Uplift PH, or still mess it up

Kudos to the Inquirer for having the five presidential candidates featured with their ideas on how to address the country’s pressing issues, in a series running on the front page for days. It helps the electorate to know more about the people who can either uplift this country or mess it up even more.

I am one of those who believe Mar Roxas has the best credentials to be the next president of this country.  Grace Poe may be honest, but does not have a clue about governance.  Rodrigo Duterte is tough and seems just what the country needs in times of too much lawlessness. Jejomar Binay has too much baggage and has evaded answering charges of massive corruption and plunder against him and his family. Miriam Santiago … never mind.

But my problem with Roxas is he is only good on paper. His performance as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government was totally dismal. In the many years he was in a position of power to make a difference in law enforcement, what has he really done?  Practically nothing. Criminality has gone unabated; criminals have become bolder.

Poe is simply mouthing motherhood statements. She has no specifics to sell to the public because, totally lacking in experience, she has no idea what works or does not work in running this country.  Most likely, she will only rely on the advice of her running mate Chiz Escudero, a glib-talking political opportunist.

Binay is, to put it bluntly, scary! He has made it clear that what he did in Makati City will be replicated in the entire country. If he gets elected, let us all be prepared for more charges of corruption and plunder to swirl around Malacañang, and more immunity will shield him from being held accountable. Heaven help us!

ABB! Anybody but Binay! So, who will it be for me? Duterte! Almost everyone will agree that the strong arm used by former president Ferdinand Marcos during the first few years of martial law did the country good. He had a notorious drug lord face the firing squad to prove he meant business. While some bleeding hearts cried foul against the utter lack of “due process,” the entire nation rallied behind Marcos. Discipline was the order of the day—until former first lady Imelda Marcos started to enjoy “shopping till she dropped” around the world! Duterte cannot overstay in Malacañang as the Marcoses did—he is too old!

—NIMFA RINA RICAFORT, [email protected]