As the former president who arguably led the Philippines to its most prosperous economic period next to the late president Elpidio Quirino, Fidel V. Ramos has the privilege of offering unsolicited advice to the second Aquino administration and the media.
His keynote speech at the recent Philippine Press Institute gathering acknowledged the role of traditional media to report verified facts, and the tendency of the new social media to spread information without checking.
Not surprisingly, he was vocal about asking Filipinos to get behind President Benigno Aquino III as a leader under pressure who has to “juggle ten balls or hot potatoes in the air” while balancing on a high wire inclined upward.
That call for national unity, while viewed with a cynical eye by many, still rings true in this day and age.
One could only look at and envy mature democracies in the US and Europe and even some parts of Asia, which can topple a leader and a party through elections and still manage to ensure a smooth transition of power and ensure the protection of the rights of its citizens and their welfare.
That includes ensuring the right to free speech and the freedom to peaceably assemble and air their grievances.
Despite the freedoms we enjoy, Ramos’ appeal for unity should be weighed and predicated on the people’s capacity to immediately seek redress and solutions for their problems.
The burden of leadership is not something to make light of, even though leaders and former presidents have made a second career out of telling their “war stories” in self-bio books and speaking engagements, like what Ramos is doing now.
To his credit, Ramos’ presidency didn’t muzzle the press.
In fact, he was noted for his generally fair treatment and constructive reception of criticism in the media.
The recent celebration of World Press Freedom Day discussed at length the dangers of libel suits and violence faced by media practitioners.
Ramos touched on one aspect, the adversarial relations of the media and government.
We can understand and even join the former president’s appeal for unity.
But that unity shouldn’t be forged at the expense of glossing over the abuses, corruption and incompetence of government officials and agencies.
The media and the people can help by cracking the whip on government and making them accountable to the country.
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