GLORIA ARROYO LEGACY

There are times that we are so engrossed about the task at hand that we want to accomplish so much. It is often times our goal to achieve and be successful in everything that we do. That is success in the real sense of the word..

The recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Arroyo is an epitome of an achiever enumerating her accomplishments. The audience of course as expected have varied reactions to her speech. Many of those present in the hall are representatives who are supportive to her. These are the congressmen who in one way or the other have been given extra privileges by the president, or who are political party mates with the president. The rest of the audience are probably those opposed to her or just plain spectator of the show.

The entire Philippines had the opportunity to listen to her speech. Many of the radio and TV stations have dedicated that time slot just for her SONA to be shown. Everybody appeared to have listened obviously because twitter and face book were flooded with comments both for and against her SONA. Although the thread from those who are against is so overwhelming, and even in the papers are seldom seen to have any positive remarks for her Excellency.

The situation calls for a halt in all their tirades from both sides. The SONA did not appear to be report from the president but rather a counter attack from her opposition and the opposition on the other hand never ceases to throw mud at her at all cost. It is so childish for these leaders to be mud slinging as there political tactic, but that is what is happening - shamefully though it is.

There is no stopping Gloria from what she does. She thinks that what she is doing is right for her and for the country. She was pussyfooting on the question of whether she will remain in power either as a President beyond 2010 or as Prime Minister in whatever way she would accomplish it, only God knows. Many fears that she has all the machinery to manipulate the government to either push through with the election or pursue charter change which can perpetuate her to a lot more years in power that no one has ever imagined. Not even Marcos in all his shrewdness cannot compare Gloria's master craft.

If what she does however is not really for the good of everyone and she just bloats her moneybag with personal interests, as what may be happening now, than this raises the question: how would people really remember her as President?

History is the best judge to all our doings. The authenticity of moon landing began to be questioned after 40 years. Imelda Marcos is reaping all the emotional pains now after more 20 years of laboring to gather all the wealth she and her late dictator could take in their time. The Marcoses had a lot of enemies too, but they were able to muzzle them because he had all the guns and the goons who took care of them if they resisted. The EDSA revolution is just the culmination of all these heated dictatorial abuses and corruption, and it is all history.

Now, this is what I am talking about, do you think their grandchildren can lift their heads high and the name of their grandparents upon seeing the annals of history that all the good deeds of their grandparents are superseded with the bad. we can only remember the Marcoses by their ill gotten wealth, human rights violation and many more negativities of the past. I will never be proud of these if I were the grand child!

At the SONA, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) was congratulated by everybody and her grandchildren as well. The kids would have said my Grandma, my president and my hero, but kids as they are will just say and appreciate things as they see. Their true appreciation of their Grandma lies ahead when they grow up and looks back at this time find for themselves how their grandma fared as a president.

If these children finds out that it was during their grandma's term that ZTE NBN scandal erupted; that the hello garci scandal was unresolved; that she was the longest running president next to Marcos; and the list will go... Then and only then we can say that Gloria indeed failed or fared well as the 14th president of the republic.

We can throw all the blame to Marcos when we say why the Philippines which used to be second to Japan is now one of the poorest. Other presidents legacies may be insignificant to remember but as they say, in order for you to be remembered you either have to be the best or the worst. Now PGMA can take her pick while she still has the time to do some homework. That is the wonder of being in the highest post, you will have to come up with what is expected of you and givethe best you can; And take only what is enough for you. If she can't be remembered as one of the best, if not the best, then she would rather be counted as one the few Presidents who tried, rather being remembered as the worst.