British magazine ‘The Economist’ endorses Roxas for president
The editorial board of The Economist, an international magazine based in the United Kingdom, has endorsed administration standard bearer Mar Roxas for president with only ten days to go before the national and local elections on May 9.
Often regarded as the world’s leading economics-focused magazine, The Economist wrote that Roxas “would make the best next president” despite him being a “dull” and “hopeless” campaigner. The magazine argued that Roxas is well positioned to continue the initiatives started by outgoing President Benigno Aquino III.
“For too long the Philippines was the sick man of Asia—cheerful, democratic but a chronic underperformer. In recent years, though, its fortunes have begun to turn. Much of the credit should go to the outgoing president, Benigno Aquino. The economy is booming and investors are flocking in. The country has gained in geopolitical importance, too, thanks to its resistance to China’s expansionism,” it wrote.
The Economist lamented the Filipinos’ propensity for choosing candidates on the basis of their showmanship and personality instead of policy and administrative ability, as shown by the rise of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Grace Poe in the presidential race.
“The leading candidates present voters with a ghastly choice between vapidity and vigilantism; neither (Duterte or Poe) shows any sign of being up to tackling the many serious issues facing an archipelago of some 100 million people,” the publication wrote.
Nevertheless, The Economist stressed that since Roxas is not likely to win given his dismal poll numbers, then Filipinos may be better off voting for Poe instead. “Better the novice foundling, surely, than the beast of Davao,” the publication concluded.
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