do by the people who really run the country, which is NOTHING. Aquino is what is known as a flack catcher for the wealthy captains of corporate industry who tell him and the rest of the politicians what to do, when to do it and how to do it as well. After Aquino is done mixing Lucio Tan’s drinks for the evening he is allowed to do as he likes with the rest of his day as long as it is not to the detriment of the REAL LEADERS of the country. Aquino is but one of many ,in fact all, politicians who are on the take and making it look as if they aren’t. They do not do too good a job at hiding it either. He is far from the idiot that you guys think he is. A shrewd and cunning scumbag who would sell the gold fillings out of a dead Man’s jaw to get what he and the rest of his ilk want done.
          To put it succinctly, Aquino is the perfect corporate shill/banana republic ‘leader’.

    1. They are already losing since a lot of netizens are expressing their disgust of this administration’s incompetency.
      The malacanang trolls has already threatened us before with “re education camp” but that has only proven that this “government is a dictatorship in disguise.
      So much for democracy if the government itself is afraid of people speaking out their anger.

  3. BS Aquino had a chance to make things right a few years ago, now he’s cramming up like a college student who’s reading 10 200-page books for an exam the next day…he expects to have positive results but his performance shows that it’s highly unlikely to turn things around in his term and in the next couple of years.

    Now he reaps what he has sown. The fruits of his labor bore rotten fruit due to his incompetency and ignorance.

    1. His reliance on trolls like “proud” pinoy, pagpag and kathniel isn’t making things good for his image since they’re making it worse by spreading lies and yellow propaganda.

      1. With allies as stupid and as dumb as those those three, who needs enemies? They can’t even hire good trolls let alone run a country. What a mistake that idiot is.

        1. They don’t even realize that the moment they start trolling here, it’s already making their boss look bad because all they post are flawed, weak, incoherent and stupid “arguments”.

  4. What are the performance criteria and outcome to say that one’s administration is successful or not? analyzing what P-Noy says or is saying is not a good or valid gauge of his administration’s performance: these are all talk. We need to evaluated the result, and impact of his programs on the lives of the people.
    Of course, politics or party politics is completely different ball game because it is a matter of who runs the government. The party in power determines what will be the programs that will improve the lives of the people. The administration, whether it is P-Noy’s party or another will have to be evaluated in terms of the results and impact that their programs achieved to improve the lives of the people.

    1. We do not need to wait for another three or four years before recognising that Penoy promised beyond his means. Take the epic failure of the DOTC. The department sat on the necessary infrastructure projects — airports and expressways — during the first three years of this administration. Largely because NONE of the people Penoy and Mar Roxas installed were qualified for the positions they held. It is now physically impossible rush the completion of any project before June 2016.

    2. I don’t see or feel any positive results from PNoy’s administration at all if that’s the answer you’re looking for.

  5. Aquino is part of the problem. He does not even know what he is talking about. To accomplish a significant change for the country is not a game. It is a job.

    Aquino wants NO CHANGE in our country. He wants it, the same way or even worse as it is.
    Hacienda Luisita land reform is a thing to watch for in 2014, if he really want to leave a legacy for his people. Many of his tenants are living below poverty line. Feudalism must go. Feudal Oligarchy must go.

    If he cannot do it in the past. He will or never can do it now. His allies, the Oligarchy, in which he is part; had clutched tightly on his Balls. Unless, we the citizens, will take the matter to change our country; nothing will change. We have nothing to blame but ourselves, by relying on this Aquino Buffoon…

  6. The late Sen. Raul Manglapus was the last smart guy from Ateneo. He was the model Atenista who spoke a perfect English language. That is history. Since that period, this expensive diploma mill institution have produced nothing but morons like Gloria Arroyo and fucking BS Aquino and every body have to wonder why the Philippines is a failed state.

  7. I don’t agree with the thinker or proud pinoys views, but I agree that censorship and deleting comments reflects really badly on Get Real Philippines.

    You shouldn’t post under the rights of freedom of speech when you do not practice it and censor others… And as for profanity… GRP posters use profanity all the time, alot more than free thinker at least, or proud pinoy.

    Keep up the good work GRP, but please keep it real and face your demons, not hide and delete them!

    Happy New Year!

    1. We delete comments when we feel they do not add value to the discussion. That judgment call is entirely within the prerogative of GRP editors and admins and is non-negotiable and not open to debate. The site’s Terms of Service stipulate this and all who use this site are assumed to be aware that they are subject to those terms.

      1. I see, apologies, I had mistaken this site for a site that promoted freedom of speech against a corrupt government.

        It seems now more like a hardline anti government site that refuses to accept opposing discussion.

        Not the sort I would support, won’t trouble you further.

