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Nobody wants to be a lame duck. This is especially
true for politicians and in particular, for the President of the
Republic of the Philippines whose term ends in 2010 without
reelection. But who exactly is the lame duck? Or rather, what is a
lame duck?
We usually understand the term to
mean government officials who no longer yield effective power. They
are waiting to finish their term with the least controversies or to
warm the seat until the new guys comes in. The consequence is that
the official will not be listened to or obeyed. Worse, the transient
and opportunistic allies are easily sifted from the loyal and
well-intentioned friends who are behind the official because they
believe in him, his ideas, and his integrity.
An outgoing official then is akin
to the lame duck in the animal world which is a duck in a flock
unable to keep up and serves as easy prey for predators. Pundits and
brokers, now in the rational animal sphere, look to possible
successors and realignment of interests.
In another sense and in a worse
way, lame-duck politicians no longer respond to their constituents
and turn their back on their mandate. They might do midnight deals
to ensure lifetime retirement or favor entities as vehicles for
golden parachutes. They fear leaving government service and its
perks and anticipate the freedom from accountability.
Laden with these constraints and
conflicts, the lame-duck official becomes the target of attack. The
official becomes a blame duck. While in a democracy, discourse is
essential to promote the public welfare and to point out mistakes,
criticisms cannot be made irresponsibly and with ulterior motives.
To target the blame duck to further personal political agenda is
below the belt and is most vicious not to mention that it is too
popular and too easy to do. When will we ever learn to see the
difference between personality and policy? To separate programs of
progressive action from power-play politics?
I refuse to believe that our
President is not made of sterner stuff and of a better quality
worthy for national inspiration. For so long we have searched and
waited in vain for the best president who never was and the most
competent president who never became. A president is not in any
measure an ordinary duck. She is not primus inter pares for she is
not even one of the flock. The president is our one chief executive
who possesses the vast powers of the executive branch who implements
the law without fear or favor. The president is our leader who
stands four squares for the people to embody our unfinished
aspirations and see them through. She can be no less.
And it is in this light that the
President singularly stands out. She can, at any point in time, be
it the first day or the last day of her term, make the tough
decisions based only on the criterion that is the long term welfare
of the country. It is now more than ever in the homestretch of her
nine years to choose to build and leave a legacy. The President is
at the height of her powers when she takes a stand in the name of
the people versus the parochial interests of politicians. We will
respond her because she no longer cares about reelection. She is in
maximum control to make governance the platform when she clearly
sees who is friend and foe. We citizens will take sides, her side,
when the line is drawn between those who work for the common man and
those who work for themselves. Finally, a President whose only task
is to do right and to do good is truly our leader and on whom we the
vital public should bestow unconditional support and on whom we
shall confer a national legacy.
All this talk about a lame duck
president and those in media who foment discord is therefore lame.
Let us stop the blaming the duck and get on with our urgent tasks.
Let us close ranks behind the President and forge ahead.
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