Presidency for life?

Presidency for life?

Has the president resolved to become a lifetime chief executive of this country? Sensing that she has an opportunity to hold on to her power beyond 2010 by running as congresswoman in her district, this impresses us that power indeed intoxicates. How true are the words of James Byrnes when he said, "Power intoxicates men. When a man is intoxicated by alcohol he can recover, but when intoxicated by power he seldom recovers."

Any elected president must realize that he or she is a president of a country and not a president of a family-owned corporation. He or she as president must govern the people with respect and not make the country as his or her personal toy. Does the president not want to live as a former president with weakened immunity liable to prosecution by whoever will be her successor?

The time has come for us Filipinos to stand up and protest against this cheap political ploy. Let us vehemently oppose this re-entry and life presidency plan of the president through the backdoor. Let us oppose any political scheme to make her chief executive for life. Let us not remain sheepish and docile. Instead, let us be assertive with our rights to choose the next president of this country come 2010 elections and at bayonet point tell the president she already had her time and that she cannot flout the constitution.

I suggest that she should start looking to history and reflect on how people in the future will judge her and her presidency. I suggest too that she should rather plan on how to have a dignified exit before her term ends on 2010 and not to think on ways to perpetuate her hold on power. She and her political entourage’s campaign of self-perpetuation will be a mistake. God forbids, they will be embarrassed and a great deal of their dignity will be robbed off.

The president should now start unifying our fragmented country. She should now mend fences with her political opponents. She has still an ample time to prove herself that she is the president of the people by initiating actions that will redeem her esteem and her office and who knows, our people will have kind thoughts of her after she leaves her office.

Madam President, your time is running out- prepare now for a dignified exit. It is time for you to go home. For the remaining months of your office as our president, leave a lasting legacy for us to remember you by. Godspeed Madam President and have a peaceful life.