With the concluded 2nd round of the Presidential Debate we know as PiliPinas Debates, it was very obvious who emerged as the candidate that is believable. The leads were convincingly visible, composed with style; and sensible. All had their moment to shine but all also failed to answer with enough substance about the issues. Fact checks revealed erroneous statements from the presidential candidates indicating they are not fully aware of the law and their previous acts.
Rodrigo Duterte's questioning on what Grace Poe would do when China attacks the Philippines was the only time during the debate brought attention to Grace Poe's lack of experience. If you will only consider the debates, she might be the best example of what a pretentious leader really is. Her excellence as a speaker that always came well-prepared for the debates was not enough to save her apparent ignorance of a concrete action plan.
The hour and a half long delay caused by Jejomar Binay's camp is actually something to be worried about. It should not be taken lightly as it reflects how Jejomar Binay would rule the country. He would be someone who would try to insist his own needs even when there's a law that needs to be followed. Regardless of the mistake of TV5 network's Luchi Cruz-Valdez, he should have not insisted on having his "notes," rather his documents, with him during the actual debate.
Though everyone got their fair share of accusations and name-calling as they were allowed to react to the answers of their fellow candidates, the debate felt more like a slug fest starting with Grace Poe and Jejomar Binay arguing about how Grace Poe was shameful of her citizenship while she swore to become an American citizen. Rodrigo Duterte had to literally set himself back to let the two quarrel it out between themselves. Grace Poe came back with a vengeance citing it was better to have a dual citizenship rather than becoming a corrupt politician who steals from the Filipino people. Jejomar Binay kept hiding behind the absence of a conviction by the court. The Vice President has not even faced the Senate hearings and has continued to accuse parties behind his so-called character assassination plots.
“Hindi ka tunay na Filipino! (You are not bona fide Filipino!),” Jejomar Binay told Grace Poe, more than a week after the Supreme Court sided with her on a disqualification case.
“Paano (ka naging) tunay na Filipino, sumumpa ka na ikaw ay maging Amerikano? Ikinahihiya mo ang pinanggalingan mo!” Jejomar Binay said.
(How can you be a real Filipino when you already pledged your allegiance to America? You are ashamed of your roots.)
Though everyone got their fair share of accusations and name-calling as they were allowed to react to the answers of their fellow candidates, the debate felt more like a slug fest starting with Grace Poe and Jejomar Binay arguing about how Grace Poe was shameful of her citizenship while she swore to become an American citizen. Rodrigo Duterte had to literally set himself back to let the two quarrel it out between themselves. Grace Poe came back with a vengeance citing it was better to have a dual citizenship rather than becoming a corrupt politician who steals from the Filipino people. Jejomar Binay kept hiding behind the absence of a conviction by the court. The Vice President has not even faced the Senate hearings and has continued to accuse parties behind his so-called character assassination plots.
“Paano (ka naging) tunay na Filipino, sumumpa ka na ikaw ay maging Amerikano? Ikinahihiya mo ang pinanggalingan mo!” Jejomar Binay said.
(How can you be a real Filipino when you already pledged your allegiance to America? You are ashamed of your roots.)
Grace Poe defended herself while taking a dig against Jejomar Binay.
“Nanatili ka sa bayan natin pero ikaw naman ay nangulimbat at nagnakaw. Ano ang kaibahan nun? Malaki ang kaibahan,” she told Jejomar Binay who has long been accused of corruption.
(You remained in this country but you stole money. What is the difference? That is a huge difference.)
“Madame senator, kung magbintang ka parang ako ay na-convict na,” Binay said.
(Madame senator, you accuse as if I am already convicted.)
“Ikaw ba ang sinabi kong nangulimbat?” Grace Poe retorted.
(Were you the thief I was referring to?)
Jejomar Binay and his family have been accused of getting commission from the alleged overpriced Makati car park building. Grace Poe, on the other hand, has been accused of not being fit to run for president because she was a foundling and a former American citizen. The High Court, however, ruled that Grace Poe should not be disqualified from the presidential race.
Way back 2010, when Jejomar Binay was campaigning for the Vice President position, he said that he will do what he did in Makati. Guess what? He has done nothing as our Vice President, and sadly, has been accused of so many corruption.
The biggest loser for me was Mar Roxas. He seemed to be the most hot-headed over-all. He would always want to insist finishing his time to talk, but kept on butting in during the time of others. Whose line was this during the #PresidentialDebate2016: "Excuse me, oras ko po ito," but he kept on interrupting others even if it's not his time to speak.
Jejomar Binay has called him Analysis Paralysis before. Mar was even called the Apologist of the Aquino administration for always asking for forgiveness for the the failures of the government.
