MAPping the Future
The Philippine Daily Inquirer
By Felicito C. Payumo
For Publication - August 24, 2009

In Search of Leaders (Part 2)

Looking at our “Presidentiables” as Direct Leaders

Senator Mar Roxas’ squeaky clean image can assure the people that under his watch they can sleep soundly knowing that he will not steal or allow any graft to be committed. The assurance comes from an unstained lineage and his own untainted record as Representative, DTI Secretary and Senator. This image of incorruptibility, combined with his aggressive graft busting performance in the Senate hearings on the NBN-ZTE deal and fertilizer scam make for strong anti-corruption credentials while his fight for the interests of the Legacy victims and in reducing the high costs of medicines (an advocacy he started while still DTI Secretary), constitute his pro-poor agenda. This could well be his embodiment story. That Mar, along with President Erap, was singled out for rebuke by President GMA in her SONA only proved that his unrelenting campaign was effective.

Yet this story has not been adequately aired as much as the replaced Mr. Padyak infomercial. In trying to connect to the masa it was not even necessary to force Mar’s image into the persona of Mr. Padyak. Mar, like Jack Kennedy, has nothing to apologize for the privileged circumstances of his birth.

But is corruption not a vital issue to the people? The latest Pulse Asia survey, as reported by Columnist Boo Chanco, showed that fighting corruption, as much as hunger and poverty, is not only a concern now of the middle class but of ordinary folks in urban and rural areas. Could this be the reason for Mar’s climb to third place- from 15 per cent to 20 percent- in a tie with Chiz Escudero in the latest SWS Poll?

Vice-President Noli de Castro bared a 10-point plan for the country but nobody remembers a long “wish list”. He would be better off sticking to his message about his shelter program but which, unfortunately, was tarnished by allegations of irregularity by some Senators. An advertisement of Senator Villar helping stranded OFWs and donating houses and lots to the poor from which rank he has risen through sipag at tiyaga, would be more convincing with an embodiment story- that he had espoused poverty alleviation measures long before he started courting their votes. Despite being a no- show in every public forum, he nevertheless toppled Vice-President Noli de Castro from first place- a puzzlement, indeed, if not for our earlier proposition that advertising drives surveys. Senator Chiz Escudero comes across as young and articulate while Secretary Gilbert Teodoro is armed with impressive academic credentials. But both have yet to be identified with specific core values they live by. Escudero, who has also been visible in the Senate hearings, rates high in surveys even without advertisement; think how much higher he can go with a good embodiment story? Senator Loren Legarda cannot be any clearer in her commitment to environment protection with her identification with the Luntian Foundation. Her downward slide is not an argument against embodying an advocacy; it only means that the people have yet to warm up to her anti-global warming message- a topic they still find esoteric. And Mayor Jojo Binay, who can show a creditable record in running the local government of Makati, seems not to complain about the slow but gradual improvement in his rating; after all, his statements give away his real intention to run only as Vice-President with President Erap.

While it’s true that Estrada has been on his lakbay pasasalamat, it was only recently that his disguised “commercial” has been shown. What explains his jump to second-place and his posting the highest percentage gain among all Presidentiables? (As of this writing, a report had him leading in a latest SWS survey at 21 per cent.) What explains that despite his conviction, Erap is mobbed by people everywhere he goes, as Senate President Enrile would testify. Have they now realized that it was wrong to have had the impeachment process aborted with the walkout of the Prosecutors and brought to the “parliament of the streets”? Are the masses even sympathizing with him after his conviction, especially when they see that jueteng and other crimes are even more rampant now? The collective judgment of the masses has no room for double standards.
A publisher said that Erap was believable when he admitted at the MOPC Forum that yes, he has made mistakes, and they are now part of his experience which taught him valuable lessons, i.e. not to commit the same mistakes, including trusting some persons he had once trusted. Just as Ninoy was a changed man after his incarceration, as Columnist John Nery pointed out, is Erap a changed man after his incarceration?

But with President Cory’s demise, will new personalities like Noynoy Aquino emerge to broaden the peoples’ choices? With Ninoy and Cory’s legacy, we know instinctively that Noynoy will not steal or cheat. With Ninoy and Cory’s mantle on his shoulder, he need not tell his own embodiment story; the story is told for him by the cloak that he wears. Columnists Billy Esposo and Conrado de Quiros agree that Noynoy cannot ignore the higher role that is now thrust in him. The multitudes of people who showed up and flashed the “L” sign were there not only to condole with the family but to make a strong laban statement. To them, who could best embody that statement but someone from the family?

And as to the new Johnny and Joanna come lately- Governor Among Ed Panlilio and Senator Jamby Madrigal- what will be their embodiment stories?

