BY BENJAMIN DIOKNO: HOW DOES PRESIDENT AQUINO'S MIND WORK?
MANILA, MARCH 29, 2011 (MALAYA) BENJAMIN DIOKNO - 'To date, Mr. Aquino has no substantive things to say about what he has done during the past eight months.'
AS the world spins out or control – earthquakes, tsunamis, volcano eruptions, nuclear meltdowns, economic crises, wars and revolutions -- leaders of governments are put under enormous stress. How do they confront these problems? Who do they consult?
Right now, President Aquino is confronted with the same set of problems plus more -- returning overseas workers owing to the revolutions in the MENA areas and increasing uncertainty of nuclear radiation in Japan, the approaching execution of three Filipinos in China, rising joblessness, deepening poverty, slowing economy, rising criminality, growing unrest in Mindanao partly due to the postponement of the ARMM elections, among others.
In a recent encounter, Mr. Aquino was frank enough to admit to reporters that: "my breakfast fare has been the nuclear problem in Japan, Libya's problems and the rest of the Middle East." But how does he confront these problems?
These problems are emerging at a time when cracks are showing in his previously-high performance ratings.
The most recent Pulse Asia survey shows that the respondents have become less approving and more disapproving of President Aquino's handling of the following national issues: creation of more jobs, controlling fast population growth, enforcing the law to all, whether influential or ordinary people, fighting criminality, reducing the poverty of many Filipinos, controlling inflation and improving the pay of workers.
On the creation of more jobs, the approval rating fell by 11 percentage points (from 56% in October 2010 to 48% in March 2011) while the disapproval rating rose by 8 percentage points (from 11% to 19%).
On controlling fast population growth, the approval rating dropped by 11 percentage points (from 53 to 42) while the disapproval rating rose by 7 percentage points (from 13 to 20). These results become more relevant as the debate on the RH bill comes to its final conclusion.
On equal enforcement of the law, the approval rating declined by 9 percentage points (from 58 to 49) while the disapproval rating increased by 6 percentage points (from 9 to 15).
On fighting criminality, the respondents have become more disapproving and less approving. Approval rating went down by 8 percentage points (from 62 to 54) while disapproval rating went up by 7 percentage points ( from 10 to 17).
On reducing the poverty of many Filipinos, the approval rating dropped by 6 percentage points (from 45 to 37) while the disapproval rating jumped by 11 percentage points (from 21 to 32). Some one-third of respondents disapproved of, while another one-third were undecided on, the Aquino administration's poverty reduction programs.
On controlling inflation, the approval rating of the Aquino administration suffered 8 percentage points decline (from 45 to 37). The disapproval rating rose by 11 percentage points (from 21 to 32).
On improving the pay of workers, the approval rating dropped by 8 percentage points (from 56 to 48) while the disapproval rating rose by 8 equal percentage points (from 14 to 22).
Confronted with these serious and increasingly worsening problems, one wonders where President Aquino looks for guidance in finding solutions. It is of public knowledge that he needs a lot of help in managing the ship of state. He was swept into the presidency on the back of voters' sympathy for his iconic mother, former President Corazon Aquino, rather than on a strong record of competence and experience in public management.
Where does he turn to for policy guidance? Clearly, not to his immediate policy group -- the Cabinet -- for he has not convened it regularly. Not to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) for he has assembled it only once -- this month -- since he assumed the presidency eight months ago. Not to the National Security Council. a top policy group which includes all former living presidents, since he has not convened it ever.
I doubt whether Mr. Aquino has sought the advice of former Presidents (Ramos, Estrada and Macapagal-Arroyo) on the most serious problems facing his presidency. For sure, he has not consulted his past immediate predecessor whom he dislikes a lot.
Another related issue is what Mr. Aquino is going to report to the general public on his forthcoming State-of-the-Nation address (SONA).
At about this time of the year, the President's men are expected to put together a draft of what he has to say on the occasion of his next SONA. To date, Mr. Aquino has no substantive things to say about what he has done during the past eight months. True, he has about four months to cram some results to report to the public before his second SONA.
At about this time of the year, the President should also be finalizing the national budget for 2012. Better yet, he should have something concrete to say about how the President's budgets for the next five years would like relative to what he wants accomplished in his medium-term development plan.
The next few weeks promise to be a hectic, nerve-wracking, helter-skelter experience for Mr. Aquino. Would the next Pulse Asia survey results show improvement or continuing slide in Mr. Aquino's performance rating?
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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