The Presidentiables: Up close and personal

by Sara Soliven de Guzman – Philippine Star

Noynoy Aquino went to the Philippine Star on February 22. I arrived ten minutes after the interview began. I did not get to see how he came in to greet the staff and how he prepared himself before the interview. He was generally kind, courteous, soft-spoken and tranquil. I noticed however, that the chair he was sitting on was not comfortable but he made no fuss about it. He was talking at a maximum speed, non-stop, no flickering whatsoever. Oblivious to all that was going on and the people around him, he answered all the questions thrown at him. Contrary to the perceptions of many, Noynoy exuded a spirit of confidence especially when it came to affairs of the state (not of the heart, hehe). He knew exactly what to say and this is why I am quite puzzled when many people say that Noynoy “does not have a clue” of what he is saying. Let me tell you, he surely knows what he is saying and may catch you off guard with his amazing statements and actions at the most unpredictable time. He is not naïve!

Noynoy is the “pure statesman” in this presidential race. He knows the country inside out. He is like a walking encyclopedia, a nerd if you want to call it. He knows the law, the Constitution and even Republic Acts promulgated long, long time ago. It is as if he has studied and analyzed all possible issues and topics with careful scrutiny and examined them piece by piece. Amongst all the presidentiables, he seems to have mastered governance to a tee and knows that indeed, a revolutionary change is just what the world and the people need (although he did not say this directly). His outlook is so broad. People can easily be drawn to his aspirations, dreams and plans without force. He is open-minded but at the same time shows firmness. His liberalism has its boundaries as well. His vision has clearly put him way ahead of the rest.

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