Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Enumerating the instances when the government displayed “failure of leadership,” Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile gave President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday an unsolicited advice: Don’t be “paranoid,” reflect, and assert your leadership.
“I’m not about to be an adviser to a president but I would suggest to him to re-examine himself, and don’t be paranoid on imputing any motive against other people. Reflect on yourself, and assert your leadership,” Enrile told Radyo Inquirer 990AM when asked for a message to Aquino, whose term will end in June this year.
“There was a failure of leadership in Mamasapano, there was a failure of leadership in that fiasco in Luneta. It’s always a failure of leadership e. There was a failure of leadership in Yolanda,” said the senator.
Enrile was quick to say though that he was not saying those things because he has an axe to grind against the President.
The senator was among those charged and detained over the pork barrel scam but he was allowed by the court to post bail in August last year.
READ: Enrile out on bail from detention over ‘pork’ scam
“I’m not saying this because I want to be personal but it’s an analysis of his administration,” Enrile said.
READ: Enrile refutes Aquino claim: ‘I have no grudge against him’
“Who will remember the growth rates and the numbers in the future? Other presidents have also numbers and growth rates but nobody remembers them but what they will remember is the way you performed your function as president in crisis situations,” he said.
Enrile also advised the Filipino people not to be carried away by emotions when they choose the next president in May.
“Ang payo ko sa inyo sa darating na eleksyon, huwag na kayong magpadala sa emosyon. Basahin ninyo, aralin ninyo ang karakter ng bawat kandidato at doon n’yo ibibigay ang inyong boto na maging pangulo ng Pilipinas sapagkat dapat ‘yung Pangulo natin ay alam ang ginagawa,” he said.
(My advice to you this coming elections is not to be carried away by your emotions. Read and study the character of every candidate and give your vote for president to someone who knows what he is doing, because that is the trait we need in a president.)
“Kung yung mga maliliit na korporasyon pinipili nila ang pinakamagaling na maging presidente, ano pa kaya sa buong bansa?” the senator added.
(If smaller corporations choose the best candidate to be their president, doesn’t an entire nation need to do the same?) IDL