PNoy overall popularity still up, except in Metro Manila
PNoy is still lucky to have this good level of political capital. But he can't afford to be too complacent. Apparently, his 'political' team is doing good. However, I'm wary of his 'economic' team for we badly need Keynesians among them in this time of crisis — at least, those who believe in deficit spending on employment-generating, job-creating projects and the goal of (full) employment.
I don't believe in the flimsy and simplistic logic of "kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap". To me, it's an empty rhetoric. I'd rather say "kung walang kahirapan, walang mahirap!" (Note: Right now, Gloria is not being arrested and tried for corruption, but for alleged electoral sabotage). The greatest threats to PNoy and to the welfare of the people are not Gloria and her ilk but the interdependent, global structural crises (global economic crisis, eurozone crisis, food price crisis, geopolitical crises, environmental crisis).
While the DOJ and appropriate agencies, civil society, social critics, and media look after the prosecution of Gloria, PNoy should seriously focus and act on poverty reduction/containment/elimination strategies. We need a concrete vision; we should plan precisely because of the uncertainties and volatility of the local and global economy; we should know exactly where the "daang matuwid" is leading to.
Indeed, we are confronted with the persistent historical structural contradiction in the struggle for social change: "People make history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past...."
Meanwhile, PNoy has four (4) years left to end his term of office, to fulfill his promises, and also to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals. The Filipino people's support to PNoy and the government is most urgently needed.
