A week ago, President Rodrigo R. Duterte was reported to have hoped that the next president of the Philippines is a lawyer. The report triggered a discussion whether a lawyer could indeed be a better president than one who has no legal training.
The President’s statement was intriguing given that there is only one lawyer among the five leading candidates for president – Vice President Leni Robredo. Is Mr. Duterte endorsing the vice president over former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who are non-lawyers?
Let’s review our history to get an idea as to the trainings of our former Presidents. The ex-presidents up to Martial Law were Emilio Aguinaldo, Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Sr., Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay, Carlos P. Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal and Ferdinand E. Marcos. All except Aguinaldo and Magsaysay were lawyers.
After the EDSA Revolution, the Presidents were Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo, Benigno S. Aquino III and Duterte. All were non-lawyers, except Duterte.
What is the experience of the United States of America, the country whose political and electoral systems we copied.
A California-based professor stated: “What do the following Presidents have in common, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt? All are frequently voted by historians as amongst the 10 best US Presidents – and all are lawyers or law school graduates.
“And what do the following Presidents have in common: Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan and Richard Nixon? All are frequently voted by historians as among the 10 worst US Presidents – and all are lawyers or law school graduates.
Now, in expressing his hope that the next President will be a lawyer, did President Duterte imply that he is endorsing VP Leni for President in the May 9, 2022 election?
Our take is. Not necessarily. The reporters could have taken his statement out of context.
He made the remarks while being interviewed by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, his friend and spiritual adviser Saturday last week.
Preesident Duterte did not exactly say or argue that a lawyer can be a better President.
What he told Pastor Quiboloy was that the next President should be compassionate, has a good judgment of character and is decisive. These were the characteristics the Filipino people should look for in selecting the next President.
“Hindi naman ako nagsasabi it’s the best quality, but one of the qualities of a president, sana abogado, isang tingin mo lang, maka decide na kaagad. And the repercussions, alam mo kung ano.
VP President and a certain Jose Montemayor are the only lawyers among the current candidates.
