For lack of anything better to say – I have re-posted here Mar Roxas’ concession speech delivered yesterday at Balay (LP Headquarters in Cubao):
Magandang hapon po sa ating lahat.
Sinulat ko po ang nais kong sabihin para wala akong makalimutan:
Gusto ko pong magsimula sa isang taos-pusong pasasalamat. Sa mga kababayan natin na kumaway, nakipagkamay, at kumopkop sa amin ni Leni nang bumisita kami sa inyong mga lugar. Marmaming salamat sa inyo.
Sa mga nagtiwala hindi lang sa akin, pero pati na rin sa mga prinsipyo na ipinaglalaban natin. Maraming-maraming salamat. Sa mga kababayan natin na habang kinakamayan ako, tiningnan ako nang mata sa mata at sinabihang ako ng “God bless you. Ipaglaban mo kami. Huwag mo kaming pababayaan.” Maraming salamat.
Salamat kay Pangulong Noynoy Aquino at sa kanyang pamilya. Sa ating partido, Partido Liberal, at sa kanyang mga kaalyadong partido. Salamat sa mga CSOs, mga NGOs, sa Silent Majority, sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan. Sa lahat sa inyo ng mga volunteers, sa aking pamilya—nandito ang aking misis, si Korina—sa ating mga kaibigan. Sa lahat pong tumayo, to all of you who took up the cudgels, who shared in our aspirations, na nakasama kong tumayo, maraming-maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.
Araw-araw, kasama ko kayo na humarap sa lahat ng hamon. Alam ko na marami sa inyo, stuck your necks out sa laban na ito. Pero sa kabila ng lahat, hindi kayo bumitaw. Nanindigan kayo. Sinamahan n’yo ako hanggang sa dulo. For that, I am very grateful.
Ngayon, hindi pa tapos ang laban ni Leni. Angat siya, lumalaban siya. Patuloy tayong magbantay, manalig, at sumuporta. Siguraduhin nating mabibilang nang tama ang kanyang boto.
At habang ginagawa natin ito para kay Leni, simulan na natin ang pagbuo sa minamahal nating bansa. Galangin at tanggapin natin ang pasya ng ating mga kababayan. Ayon sa unofficial count ng COMELEC, malinaw na si Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ang magiging susunod na pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas.
Digong, I wish you success. Ang iyong tagumpay ay tagumpay ng ating sambayanan at ng ating bansa.
Mga kababayan, higit pa sa pagiging supporter o kapartido ng kahit sinong kandidato – Pilipino tayo. Maka-Diyos, may pakikitungo, may malasakit sa kapwa, at naniniwalang lahat ng mahahalaga sa buhay ay pinaghihirapan.
Patuloy nating ipaglaban ang mga prinsipyong ito. Ibigay natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya para makamit ang ating kolektibong mithiin. Ipakita natin – sa bawat salita, sa bawat gawa, sa bawat kilos natin – ang tunay na diwa ng pagiging Pilipino.
I read somewhere that it is not the battle or the conquest that we remember. But the soldier who stood beside us, na tumutoo sa atin, who we treasure the most. Sa inyong lahat, maraming-maraming salamat. Hindi ko po kayo makakalimutan.
Mga kababayan, isang walang kapantay na karangalan na maging tagapagwagayway ng ating bandila. To have carried our flag. To have fought the good fight. To have kept the faith. To have finished the race.
Maraming-maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
I love you all!
There are many tears in the room. Let me tell you: this is not a time for tears. For our country, we have had a peaceful successful transfer of power. It’s not about me. It’s not about anyone. It’s about how we love our country and how we’ll do all that we can can for her. She’s the only one.
Maraming salamat po.
–MAR ROXAS
We have stood and fought hard for him amid the criticisms of friends. We distributed campaign materials. We prayed. We believed.
Well, the country has chosen its leader and I support the winner. I sure hope he turns out the man his supporters believe him to be.
As I promised myself, when 2016 kicks in, I will finally make up my mind who to vote for in May 2016.
Some may argue that I have known who to vote for and that I’ve been a vocal supporter of Mar Roxas even when he hadn’t officially stated his bid for Presidency but the truth is I have considered, seriously, voting for Duterte after I saw the personal accounts of friends who have experienced his leadership and after I saw the horror of Mar’s PR and his shortcomings.
Let’s be honest. Mar isn’t the perfect candidate. He has his faults – and they are many. It doesn’t help that the media glorifies such faults. But for all his faults, he also has his strengths and it’s sad that his strengths are not spectacular enough for the media to feature. As I read in Facebook, Mar is like your quiet and boring suitor. You know he’s right for he can deliver but there’s just no excitement with him.
When Duterte was rumored to be running for Presidency, I gave him no thought. I am aware of his tendency for violence and for me, it was a no-brainer. I wasn’t going to vote for a violent man. But as the months passed by and as the drama unfolded of his eventual consent to run for president, I began to consider that perhaps this guy was really the solution our country needed. As I read in a blog, Mar is an excellent driver – of a brand new automatic car. Duterte is a great driver of a pugak pugak second-hand car. And right now, the Philippines is that pugak pugak second-hand car.