Other Marks of Leadership

A Leader Reads
Are there other marks of a good leader? Rudolf Giulani wrote in his book, “Leadership,” that since leadership can be taught and learned, a leader must develop the habit of reading. A leader’s strategic vision is set clearer by learning from others. Giulani has applied the idea of “reinventing government” by using business principles such as the use of objective, measurable indicators to impose accountability in government. He learned from the “Broken Windows Theory” that paying attention to “minor” infractions like breaking windows, graffiti painting and turnstile-jumping would greatly reduce all crime, including major felonies. He used management information systems in reducing the cost of the foster care system with the contracting agencies and to recognize patterns and potential trouble before they spread.

Wouldn’t it be reassuring to know that our leaders read up on poverty eradication and food production, the benefits and perils of globalization, the causes and remedies for the recent financial and economic crisis, and how we fare against the Millenium Development Goals?

A leader who reads would give education his highest priority.

A Leader Surrounds Himself with Honest and Competent Men

Only Jesus could surround himself with a motley group of recruits and still succeed in his mission. Leaders of today must have the advice and assistance of competent and honest people in our complicated environment. Kennedy wanted a “ministry of talent,” composed of the best and the brightest. That was what Lee Kuan Yew assembled; his book, “From Third World to First” tells how, after the withdrawal of the British colonial forces, he selected outstanding professionals and competent administrators to help him cobble a nation out of descendants of immigrant laborers from China and India, and together with the Malays, built a “fair- not a welfare- society.”

At home, we all have our assessment of the honesty and competence of the incumbent President’s Cabinet. And since much has been said about an alleged “midnight Cabinet” of President Erap Estrada, it is fair to ask who he had surrounded himself with, officially. The record of his appointees- Ronnie Zamora, Ed Angara, Titoy Pardo, Paeng Buenaventura, Domingo Siazon, Mar Roxas, Ben Diokno, Philip Medalla, VG Vigilar, Mario Tiaoqui, Quasi Romualdez, GMA, Benny Laguesma, Tony Ceriles, Serafin Cuevas, Jun Rivera, Ronnie Puno, Fred Lim, Rod Reyes, Dong Puno, Mike Toledo, Dulce Saguisag, and Karina David is open to scrutiny. It was during their time with President Erap that funding for big ticket infrastructure projects such as the Subic Container Port, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, Iloilo Airport, CAMANAVA Flood Control, PHIVIDEC Container Port, and a Mindanao Circumferential Road was secured from the Obuchi Fund. But was there any scandal that involved anyone of them? How do they stand up to other Presidents’ men and women- past and present- in competence and integrity?

Leaders Should Want to be Liked

Kouzes and Posner in “A Leader’s Legacy,” advance the view that “leaders should want to be liked”, in contrast to the oft-repeated statements that the President is “focused on governance and is not running in a popularity contest.” That is making a virtue of not listening.

The truth is people will work harder and more effectively for leaders they like. Such leaders have the emotional intelligence, a vital quality needed to understand their own and other people’s feelings. And with the unprecedented outpouring of love for President Cory, should we rephrase the advice to “leaders should want to be loved?”

While it is true that a leader has to take an unpopular stand, (and, certainly, should not allow editorial boards to dictate policies), he must guard against hubris and arrogance. Was there arrogance perceived by members of the affected informal economy in Bayani Fernando’s statements and manner of implementing his otherwise laudable drive for a clean and orderly metropolis-a perception that kept his rating low. And was there arrogance detected in President GMA’s SONA, especially in the sarcasm laced statements against her critics? What about her disregard of the selection process for the National Artists Award simply “because she can” as the public perceived it, and daring the protesters to go to court?

Advertising vs. Political Machinery

There is reason for the national candidates to budget big money for advertising and not rely on party machinery. The results of previous elections have been staring them in the face. Local officials have at most 20 per cent “command votes. These are the blind followers who will vote whoever their Mayor, Congressman or Governor will tell them. But the 80 per cent, while loyal to their local patrons, will want to choose their national candidates. Even drivers and maids voted for FPJ because he was their kursunada.

In the last Senatorial elections, as Columnist Lito Banayo pointed out, the majority of the Administration’s local candidates won, but only three of its Senatorial slate managed to hang on to the winners column. Local contests are waged like street battles; candidates fight house to house to “capture” families. On the other hand, national candidates resort to the equivalent of carpet bombing- by newspapers, radio, television and now, blast text messages and the internet. They expect that their improved popularity or name recall will get translated to high survey ratings which in turn will create a band wagon effect.

The local contests, though oftentimes more bloody and bitter and, save those where goons and gold rule, should produce a more informed vote, while the national contests are won with posters, jingles and slogans. It is about time the people sift the true leaders from the charlatans. Whose lives truly embody their messages? In short, who “walk their talk?”

Felicito C Payumo was a three-term Representative of the First District of Bataan and former Chairman and Administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. He is Chairman of the Board of the University of Nueva Caceres.