What do you perceive is the most difficult part of being President of the Philippines?

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan De Oro City: Difficult part? None. Everything is served to the President. Every major decision made is taken up in a Cabinet meeting, where most results come up in a consensus.

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: The President will always be a victim of the damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t mentality.

Being blamed for everything

Louella Brown, Baguio City: The most difficult part of being President of the Philippines is being faulted for every failure in government.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: The President’s job is like walking on a tightrope. The citizens are insatiable. Most of the time, Filipinos are overly dependent on the government and would want it to solve even their own personal and simple problems. Another is the crab mentality of the political opposition, which is tantamount to obstructionism that impedes progress.

Can’t please everybody

Lydia Reyes, Bataan: The most difficult part of being a top leader of any country is pleasing everybody whenever decisions have to be made.

Rose Leobrera, Manila: That all problems fall on his shoulders. He may do right, but wrong to others, and vice versa. He may have Cabinet Secretaries, but he cannot keep an eye on them 24/7.

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: Mapagbigyan ang lahat.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: The hardest part is to form a government policy that won’t be attacked by so many quarters of society, and how to ensure the cooperation of all.

J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City: You can’t please everyone. No matter how you do things right and try your best to solve the country’s problems, there will always be an opposition trying to find fault to discredit you. I think what is most important is knowing that the majority of the people like you and the positive result you bring to solve the country’s problems.

Popularity doesn’t make good leaders

Luisito Vallo, Pangasinan: The most difficult part of being President is getting elected because of the popularity of your family and not because you are qualified and competent to lead and govern the country.

Expecting overnight miracles

Jose Nobela, Ligao City: Withstanding the pressures of people who believe that the presidency is an instant relief to the country’s sufferings seems to be the hardest part. In our country, people do not have actual knowledge of what it’s like to be President. These and more are the pressures the President must bear by virtue of the people’s trust and confidence.

Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: Ang mga pangakong binanggit noong kampanya at magagandang hakbang na tinalumpati nang manumpa bilang Pangulo ay dapat gawin sa loob ng anim na taon subalit ang gusto ng mga tao ay gawin sa magdamagan lamang, lalo na sa mga ayaw umunawa sa katuwiran (righteousness) at katwiran (reason).

Bearing a huge burden

Ruel Bautista, Laguna: Every parent experiences hardship in time of need of his family. How much more for a President of the Republic who bears the whole country upon his shoulder?

Public property

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: In the case of P-Noy, being the first bachelor President, privacy will have to take a backseat as media is very much interested in his love life and tends to magnify all his moves.

Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: Becoming President of the Philippines, your status is changed from a private to a public property. The most difficult part is dealing with those Filipinos who always dwell on the negative side, way disproportionate to reality. Everyone is giddy with liberty, but it is a kind of liberty without responsibility and freedom without sanity.

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: The President loses his privacy entirely. The very watchful eyes of the public are scrutinizing all his moves. The presidency is a thankless job.

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: As President, everything about you is public, even your health, love life, fashion preferences.

Keeping promises

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: The most difficult part of being the President of the Philippines is keeping campaign promises. Presidents promise not to raise taxes, run after tax cheats, fight corruption, eradicate jueteng, provide jobs for the unemployed, address the needs of the poor, etc. But when elected, they all seem to develop amnesia and are hard put to keep their promises.

Cris Rivera, Rizal: It is quite easy to make promises, but delivering the same is another thing.

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: Before the election, a presidential aspirant typically makes promises to win the hearts of the people he has to govern. A President is elected because of trust and belief that his promises will be done. The challenging and difficult part of being President of the country is how these promises will be followed and realized at the soonest possible time frame.

Nestor Chan, Manila: It’s easy to announce plans, promises, and decisions, but implementing is hard. The most difficult part of being President is staying true to one’s word. As the saying goes, you cannot please everybody. Whatever his decision, somebody will react and be hurt. Being President, he needs to be updated on all issues of the country and he must know how to react to various issues.

Jun Montebon, Parañaque City: The most difficult part is bridging the gap between intent and action. I suggest that the next time around, let’s vote for one with a proven track record.

Decisions, decisions

Ignacio Anacta, Metro Manila: I think the most difficult part of being President of the Philippines is to make the right decision at any given situation, and having such decision benefit the majority.

Felix Ramento, USA: On top of making painful decisions, it’s a 24/7 job protecting national interest and personal security. Powerful people are too close for the President’s comfort.

