The ‘borrowed strength’ of PNoy and Mar

In his speech at the CEO Summit of the recent Apec meeting, President Aquino reverted to his trademark blame-game strategy, hitting at former President Gloria Arroyo as he trumpeted what he alleged to be the country’s significant “inclusive growth.” 

According to Aquino, he could not “help but think what the Philippines could have become if Arroyo did what my administration is doing now.”

That remark elicited a lot of snickers and guffaws. It also generated reactions of dismay, and relief — or what can be summed up as, “Thank God, the previous administration did not do what he is doing now.”

Many wonder why Aquino cannot tout his “achievements” without denigrating the Arroyo administration. His critics ask: Can’t his accomplishments stand on their own?

We say, no, they cannot. Aquino’s penchant for comparing his administration to the previous one is the only way he can make his gains stand out.

After all, he was voted into office on the basis of “borrowed strength” – that of his mother and father, the much-revered Cory and Ninoy.

We maintain our view that Filipinos could not have voted him into office if he did not have Cory and Ninoy as his parents. Minus his lineage, Aquino would have paled in comparison to the likes of Gibo Teodoro, Erap Estrada and perhaps, even Manny Villar.

This is why Aquino has to make constant reference to Cory and Ninoy in his major speeches. He has to remind the people -and himself – that he is in office on borrowed strength and that the only way to keep public affection is for us to remember what a fantastic pair of parents he has.

Aquino also borrows strength from the weakness of his predecessor. Arroyo’s administration was beset with a terrible lack of credibility. Allegations of corruption easily stuck to her. The resentment against her has provided a convenient cover for Aquino. To his credit, the latter has brilliantly tapped this borrowed strength, reminding us all that we are better off today than yesterday.

His allegation, however, that Arroyo’s term was a lost decade is not entirely true.

Arroyo exercised political will we doubt Aquino would be able to match. For example, it was Arroyo who removed the subsidy of the National Power Corp. The move removed of billions of pesos of annual burden on the national budget.

This vastly improved the overall financial picture of the country even if it caused spikes in consumers’ electricity bills.

The only significant revenue-related legislation under Aquino’s term was the sin-tax law. This was not as difficult to sell as the value-added tax or VAT since only those addicted to certain vices are affected.

It was also Arroyo who implemented the controversial expanded VAT, which plowed much cash into the national coffers, never mind that the public resented the move. In many ways, Aquino’s administration is still benefitting from this politically decisive move by Arroyo.

And, to Arroyo’s credit, her administration gave us LRT Line 2. She built it fast sans controversies. That line gave workers and students from the eastern side of Metro Manila easy and convenient access to schools and offices in other parts of the metropolis.

Aquino’s transportation people could not procure brand-new trains for existing lines. They cannot even keep the present trains running, much less provide suffering commuters relief or hope.

Aquino now wants to pass on the power of his “borrowed strength” to his anointed successor, Mar Roxas, his former local government and transportation secretary.

The anointing of Roxas by Aquino will put to test the theory that “borrowed strength can be lent.”

Can Roxas win by borrowing Aquino’s previously “borrowed strength?”

The indication is that such would be difficult. Despite the anointing of Roxas by Aquino, he continues to lag in the surveys. The latest Pulse Asia survey says he is in third place, trailing Sen. Grace Poe, in first, and Vice President Jojo Binay, in second.

Unfortunately, Roxas, unlike Aquino, cannot borrow strength from his famous predecessors. He attempted to do that in his Club Filipino acceptance speech. But his references to his grandfather, father and brother failed to trigger the same outpouring of affection that Cory did for Aquino.

If the “borrowed strength” strategy won’t work, does Roxas have any other option? Can he run and win on the basis of his own strength?

That is for his Edwin Lacierda-led team to answer. And solve.