Posted on February 1, 2006 - Filed Under Punch Forum |

Eduardo Pontaoe
Chicago, IL
datdosapang@yahoo.com
1 Feb 2006

 


This in reply to Mr. Rafael Oriel:

You misread fatally what you perceived as extreme cynicism but on the contrary is just a constructive and responsible criticism. Your shortcomings are understandable. Why? Because you’re turning a blind eye on what transpired on Ramos is in complete disregard of the truth.

I don't question his profession as an accomplished military man and as a professional and to tell you the truth I admired him for that.

Walking thru the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in the lobby you can see pictures of leaders who walked the portals of that great institution, framed above the hallway you can see Ramos' picture, a Filipino who did his studies in Civil Engrng. and became a
president of his country. I was touched emotionally when my kids, who went to that school, asked me to see who was that Filipino so honored. It made me proud that my kids were also walking the same path that Ramos walked on.

Now, Mr. Oriel, we go to the main menu of the argument. In the annals of any presidency or leadership, there are only two criterias where a person is defined of what he is.
1- Is Ramos a leader who leads?
2- Is he a leader who governs?

Ramos was a president who leads on what he did on the diplomatic side of his office. But, on the side of governance he failed miserably. He did not have any idea on the unrestricted corruption that was swirling about him, the starving populace that he did not see and the mismanagement of an economy that spinned out of control. Everything was in disarray that created an atmosphere of the law of the jungle where the likes of Estrada, his protégée, went on the rampage of unfathomable malfeasance and so as Arroyo, an astute student of dishonesty.

Well, you knew I gave up on anything political on that country, but just for the heck of it, you cannot find anybody besides Ramos to lead the Philippines? You seemed hell-bent to prove your patriotism on what kind of a leader you want.

Patriotism, Mr. Oriel, is a refuge of scoundrels. And to this end, I am positively convinced that you cannot handle the truth. 

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