Ten things that being popular among Filipinos proves about you

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Crows the Inquirer.net at its top headline: "Aquino's rating hits 79%"! It is indeed a celebration of the rise of a president who truly reflects the character of the people he leads.

But what exactly does being popular among Filipinos prove? Let me count the ways. Being popular among Filipinos proves...

(1) That you appeal to the vacuous sensibilities of a people who have an extensive track record of failing to prosper collectively for the past half-century;

(2) That a people who count Wowowee as their favourite television show see you as a person who understands their needs;

(3) That you are tops among people who vote for "prayerfulness" and pedigree over clear qualifications and proven experience in governance and politics;

(4) That you are tops among people who have time and again voted for characters like Joseph "Erap" Estrada, Antonio Trillanes, Tito Sotto, Joey Marquez, and Andal Ampatuan to be their leaders and representatives; and,

(5) That you seriously get your rocks off these popularity surveys.

I lied. I've listed only five things and not the ten I promised in the title of this piece. But then I'm not like President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III whose promises to his people are actually insults-to-their-intelligence in disguise. Then again, there is not much of any such intelligence to insult to begin with. And that, folks, is why Noynoy Aquino remains popular among Filipinos today.

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