        Cheers

        1. I’ve read the comments that GRP deleted also, it is indeed disappointing that they have one set of rules for those who support them and another for those that do not.

          It is very hypocritical that they do not tolerate conflicting views and delete it under the guise of “not adding value”.

          The government does it, and it is called propaganda.

          But for you guys to do it, you are the same as the government trolls, except without the power.. If you guys were in government and doing the same thing, there would be another “GRP” saying you are enforcing propaganda and censoring dissent.. It is endless.

          Shame on you GRP, I really thought your site was better than that.

    2. Opposing point of view is part and parcel. What the trolls do are copy paste spiels that just amounts to vandalism. Motherhood absolute statements that they everybody should just swallow hook line and sinker. I wonder where they got that from?

      1. Yes. A counter-argument against the IDEA proposed should be presented by a dissenter. If the comment is nothing more than whining about the idea, then out the window that comment goes.

        1. It’s condescending how some people can support free speech only up until it reaches a point when they come across something that offends them, or, as is so often in the case of Malacañang propagandists, they raise their voices, launch personal attacks and spew profanity to suppress OTHER voices who don’t agree with them.

  8. Never attempt to censor??

    1) you are here on the taxpayer’s dime to steer the conversation to blindly favor that incompetent unaccomplished bozo.

    2) Noynoy signed an Act that did exactly that. Of course like anything else he does, unconstitutional since he is too ignorant to care beyond his own family.

    1. Gogs

      The comments of these trolls above have conveniently misconstrued the command in Sec. 4 of Art. III — “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech” — for this mandate is directed solely to that particular branch of government the sovereign vests to make the law, ordering it to “Make No Law” abridging the cluster of freedoms the sovereign wishes to retain.

      But GRP is not the “government,” nor is GRP even part of it.

      GRP is, of course, open to all those who wish to participate, but GRP has fashioned its own rules that apply to those who join the discussion.

      Joiners must abide by those rules.

  9. The Morons Mantra – i.e. trolls

    Messenger – attack
    Media/Monitor – disrespect
    Message – ignore
    Meaning – lack comprehension

    Motive – divert from topic
    Method- motherhood statements/slogans/one liners
    Manners – non-existent
    Merit – zero added value

    Solution – delete, delete, delete

    Move on – to a higher intellectual plane

  10. IDK, but if Aquino was soooo upset by the actions of GMA she would be in jail by now. The guy, it is obvious, just needs someone to blame.

    The RP is mired in an in-escapable paralysis that only a complete destruction of the political elitist state can overcome. Anything short of that will only see more of the same behavior by the corporate lackey who follows Aquino in the job that so many people think is the ‘highest office in the land’,LOL!! The guy doesn’t run anything but his mouth, and it is not an accident. All of the chicanery and scumbaggery is just a side-show for all to see and so think they know what is happening.
    The people who really run the RP are never even in the news! People really need to wake the fuck up.

  11. BTW, Aquino does not have an ‘A’-Game, he has a ‘LAME-GAME’. That of a dysfunctional leader who can not and will not make the necessary changes to the established order. He has to many people to answer to if he does. The guy is just a wanker. Mom’s baby boy who was lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon stuck up his ass…and that is all. The perfect do nothing loser that the people who really run the country want running the ‘show’…and that is about it. You want change? Try a change of citizenship as the RP is going no further than the sewer in terms of quality of life for the average citizen.

  12. Lol at ateneo and how often it is brought up in this blog. Maybe, it doesn’t matter what school you’re from. Maybe, it’s not what defines a person. But if one looks at the correlation between fucktards and premier schools, it seems to suggest a grim reality, no? I laff at you the most, Kate Natividad. Ateneo pride, woo!

  13. The Thinker

    You asked:

    “Rules, what rules? To kiss ass with the GRP crowd or be censored?
    “To not contradict an idea nor share your own thoughts because GRP do not condone diversity of ideas?
    “Tell us what that rules are.”
    ——————————————-
    My response:

    Well, I’ll tell you “what that rules are.”

    KINDLY READ WHAT FOLLOWS!

    Get Real Post Terms of Service
    http://getrealphilippines.com/get-real-post-terms-of-service/

    “2.0. MODERATION POLICY FOR USER-GENERATED CONTENT”

    “2.1. Rights reserved by site management. The owners, administrators, and editors of Get Real Post do not necessarily endorse messages or concepts articulated in user-generated content. The Get Real Post may monitor user-generated content randomly and reserves the right to remove any such content for whatever reason without the consent of the publisher.”

    To repeat “what that rules are”: “The Get Real Post may monitor user-generated content randomly and reserves the right to remove any such content for whatever reason without the consent of the publisher.”

    This, to me, is a classic display of willful ignorance of “what that rules are”!

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