'Bayan Muna'

BARELY three years since the Filipino people got rid of the international embarrassment and the national disaster that was the Joseph Estrada administration, some unrepentant backers of the former actor and sorry supporters of the 2001 People Power II uprising are pushing another action star to the presidency. Senator Edgardo Angara and former senator Ponce Enrile together with business magnate Eduardo Cojuangco -- all key players in Estrada's election campaign and later his administration -- are urging movie king Fernando Poe Jr. to throw his hat into the presidential ring. And the Left, which supported the ouster of the grossly inefficient and highly corrupt Estrada, seems inclined to back Poe's candidacy.

Poe himself, to all indications and to his credit, appears reluctant to take on the rigors of the campaign and loath to take up the burdens of the presidency. His wife, actress Susan Roces, shrinks at the thought of wading into politics, which she has called "dirty." Other members of his family are also said to frown on the idea.

A sane and sensible attitude to take, all things considered. If Poe were to enter the race, he would be the least prepared and the least worthy among all the serious contenders for the presidency in our history. So bereft is Poe of any real credentials for high office that one lawmaker who is inclined to endorse his candidacy, Bayan Muna Party-List Representative Crispin Beltran, had to look back to his movies to find something positive to say about him. Beltran said he appreciated the "nationalistic themes" of Poe's movies. He cited in particular the movie "Asedillo," in which Poe played the role of a schoolteacher who rebelled against American colonial rule.

But if that is all it takes to make Poe fit to be president, what position will Beltran give to actor Cesar Montano, who played the role of the national hero in the movie "Jose Rizal"? Does Beltran propose to elevate him to a god? Some officials who claim to serve the people are not above taking the people for fools.

At least Estrada, before seeking the presidency, had logged many years of public service, even if they were marked by mediocrity. But look what a mess he made when he assumed the highest office. Poe has never held public office all his life -- not even that of village watchman. If elected, he would bring absolutely nothing to Malacañang by way of knowledge, experience or expertise in governance. And his sponsors would make the Filipino people believe he can do a better job than Estrada? To paraphrase comedian Dolphy, Poe's problem may not be winning, it's what to do when the office is won.

To Poe's sponsors, governing well is the least of their worries. Which is hardly surprising, knowing how hard they campaigned for Estrada and how fiercely they defended him despite all the evidence of corruption and misrule when he was in power. To them, now as then, winning is not everything, it is the only thing.

If all he has going for him is his celebrity and popularity, this doesn't matter at all to opposition politicians. Senate Majority Floor Leader Loren Legarda, who says she hasn't made up her mind as to what position she will seek but is obviously tickled pink by the possibility of running with Poe, describes such a pairing as a "box-office hit."

Right now, Poe looks like the best bet for the opposition to wrest control of Malacañang. Senator Noli de Castro, who has been leading the surveys on presidential preferences, seems secure in the administration camp and is being talked about as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's running mate. Former senator Raul Roco, another strong performer in the presidential surveys, appears to be unacceptable to many opposition leaders. So Poe has to be persuaded to be the opposition standard-bearer.

But Poe had better be wary of his sponsors. If they are rooting for him, it's not because they like him or they believe he can do a good job of leading the nation. Each of them probably thinks he can do a better job, but then he can't win. They want to wield power, and given Poe's inadequacies they probably aim to serve as his puppet masters.

Senator Vicente Sotto, whose self-appointed mission is to talk Poe into running, has said the actor needs a few more days to make his decision. He wants first to hold consultations with the groups that are urging him to run.

But Poe ought to spend more of that time on serious reflection. And the one basic consideration that should guide him in making his final decision is what Beltran and those other calculating politicians seem to have forgotten: "Bayan muna." The nation first.

~ Inquirer Editorial, 24 October 2003