Presidency: Private or Public

Everyone longs to be free. This longing has always been a pursuit of most, if not all,
people. However, it seemed that this will always be a pursuit, which no one can ever attain. This
will always be a struggle of everyone. Perhaps, this is because of the fact that our understanding
of freedom varies from individual to individual. Hence, we never achieve it - for if one claims
that he or she has it, others may claim that it is theirs, which has been taken away from them.
One’s liberty might suppress others. Now, is it moral to claim one’s liberty in the expense of
others’ suppression?
To be specific, let us consider this instance that occurred in the Philippines. It is when the
President Benigno Aquino III (the son of the “Mother of Philippine Democracy”) bought
Porsche. Of course, this earned a lot of critics, not just being a public official but also being an
individual.
One among these many comments is from Atty. Laguatan.1 He posted:
As president, he needs to show a polite sensitivity to the plight and feelings of millions of desperately poor
Filipinos. Nearly one-third of our countrymen live in quiet desperation barely surviving in slum
communities and go to bed hungry at night. Mothers and fathers helplessly see their children every day
deprived of proper food, shelter, health care and education—condemned to a life without a decent future.
Some quietly shed tears at night knowing their sick children will die because they cannot afford to buy
medicines or medical services.

The president of a country where this kind of mass poverty and misery thrives appears to show an utter lack
of sensitivity to the plight and feelings of the desperately poor in buying a P4.5-million Porsche. [P]roper
discretion dictates that even if in fact he can afford to honestly buy the Porsche or that he thinks driving it
relaxes him, it doesn't necessarily mean he should have one.
It shows not only insensitivity but also immaturity and poor leadership.
Being president is a great responsibility. He is either a servant to the people or a curse to them. If the
president is to be a servant and a great president, he must be willing to sacrifice his own personal needs and
idiosyncrasies for his people (Laguatan 2011).
“By the way, is Memorandum Circular 9 [issued last 14 December 2010] still in effect? It
prohibits gov't officials from purchasing luxury vehicles (Farol 2011).” Can the state intervene?
Is it moral for the state to intervene?
Many tend to justify the issue by saying that the money used in purchasing the luxury car
is personal money. It is the president’s own money. Hence, they claim that it is a private property
of the president. Just like any other citizens of the state, he has the right for a private property - a
private life.
However, it is the moral duty of the state to intervene especially that the state has a
written rule for such matters. Not to mention, it is very obvious that the Memorandum Circular 9
was issued during the term of the president involved.
Thus, in the end, the question is: Is there a private life for a President? If there is, is it
just, or even moral, for him or her to claim it sometime?

1
Atty. Laguatan is the national co-founder of US Pinoys for NoyMar and is based in San Francisco, California. He is honored by the California
State Bar as one of only 29 US lawyers officially certified as specialists and experts in US immigration law. A lawyers magazine also rated him
as among the top five percent best lawyers in America. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/viewpoints/viewpoints/view/20110117-314950/PNoys-
Porsche-The-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
Presidency: Private or Public

References

Laguatan, Ted. 2011. Pnoy's porsche: the good, the bad, and the ugly. INQUIRER.netFirst,
January 17. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/viewpoints/viewpoints/view/20110117-
314950/PNoys-Porsche-The-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly.

Farol, Paul. 2011. The bald truth about pnoy's porsche and the non-urgency of constitutional
reform. Pinoy Buzz, January 14. http://pinoybiz.blogspot.com/2011/01/bald-truth-about-
pnoys-porsche-and-non.html.