(UPDATED) Just a few months before the end of his term, President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday said the legacy that his administration would leave behind was beyond economic growth.
鈥淚f there is one legacy that we will leave behind, from apathy to talagang vigorous involvement; from the idea na 鈥榳e can鈥檛 do anything, let鈥檚 leave the country鈥� to 鈥榳e can demand everything of government yesterday,鈥欌�� Aquino said during the Meet the Inquirer Multimedia forum at the Philippine Daily Inquirer headquarters in Makati City.
鈥淪o that fuels the economic aspect, 鈥榶ung you鈥檝e changed your perceptions of what you can expect in the Philippines, and I think that鈥檚 a primary legacy that鈥� I think I stated it at the start na pwede na ulit mangarap during the campaign at 鈥榶ung mga pangarap nangyayari na ngayon, (The dreams are turn into reality now.)鈥� he added.
Aquino said he would not have achieved what he has accomplished if not for the cooperation of his administration and the Filipinos as well.
鈥淲e are wherever we are because they were always behind us,鈥� Aquino said.
But he admitted that five years in office was not a walk in park.
Asked what the presidency has personally changed in him as person, Aquino said: 鈥淢as marami na siguro ang sakit ng katawan ko ngayon kaysa noong araw (I probably have more ailments now.) This job really ages you.鈥�
Aquino also shared his two cents on the public perception that he is 鈥渉ard-headed鈥� when it comes to his position on issues, saying that he only sticks to what he think is right instead of just joining the bandwagon.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 make a decision lightly, pinag-aaralan. Sa tingin namin, given what is available, this is the best solution. 鈥楶ag may advocate sa labas na sticks to their point, 鈥榙i ba, parang pinupuri; 鈥榩ag ako, 鈥榟ard-headed,鈥� Aquino said. 鈥溾�橮ag mayroong dapat ipaglaban, ang paniwala ko, talagang isagad natin 鈥榶ung paglalaban. (If we are fighting for something, we must stand up for it.)鈥�
鈥淜ung kailangang hard-headed, e 鈥榙i paninindigan ko na ho siguro 鈥榶ung pagiging hard-headed. Pero 鈥榥ung panahon ho ng nanay ko parang insulto 鈥榶ung tinatawag na balimbing e o walang paninindigan鈥� Dito naman, 鈥榩ag talagang nanindigan ka, parang ang tigas ng ulo mo naman. So ganoon siguro talaga ang buhay. Maski anong gawin mo malalait ka,鈥� he added.
(If we need to be hard-headed, then we should be firm in being one. But during the time of my mother, it was an insult to be called 鈥榖alimbing鈥� or those without a firm stand. Here, if you stand up for something, you are called hard-headed. I think that鈥檚 how life is. Whatever you do, you鈥檇 be criticized [in a negative way],鈥� he added.
Yuji Vincent Gonzales, 黑料社/CDG/TVJ
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