TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Aftermath Typhoon Haiyan: A NEED TO END THE DAYS OF OLIGARCHY IN THE PHILIPPINES

A NEED TO END THE DAYS OF OLIGARCHY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Today, I'm thinking of Nelson Mandela who rose to the occasion presented to him by Fate and who became bigger than life -- a true hero.

On the other hand there's Philippine President Noynoy Aquino who had the opportunity to be a true leader when super typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda struck the Philippines. Here was a man who had not prepared his people for the unprecedented typhoon; a man who went on to blame the local governments for the destruction in Central Philippines. Aquino even bickered over the death estimate as being too high. After the Amampour CNN interview of Aquino, the officer who gave the 10,000 death count was fired from his job.

During his CNN interview with Christiane Amampour, Aquino showed no compassion when compassion was most needed. He awakened in people the memory of the feud between the Aquino and Romualdez families (Ninoy Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Romualdez Marcos were enemies). He surrounded/surrounds himself with people like Interior Secretary Mar Roxas who with his wife Korina Sanchez angered not just Filipinos, but the world.

Trying to recover, Aquino declared he was personally taking charge of all relief efforts and he set up camp in Tacloban. However, the window of opportunity to prove himself a special and true leader was gone. It became clear that he was the son riding on the coattails of his parents, Ninoy and Cory Aquino. Initially, Noynoy had engendered faith in his government based primarily on the track record of his parents. Now, he has fallen from the pedestal created by his parents.

I recall seeing President Noynoy Aquino in Cebu during a January Sinulog Festival. This was when he was newly elected and many Cebuanos were in love with him. A couple of years later, he ticked off Cebuanos when he aggressively supported an unpopular political candidate for mayor. His candidate lost, but I had wondered at his wisdom in pushing an unpopular candidate.

Super typhoon Haiyan changed Filipinos forever.

I am hoping that one change is that people will be more thoughtful in choosing their leaders. The days of oligarchy should be done with; now people should be assessed as individuals, and not as a member of this or that political family.