Now Rodrigo Duterte calls him a Pretentious Leader.
The statement was made during when Rodrigo Duterte and Mar Roxas exchanged heated arguments over the rising criminality and illegal drugs in the country.
Rodrigo Duterte was asked how he would end criminality and illegal drugs in the country within the first six months if he would be elected president in the upcoming May elections, citing the high crime rate in Davao City in 2010.
“Hindi po ako takot mamatay. Ang akin lang wag pumatay,” Mar Roxas told the mayor who has been linked to the notorious Davao Death Squad.
(I am not afraid to die. But it’s not right to kill.)
“Alam mo wala kang ginawa. Getting credit (sa) hindi mo ginawa. You’re pretentious,” Rodrigo Duterte said.
(You didn’t do anything. You are claiming credit that is not yours. You are a pretentious leader.)
Analysis Paralysis is when you over -analyze or over-think a situation that a decision or action is never ever taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome. You are called a Pretentious leader for taking credit for accomplishments that were never yours in the first place.
Mar Roxas claimed that P7.5 billion worth of drugs were confiscated during his term as Interior and Local Government secretary. Rodrigo Duterte, however, insisted that Roxas was a "pretentious leader"
“Ikaw yung chief of police, DILG, it’s under you. Wala kang ginawa. And you are claiming credit which is not yours. Ang mahirap sayo Mar, you are a pretentious leader,” Duterte said during the first round of the debate after Mar Roxas highlighted the drug incidence in Davao.
“You are a fraud. You are pretentious. Pati yung edukasyon mo sinali mo pa yung Wharton eh hindi ka naman pala taga-Wharton eh,” added Rodrigo Duterte.
“I was there in Yolanda day two. This guy, he is a weak leader…He was like a moron there na hindi alam kung ano gawin. You were lost like a zombie,” he told Mar Roxas, who couldn’t help but shake his head.
When Mar Roxas tried to put the tough-talking Rodrigo Duterte on the spot by directly asking him which big time criminal he has killed, the LP bet got served again with the latter’s reply.
Credit-bragger and grabber, fraud, pretentious, incompetent...and now, ignorant. Rodrigo Duterte summed it up in the recent PiliPinas Debates with his in-the-face indictment of Mar Roxas: "Wala ka talagang alam!"
Kaya sya tinawag na pretentious leader and weak kasi sinabihan niya si Rodrigo Duterte na nag photo op lang siya during Yolanda (or probably I'm wrong?). Sad truth, pero before any politician went to check Yolanda-damaged Tacloban, nauna po si Digong doon at kahit isang picture wala man lang tayong nakita at nauna po ang Davao nagbigay ng tulong...yes na interview siya pero nasa Davao na siya noon.
You have to remember during that time it was never the intention of the mayor to run as president. It was all to help and to check the people of Tacloban. Meanwhile, Mar Roxas turned out on the cover of a magazine.
Masakit ang binitawang salita na pretentious and weak leader, pero mas masakit isipin at sabihin na sinabihan kang nag photo op ka lang samantalang ang intention mo ay tumulong sa taong nangangailangan.
You have to remember during that time it was never the intention of the mayor to run as president. It was all to help and to check the people of Tacloban. Meanwhile, Mar Roxas turned out on the cover of a magazine.
Masakit ang binitawang salita na pretentious and weak leader, pero mas masakit isipin at sabihin na sinabihan kang nag photo op ka lang samantalang ang intention mo ay tumulong sa taong nangangailangan.
Adding to the damage is an article mentioning how Mar Roxas and Rodrigo Duterte was perceived by a Filipina volunteer nurse by the way they acted during the Yolanda Relief Operation: “That guy should run in politics, not like that guy in blue (Mar Roxas) who stayed in his tent and just give orders. I can’t believe your President trusted him to be the Head of the Response Team. He just sat there, ate his delicious meal, go out and act helpful whenever there is media and camera. I think he's planning to run in a higher position. But I like that old guy (Rodrigo Duterte), he's really something, He’ll make a good politician.” - statement from a Canada-based nurse.
However, when Rodrigo Duterte was asked how he will eliminate drugs in 3-6 months, the mayor routinely blurts 'Tingnan niyo ang Davao' & 'Basta sinabi ko'. Well, here it is - Davao, sinabi mo eh.
Now I'm hearing back-tracking from '3 -6 months' boast. Justified as 'joke, exaggeration, target lang'. Presidency is not a joke. There are better comedians out there. Better presidents too.
