The Ball is Now in Noynoy's Hands

On August 25, 1975, a half hour before midnight, and from his dark and desolate prison cell in Fort Bonifacio, Ninoy Aquino typed his last words of advice and farewell - or so he thought it would be - to his son Noynoy. In the concluding portion of his letter, he said, "Son, the ball is now in your hands." Ninoy could not have probably thought then that his only son would blossom into a political leader and become the standard bearer of his party, but his letter finds as much relevance today as it did 34 years ago.

Ninoy apologized to Noynoy for not bequeathing him any material wealth. He was, however, proud to tell Noynoy that he will leave him an untarnished name that he will carry for the rest of his life - that is, if he himself does not tarnish it. Now that Noynoy has publicly declared his intention to run for the presidency, the Aquino legacy, which has been rekindled with the demise of Cory Aquino and anniversary of Ninoy's death, will prove most helpful. In fact, it was these momentous occasions that propelled Noynoy into the national spotlight.

But as Ninoy said, the ball is now in Noynoy's hands. The shadows of his parents will not stay for long; as the race deepens, Noynoy will have to prove his own mettle. It will become more and more his own fight where his own strength of character, resolve, charisma, and abilities would matter. To be sure, Noynoy will be compared with the fiery eloquence and brilliance of his father, and the disarming demeanor and charisma of his mother. And there can be no pretense that Noynoy possesses these outstanding qualities. But since Noynoy's supporters have found in him the symbol of unity and integrity in governance, they are willing to overlook these absent qualities for as long as Noynoy remains above reproach and humble in his abilities.

Noynoy may not have the fat resume of an accomplished legislator who have written volumes of beneficial legislations, but he brings to the table the integrity of his name and the guarantee that he will run a clean and honest government. There is the conventional wisdom in politics that a bad economy is bad for the current administration in the coming elections. That wisdom applies equally well when the current administration is wracked by corruption and abuses. The contender that promises a clean and honest government presents the most appealing alternative, as it did in 1986. This is the promise of Noynoy that is not seen on other presidential hopefuls - at least after Mar Roxas dropped his ambition.

For those who would question Noynoy's intellectual abilities and experience to run the country, suffice it to say that we have elected before an Erap Estrada and possibly a Fernando Poe, Jr. Noynoy will not exactly be clueless and wanting in academic credentials. He graduated from Ateneo with an economics degree and has served his district in Tarlac as congressman for three consecutive terms, aside from the fact that he is now an incumbent senator. He is, therefore, no stranger to politics and the operations of the government.

The call of the times, however, is not another bar topnotcher, seasoned politician or accomplished economist. The people are clamoring for someone who can bring back confidence to government and make it work for the people. The first one appears within reach by a Noynoy presidency, but the latter still remains to be seen. For now, however, given the current dispensation, the people appear poised to put their stake on someone who could bring the first objective.