Blameduck
Nobody wants to be a lame duck. This is especially true for politicians and in particular, for the President of the Republic of the Philippines whose term ends in 2010 without reelection. But who exactly is the lame duck? Or rather, what is a lame duck?We usually understand the term to mean government officials who no longer yield effective power. They are waiting to finish their term with the least controversies or to warm the seat until the new guys comes in. The consequence is that the official will not be listened to or obeyed. Worse, the transient and opportunistic allies are easily sifted from the loyal and well-intentioned friends who are behind the official because they believe in him, his ideas, and his integrity.
An outgoing official then is akin to the lame duck in the animal world which is a duck in a flock unable to keep up and serves as easy prey for predators. Pundits and brokers, now in the rational animal sphere, look to possible successors and realignment of interests.
In another sense and in a worse way, lame-duck politicians no longer respond to their constituents and turn their back on their mandate. They might do midnight deals to ensure lifetime retirement or favor entities as vehicles for golden parachutes. They fear leaving government service and its perks and anticipate the freedom from accountability.
Laden with these constraints and conflicts, the lame-duck official becomes the target of attack. The official becomes a blame duck. While in a democracy, discourse is essential to promote the public welfare and to point out mistakes, criticisms cannot be made irresponsibly and with ulterior motives. To target the blame duck to further personal political agenda is below the belt and is most vicious not to mention that it is too popular and too easy to do. When will we ever learn to see the difference between personality and policy? To separate programs of progressive action from power-play politics?
I refuse to believe that our President is not made of sterner stuff and of a better quality worthy for national inspiration. For so long we have searched and waited in vain for the best president who never was and the most competent president who never became. A president is not in any measure an ordinary duck. She is not primus inter pares for she is not even one of the flock. The president is our one chief executive who possesses the vast powers of the executive branch who implements the law without fear or favor. The president is our leader who stands four squares for the people to embody our unfinished aspirations and see them through. She can be no less.
And it is in this light that the President singularly stands out. She can, at any point in time, be it the first day or the last day of her term, make the tough decisions based only on the criterion that is the long term welfare of the country. It is now more than ever in the homestretch of her nine years to choose to build and leave a legacy. The President is at the height of her powers when she takes a stand in the name of the people versus the parochial interests of politicians. We will respond her because she no longer cares about reelection. She is in maximum control to make governance the platform when she clearly sees who is friend and foe. We citizens will take sides, her side, when the line is drawn between those who work for the common man and those who work for themselves. Finally, a President whose only task is to do right and to do good is truly our leader and on whom we the vital public should bestow unconditional support and on whom we shall confer a national legacy.
All this talk about a lame duck president and those in media who foment discord is therefore lame. Let us stop the blaming the duck and get on with our urgent tasks. Let us close ranks behind the President and forge ahead.
