“What you see is what you get” or WYSIWYG may be an apt description of President Noynoy Aquino. The good part is that he says what he thinks. But it makes you wonder if he thinks about what he says.
My guess is that he does.
What may appear to be impulsiveness, a tendency to shoot from the hip or – more accurately – from the lip, suggesting an infection called the foot-in-mouth disease, may actually be a calculating mind able to focus on achieving a specific objective.
Take the events that led to the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
From the outset, Aquino made it obvious that he resented Corona’s midnight appointment. Discarding any pretensions of statesmanship or diplomatese, he refused to take his oath of office according to tradition, before the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In a clear slap on the face of Corona, the entire Supreme Court and his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Aquino chose Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales to swear him into office.
From then on, he waged a war of attrition against Corona. Taking every opportunity to take potshots at both the Chief Justice and what he perceived as a Supreme Court that had bent the rules, Aquino began to muster his assets preparatory to an impeachment. These were assets, not just in the legislature but in civil society and in media as well.
He then began to progressively raise the decibel of his attacks on both Corona and the Arroyo appointees in the high court, leaving no doubt what his end game would be: Corona’s ouster and a warning to the rest that they could be next.
In all of these, there was, apparently, no impulsiveness, no shooting from the hip or lip. The moves were calibrated – often crude and inelegant- but obvious for all to see.
Aquino’s actuations towards the process of selecting a new Chief Justice may be another example of the way his mind works. From the outset, the messages coming from Malacañang have been a study in double-speak.
Aquino ostensibly wants a Chief Justice who will restore the independence of the judiciary and cleanse its tarnished reputation, while actively supporting his anti-corruption crusade.
While there may seem to be no conflict in these goals, the rub is in what Aquino may perceive as acceptable tactics to achieve his ends, and what the new Chief Justice may see as compliant with the Constitution.
It has become increasingly clear that Aquino is serious about his anti-corruption crusade. He appears to be obsessed with leaving a legacy to match that of his parents. In this regard, he may have a tendency not to allow “technicalities” – even the law itself – to get in the way.
Viewing the remnants in the Supreme Court with a jaundiced eye, Aquino obviously hanged his hopes on a new Chief Justice who would be his “kakampi” and “kabalikat.” Someone who would be ‘marunong makisama” for the sake of the country.
To the non-Filipino mind, these concepts, which I have stated in Tagalog, may not be easy to appreciate. In the context of the Pinoy psyche, “kakampi” or “someone on our side,” “kabalikat” or “someone who works shoulder to shoulder with the team” and “marunong makisama” or, loosely, “a team player,” actually mean the opposite of an individual who thinks independently, objectively and without bias.
To use a loose American idiom, Aquino, in pursuing his anti-corruption crusade, may be saying, “It’s my way or the highway.”
In other words, Aquino who, I reiterate, appears sincere about cleansing the Aegean stables of government during his ever-so-brief tenure as president, may find an independent, objective and unbiased Chief Justice of the Supreme Court an impediment to achieving his laudable objectives.
Did he see Justice Secretary Leila De Lima as that “team player” in the Supreme Court? From all indications, that may have been the case. Not surprisingly, Aquino has made no bones about his unhappiness with the process that led to her disqualification.
The “technicalities” that the JBC has cited to justify the decision may be irrelevant to Aquino. He may perceive the JBC as “hindi marunong makisama,” “hindi kakampi” and “hindi kabalikat.”
Indeed, he might be thinking, with so much bending of the rules having already been done by the members of the Supreme Court themselves, why couldn’t the JBC have bent the rules a wee bit more to allow De Lima to qualify?
As far as De Lima is concerned, there was a “conspiracy” against her. I believe Aquino thinks so, too.
This has apparently frustrated Aquino. But, in true WYSIWYG fashion, he has stated that he will live with his options and choose from the short list provided by the JBC. What he has not enunciated is that he will do so grudgingly. But one need only read his lips.
Now, Aquino will have to resort to Plan B. Who among the eight nominees will be his “kakampi” and “kabalikat”? Who will be “marunong makisama?” Mind you, he will make his choice with the interests of the country in mind.
Significantly, the masses may have the same mindset as Aquino. After decades of seeing the rules and the law bent to favor the rich and the powerful, the average Pinoy has no more patience with “technicalities.” The masses may declare that they want independent minded, objective and unbiased public officials, but only if these traits are applied in their favor.
This attitude may have been inadvertently justified by the late and revered President Ramon Magsaysay when he stated, “Those who have less in life should have more in law.”
While that’s a Sound Bite for the Ages, the implications are that Lady Justice – she with the blindfold and the balanced scales – should be allowed to peek through the shades and tip the scales in favor of the underprivileged.
Incidentally, that happens to be in line with Christian thinking.
All of these present a predicament to Aquino’s choice of Chief Justice. Of course, working with a simplistic WYSIWYG president may be better than dealing with a brilliant yet devious, double-crossing, malevolent individual who wears a reassuring smile while stabbing people in the back.
In the process of vetting, Aquino will likely wear his criteria on his sleeve for the aspirant to see. A truly noble, self-respecting and, thus, deserving candidate will give due respect to Aquino’s criteria but will openly state his intention to be objective, independent and unbiased.
That could spoil the chances of being appointed.
On the other hand, a brilliant, devious, double-crossing, malevolent contender will loudly accept Aquino’s criteria and reassure him of everlasting loyalty and an undying commitment to the anti-corruption crusade. Of course, in the back of his mind, that individual would have other plans.
How will Aquino decide? Because I have no doubt about his sincere desire to fight corruption, I also have no doubt that he will decide on the basis of what HE THINKS will enable him to achieve his noble ends.For the sake of the country.
The irony, of course, is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
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