by: ANGELI MAE S. CANTILLANA RARE. For the very first time, President Benigno Aquino III officially spoke about his intention on pushing charter change and discussed particular provisions in the Constitution that he wishes to amend. This was after the curtain-raising one-on-one interview with Atty. Mel Sta. Maria which was aired in TV5 last Aug. 17. Sta. Maria, the legal analyst of TV5, asked PNoy on whether he was open to amending the Constitution, including the removal of the six-year presidential term limit. |
"Hindi ko lang po maiwasang itanong ito sa inyo. Kamakailan po ay 'yung mga usap-usapin na baka kayo ay i-extend niyo pa ang term niyo. Kayo po, ano ang pananaw niyo dito? Kayo nga po ba ay may binabalak o talagang wala naman sa isipan niyo 'yan?" the dean of the Far Eastern University Institute of Law asked the president.
The president answered, "Ang mga boss ko ho kailangan kong pakinggan rin e, at hindi ibig sabihin noon na automatic na hahabol ako na magkaroon pa ako ng dagdag dito, ano. Pero ang tanong nga doon 'paano natin masisigurado na ang mga repormang nagawa natin na magiging permanente na itong pagbabago natin.'"
"So pagkokonsulta ho sa mga boss 'yon. Paano ba ang mas may katiyakan tayo na 'yung mga pinaghirapan natin ay talaga namang magkaroon na ng ugat at magkatotoo ng permanenteng pagbabago."
The president's response is intriguing as it leads the Filipinos to ask another question. While having said that he has to primarily listen to his "bosses", he also showed that he would not immediately go for second term. But, he still did not answer. Intriguing... Yet again. When he said he will listen to his bosses, did he also mean that he is looking for approval? For a positive pulse? Was he looking for an opening so he could go for second term?
A positive or a negative pulse?
The rare one-on-one interview did not only reach the Philippine media, but also the international media.
The New York Times Weekly, one of the world’s premier news organizations, expressed their dismay by writing an editorial which was published last Aug. 28.
The editorial titled “Political Mischief,” highlighted not only PNoy seeking for a second term, but also his desire to oust the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court justices are the architects behind the declaration of PNoy’s Disbursement Acceleration Program as unconstitutional last July 1.
New York Times stated that the president thinks that the Supreme Court has grown too powerful that he has to reassert the power of the executive authority.
“He should stop butting heads with the court and gracefully step down when his term is up.”
They added that the president should uphold the Constitution in respect to his father who died in “a struggle against [Ferdinand] Marcos and for his mother” who died after the triumphant move against the abuses of presidency.
Even before the airing of the interview ends, online news organizations published stories highlighting PNoy’s intriguing stance on a possible second term. It was followed by news headlines containing different angles, but the most notable are those highlighting Aquino's openness for second term.
Too bad, other readers did not read beyond the front page and make efforts to read the jump page, and conclude that PNoy has officially announced that he is going for a second term.
As expected, it gathered different reactions—mostly of dismay and alarm—from the Filipinos.
Slow clap
A 53-minute televised interview should be boring. It is like watching a match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona without ace strikers and outstanding goalies.
Lengthy interviews can bore audiences because it is either too long or the questions being asked by the interviewer are cliché, repetitive, and cliché again. It could be also because of the attitude of some boastful interviewers marred with "I-am-the-host-I-am-the-star-traits."
But Sta. Maria did not encounter any of those problems. His interview with the president is intelligently done, straightforward, and informative—not cliché nor repetitive.
The interview could be classified as a smooth question-and-answer portion between to elite minds. It made the audience think that it was scripted... Except for one part.
PNoy answered Sta. Maria's question with a relaxed posture and confident speeches, except when answering Sta. Maria's question on whether he consider another six years.
"...hahabol ako na magkaroon pa ako ng dagdag dito, ano..."
This was his only response, flawed with stuttered words and an uncomfortable way of delivering.
Citing a commentary by Raissa Robles, an investigative journalist, posted at raissarobles.com, Sta. Maria revealed that it was an “ambush” question.
"I gave questions in advance excluding that," Sta. Maria told Robles.
No one can argue that this interview was rare and novel, especially for the Filipinos who patiently waited for Aquino's side regarding the amendment of the Constitution that commenced under the presidency of his mother.
Saying that Sta. Maria is the most fitted journalist for this kind of interview is an understatement.
Media Newser Philippines, an online community website that features anything related to Philippine News TV, said Sta. Maria's "easy-to-approach" image and smart analysis on issues made the administration agree to talk to him. Moreover, Sta. Maria is always fair "unlike his colleagues in TV5.”
