Aquino Wants Us To Lower Our Expectations
Whoa! What? President-Elect Benigno Aquino III is not Superman or Einstein?
Well, according to him he is not. Now I wonder why he and his mouthpieces are making a big point out of this only now.
As I recall, during the campaign period, Aquino and his Yellow horde were all promoting him as this country’s best hope. Remember his pompous slogan “”Kung Walang Corrupt Walang Mahirap”? It can’t be denied that mentally weak voters fell for it, which is exactly why the senator won the election.
Well, Mr. President-Elect you made the claim. Make sure you fulfill your promise. You wouldn’t want to disappoint those who pinned their hopes on you by becoming just another traditional politician who breaks his campaign promises.
I am very sure though you will not succeed in solving poverty and corruption. As PinoyBuzz pointed out in his newly-revived blog, these are all “biblical” problems.
Going back to his I-am-not-Superman-or-Einstein spiel, I suppose with the presidency now in the bag, the President-Elect and his advisers feel that now is the perfect time to clarify that the Yellow One is not The One. As the following report www.malaya.com shows, Aquino is now calling on the public to set reasonable expectations.
PRESIDENT-ELECT Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino hopes that the Filipino people will have “reasonable” expectations of him as the 15th President of the Republic, saying he is humble enough to admit that he does not have all the answers to the problems besetting the country.
Despite the hardships he would face, Aquino vowed to bring more food to the table and reform the “poor” educational system.
“Kung reasonable expectation di ko nakita bakit di natin magagawa,” he said.
“Mas maraming pagkain ang itatanim natin, ang kakainin, palalakihin,” he said. “Lahat ng bagay sa reporma, education system, sa dagdag na two to three years mako-complete yan.”
“Sana reasonable (ang expectations) but I’m sure there are a lot of people thinking there has to be a night and day difference,” he said in an interview at his residence on Times St., Bgy. West Triangle, in Quezon City Monday night.
Are you serious Mr. Aquino? You want us to lower our expectations? Ok, how low is low anyway? I’m sure your fans would like to know and many of them would gladly give in to your request… huwag ka lang mapahiya.
Well, just to be clear, I am not at all inclined to cut you some slack. I will keep score. I expect that will not be too difficult to do after all you never did give us much in terms of plans and platforms just that mumbo jumbo about “Kung Walang Corrupt Walang Mahirap.” I’m sure keeping track of that one thing should be easy.
By the way, I think fulfilling that one promise should also be manageable for you. But, of course, you’re just human and it is possible you’d have some episodes of self-doubt. Should that happen may I suggest that you re-visit your campaign advertisements and be reminded of the conviction you displayed there. Of course, I’m assuming that was real conviction not some showbiz posturing.
Lower our Expectations? Is that what you want Noynoy Aquino? You were over-criticizing everyone running against you and you were always, as in, in a daily basis, criticizing PGMA. Pardon my frankness Mr. Aquino but I am not really expecting anything from you. But please, do not tell us to lower our expectations because believe it or not, our expectations of you are way, way, way lower than what you think. You are so choosy, so whiny and so arrogant. Show us what you’ve got. You are lucky that the previous administration has solved many problems and issues and the only thing you have to do, if your pride allows it, is to continue all the very good projects that PGMA has started. You must take on the challenge. But sadly, and realistically, I do not believe that you can do better than PGMA. Lower your arrogance, that’s what you have to do.
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Can we just let him be president first, and reserve the criticisms for later?
Siya rin ang nagsabi to give him 2 to 3 years before the changes become visible. Let’s give this administration a chance, and let’s join the call for action, because at this point, nitpicking and mudslinging is awfully premature and it wont help anyone.
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bp Reply:
June 21st, 2010 at 10:53 am
dick,
i’m assuming you’re not the real “dick gordon.” because if you are then i’ll consider this a big honor.
anyway, i’m really trying to reserve my criticisms for later. however, it really is quite difficult to resist reacting to this “i am not superman” statement of his. it is just not acceptable considering that he got lots of people to vote for him on the strength of a nebulous, motherhood statement that i’m sure even he and his advisers know is not within the realm of reality.
in short, what i’m saying is he got elected because of a big lie, a deliberate lie at that. of course that’s water under the bridge and i am not inclined to dispute his victory in any way. i just want to remind him that now he has the presidency he shouldn’t be asking us to lower our expectations in any way.
he set himself up for this. he should man up.
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Lower our expectations? Why? Honestly, do we really have something to expect from the incoming administration? I believe there’s no need to lower our expectations because there’s NOTHING to expect in the first place.
Give him a chance? FYI, this is his THIRD chance already (the first one being a congressman and the second being a senator — what significance had he done during those times, except for being the son of Ninoy and Cory?)
And now, even not yet sitting on his throne, he has been displaying SARCASM and ARROGANCE. So, what more when he assumes power?
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Dick Gordon Reply:
June 25th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Noynoy promised big. He must deliver these promises, no question. I think the least we can do is to keep an open mind, choy. From the looks of it, nakakontra ka na agad. That’s not doing anyone any good.
