Is the President turning a deaf ear to his bosses?

After President Aquino hinted that he was open to Charter change and to a second term, his insensitivity to the realities around him became more obvious. In effect, he affirmed criticism that he was not listening to his bosses. In this connection, it may be noted that a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that his administration’s satisfaction rating has fallen to its all-time low.

But neither is he paying attention to his sisters’ voices of support for Vice President Jejomar Binay as his successor, which shows that on this issue there is no meeting of the minds among the siblings—another reflection of the meeting of minds pathetically missing between him and the Filipino people.

So, whose voices is P-Noy listening to?  To be sure, not the bewitching songs of the sea nymphs luring mariners to destruction that Ulysses in the Odyssey was able to resist. But note that P-Noy contemplated exposing himself to a similar risk: an equally perilous voyage to which he is being lured by “strange” voices.

P-Noy must wake up and listen to the voice of his real bosses, the people.  Listed below are some of the demands we are clamoring for:

1. Ensure a fair and unbiased Senate probe on corruption scandals and go after those found probably accountable, be they political foes or allies. This is what the majority of our people say, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

1. Rationalize the income tax rate (up to 32 percent) imposed on government employees’ allowances. These benefits are meant to augment their meager salaries, in lieu of the wage increases they have been long deprived of.

1. Stop bullying the Supreme Court, considering it is the last bastion to which the people, especially the lowly, could turn for redress.

4. Cause to hasten the approval of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill by Congress so that you can sign it into law pronto, after which the people can use it as a sword to slay the dragon of corruption, among other evils, that has for so long been going on a rampage, preying on government offices at all levels.

Again we ask: Who really are P-Noy’s bosses?  Is he turning a deaf ear to his bosses’ voices of dissent because he prefers to sing solo an utterly different refrain?

Humility is a noble virtue a great leader must possess, his decisions not influenced by whim or caprice but by honest reason, and guided by wisdom.

—ARMANDO LIBRANDO ALPAY,

c/o judithalpay@yahoo.com