ENDEAVOR
Sonny Coloma
“Tiwala ako, nasa eksena man ako o wala, patuloy na ipaglalaban ng Pilipino ang kayang kapwa at ha-hakbang sa landas tungo sa isang mas maaliwalas, mas patas, at mas maunlad na bukas.” (I believe that, whether I am around or not, the Filipino will continue to fight for his compatriots, and move forward on pathways leading to a brighter, more equitable, and more prosperous future.”)
Together with his profile photo, this quotation is being used by friends and admirers of the late President Benigno S. Aquino III (PNoy) in the poster marking his second death anniversary on Saturday, June 24.
PNoy’s belief in the nobility of the Filipino was a defining element of his presidency. This was clearly manifested in his public communication policy. I was privileged to serve as his Presidential Communications secretary and thereby gained the opportunity to put this policy into practice – and observe its efficacy.
While he won by a landslide margin of almost six million votes over former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, he was not popular among columnists in mainstream media. Yet he wasn’t bothered or hob-bled by the wave of critical commentary, often sharing with Cabinet members his parents’ deep-seated belief in the Filipinos’ sense of fairness.
He recalled his mother’s wisdom: Respect and trust our people at all times. Provide them with complete and correct information so they will be guided in making decisions and choices that directly affect their well-being. When people are adequately informed, they will be empowered and enabled to make sound decisions.
His father, the late Senator Benigno S. Aquino III, whose assassination sparked a wave of popular protest that culminated in the EDSA People Power, declared: “The Filipino is worthy dying for.” His mother, President Cory is remembered for her statement that “The Filipino is worth living for.” With his parents as role models, PNoy said: “The Filipino is definitely worth fighting for.”
Truly, PNoy was sui generis, or one of a kind. As the second child of a Philippine President to follow in his parent’s footsteps – the first was President Diosdado Macapagal’s daughter Gloria – he did it out of a deep sense of duty. Recall that on Sept. 9, 2009, he announced his candidacy on the 40th day following his mother’s death on Aug. 1. Before announcing his decision, he traveled to Zamboanga City to seek counsel from the Carmelite Sisters, just like his mother did before deciding to seek the presidency in 1985.
It was clear that he did not dream of, or think about running for President until his mother’s death. His record as a member of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2007 and as Senator from 2007 does not show a listing of bills filed or enacted. While reflecting on his congressional stint, he shared that he focused on monitoring the passage of the annual budget, or the General Appropriations Act.
He mastered the intricacies of the budget and brought this to the fore when, as President, he approved and endorsed the National Expenditure Program before submitting it to Congress. On the morning of his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2010, he called for an emergency Cabinet meeting. He said that over the weekend, he pored over the thousand-plus page document as he wanted to be certain that all the programs and projects had been adequately vetted by the Cabinet secretaries. Leafing through the thick document, he asked pointed questions on specific provisions of the budget, seeking clarification on how these would be implemented. Thus did the Cabinet members get an early orientation on the Chief Executive’s management style.
He rarely called for full-Cabinet meetings. On matters brought to his attention as these required his approval, he called in only those Cabinet secretaries and heads of offices who were directly involved – and he expected them to be fully prepared to justify their recommendations.
Early on – and this happened on the 55th day of his presidency, on Aug. 23, 2010 – he presided over the first emergency of his watch: The tourist bus hostage-taking that, sadly, ended in the shooting to death of eight tourists from Hong Kong. The shooting took place at around 8:30 p.m. He faced the media at 1:30 p.m. and only after taking detailed notes on testimonies given by the police officers who were directly involved in rescuing the hostages. Then he went to the scene of the shooting in front of the Luneta grandstand to further appreciate the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
I recall, too, that in December 2017, he went to the Senate to answer questions from the Blue Ribbon Committee on the dengue vaccination program. Reuters reported: “Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino defended on Thursday his decision to implement a controversial immunization program using a new dengue vaccine in 2016, saying it was justified with millions of people at risk of being infected by the virus… “I want to stress, before, during, and after my government decided to use Dengvaxia, nobody expressed their objection to the vaccine,” Aquino said.
Reuters reported, too, that then President “Duterte said on Wednesday the previous government acted in good faith and that he was ‘not prepared to pass judgment.’”
From having observed closely his everyday conduct as Chief Executive, I am able to say that, indeed, he committed himself fully to serving the Filipino people with all his mind, strength, and dedication. He faced every challenge with equanimity, always focused on the essentials, and persevering until the tasks at hand had been completed.