A Comical Turn

Now the espionage drama, or the to put in another sense, the U.S. knee-deep involvement into our political affairs has now somewhat took a comical turn. Now the U.S. authorities actually has in their dossiers the result of a background investigation on the person of Vice President Noli de Castro. When alledegly asked by a U.S. agent about the trade imbalance between the Philippines and the U.S., he reportedly answered: "We're your Number One ally, and our President is your Number One fan [yet other countries seem to be] getting more." This "unlikely" response by de Castro apparently led the U.S. Embassy in Manila to declare him as highly inept in matters of foreign policy, and probably in all other aspects of governance.

With an oversimplistic answer like that, you could say that we could not really blame the U.S. authorities for giving a thumbs-down to a de Castro leadership in the event of a resignation or overthrow of the GMA administration but I think, something in all this make it highly unfair to the person of our Vice-President, where this report might just shoot down his chances on the presidency (while he already seem to have a lock on it by next presidential election; being ever more popular than any other political figure we know nowadays).

One interview does not make a man. We do not know him that much while we know him casually as a highly personable person with an ultra-high television charisma. VP Noli de Castro may not claim as his strongest point matters on foreign policy but who knows, he might just be the best "dometic policy" president that we might ever have. Remember, history does not as much remember a good leader for his relations with other countries but so much of what a good leader has done to his fellowmen (Like Manuel L. Quezon and Ramon Magsaysay). It is of rare occassion where a statesman is mostly remembered for his views on foreign policy (Like Margareth Thatcher and Richard Nixon). Good leaders are often revered for the deeds that they have done to their nation.

Intelligence is certainly a must for anyone desiring to becoming the next leader of our nation but I believe, it is the genuine interest to help alleviate the suffering of the people that should be prime among all motives. They say a good intention is not enough, but at least it must not be absent at all.