POLITICS | End of the road for Mar?

Photo from UNTV

Mar Roxas may have to kiss his presidential ambitions goodbye.

While the national government's assets were at Mar's disposal in Tacloban after typhoon Yolanda devastated the city, Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez was left groping in the dark for help and so were his thousands of constituents.

Mar talked of clearing the airport, opening roads after the disaster but requests by the mayor on first and second day after the typhoon for military presence to quell lawlessness, relief goods for the survivors, body bags for cadavers, tents for the homeless, heavy equipment for the debris fell on deaf ears.

Why was the mayor without the means to address the problem? And why did Mar have them? Weren't LGUs the first responders? Why was there no national support for the local top executive?

Why did Pnoy have to mediate a meeting between Mar and Romualdez? Why was that necessary? Did Mar withhold vital resources needed to help Tacloban residents? If he did, it is downright wrong. And it is damning. It is also bringing the President down to the pits.

INSIGHT | Learning from Cory

J.D.VELEZ | Blogger

Pnoy would never have  been president had Cory not died catapulting him to the highest office of the land. Owing his triumph to the Filipinos' gratefulness for everything Cory had done for the country (restoring democracy, leading the opposition against Marcos, and relinquishing power peacefully), Pnoy can very well learn from his mother whom Filipinos loved dearly, next to her husband Ninoy Aquino.

Pnoy's parents were heroes, gigantic in their sacrifice and love for country. Their legacy is a tall order for their children who have to live under constant comparison with their parents.

Ninoy and Cory were transformed by their love for each other and their countrymen. They were ordinary people who did extra-ordinary things. They have become world symbols for non-violent protest and struggle for the restoration of democracy.

The greater challenge however, came after democracy was reestablished. The war against poverty and want has yet to be won and this is where Pnoy wants to leave his mark. Much progress has been made in restoring investor confidence in the Philippines propelling the country's economy to unprecedented growth. But a series of disasters cast a pall of gloom for the county's 4th quarter economic reports.

The country has been thrown into a crisis of unparalleled proportions. War, floods, earthquakes and a super-typhoon threaten to break the flagging Filipino spirit. Just like during the time of Cory when constant coups erased economic gains during her administration, Pnoy faces the probability all his efforts will be flushed down the drain.

In the end, Cory left office with the economy pretty much the same way when she first assumed office. Yet, she also left behind a much unified nation, hopeful and optimistic of the future. Pnoy faces the same difficulties towards the end of his term in office. But unlike Cory, he may leave office vilified, blamed if he is not careful and resolute.

ANALYSIS | Beyond suffering and anger

Photo from Inquirer. net

As of this writing, Filipinos rage over government's slow response to the disaster brought about by typhoon Yolanda.

Grief turned into anger for many as the President and his men failed to act within the crucial 24 hours after disaster struck especially in Tacloban City where Yolanda made one of its many landfalls in the Visayas.

Five days after the typhoon, many remain hungry, desperate,and without roofs on their heads. Government was simply absent in many towns and villages with people resorting to lawlessness and looting. Foreign press was expectedly critical of the situation in Tacloban and for the first time, revealed to the world the true state of affairs in the city.

Anderson Cooper of CNN revealed the dead are lying along the street for days with stench from decomposing bodies affecting relief operations, and posing health hazard to the public.

The Aquino administration  responded defensibly, exonerating itself of any blame for the slow reaction to the disaster, heaping blame on the LGUs concerned. In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Aquino repeatedly blamed the LGU for the many casualties and slow response to the disaster.

The interview was a PR disaster for the President and may have sealed his fate and his supposed successor, Mar Roxas. From disappointment to anger and resentment, if not hatred, Filipinos in social media are very vocal in expressing their disgust at the way the Aquino administration acted in response to the disaster.

The honeymoon with the popular Aquino is obviously over. But for a country in much need for healing and hope, it's best to put the past behind and rally towards a resilient future not relying on their leaders but on themselves. The country is in dire need of heroes and inspiration to resuscitate a flagging spirit. For sure they detest politicians and are sick of the politicking.