A Stand

At the height of the NBN-ZTE deal controversy, that has become the latest “teleserye” of the Philippines, FEU has not released an official stand. From my knowledge, FEU is not a political school that meddles with national issues unless affecting tertiary education. This is why FEU has not been visited by star witness Lozada.

   

University hopping has been Lozada’s activity triggering a more forceful and empowered youth. Student involvement in rallies wasn’t as evident and common since the Marcos regime. What has gripped me into blogging now is the recent involvement of few FEU students in a pro-PGMA rally.

   

This IABF (Institute of Accounts, Business, and Finance) student appeared right in front of a photo published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) in a pro-PGMA rally. Since FEU students have no clear stand of the issue, this was somehow viewed or rather inferred as the stand of the rest of the students.

  

This is not so. FEU students are also present in anti-PGMA rallies but they do not carry flags of the University or wear their school uniforms during the rally. Instead, they are in civilian and walking behind the flags of LFS (League of Filipino Students) and CEGP (College Editors Guild of the Philippines) which is probably why they remain unidentified. And appropriate too, since FEU really has no stand.

  

Despite the declaration of a stand by students of a particular university, it doesn’t mean that the rest of them acquiesce with that opinion. A student may be pro-PGMA because of economic developments or he or she just wants to be pro-PGMA. A student may believe that Lozada is telling the truth but wouldn’t want PGMA ousted. A student may not believe in Lozada but would want PGMA to step down. A student can also be apathetic. One's schoolmates may be out in Liwasang Bonifacio but thinks Welcome Rotonda is the place to be. A political organization can make an official statement but a community as diverse as a university cannot shout in unison.

  

One can say that I am anti-PGMA and yes I am, and yes I want her to step down but no I won’t take it to the streets and no I don't want her ousted. Mob rule is not exactly what I consider appropriate democratic practice.

  

Originally, I didn’t care. I didn’t have an opinion of her taking the position of president from Joseph Estrada. I actually wanted her seated as president when she ran for president. I believed PGMA ‘had’ more qualities as president than other presidential candidates. But I started to regret that after electoral anomalies arise.

    

Moreover, I became anti-PGMA when the “Hello Garci” controversy exploded. I was nauseous when she expressed her apology on national TV. It was nothing short of grim and plainly horrendous. I was more disgusted when she managed to stay in position without a satisfying resolution of the issue.

  

I believe in Lozada. He is not your typical pinoy “bida” who is perfect and ultimately good. He admits taking a bite of the corrupted apple which makes him more real and even more credible. But this is not the reason why I want her to step down.

   

Whatever the truth is, she should resign. Simply because of the doubt and the distrust that has clouded her term. Why rule a country who doesn’t believe in your capabilities anymore? Yes she was able to do things for the economy and she may still have concrete and beneficial plans but why bother? Why bother trying so hard when the people are rallying against you?

   

What the country needs is a person that they trust. One cannot govern a country well when the people do not give support. It's not their sin to see that the president's integrity has been compromised or rather severed. Just step down, let someone else take over because however good and significant her plans are, it won’t matter because the doubt is there. And yeah, it's there to stay even after her term as president.

  

Surely, PGMA may not be remembered as one of the “loved” presidents of the country but she is surely one of the most controversial.