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Philippines
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Roxas will be best for the economy

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The estimated 85 percent of voters who are said to have already made their Presidential choices have almost certainly done so on the basis of the four criteria that are decisive in the matter. The criteria are integrity, competence, achievement and character. They have arrived at their choices after tossing the criteria around in their mind and according the greatest weight to the criterion or criteria—e.g. integrity and/or competence—that they consider most important.

There is a better, less subjective way of arriving at a choice for the man or woman who will become President of the Philippines on June 30, 2016. That way is to accord a maximum number of points out of a total of 100 points to each of the above-stated criteria. Each of the five candidates—Mar Roxas, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Grace Poe, Rodrigo Duterte and Jejomar Binay—could then earn a maximum 40 points for integrity, 30 points for competence, 20 percent for achievement and 10 percent for personality.

The criterion of integrity is the easiest upon which to score the candidates. In the same manner that there is no such thing as half-pregnancy, so there is no such thing as half-integrity. The candidate either possesses integrity or doesn’t. During the entire campaign it was only Jejomar Binay to whom I gave a score of 0 on the criterion of integrity (on account of his absolute refusal to refute the abundant documented corruption allegation leveled against him in Senate hearings); with his failure to adequately address the allegations made against him by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Rodrigo Duterte joined the Vice-President in my 0-for-integrity (maximum points: 20) score sheet.

On the criterion of achievement I have awarded both Duterte and Binay 20 points; Davao Death Squad and Makati Parking Building II aside, they have done good work in Davao City and Makati City, respectively.

On the criterion of competence (maximum points: 30) I have awarded both Duterte and Binay the full 30 points. Apart from their seemingly-forever stints as mayors of their respective cities, both are well-educated and have occupied national positions. Duterte is a San Beda-trained lawyer and a former Representative, while Binay is a University of the Philippines-trained lawyer and a member of the PNoy Aquino’s Cabinet for almost five years.

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On the criterion of personality (maximum points: 10), I decided to award Duterte no point and Binay the full 10 points. The Davao City mayor has shown himself to be impulsive, impatient and boorish. For all his personal shortcomings, Makati’s former mayor is at least well-mannered and respectful.

All in all, under my grading system Duterte gets a total of 50 (30 plus 20) points and Binay garners a total of 60 (30 plus 20 plus 10) points.

Next, Grace Poe. On the criterion of integrity I have awarded Fernando Poe Jr.’s daughter the full 30 points (although I am uncomfortable with what she has said about the 2015 Iglesia ni Cristo affair about EDSA and about the coconut levy). On the criterion of competence I have given her 15 points; in my view, the nation’s most celebrated foundling is not ready to take on the heavy burden of the Presidency. On the criterion of performance I have given Amazing Grace 15 out of the possible maximum points. Whatever she has accomplished thus far in government falls short, in my view, of adequate achievement. But on the criterion of personality Grace Poe deserves the full 10 points; her parents, the actress Susan Roces and the late FPJ, did a very good job of bringing her up.

In all, Grace Poe has, in my grading system, scored a total of 90 (40 plus 15 plus 15 plus 10).

That leaves Miriam Santiago and Mar Roxas.

On the criterion of integrity I have awarded both the Senator and the former Secretary the full 40 points. On the criterion of competence, I have likewise given both candidates the full 30 points. Apart from his days as Senator, Mar Roxas has borne the responsibilities of three major Cabinet departments, and he knows his way around the world of finance and economics. Miriam Santiago, on the other hand, is the only candidate who has served in all three branches of the government.

There are many who believe that Mar Roxas was unsuccessful in the Cabinet positions that he occupied; I don’t agree. I think Roxas did his best and deserves full marks. Likewise, I do not know many people who believe that Miriam Santiago does not deserve 20 out of 20 points for her service to country and people.

On the criterion of personality Mar Roxas gets the same score (5 points) as Senator Santiago but for different reasons. The Senator is decisive and courageous, but she is also unpredictable and a tad too feisty. On the other hand, Roxas is not the most decisive person on the planet, but he is of equable temperament and can even be charming when the occasion calls for a display of charm.

Adding it all up, Sen. Miriam Santiago and Mar Roxas have earned the same number of points according to my grading formula: 95 (40 plus 30 plus 20 plus 5) points. Both Maid Miriam or Mr. Palengke will be good for this country especially the economy.

But one has to make a choice, After taking all the relevant factors,  not least the economic ones, into account, I have decided to cast my vote for Mar Roxas.

Roxas for President in  2016. Leni Robredo as Vice-President.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

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