Polibiz
We are not our brothers' keepers
Not everyone was surprised when the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last July 24 was given a passing mark by Iloilo Governor Niel D. Tupas who watched the entire proceeding from a live telecast inside the conference room of the Governor's Office together with former Barotac Viejo mayor Nonoy Myrna Tupas and other municipal mayors and Capitol officials.
In fact, there were a lot of those who anticipated the governor's positive reaction based on the latest political development in the local arena.
Governor Tupas has proven to all and sundry that he can be fair and reasonable in his assessment of the political and economic issues being pursued by the administration even if he now belongs to the opposite political fence.
The governor was, in fact, prepared to issue a critical and unfavorable media statement against the SONA, like he did in the past, if he believed that the President was only doing a lip service and was not sincere in her statements and promises for a stronger republic until 2010.
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The high rating that he gave the President should not be misconstrued as a sign of infallibility and weakness as he was merely expressing his thoughts and conviction as a leader.
He may have, in the past, sought the resignation of the President amid the "Hello Garci" scandal but the statesmanship in him suggests that he discard first his bias and political affiliation for an honest-to-goodness assessment of a very important speech that comes only once in a while.
In truth and in fact, the SONA was laudable and was delivered with excellent panache that even some of those who made derogatory remarks were caught flat-footed after the speech was well applauded for at least 153 times.
Immaturity has no place in politics especially for somebody who has been in public service for the past 40 years now.
Just because Ivan The Terrible was afraid to cross the Syracuse Sea doesn't mean that he was already afraid of sea water.
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There are those who cast doubts on the chances of Board Member Doming Oso to win the vice gubernatorial contest in the next elections against the incumbent or anybody that will be fielded by the Lakas-CMD owing to his blood relations to the controversial Msgr. Meliton Oso.
Some avid political observers opined that the prelate Oso has alienated a lot of Ilonggos who are still four-square behind Pres. Gloria Arroyo because it seems that he has become a political activist and sometimes socialist judging from the way he used some terminologies in slamming the Arroyo administration.
Since majority of the Ilonggos are supporters of Pres. Gloria Arroyo, some voters might think that the board member Oso and the churchman Oso are one and the same.
Aside from their many similarities, both the Oso brothers also speak fluent English and are authoritative in their respective field of endeavors. Naturally, if the voters are biased against Msgr. Oso because of his political views, they may also adopt a not-so-pleasant attitudetowardvice-governor-to-be-Oso.
On the other hand, we cannot blame the public official Oso for his "political misfortune" because even you and me and the ones who don't read this column can't select our brothers.
We are not even our brothers' keepers.