Mar Roxas and Jejomar Binay also had their moments. Even before the debate started, Mar Roxas reportedly led the candidates in asserting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rule against the use of notes during the debate when Jejomar Binay arrived with folders and envelopes filled with documents and background material.
During the first half of the debate, Jejomar Binay tried to pin the blame on Mar Roxas when the latter was asked about the slow rehabilitation efforts in areas hit by super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan).
Citing a Commission on Audit report, Jejomar Binay said Mar Roxas’ former agency, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), did not liquidate P7 billion in funds.
“Tapos na po ‘yun. Ang binabasa n’yo 2014. 2016 na tayo. Ginawa lahat ito 2015,” Mar Roxas shot back.
(That’s over. You’re reading the report from 2014. It’s now 2016. All of that was finished in 2015.)
“Sabihin n’yo sa staff ninyo maging up-to-date sa pag-aaral,” Mar Roxas added.
(Tell your staff to be up-to-date in their research.)
However, when Rodrigo Duterte was asked how he will eliminate drugs in 3-6 months, the mayor routinely blurts 'Tingnan niyo ang Davao' & 'Basta sinabi ko'. Well, here it is - Davao, sinabi mo eh.
Now I'm hearing back-tracking from '3 -6 months' boast. Justified as 'joke, exaggeration, target lang'. Presidency is not a joke. There are better comedians out there. Better presidents too.
Mar Roxas and Jejomar Binay also had their moments. Even before the debate started, Mar Roxas reportedly led the candidates in asserting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rule against the use of notes during the debate when Jejomar Binay arrived with folders and envelopes filled with documents and background material.
During the first half of the debate, Jejomar Binay tried to pin the blame on Mar Roxas when the latter was asked about the slow rehabilitation efforts in areas hit by super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan).
Citing a Commission on Audit report, Jejomar Binay said Mar Roxas’ former agency, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), did not liquidate P7 billion in funds.
“Tapos na po ‘yun. Ang binabasa n’yo 2014. 2016 na tayo. Ginawa lahat ito 2015,” Mar Roxas shot back.
(That’s over. You’re reading the report from 2014. It’s now 2016. All of that was finished in 2015.)
“Sabihin n’yo sa staff ninyo maging up-to-date sa pag-aaral,” Mar Roxas added.
(Tell your staff to be up-to-date in their research.)
Mar Roxas is "a guy who did not do anything significant, if he did anything unselfishly at all, he continues to trumpet how excellent his performance was! He knows that even after 2 years no one believe him yet he continues to insist that he did his best! If that was his best ... it was not good enough! Maybe he continues to shout his achievements not to convince others but HIMSELF that he really did great and that he is relevant. What a fairy tale world he is leaving!!! Is he the protagonist of the Emperor Has No Clothes?"
"This debate showed:
1. How easily #MarRoxas gets stressed, therefore he should never be President. #pretentiousleader
2. How awkward for #Binay to talk about corruption. And how he looked like salim-pusa. #walayAngay.
3. How eloquent and well-prepared #GracePoe was. But it showed how she cared about statistics and whatnot. She's indifferent to the actuality of it all. She still shouldn't have been allowed to run. #notFilipino
4. How I wish #Miriam was there.
5. How #MayorDuterte showed that he has the grasp of whats at stake. The natural charisma and how leadership exudes in the way he talks. HE IS THE ONLY ONE WORTHY TO BE PRESIDENT." - Fauzi Lacaba Harrid
Last Words:
We still have another debate to witness, and I am sure this will be another viral event that most Filipinos, even those outside the country, will never miss. After all, it highly concerns the welfare of the country, and the future of the next generations.
However, after all this hullabaloo seemingly offering more fraudulence rather than clarity for our voters, will these perceptions of our presidential candidates carry on with the public up to the voting precinct? Or many has kept their minds closed and still sticking to their original candidate?
Our greatest fear is finding out all our efforts to find the truth about Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay, Rodrigo Duterte, Grace Poe, and Miriam Defensor-Santiago, were gone to waste because the process of voting, or counting of votes, were cunningly manipulated in favor of certain candidates.
Please do remember that there's a lot more candidates running for different positions so there are still plenty of opportunities to manipulate the results through other deceitful ways. We remind everyone to stay cautious, always observant, and forever vigilant. Evil never takes a rest, so we should never let our guard down.
There are numerous reasons why these people are after positions in the government. Of course, not all reasons will be freely divulged to everyone. Unfortunately, none of us could read minds and is not capable to accurately judge a person from the very little knowledge was have of him or her. Thus, we should all be careful in selecting our final choice. I will forever be undecided until the very last second on my way to the voting precinct. Please just wish me, and everyone else, to find the wisdom that has been very elusive to every Filipino.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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