P-Noy’s long goodbye: I felt for my ‘bosses’

MANILA, Philippines - It’s a long goodbye but President Aquino on Thursday vowed to continue serving his bosses – the people – until the last day of his term.

Hurting from criticism that he lacks empathy, Aquino said he knows how to cry and he feels for the people, but it was not his style to be dramatic.

After the May 9 elections, the spotlight has shifted to incoming president Rodrigo Duterte. Aquino told The Wall Street Journal on May 19 that he would refrain from commenting on the pronouncements of Duterte, giving his successor a honeymoon of sorts that was not accorded him in 2010.

Aquino said he was criticized even before stepping into office.

He still has until June 30 to serve and he said he would waste no time in fulfilling his mandate to the fullest.

He said the defection of Liberal Party (LP) members to Duterte’s camp was understandable because they have the interests of their constituents to protect.

Aquino is chairman of the LP.

“I first felt my retirement because Bernie brought me my insurance since it had matured,” Aquino said, referring to Government Service and Insurance System president and general manager Robert Vergara, who was present during the inauguration of the 100-megawatt solar project of the First Cabanatuan Renewable Ventures Corp. at the First Cabanatuan Solar Farm in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija on Thursday.

Before that, Aquino led the unveiling ceremony of the Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project at Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan and the launching of the Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Project of the National Irrigation Administration-Camp Facilities Site in Barangay Sula, San Jose, Tarlac. 

Aquino said he might not be able to go back to his home province of Tarlac as president before stepping down from office.

“I thank all of you for your support for me since I was congressman until I became President. And I hope that when you look back, you can all say that our cooperation brought us much,” Aquino said.

The President said he would not forget what the Filipinos collectively achieved through cooperation and concern for each other under his term.

Aquino said treading the straight path in the last six years, Filipinos were also able to show the whole world what was possible through unity among the people.

‘I feel for you’

Aquino also took the opportunity to assure his bosses that he felt for them all the time but refused to be dramatic because he had to be strong in the face of problems, being the father and leader of the nation.   

He gave the assurance amid criticisms that he has a heart of stone and was insensitive or lacking in empathy – something which pains him severely.

He recounted how he cried his heart out when he was still a senator and his family was told that their mother, former president Corazon Aquino, no longer had the chance to survive from colon cancer.

Aquino said he cried uncontrollably when no one was looking – at the rooftop of the Makati Medical Center where his mother was confined.

Aquino also stressed that he need not be married to prove that he cared more than enough for the people when asked if things would have been different if he had someone to share things with while in office.

Typically, the President sought out the definition of empathy from Wikipedia and Merriam-Webster dictionary and spoke at length about the incidents where he said he gave his best shot to save people’s lives.

When told he should have shown the things he did to address all the crises so the people were not unaware of the efforts he exerted, Aquino said there was no point in posing before cameras when so many lives had to be taken care of, such as when Super Typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013 and millions of people were affected.

“Now, if I have somebody on my side, if I have a wife, I will (still) be the one to formally look for solutions, be in control. As for my wife, can I say: ‘Darling, could you be the one to cry?’” Aquino said, noting that he did not take on the job to act like someone from show business but rather to stand as a leader.

The President said during crises, he had to work fast to alleviate what the people were going through with whatever time and resources he had at hand.

He said he was also not the type to react violently to situations just to make people feel he was affected, and therefore, would have to take drastic actions that could endanger rather than save the lives of people.

“I am sorry, I poured (my heart) out. You were hoping to have seen my emotions. But sorry… I am not play-acting at being President, I perform my role as President, and I’d like to think every minute and every second of my presidency, to include even the sleeping moments,” Aquino said.

“So, I repeat, how should I have reacted to the Zamboanga City siege in 2013? Should I have pulled whatever was left of my hair and said: ‘What are we going to do here?’ Would I be of help with that? Should I have cried when they presented that problem to me? Should I have thrown tantrums? That is not presidential. I have the responsibility, as father of the nation, (since) the house is in trouble, (to) do what is right to protect the interest of everyone,” the President said.