Sublimely paralytic

Why does Mar Roxas succeeding Jesse Robredo suck? Let me count the ways.

One, Robredo was the face of local governance, Roxas is the face of ambition, and not one made of sterner stuff.

To say that Robredo made the country sit up and take notice of the possibilities of local governance is to say that Mother Teresa made the world sit up and take notice of the possibilities of compassion. It is the understatement of the year. As mayor of Naga City for life, or what seemed like it, he transformed the sluggish, underwhelming, place that it was to the bustling city it is now. He was one of the local officials of this country, like Edward Hagedorn and Rodrigo Duterte—however you differ with their politics—who had a tremendous impact on their cities. Grace Padaca and Ed Panlilio would also cause a stir later on for bucking overwhelming odds and winning against big-time trapo, but their terms would be too short to bring the potential of a new age for local politics to fruition.

But Robredo went farther than his peers, which the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation acknowledged by giving him the award for governance in 2000, making him the first local official to have won it. He was a natural fit for the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Today, no one can imagine the “Godfather” as anyone but Marlon Brando; today, no one can imagine the interior and local government secretary as anyone but Jesse Robredo.

If Roxas has transformed anything, it is only himself into a martyr. That was what he did after stepping down as Liberal Party presidential bet in 2010, and depicting it as the ultimate sacrifice for God and country. Sacrifice from what? He was languishing at the bottom rungs of the “presidentiables” and got a high-octane boost only by playing Tonto to P-Noy’s Lone Ranger. Hoping to reverse the role, or make P-Noy his  tonto, after they both got to power.

P-Noy won, he did not. Losing a won game by forgetting how he got his edge, which was by managing to bathe in the waters of Edsa with his “sacrifice.” It is that  walang  kamatayang  role as martyr he has parlayed to get what he wants in government.

Become the face of governance, local or otherwise? He can’t even govern himself, or rein in his appetites.

Two, Robredo was the politician who was least given to politics, Roxas is the technocrat who most reeks of politics.

“What is your style?” Bruce Lee was asked in “Enter the Dragon.” He answered, “You might call it the art of fighting without fighting.” “What is your style?” Robredo might have been asked as Naga mayor and DILG head. He might have answered, “You might call it the art of politics without politics.”

In death at least, if not in life, which is the curse of those who do not call attention to themselves in this country, Robredo has been recognized as the quintessential public servant. That was what he was, the  dakilang  alalay, if not  alila, though quite a willing one, of his constituents. He was accessible to the neediest Nagueño, he was helpful to the lowliest Filipino. His style would later be called “tsinelas  politics,” and in many ways it was so. Not least literally: That was how he could be seen roving the streets of Naga—in T-shirt, jeans, and  tsinelas.

Who else would be there ahead of his staff after a storm digging up mud and muck from the doorway of a church by his lonesome? Without a photographer in sight? Doing what he did simply because it seemed the right thing to do? A spirit he brought to the DILG after being mayor of Naga for like forever. Robredo was a politician who did not allow politics to get in the way of public service. Who practiced the art of fighting without fighting, of doing politics without politicking.

“What is your style?” Roxas might well be asked. And he might well answer, “It is alienating without trying.” Or, “It is trying without accomplishing.”

As the head of the Department of Transportation and Communications, he succeeded only in bringing transportation and communications to a standstill, turning erstwhile believers like Boo Chanco into detractors. Boo now wishes Roxas would run next year to spare the executive his attentions. Roxas now has the distinction of filling in the shoes of two exceptionally capable secretaries: Ping de Jesus of the DOTC and Jesse Robredo of the DILG, and finding them size 10 to his size 1.

The closest Roxas got to “tsinelas  politics” was having himself photographed beside a wet market with the caption “Mr. Palengke,” and driving a pedicab with the caption “Mr. Padyak,” without wearing  tsinelas  anyway. He can  padyak  all he wants but all the  palengke  he’ll get to is Gateway. It would have been better if he had himself photographed riding a horse, whip in hand. With him,  tsinelas  is not the first thing that comes to mind,  cacique  is.

But what takes the cake is that the DILG should now be in the hands of someone who is as resolutely  trapo  as Robredo was not. Who kept sticking to P-Noy like a leech even when he wasn’t a member of the Cabinet, passing himself off as one in Washington. Who objected violently to his rival, Jojo Binay, becoming DILG chief on the ground that he would use it for political ends, whose party now openly admits they need the DILG for next year’s elections. Who forged an alliance with the one party, the NP, whose head they claimed was the scourge of the  daang  matuwid, the better to fight fire with fire, the better to foil the enemy’s  trapo  ways by being more  trapo.

The sound you’re hearing is Robredo rolling in his grave.

Three, Robredo was humble, Roxas was humbled. In death, Robredo was exalted by his accomplishments, in life Roxas means to exalt himself by riding on them.

Four, Robredo was beloved by the people, Roxas, well, he can at least count on one.

Five, appointing Robredo to the DILG was sublime.

Appointing Roxas to the DILG is paralytic.