Hindi naman sa tatanggalin mo ang expectations, it’s just a matter of keeping them reasonable. Example:
Mawawala ba ang corruption sa June 30, 12:01pm?
Hindi, that’s unreasonable to expect.
Mawawala ba ang corruption by 2011? Hindi pa rin siguro,
medjo deep-seated ang problema.
Lalabanan ba ni Noynoy ang corruption, to the point na mawawala ang reputation ng Pilipinas as a “corrupt nation?”
THERE! That’s a reasonable expectation. Now kung gusto natin talagang mawala totally ang corruption, then let’s get behind the president in his crackdown.
BP, magstart ka kaya ng blog na parang factcheck.org! Yung nakalista lahat ng promises ni Noynoy, tapos me checklist. That would be fantastic.
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bp Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
dick,
i’m keeping an open mind. i just don’t like the obvious back-tracking. regarding your suggestion of a noywatch, i’d love to but i blog rather erratically because of other responsibilities so i don’t think i can manage. there is however this blog that i found. i think it plans to do just that. it’s President Noynoy Aquino Watch.. And, of course there’s the Noynoy Truth-O-Meter over at Antipinoy.
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bp Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
dick,
you’re right corruption will not be eradicated by 2011. minimized? i don’t know that would really depend on what measures the president elect will initiate.
but, you know, that’s the problem. aquino made his supporters believe that corruption is the problem, that it is the cause of poverty and that he can address poverty by solving corruption.
it’s a lie.
fighting corruption is important and aquino should definitely include it in his agenda. however, this anti-corruption stance will not address poverty. that’s a totally different problem that will not be solved by simply reducing or eradicating corruption.
a friend of mine says what will address poverty is rapid and widespread economic development. this makes more sense than aquino’s motherhood statement.
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Dick Gordon Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
The campaign slogan was “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Yun ang pinakanapansin kasi yun ang pinakarelevant given the corruption under Arroyo.
That said, I think the president-elect knows that fighting corruption is not the end-all to solve poverty. Take, for instance, his stance on the RH bill. Or his pledge to increase spending in public works projects that give employment to many of the poor. Or his focus on area upgrading and in-city resettlement. Mayroon nang mga nakakasang programa to fight poverty.
(your readers can see more here: http://www.noynoy.ph/v3/covenant-urban-poor.php)
I agree na hindi matatapos sa paglaban sa corruption ang laban towards poverty alleviation, and I think the president-elect knows this too. How about reading his slogan from a different angle? Instead of interpreting mahirap as “poor,” interpret natin siya as “hard (to do).”
Without corruption, anything is possible.
bp Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
dick,
but if we look at it from a different angle and adjust our expectations to that then that won’t be right. it’s like changing the rules in the middle of the game.
aquino was quite clear on what he wanted voters to believe — “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” add to this his never-ending tirades against pgma, whose administration as we all know has been tagged as corrupt. it was very clear that he made use of this anti-corruption stance for his marketing and it worked. don’t you think it would be cheating if he suddenly backtracks on that?
i totally understand what you’re saying but it doesn’t change the fact that aquino is now trying to weasel his way out of the trap he set up for himself. and that is the point of my blogpost — to expose this sly change of tactic of the president elect and his camp.
so going back to your suggestion of changing how we interpret what he said, i think that is rather too late. that “revised” message should have been made during the campaign period and by aquino himself. since he didn’t it’s safe too assume the popular interpretation of his nebulous campaign slogan was what he really meant to convey.
i think it’s only proper that we not forget what he (sort of) promised and hold him accountable to it.
choy Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Excuse me, hindi ako nakakontra agad. Just like BP, I have an open mind, too. It’s just that I don’t need to give myself a headache on bactracking NA’s promises and compare them to his actual performance. After all, the promises that he gave during the campaign/debates/inteviews were mostly unrealistic. So, objectively speaking, there’s nothing much to hope for. Also, it doesn’t help that at this early, he is already showing sarcasm and arrogance. A “Diva” president in the making. What more should I expect from him, anyway?
Respect is earned. Unfortunately, I still don’t see any reason for respecting him given the kind of attitude that he is displaying, then and now. Hindi ko na nga s’ya gusto noon, mas lalo pa ngayon. Sadly, my loyalty and admiration to his father, Ninoy Aquino, do not extend to him.
Yes, he is our incoming president. I cannot do anything about that anymore. I have accepted that already. But I cannot honestly say that I respect him. Acceptance is different from respect.
If in the future he’ll do well, then good for us. We can celebrate then. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate for the right reason? I’m sure when that time comes, I’ll be one of the first bloggers to post a congratulatory remark for him. But if not, I’ll just have to go on with my life and patiently dream again of the next elections in 2016.
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Dick Gordon Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Sa iba “diva,” sa iba “arrogance,” sa iba “single-mindedness,” sa iba “principle and conviction.” Tomato, kamatis. Saang issue siya naging diva? Sa Corona appointment issue? Sa rejection niya kay Bangit?
