No, there are no perfect presidents
Those who choose to bash President Rodrigo Duterte and focus on his imperfections (and there seems to be a number of them), have forgotten one indubitable truth: that there are no perfect presidents, no perfect prime ministers, and even no perfect kings and emperors. Since our own head of state and head of government has been elected democratically, and chosen among many candidates, the more than sixteen million Filipino voters who gave him a very strong mandate have prevailed over the others who supported Mar Roxas, Grace Poe, and Jejomar Binay. Thus, the losers must submit themselves to the will of the plurality. For that is the very essence of democracy.
Those who opt to criticize the president and seek to ridicule his ways, his language, his demeanor and his decisions should remember that all such imperfections have always been there, open and disclosed, before the elections. President Duterte, with all his imperfections, is not and has never been a hypocrite. He has always been brutally honest about who he is. He admits that he has two special women and two families. He never hid his spontaneous curses and expletives. He has already been known for his anti-crime crusade and his hatred against drugs. He has been rumored to abet summary executions of criminals and addicts, but he has never been formally charged, much less convicted of extra-judicial killings. Not even de Lima as Human Rights chairwoman, and as Justice Secretary, was able to find prima-facie evidence to haul him to court.
Those who look for perfect presidents should remember how President Aguinaldo was charged with the summary execution of Katipunan's Gat Andres Bonifacio. President Manuel L. Quezon was commonly known as a womanizer who had an explosive temperament and who cursed like hell. President Sergio Osmeña Sr., for all his good image, was criticized too for being very subservient and for lacking in assertiveness in relation to ML Quezon. Osmeña was more brilliant, more loved by the people, but he was too timid to Quezon's domineering, and uncompromising aristocrat ways. That too was seen as negative by some demanding critics.
President Manuel A. Roxas was blamed for being too submissive to the US, leading to the US bases having been put inside our sovereign state. President Elpidio Quirino was charged with some corruptions dramatized by the so-called most expensive and overpriced ''orinola'' in Malacañan. Ramon F. Magsaysay was also blamed for being a US puppet. Carlos P. Garcia was blamed for not giving vice president Diosdado P. Macapagal any work in the government. Macapagal had his own weaknesses. And perhaps Ferdinand E. Marcos was the most maligned president we ever had. Cory Aquino was bashed as an unprepared weakling. FVR was blamed for selling too many government lots and properties. Erap? Need I tell you more? GMA, we all know the stories. PNoy will soon be hauled to court for DAP and for his alleged many unseen ''sins''.
And so, you there, do you think President Duterte is an angel? He never pretended to be a saint. He was elected as he is. As is, where is. There are no perfect leaders. They are always the lesser evil.
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