On Noynoying, and when Sharon defended Tito Sotto and Quirino forgave Magsaysay
We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are. — The Talmud Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. — Soren Kierkegaard Some critics allege that Sharon has changed due to becoming wealthy now. But Sharon has been rich since birth in 1966. She studied in International School and lived in Dasma long before her billion-peso contracts.
This writer is no apologist for President Noynoy Aquino, but his public relations people need not worry too much about the popularity of leftist militants’ “Noynoying” parody over his alleged lack of work ethic, even if international media like America’s Wall Street Journal has picked it up. Also, I believe releasing to media those posed pictures of P-noy carrying a stack of folders or huddled in official meetings is unnecessary and smacks of “praise releases.”
Voters elected P-noy as leader not because he is a workaholic like Gloria Macapagal Arroyo or Fidel V. Ramos were; nor was he voted in because he is the most erudite intellectual like Ferdinand E. Marcos. Therefore, my unsolicited advice to P-noy is this: Just be yourself!
The main reason P-noy won a landslide election as president of the Philippines was due to the widespread perception that he is personally honest, similar to his late mother President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.
P-noy: Continue to uphold integrity, push anti-corruption reforms not just by going after grafters of the past like political vendettas, but also, more importantly, please push farreaching and pragmatic institutional reforms that will outlast your administration.
One reason why I believe “Noynoying” per se isn’t bad — whether there are or aren’t any kernels of truth to this seemingly derogatory allegation — is due to my strong and lifelong belief that working smart is infinitely far more important than just working hard!
Make no mistake, this writer isn’t denigrating hard work and not rationalizing sloth. I just believe a laidback and decentralized leadership style isn’t necessarily so bad or disastrous for the Philippines, if and as long as the leader has a cohesive team of competent, dedicated, hardworking and upright officials under him. Check regularly and kick some behinds!
Among my favorite great leaders in history who probably also could be described as “Noynoying” due to their laidback management styles are Liu Bang who founded the glorious Han Dynasty of ancient China and former actor US President Ronald Wilson Reagan. Both men succeeded because they had the best people who served them exceedingly well and they also made sound judgements based on the wise counsel of their exemplary officials.
SHARON CUNETA AND HELEN GAMBOA: CAN KINSHIP TRANSCEND POLITICS?
Ever since our exclusive STAR interview with Sharon Cuneta Pangilinan two weeks ago, where she revealed being saddened by her uncle Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto’s past comments about her husband Senator Kiko Pangilinan, and after her aunt Helen Gamboa said additional things in the column of entertainment editor Ricky Lo in this newspaper, the issue has since become fodder for more news and social media comments.
I recall my first long (nearly two-hour) conversation with Senator Sotto was that same late night when his niece Sharon Cuneta was in Quezon City taping a television commercial asking the public to vote for him.
After discovering that Tito Sotto was surprisingly astute in politics and quite streetsmart, I exclaimed to Sharon: “Your uncle is very smart pala, I originally thought he was just a famous clown.” Sharon laughed and enthusiastically defended her uncle: “Ikaw naman, siyempre matalino tito ko (Of course, my uncle is intelligent), good comedians are usually witty and smart.” She also told me other positive things about him and her aunt Helen Gamboa.
Some critics allege that Sharon has changed due to becoming wealthy now, yet I’ve known her for over two decades and she has remained the same person. Also, Sharon has been rich since birth in 1966; she studied in International School and lived in Makati’s posh Dasmariñas Village long before her many multimillion-peso and now billion-peso contracts.
Recently, when I bumped into Miss World Philippines head Cory Quirino and asked about the rumor that when Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay ran for president against her grandfather, then President Elpidio Quirino, even the latter’s son- in- law Luis “Chito” Gonzales had abandoned him to support Magsaysay. I said I asked this question in relation to Sharon’s having told me in her interview that she dislikes politics because “it divides families.”
Before replying to my question, Cory Quirino said: “The old man Mayor Pablo Cuneta, my lolo (grandfather) was his political godfather because he was the one who appointed Cuneta for the first time as Pasay City mayor. On the differences between Sharon Cuneta and her aunt Helen Gamboa, I just feel that blood should be thicker and stronger, enough for them to hopefully transcend any and all political differences.”
On the historical rumor of her grandfather’s own son-in-law abandoning him due to divergent politics, Cory Quirino said: “I heard my lolo’s son- in- law — tito ( uncle) Chito Gonzales, the first husband of my aunt Vicky Quirino who was First Lady of the country since my lolo was a widower — reportedly sided with Magsaysay in the 1953 presidential election. That story has been a big mystery to this day… I think it was the elder brother Dindo Gonzales who actually sided with Magsaysay, and I think nadamay lang si tito Chito, sabit lang (I think uncle Chito just had his named dragged into it, he just got entangled).”
Cory Quirino continued: “The story on his son-in-law’s politics was nothing. Actually, lolo was hurt more by Ramon Magsaysay’s running against him for the presidency. He was more hurt, because it was like losing a son. Our lolo treated his Defense Secretary Magsaysay like his own son and Magsaysay used to call him ‘papa,’ so years later when lolo died of a heart attack, he really died of a broken heart… President Magsaysay was supported by the Americans in the election, my lolo; he said no to the proliferation of too many American military bases in the Philippines. I heard the US originally wanted 78 or 80 American military bases in the country.”
Was there ever a reconciliation between Presidents Quirino and Magsaysay?
Cory Quirino recounted: “This was the story told to us by my late father Tomas ‘Tommy’ Quirino. After Magsaysay won, he went to lolo’s retirement house in Novaliches to ask for forgiveness. That happened a few weeks after he had won. And, being such a forgiving man, lolo took Magsaysay in his arms and they were reconciled once again.” Thanks for all your letters! E-mail willsoonflourish@gmail.com or follow Wilsonleeflores on Twitter.com, also Facebook.