“Do you pray for the senators, Dr. Hale?” “No, I look at the senators and I pray for the country.” — Edward Everett Hale

It is incredible how we, Filipinos, have demeaned the prestige of the office and debased the value of the presidency by our cavalier pursuit of that office.

While the frontrunners so far for the presidency, such as, Sen. Manny Villar, former President Joseph Estrada, Sec. Gilbert Teodoro, Sen. Chiz Escudero, Sen. Loren Legarda, and Sen. Noynoy Aquino are busily crisscrossing the country and hugging talk shows in informal premature campaigning, the same are not talking, as being too early, about vision for the country, economic roadmap, crime and punishment, population issue, and job generation other than motherhood promises such as poverty alleviation, peace in Mindanao, eradication of insurgency and elimination of illegal gambling all of which are unrealistic and implausible in the immediate future.

However, since we are already in an election mode despite the fact that the law only allows 45 days actual campaign period, it is apropos that we already undertake an in-depth inquiry of their course of action, vision, and perception of these requirements of the presidency.

In other words, given that the presidential candidates either have the basic academic qualifications and adequate working experience in national and local governments, and business entrepreneurship, can they be trusted to rise above themselves in the public interest before their coterie of advisers, supporters, relatives, business contributors, and partymates proceed to divide the spoils of war?

This is not to imply that these stewards of the realm have character flaws as they are of sterling qualities.

Truth to tell, it is the system that they are up against and which will determine whether they will succeed or fail in their mandate.

Pursuant to public skepticism, do we really believe that Sen. Manny Villar will “sincerely” divest himself of his real estate empire?; can Sen. Chiz Escudero or Sen. Loren Legarda keep their distance from San Miguel Brewery?; can Sec. Gilbert Teodoro maintain his independence of mind when an issue arises vis-à-vis President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo or the US State Department, or the Cojuangco encomiendas?; can former President Joseph Estrada leave the past, or will he be condemned to repeat it as Santayana had written?; and can Sen. Noynoy Aquino really hack it?; or as Jean Kerr in “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies,” had written, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it’s just possible you haven’t grasped the situation."

When all is said and done, the caveat is that, once elected and without constitutional reforms, and under the same political system, the president and his administration cease to be “answerable” to the people till the next election for the excess baggage that they will bring to Malacañang for the next six years. It will be more of the same until radical reforms are instituted.

You be the judge. (For comments and views, please e-mail: chaff_fromthegrain@yahoo.com.ph)