A divisive people

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: Everything, I surmise, used to be easy for the President of the Philippines until that day on July 4, 1946, when we gained independence from the Americans. Before that, the two Presidents, Aguinaldo and Quezon, were virtually autocrats and could make things happen because everyone in government bent to what directions the leaders could think of as good for the country. After independence, unti-unting na-erode ang mabuting pamamalakad sa gobyerno. The attendant chaos is, I believe, the painful bane that haunts the presidency of our country. The politicians in this country went their own ways, and from a two-party system, we now have a multi-party system, which only manifests the divisive mentality of Filipinos. Dinagdagan pa po ng party list na wala namang idinudulot na kabutihan sa buhay ng mga dapat nilang silbihan. Thus, the President and future presidents deal with this disorder, which can be done with if only we could have presidents with the incorruptible grit and strong will as Lee Kuan Yew’s.

Instilling discipline

Edwin Chinel Monares, Rizal: Instilling discipline to cut across the whole government bureaucracy is the most difficult part of being President of the Philippines. The degradation of the values of honesty and integrity in public service challenges the good intention of every President. Balancing personal political interest and national interest complicates the exercise of political will to instill discipline in the bureaucracy. The continuing failure of Philippine Presidents to walk their talk further complicates the problem.

Being a public servant

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: Being on top isn’t a laughing matter. Whoever wants to lead must become a servant and serve with honor.

Dealing with corruption

Ricardo Tolentino, Laoag City: The rotten system in all branches of government is a social cancer that is incurable. Even a clean President may fall prey.

Dr. Francis Regalado, Manila: It’s hard to be an advocate of transparency in a bureaucracy that is full of corruption. Can we imagine all the leeches and crocodiles around the President, bending his road for their sake? I hope he never gets blinded. It’s a tough job. Corruption, as the new surveys say, is thriving as ever. It is the major plague that this country is dealing with. He must stay focused and determined.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: For me, corruption is the worst enemy of the state, therefore, to fight it is the most difficult part of being President. During election period, corruption is the convenient issue politicians promise to get rid of but once in power, they end up being gobbled by the said monster. What about our newly-minted loveless President? Seemingly, he is not serious about fighting corruption due to the continued operation of jueteng. I’m very sure that in the next elections, corruption will remain a hot topic.

Lucas Madamba, Laguna: The most difficult part of being President of the Philippines is how to combat corruption in the country and solve poverty and how to be able to initiate reform and change in our system of governance.

Elpidio Que, Vigan: The most difficult part of being President of the Philippines is to walk the talk in ridding the nation of corruption, which has grown into King Kong proportions. When he was running for President, P-Noy said, “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap”, but no barracuda in corruption, namely the big fish in smuggling, graft and tax evasion, has been harpooned. Philippine corruption can gobble up the President even if he is by nature incorruptible. It doesn’t need a superman to cut corruption into the barest minimum. Lee Kuan Yew was no superman, but look at what he did to Singapore. All the Philippine President needs is to put in his gut, heart, and mind Spiderman’s dictum: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City: Resisting the temptation of corruption in the Office of the President is the most difficult part because power seduces anyone who holds it.

Rudy Tagimacruz, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: The most difficult part of being President is when everyone around you is known to be less than honest.

Making ends meet

Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: The most difficult part is making both ends meet no matter what happens. This is one of the reasons why the rating of P-Noy took a dip. Anyway, there’s ample time to make needed improvements.

Elmo Cruz, Manila: The most difficult part of being President of the Philippines is averting the ever-increasing prices of basic commodities that are affected by oil prices in the world market, which is beyond the power of the leader of any state. At present, people are demanding that the price of oil be lowered in the local market by eliminating the VAT. Taking away the VAT will affect the delivery of other basic services of the government to the people. The President is now walking the tightrope in midair.

Not knowing the plight of the poor

Rey Onate, Palayan City: The most difficult part of being President of the country is when one does not understand the history and culture of the country. Most elected leaders belong to the elite, landlords, business, and large clans that only know the imperial Manila way of life. Having been born rich, he or she treats the other citizens as indigents and thus believes in giving doleouts. He or she considers that the only intelligent Filipinos are his or her classmates.

Political patronage

Rene Poder, Manila: Saying no to a delusional, greedy, ambitious, showy wife.

Norberto Robles, Taguig City: Eschewing political patronage.

Ferdinand Rafer, Cavite: The most difficult part is how to discipline your appointed bosom buddy and to balance the oligarch interest from public interest.

Richard Decena, Quezon City: Ang kawalan ng lakas ng loob na tanggalin sa pwesto ang mga kaibigan at kamag-anak na sumisira sa kanyang administration.

Diony Yap, Bacolod City: Ang may maraming kamag-anak at kaibigang pinagkakautangang-loob at walang political will.

Depends on a President’s mettle

Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City: To a knowledgeable President, nothing is difficult. To a half-baked one, everything is difficult.

When people want a new one

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: When the people, with the support of the military, are demanding for his or her ouster, this is the most difficult situation of the President, as he has to step down or face shameful defeat.

Sitting duck

Joel Caluag, Bulacan: I think becoming a sitting duck President is the most difficult.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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