IN THE 2004 US presidential elections, the Republicans portrayed George W. Bush as a man of firm conviction, steadfast, decisive, the kind of leader America needed in fighting the war in Iraq. On the other hand, they branded Democratic standard bearer, John Kerry, as indecisive and prone to change his position on issues — a flip-flopper.
In fact, Kerry did commit several gaffes that tended to confirm this caricature of him. Explaining his vote for an $87 billion supplemental budget for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kerry said, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.”
Republican hecklers costumed like giant rubber sandals – called flip-flops – hounded Kerry on the campaign trail, chanting, “Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop!” They also distributed decals that read, ”John Kerry – He’ll vote for and against your cause!” Kerry lost.
In the 2012 elections, the Democrats had a chance to get even, with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney being the target of flip-flop attacks, particularly concerning his position on health care.
American voters, kept aware by the media, disapprove of flip-floppers. They reckon that a candidate who shifts his position on issues cannot be trusted. But breaking campaign promises and speaking through both sides of their mouth appears to be the common denominator among politicians, whether American or homegrown Pinoy. It may, in fact, be more common in the Philippines where turncoatism is the norm.
When Noynoy Aquino ran for president, there was more than a glimmer of hope that he would break the mold. The following is a news report filed by Jerrie Abella of GMANews TV on June 6, 2010:
“Noynoy vows to make FOI bill his administration’s priority.”
And the story read: “Presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III said last Sunday that the Freedom of Information bill — a landmark piece of legislation that will lift the shroud of secrecy over government transactions and data — will be a priority of his administration.
“This was after Congress adjourned sine die last Friday without the bill’s ratification by the House of Representatives due to lack of quorum.
“Asked in an ambush interview if he would prioritize the Freedom of Information bill once he assumes office, Aquino categorically said, ‘Yes.’”
Faat forward to the present. Here’s a Sept. 5, 2014 commentary by veteran journalist Val Abelgas on Aquino’s current stand on the FOI bill:
“Aquino taking ‘bosses’ for a ride on FOI Bill.
“Shortly before being proclaimed the official winner of the 2010 presidential elections, then Senator Benigno S. Aquino III reaffirmed his campaign promise – that his administration would make the passage of the Freedom of Information bill its priority.
“Aquino has obviously been taking the people, whom he proclaims to be his ‘bosses’ for a ride because four years since, he still refuses to certify it as urgent, which would ensure swift passage of the measure considering his almost absolute control of the House of Representatives.
“Malacañang says the President cannot certify the bill as urgent because it does not involve a national emergency and Aquino was circumspect about using his presidential powers.
“How can it not be a national emergency when the government is losing billions and billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money to numerous anomalies perpetrated by both government officials and private businessmen? How can it not be of utmost priority when recent events have shown that the government has lost at least P10 billion to a pork barrel scam under the Priority Development Assistance Fund and billions more to the Disbursement Acceleration Program that have both been ruled illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court? How can it not be of primary concern in the wake of numerous fund scandals that have rocked this and previous administrations?
“But, alas, the President insists that the FOI Bill will be passed before his term ends. I think I can believe that. He will most probably certify it prior to the last few sessions before his term ends, and with his go-signal it should pass the House, at last, a few days before the new President would take over. The provisions of the law would then apply to the next administration, not to his.”
Not surprisingly, Aquino is surrounded by flip-floppers like himself, many of them members of the Hyatt 10 who ostensibly bolted the Arroyo administration because they could not stand the corruption in Malacañang.
And then there’s Alan Peter Cayetano. In the 2010 presidential campaign, he called Noynoy Aquino “Topak” (a Tagalog idiom for mentally unhinged). But Cayetano has since become an Aquino ally and is reportedly one of the biggest recipients of Aquino’s DAP funds. Dept of Budget and Management records show that Cayetano got P46 million on Oct. 2, 2012 for 12 projects, P10 million for four projects on Dec. 10, 2012; P4.938 million for one project on Dec. 11, 2012, and P98 million for 30 projects on March 20, 2013.
But changing loyalties is par for the course among politicians. It is on matters of principle that Cayetano may be considered the poster boy of flip-floppers.
In 2010, when NP presidential standard bearer Manny Villar was being summoned to appear before a Senate Committee of the Whole concerning the C5 fund diversion controversy, Cayetano stoutly defended Villar against innuendos of cowardice.
According to the media, Cayetano declared:
“’It is not true that a person is a coward just because he chooses the venue where he will defend himself. It means he has the qualities of a true president. It means he will not drag down his office because one senator or a couple of senators believe that they will win the election by throwing the C-5 issue and wanting the debate here on the floor,’ he said.
“He also noted a sentence in the Senate Committee of the Whole report assuming Villar’s guilt despite no direct evidence linking him to the overpricing of the properties.
“’Since when have we had the right to assume? We will say in the report ‘there is no direct evidence’ and then say he is guilty. This report would not have been released if not for politics. We should investigate who signed this report,’ he said.”
And what has Cayetano been saying of late about Jojo Binay’s refusal to appear before the Senate hearing dominated by him and AntonioTrillanes?
According to a September 19, 2014 Abante Tonite report, Cayetano declared:
“Lumabas siya sa hearing at sagutin ‘yung mga isyu, hindi ‘yung nagtatago siya sa mga kakampi niya.” (He should appear at the hearing and answer the issues, not hide behind his supporters).
And Cayetano added:
“Ang punto doon ay kung ilang beses ka nagpaliwanag. Ang punto doon, kung gaano karisonable at totoo ba ang sinasabi mo. Para na siyang sirang plaka na paulit-ulit na panay palusot ang binibigay, bakit natin tatanggapin ang palusot?” (The point is, how many times he has explained. The point is, how reasonable or true his statements are. He is like a broken record repeating his excuses, why should we accept his excuses?”)
Cayetano and Trillanes have both declared their intention to run for president. We can almost hear the hecklers of Kerry and Romney chanting: “Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop!”
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