Aquino is better than Gibo sez Mar Roxas

Something got lost when the Philippine Daily Inquirer ran the story titled "Roxas says Aquino better than Teodoro".

It didn't say exactly say why Roxas thought Aquino was better than Gibo.

When one says something is better than the other, the usual practice is to enumerate the number of things that makes that one thing better.

The closest thing, in terms of proving that Aquino is better than Teodoro are the following sentences/paragraphs.

11. At a press briefing shortly after Roxas’ announcement, Aquino was asked how different he was from Teodoro, his second cousin.

12. “I am hoping we will not engage in meaningless arguments but rather on how we intend to push our beliefs in how to govern the country and convince people who has a better plan and platform of government between us,” Aquino said in Filipino.

15. “Secretary Gibo (Teodoro) said he believed in the programs and policies of GMA (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) and that he would continue them,” Roxas said.

16. “Sen. Noynoy does not want the crooked, the wrong. He does not want mulcting and plundering. So, he will do what is straight and true. That’s their difference,” Roxas added.

Paragraph 12 is a step in the right direction, but perhaps it would have been better if Noynoy didn't frame it in a way that would suggest that any attempt at citing differences would necessarily lead to meaningless arguments.

Then again, perhaps the reporter could have rephrased the question or followed it up with, "So, what are the key differences between Teodoro's belief in how the government should be run and your belief in how the government should be run?  How are your plans and platform of government different from Teodoro's plans and platforms?"

Answering these questions in a proper manner or even in a manner meant to evoke a sense of character, would have scored Noynoy points -- big time.  He didn't have to lay out all the details of his belief in how the government should be run, in fact, he could have just pointed out what he believed to be one of the most crucial flaws in the way the government is being run.  Then he could have pointed out the difference between his views and Teodoro's views on how the government should be run.

To be fair, though, Noynoy had in fact laid out what he'd do as President.

In previous articles, he was quoted as remarking that "Gibo has more hair and has a wife", which is the GAGO way to go about citing differences.

Paragraphs 15 and 16 were a bit better as Mar seemed to have begun talking about what makes Noynoy better than Gibo, but it seems to have still fallen short and makes an insinuation that Gibo would merely continue the "mulcting and plundering" of the Arroyo Administration -- which is not something that should come unexpected.

Then again, to be a bit objective about it, we have to ask is "mulcting and plundering" all that the Arroyo Administration does?

Somehow, the Arroyo Administration or at least its bureaucracy, manages to get some things done.

The public education system seems to function despite being in a decrepit state, the BIR still manages to collect income taxes, the customs still gets duties, roads still get built, etcetera.

Perhaps the retort to this would be that without "mulcting and plundering", we'd have a better government and therefore, better government services.

I wonder, did that happen during Cory Aquino's time?  After all, her administration did away with all the vestiges of the Marcos Regime -- right down to the chairs that Marcos used in his pronouncements.

Roxas failed to say exactly how Noynoy would be better at stopping the "mulcting and plundering".  If he said anything that would clue me in on a specific measure that Noynoy would implement to stop mulcting and plundering that would be better than Gibo's own anti-corruption measures -- if he has one --  please feel free to let me know about it.

Moreover, and I am still waiting for this, how is Noynoy going run the government better than Gloria?  Stopping corruption is a given part of Noy's platform, but certainly, that's not all one does as President.

I wonder, if by some chance, one of Aquino's plans to rid the government of corruption is to put either Jun Lozada or Joey De Venecia at the head of the PAGC (Presidential Anti-Graft Commission) or Ombudsman -- since they know so much about the internal workings of corruption.