I really hope he does well. Pero he can only do well if we let him do well, or accept the possibility of him doing well, or take off the blinders that have tightened shut around our eyes during the last elections.
The promise of a poverty-free Philippines, without corruption, within the next six years? Instead of dreaming til 2016, here’s a JFK quote for you (hindi ito ask not what your country, pero pwede rin yun):
“All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.”
Sent chills down my spine.
bp Reply:
June 27th, 2010 at 12:08 am
dick,
yes we all have to do our part. hopefully aquino will do his in accordance with what he led millions of people to believe.
Noynoyistas.
Deliver the goods and shut the f**k up.
you asked for the job you got it.
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Hmbasa Reply:
June 27th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Bong V.
Wala pang june 30. We will deliver the goods.
The job is ours, Noynoy’s, and yours. Do your part, or go f**k yourself.
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BongV Reply:
June 27th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Hmbasa:
Deliver the goods? Like Boy Abunda? Yeah right
You mean you start working on June 30 and you haven’t done preparations? And you call that delivering the goods?
You have no idea what you are talking about..
Hell’s no – you voted for Noynoy, you do your part – and f*ck yourself some more
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BongV Reply:
June 27th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Hmbasa:
You start working on June 30?
You haven’t made preparations? That’s not really working dumb*ass. Go f*ck yourself some more.
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Hmbasa Reply:
June 29th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
No reasoning to an idiot who thinks that saying f**k is better than saying f**k.
Yes, the job starts on June 30. The incoming administration is prepared.
Idiot.
bongv Reply:
June 29th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
the incoming administration is prepared to bumble .. idiot .. nyahahahaha
choy Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Just keep your cool. Let them celebrate first. After that, “ABANGAN ANG SUSUNOD NA KABANATA”.
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hey everyone try to play nice.
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hmbasa,
it was me who edited the profanity to f**k. just so you know.
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@Dick
If until now you are clueless on the sarcasm and arrogance of our incoming president (aside from the Corona’s and Bangit’s issues), then we’ll never be on the same page.
FYI, just because I have no expectations from Noynoy’s presidency doesn’t mean I don’t care about our country. I know my RESPONSIBILITIES as a Filipino and you don’t need to give me a JFK quotation. Wala lang akong expectations, may JFK quotation ka pa. Sinabi ko bang magiging rebelde ako at hindi susunod sa mga ligal na ipapatupad ng pamahalaang Aquino? You have the right to believe him and I have the right also to be indifferent to him at this point in time. Just because you have faith in our new president doesn’t follow that you’re a more concerned Filipino citizen than I am.
Pasalamat ka nga at hindi ako gullible sa mga promises n’ya kaya wala akong inaasahan. Instead, you should worry about the people who are really expecting him to perform miracles. Noynoy made a lot of promises during the campaign but now he is starting to flip-flop.
As I’ve said, my life will go on despite the possibility of him not fulfilling his promises in the future. Tutal, wala naman napapatalsik sa hindi pagtupad nang ipinangako sa kampanya. So, why bother?
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Let’s just all work.
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bp Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
dick,
agreed.
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he promised us the impossible. Now after we voted him as President. He tells us, he cannot fulfill these promises?
Is this some sor of scam?
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bp Reply:
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:00 am
it probably is.
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Amanda Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Kaw kasi Hyden binoto mo, kaya nanalo. Obvious naman na hindi niya kaya baguhin ang Pilipinas. It’s time na magtipon tipon tayong lahat sa reclamation area sa CCP, magdala ng lagare, tapos tapyasin natin ang lupang kinatitirikan ng star city at magpafloat out tayo to sea, tapos magdeclare tayo ng sovereignty! Para makatira tayo sa bansang walang poverty!
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Maxetlog Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
********** Noynoy na yan! Hindi nagwawang-wang! Sayang ang gasolina na binabayaran ng taongbayan tuwing naka-idle ang convoy niya sa EDSA! Sayang ang wear-and-tear depreciation costs sa mga makina ng mga kotse sa stop-and-go traffic!
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bp Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
maxetlog,
maybe he wants to savor every minute he spends on EDSA. he’ a big fan, isn’t he?
btw, let’s keep our comments free of profanity.
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just want everyone to know i can see your ip addresses. there are at least 5 different names in my dashboard showing the same ip address. just so everyone knows.
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I did not vote for Noynoy Aquino. I did not vote for anybody.
However, I am disturbed by his plans:
(1) He does not go agressively for the New People’s Army.
(2) His handlers do not know anything about the AL QUEDA, which is supporting the Muslim insurgency in Mindanao.
(3) He has no plans to remove the Squatters; blocking the canals, esteros and polluting the river banks. Until he can build good housings for them This is his position. If the housing project will take six (6) years. He will order them removed at the end of his term.
(4) No comprehensive self sufficiency food program. He knows we are importing rice and sugar.
(5) No immediate plans to implement the Land Reform Program to all areas in the Philippines. Starting with his Hacienda Luisita. Then, moving to the Haciendas of his political cronies.
This President is all talk. You cannot solve problems by just talking. You must do actively to solve problems.
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