This "Interview with the president" deserves a slow clap. The Philippine Television needs more Atty. Mel Sta. Marias... A journalist who profess greatness, but does not forget to uphold ethics.
This could also be a call to the news organization to invest more on airing newsier programs like these instead of sensational, tabloid reports.
I swear! It is way better than airing a mega star's problem with weight.
The president answered, "Ang mga boss ko ho kailangan kong pakinggan rin e, at hindi ibig sabihin noon na automatic na hahabol ako na magkaroon pa ako ng dagdag dito, ano. Pero ang tanong nga doon 'paano natin masisigurado na ang mga repormang nagawa natin na magiging permanente na itong pagbabago natin.'"
"So pagkokonsulta ho sa mga boss 'yon. Paano ba ang mas may katiyakan tayo na 'yung mga pinaghirapan natin ay talaga namang magkaroon na ng ugat at magkatotoo ng permanenteng pagbabago."
The president's response is intriguing as it leads the Filipinos to ask another question. While having said that he has to primarily listen to his "bosses", he also showed that he would not immediately go for second term. But, he still did not answer. Intriguing... Yet again. When he said he will listen to his bosses, did he also mean that he is looking for approval? For a positive pulse? Was he looking for an opening so he could go for second term?
A positive or a negative pulse?
The rare one-on-one interview did not only reach the Philippine media, but also the international media.
The New York Times Weekly, one of the world’s premier news organizations, expressed their dismay by writing an editorial which was published last Aug. 28.
The editorial titled “Political Mischief,” highlighted not only PNoy seeking for a second term, but also his desire to oust the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court justices are the architects behind the declaration of PNoy’s Disbursement Acceleration Program as unconstitutional last July 1.
New York Times stated that the president thinks that the Supreme Court has grown too powerful that he has to reassert the power of the executive authority.
“He should stop butting heads with the court and gracefully step down when his term is up.”
They added that the president should uphold the Constitution in respect to his father who died in “a struggle against [Ferdinand] Marcos and for his mother” who died after the triumphant move against the abuses of presidency.
Even before the airing of the interview ends, online news organizations published stories highlighting PNoy’s intriguing stance on a possible second term. It was followed by news headlines containing different angles, but the most notable are those highlighting Aquino's openness for second term.
Too bad, other readers did not read beyond the front page and make efforts to read the jump page, and conclude that PNoy has officially announced that he is going for a second term.
As expected, it gathered different reactions—mostly of dismay and alarm—from the Filipinos.
Slow clap
A 53-minute televised interview should be boring. It is like watching a match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona without ace strikers and outstanding goalies.
Lengthy interviews can bore audiences because it is either too long or the questions being asked by the interviewer are cliché, repetitive, and cliché again. It could be also because of the attitude of some boastful interviewers marred with "I-am-the-host-I-am-the-star-traits."
But Sta. Maria did not encounter any of those problems. His interview with the president is intelligently done, straightforward, and informative—not cliché nor repetitive.
The interview could be classified as a smooth question-and-answer portion between to elite minds. It made the audience think that it was scripted... Except for one part.
PNoy answered Sta. Maria's question with a relaxed posture and confident speeches, except when answering Sta. Maria's question on whether he consider another six years.
"...hahabol ako na magkaroon pa ako ng dagdag dito, ano..."
This was his only response, flawed with stuttered words and an uncomfortable way of delivering.
Citing a commentary by Raissa Robles, an investigative journalist, posted at raissarobles.com, Sta. Maria revealed that it was an “ambush” question.
"I gave questions in advance excluding that," Sta. Maria told Robles.
No one can argue that this interview was rare and novel, especially for the Filipinos who patiently waited for Aquino's side regarding the amendment of the Constitution that commenced under the presidency of his mother.
Saying that Sta. Maria is the most fitted journalist for this kind of interview is an understatement.
Media Newser Philippines, an online community website that features anything related to Philippine News TV, said Sta. Maria's "easy-to-approach" image and smart analysis on issues made the administration agree to talk to him. Moreover, Sta. Maria is always fair "unlike his colleagues in TV5.”
This "Interview with the president" deserves a slow clap. The Philippine Television needs more Atty. Mel Sta. Marias... A journalist who profess greatness, but does not forget to uphold ethics.
This could also be a call to the news organization to invest more on airing newsier programs like these instead of sensational, tabloid reports.
I swear! It is way better than airing a mega star's problem with weight.