Perfect president impractical dream

WALANG PAGBABAGO sa ilalim ni Aquino. (Nothing has changed under Aquino.) This is the protest that I hear often from my fellow Iskolars ng Bayan. It has been a year since President Aquino took over the presidency and now the people have started evaluating what he has done well and where he hasn’t done anything about at all.

Studying in a university where most students are involved in political issues, I am exposed to protests as if they are part of a daily routine. Our objection is that government provides insufficient budget for the University of the Philippines. (We are not assuming that it’s because P-Noy comes from an “elite” university). There will even be walkouts and rallies by different student organizations in the upcoming days to express their dismay with the ongoing educational crisis. I am reminded of how the Filipino people rallied against President Joseph Estrada before and how they wanted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo impeached. I heard people mutter: “Kung alam ko lang…”

My realization is this: It doesn’t matter who the president is. We are never going to be satisfied with how presidents run the country.  There will always be a flaw or a complaint that will make us wish for some other person to lead our nation better.

Just like how overweight people want to lose weight and how anorexic people want to shed more pounds off their already malnourished bodies, it’s human nature to always crave for something “better” than what they already have. Whether you call it selfishness or discontent, it’s the same thing in politics. We are never happy with a president’s performance because what we think about is how his policies and projects relate to or affect our business, our lifestyle, our own standards.

I have lived through the terms of four Philippine presidents and never have I heard any of them being praised for being a leader who has responded well to the people’s expectations. Again and again, protest rallies are held on the streets of Manila because people are not content with a president’s performance.

As someone who will be eligible to vote in the next election, I am curious to know if an ideal leader will ever exist. I too, do not want to regret casting my vote for someone who doesn’t deserve it.  Surely, no one can please everyone. I’m not asking for a perfect person.  I’m just wondering, will there be anyone ever good enough to rule our nation?

—ENDEE KRISTEL LIM,

BA Political Science

University of the Philippines-Diliman