A nation with many women on top

I have a strong feeling that the next president of the republic will not be a man, but a woman. Either Inday Sara Duterte Carpio, Leni Robredo, Cynthia Villar or a dark horse, Grace Poe. Apologies to Bongbong Marcos and Senator Ping Lacson who still harbor presidential ambitions. It seems that the ladies have the edge. It is the temper of the times.

Of course, gender should not be an issue and a nation can rise and fall based on competence or incompetence regardless of the sex and sexual preference of the head of state and head of government. Our Constitution forbids discrimination based on sex, aside from creed, race. Our statutes prohibit dismissal based on age, disability, and even explicitly prohibit termination of employment of those suffering from HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis-B, and PTB. The global imperatives for gender sensitivity have been translated into international conventions, treaties, and bilateral and multilateral agreements promoting equality among genders. In the Philippines, above all, there is a specific policy upholding equal opportunity, equal treatment in the workplace, and in society.

This culture has given rise to the emergence of many women occupying positions of presidents, prime ministers, and heads of legislature and judiciary bodies of many nations. In the Philippines today, Vice President Leni Robredo is the highest female executive official. In the Senate we have senators Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Risa Hontiveros, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, and yes, Leila de Lima, although under detention. Former senator Loren Legarda is now in the House representing the lone district of Antique. In the Supreme Court, there are three remaining female justices, Estela Bernabe, Romari Carandang, and Amy Javier. Chief justice Ma Lourdes Sereno was impeached and chief justice Teresita de Castro retired.

We had two female presidents, Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The first, was the mother of another president, Benigno Aquino III, and also the widow of the assassinated Ninoy who had obsessed to replace his nemesis frat brod, Ferdinand Marcos. The second was the youngest child of President Diosdado Macapagal's second wife Dra. Eva Macaraig Macapagal. His first marriage to the beauty queen Purita, sister of the matinee idol Rogelio de la Rosa, produced the lady governor of Pampanga, Cielo Macapagal Salgado.

We have had records of excellent performances in the Senate by women senators, like Geronima Pecson (the first-ever Filipina elected to the Philippine Senate), Pacita Madrigal Warns Gonzales, Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Tecla San Andres Ziga, Helena Benitez, Magnolia Antonino, Letecia Ramos Shahani, and of course, the most articulate and perhaps the most brilliant of them all, Miriam Defensor Santiago. Of course, we remember Dra. Loi Ejercito Estrada, Santanina Rasul, Tessie Aquino Oreta (younger sister of Ninoy), Nikki Coseteng, and Jamby Madrigal.

As of today, a big number of House members are women. More and more judges, prosecutors, and government lawyers are female. In the Cabinet, we have Dr. Liling Magtolis Briones in Dep-Ed and Bernadette Romulo Puyat (soon to be Cojuangco) in Tourism. President Duterte appointed the late Gina Lopez to head DENR but the mining moguls worked very hard for the rejection of her confirmation by the Commission on “Disappointments”. There are, however, hundreds of lady undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and bureau and regional directors. The civil service head is a woman. There are female commissioners of the COA and Comelec. I think the women are doing a better job than men.

In Cebu, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia appears to be doing quite well, still passionate, dynamic, action-oriented and always remembering those who helped her and hurt her. But after the polls, it seems she has already found a way to work with Vice Governor Junjun Davide professionally. They aren’t the best of friends but they are no longer enemies. Or so, it appears.