Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Buyer's remorse

Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, just announced his endorsement for Aquino for president. According to the Philippine Inquirer, he doesn't regret the fact that he swore Arroyo in (in constitutionally questionable circumstances), but does suggest she hasn't been an ideal president, to say the least. This could be something along the lines of Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama back in 2008 - a high-profile figure who helped the former president disassociates himself and endorses the young rising star. 

This raises an interesting question of what prompted Davide to swear Arroyo in for a full term as president back in 2001. Did Davide change his mind over time? Possibly. However, it's not clear Davide was an Arroyo loyalist even in the early days. He ruled against her administration several times. According to the book Shadow of Doubt, Davide probably only meant to swear her in as acting president, but, he alleges, he got caught up in the moment of EDSA II. The large crowds both inspired and intimidated him. Alas, if he had a bit more nerve, the past 10 years might have been radically different.

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