Finally the programs are out: Roxas-Robredo, Poe and Duterte. I can compare them and older statements of Poe and Duterte that I already analyzed. My take on the three:
- Roxas is systematic and thorough
- Poe is compassionate and visionary
- Duterte is pragmatic and grounded
In an ideal Philippines they could be a great team. In an ideal Philippines, there might be something like the Swiss Federal Council where seven persons are collectively the head of state and one is President each year, but all decide as a team by consensus. Three people, each one President for two years, with the “walang sapawan” (no upstaging) principle that made Eat Bulaga last so long?
But we do not live in an ideal world, the Philippines is not Switzerland, it is the zero-sum game Philippines. But still I have ventured to have a look at the ideas of all three (from programs and statements) and see who has good ideas, who has stuff missing, and who has really bad ideas. The result, as food for thought and discussion, is this:
Some short comments:
- I think a justice system reform is first priority to ensure faster trials. Rizal already mentioned swift and fair justice as a virtue of English colonies – while criticizing Spanish colonial justice.
- Poe has really good ideas for citizen empowerment which go towards a modern political system and party system. She of course has a strong focus on children – it was her job before.
- Roxas’ program is extremely comprehensive, the only criticisms I have are it does not mention children (but it does mention families) and citizen empowerment explicitly.
- Duterte’s program is patchy, his only strong points are the justice system and the laws. His rejection of higher education (algebra) is not a visionary approach at all.
- There is hardly any statement by any about higher education, which is vital for the future. Nothing on think tanks to help the government generate ideas.
If I have missed anything – which is possible given the extent of the topic – please tell me or correct me if there is a mistake. This is my humble input – I look forward to further discussion.
Irineo B. R. Salazar, München, 11. February 2016
P.S. thanks to giancarlo and Edgar for posting the programs. An afterthought: free tertiary for all could be red for Grace Poe due to non-fundability… Binay is totally non-fundable of course.