Since we are facing a huge problem in the West Philippine Sea, we need a president who has proven expertise in international law and foreign affairs, diplomacy and international arbitration. The president must also be competent in national defense. Since the COVID-19 pandemic will most likely extend beyond 2022, it is important that the next national leader should have a high level of competence in managing public health and infectious diseases, if not a doctor, one who is not ignorant of basic medical practices.
The economic devastation that our country suffered and will continue to suffer beyond 2022 calls for an economist or one who has competence in understanding the economy and its multifarious nuances and ramifications. He or she must know how to address the huge unemployment problem, and should have competence to balance between joblessness and wages, and to make sure that government agencies should not drive away investments, much less “kill” medium- and small-scale industries, and micro enterprises, by their myopic, short-sighted, and literal implementation and interpretation of the labor laws. The next president should assure the people of food security and stop the importation of pork and poultry while the local producers are being subjected to unfair trade practices and competition by smuggled goods or graft-ridden importations of fake and imitated goods.
Also, there is a need for the next president to have competence in solving the crimes, drugs and corruption problems. Internal subversion and rebellion should be repelled and discipline among the citizens should be promoted, upheld, and given more stress, without violating basic human rights and human dignity. The next president should also understand infrastructure, transportation, communication, IT and technology. He or she must be committed to affordable and high-quality education, health, and social welfare. He or she must have good rapport with Congress, with the judiciary and with the military and police. He or she must know how to select excellent Cabinet members and should avoid recycling many retired military officials who will just corrupt the system and destroy the civil service and career executive service.
To summarize: the qualifications should include competence in: 1.) Foreign affairs, 2.) National security, 3.) Public health, 4.) Economy, 5.) Labor and employment, 6.) Public order, 7.) Social services, 8.) Executive ability, 9.) Ability to discipline the people but with respect for human rights and human dignity. We can add overall presidential aura or appearance as number 10.) Based on these criteria, I rate Inday Sara as follows: 8 in foreign affairs, 9 in national security, (she is a colonel in the reserves) 7 in public health, 7 in economy, 7 in labor and employment, 8 in public order, 8 in social services, 8 in executive ability, 7 in discipline with human rights, and 8 in overall aura. That is a total of 77 or an average of 7.7. Leni Robredo is rated respectively as follows: 8, 6, 7, 7, 7, 6, 7, 7, 8 and 7 or a total of 70 and an average of 7.0. Bongbong is rated as 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 7, 8.or a total of 69 or an average of 6.9. Manny Pacquiao is rated 4 in all criteria except number 9 where he gets 6. That means a total of 42 or 4.2. Grace Poe is rated 6 in all criteria except number 10 where she is rated 8, or a total of 62 or 6.2.
And if we input the factors of winnability and organization, logistics, and rapport with the masses, Inday Sara will have 8 and Leni Robredo will have a 7. That means Inday Sara will win in 2022. She has the competence, the bearing and the ability to wage a national campaign plus the winnability factor. Of course, if you make your own evaluation, the results will differ from these. There are subjective elements and with some bias, of course. But, these are the realities in politics. And we are just being realistic. Any violent reactions?