The most mentally prepared for the presidency

This piece is not about qualifications as the Constitution only demands the most ridiculously basic requirements of he or she who must lead 110 million Filipinos from the highest position in the land. This will be about the readiness and mental toughness of whoever gets to be chosen president from among 97 who filed certificates of candidacy for the post.

Of the 97, only five or six have at least some chance of winning. Of this number, Senator Bato de la Rosa is the least ready and prepared mentally. He was never really into it. He can be likened to that guy in the joke who was pushed into the swimming pool. On almost equal footing as Bato is Senator Manny Pacquiao.

After trying odd jobs, Manny went into boxing, not because he looked to becoming a great champion someday but because it offered slightly better pay. But Manny was gifted with terrific skills and it made him rich and famous. Outside of boxing, though, Manny does not know what to do with his life. He has tried pro basketball and pro singing. He became a pastor. Then he dreamed of horses running and now he wants to be president. Nah.

Vice President Leni Robredo is a daughter of a judge appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos. Not surprisingly, she became a lawyer. Her marriage to a popular mayor who went on to become a Cabinet member is not enough motivation or inspiration for her to even dream of entering politics herself. Her immersion in human rights lawyering should have made her averse to political power.

But her husband died tragically, under the presidency of someone whose family ascendancy to the pinnacles of power sprung largely from the romanticism and sentimentality of Filipinos, especially following great tragedy. It is no coincidence that Philippine politics and Philippine cinema have never matured or risen to global standards --both have stayed rooted to the same popular formula of tragic rich-poor romance and sentimentality.

And thus Leni was thrust, first into the vice presidency, and now the presidency. It is doubtful if, from the first push to the current shove, she really wanted these high positions. Leni is a simple, humble person. Her problem is her inability to say no to those seeking to benefit from her position. If she is not prepared to be Alpha Female, her presidency will be a presidency of advisers, opportunists, and other suckers. Scary and dangerous.

Ping Lacson and Isko Moreno are both prepared. Lacson has the wealth of experience, both in law enforcement and in legislation. He just does not have the kick to propel himself to victory. Isko, like Pacquiao, rose from poverty. But while Pacquiao relied mainly on God-given skills and luck, Isko knew exactly what to do with his life and charted his own destiny. But his experience, while vast, is still low level. He needs to ripen more.

Bongbong Marcos is the only one among the above who has observed the presidency up close, being the son of Marcos Sr., whose presidency was, admittedly the most divisive in this country's history. Ever since that part of his life and up to this day, Bongbong and his family have been the most hated, reviled, despised. There is nothing that has not been thrown at them. Even hardware stores have probably run out of kitchen sinks.

But Bongbong is still there, focused and, by most surveys, leading. Why? Because he is the most prepared. He has seen the heights of power and glory and seen the same come crashing down to be spat on and ground underfoot. If there is one better prepared for the harsh challenges and the enormous weight of adversity, it is Marcos. He is the son of his father, but only in his genes, as we are. In mind and heart, he is his own man, as we are.