I’m wary about calls for Chief Justice Reynato Puno to run for president in 2010.
I share the suspicion of Sen. Kiko Pangilinan that “the Arroyo government is quietly encouraging the moves to draft Puno” for president.
Sen. Ping Lacson has endorsed Puno for president saying that he is willing to subordinate his own presidential ambitions to the chief justice. Nilo Tayag, student- activist-turned- religious- preacher has launched a Puno-for-president movement.
I’m heartened by Puno’s lack of interest insisting that the judiciary should not be involved in politics.Given the kind of political and electoral system that we have, Puno couldn’t win in a national, much more a presidential election.
Pangilinan worries that if Tayag succeeds in turning around the far fetched possibility for Puno to join the 2010 residential race, Arroyo gets to appoint a new chief justice should Puno step down to become a candidate. “If his victory isn’t assured then we lose an independent CJ and then open up opportunity for the Arroyo government to appoint a subservient CJ.”
Calls for Puno to run for president increased following his speech at the Anvil Club, an organization of young Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs and professionals committed to promote entrepreneurial courage, professional excellence, Confucian values and civic consciousness. It’s understandable because even if he didn’t mention Gloria Arroyo in that speech, which he liberally quoted from Chinese thinker and philosopher Confucius,it clearly took a jab at her much-vaunted economic accomplishments.
Take the part when he quoted Confucian teachings on good governance:
“When asked about good government, Confucius replied that its requisites are: it must be able to provide: (1) sufficiency of food, (2) sufficiency of military equipment, and (3) it must have the confidence of the people.
“He was then asked: ‘If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone first?’
‘The military equipment,’ said Confucius.
“The next question was more difficult: ‘If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?’
“After serious thought, Confucius answered: ‘Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state.’
“The wisdom of Confucius’ answers speak for themselves. More than economic prosperity, more than military might, government needs the trust of the people in order to govern effectively.”
What does that make of Arroyo’s claim of economic progress when she is the most distrusted president in Philippine history?
Puno is not presidential candidate material. But he can lead the nation to rediscover its moral moorings. But first, the Filipino people should muster the courage to oust Gloria Arroyo.
Wait, there’s more!: Earn money from your blog! Sell link ads and blog your way to the bank.