I began to believe that our country is alright investment wise. PNoy’s administration has done a pretty good job getting investors into the country and with all the increase in credit ratings and the success of the APEC summit, investors are more likely to come knocking at our doors. What our country needs now is an iron-hand who can forge the security we badly need. Someone who can eliminate crime (or reduce it drastically) and who can make everyone feel safe and secure.
I believed that the solution was Duterte. All the personal anecdotes of friends from Davao and the rational posts they shared convinced me of such. It didn’t help that Mar started a series of bad PR stunts which seriously called his credibility into question.
However, I was hesitant to make my change of heart known publicly. Having a lot of friends part and campaigning for the Liberal Party made me hesitant to declare that I’ve had a change of affiliation. I’ve always been Liberal in my political views. In my opinion, our country needs to have the same party system as the US – one wherein we only vote between two parties: the Republicans (deemed conservatives) and the Democrats (deemed liberals).
So I went to Davao. I experienced the city first hand and observed what everyone was raving about. While it’s true that everyone there loved Duterte and that the man did live in a very simple abode, I was a bit disappointed it wasn’t what I expected. Well, I did expect a lot – all those stories made me think of a city like Singapore. Well, it wasn’t. There’s traffic – bad traffic. My friend said traffic lights have auto sensors so they can detect if there are really cars passing along and can adjust as necessary. I went out in the dead of the night and tried to observe it and what happened was I got confused when I can actually legally cross the street. Perhaps the lights worked as claimed, I just didn’t see it. But the city was deadly serious about their No Smoking rule. The warning signs were everywhere. My friend had to smoke – in secret – lest he run the risk of paying a hefty P10k fine.
The biggest issue was security. The city did felt secure. And in fact was very clean – no trash anywhere. The street sweepers were doing a good job. People were friendly – the taxi driver was fair and was very hospitable knowing we were newbies in the area.
It was a good city – something I even considered living in for perhaps a month or two. And I left with the distinct feeling that I’ll be voting for Duterte.
But experiencing Davao was not just the deciding factor for me. As the days passed, I got to know Rody Duterte better.
While I find his accomplishments amazing as well as his reputation untainted with corruption admirable, I still had qualms about his character. The recent brawls with Mar over Mar’s Wharton degree, his cursing the pope even in jest and his overall lack of diplomatic skills (in my opinion) evidenced by his foul language makes me rethink if I do want him as my president.
The presidency is a serious post. It is way different than running a city, no matter how big that city may be. I have come to respect the position and to understand that no matter how hard you try there will always be compromise along the way. I have come to accept that no president can be perfect. He or she simply cannot please everybody.
What we need is a president who can deliver. Someone who can weigh his options and choose the one that’s best for the country, even if others criticize him or don’t agree. We need someone who’ll not be afraid to make unpopular and even boring decisions.
I like what President Obama said in this video when he was asked what question he would like to ask his successor.
Just as Obama said that the US is not a country ran in fear or cynicism, I would like to think of the Philippines as the same. Duterte supporters argue that he wouldn’t re-instate Martial Law but this post made me think otherwise. I began to feel that much as we want the kind of iron leadership Duterte implemented in Davao, it is not the kind of leadership that the country needs. His brand of leadership may indeed work for Davao but I highly doubt it will work for the entire country – not with dire consequences.
I have no doubt that Duterte is not going after the presidency for the glitz and glamour of it. Just as I have no doubt that Mar is after the position because he really wants to serve his country and carry on the legacy of his father and grandfather. I have no doubt that both have clean intentions for wanting to run for the position (unlike Binay whose sincerity of serving the people I highly contest).
My question now becomes: who of the two do I see is fit to represent our country better?
In my opinion, Mar remains the better choice. In the end, I still chose him. (First lover never dies :D).
Why Mar? Simply because despite his shortcomings, I still believe that of all the presidential aspirants, he is the most qualified on the basis of what he can do in the diplomatic arena. For me, the number one job of the president – among his many jobs – is to make sure our country looks good in front of investors. That our country remains a viable choice for investments. Mar, being the economist he is, and having that advantage of being from the current administration (whose performance I am clearly satisfied) is the best option there is.
I am not saying Rody Duterte couldn’t do what Mar can do. It’s just that I believe Mar can do it better.
I don’t doubt that Duterte or Mar can deliver. They both can. Both are also flawed. They’re not perfect. For me, it’s just a question of whose flaws I can accept better.
I know Mar is not perfect. Just as PNoy was not perfect. But I know he can deliver. People may not understand what he is delivering – just as the masses didn’t understood what PNoy delivered but for those of us who can see it, or who can understand, we can’t deny that PNoy did something right. And that Mar is the best one who can continue it.
Like when I voted for PNoy last 2010, I also had doubts if he’ll make a good president. There were counts against him like how he was just riding the fame of his mother and how he really haven’t accomplished much in his stint in the Congress. But then I had to trust my own instinct that of all the candidates presented, PNoy had the better potential. This time, it’s Mar who have the better potential.
What about Duterte? He’ll make a good DOJ Secretary. I hope he considers joining Mar’s administration should Mar win and Mar reconsider him for the post. If only they could work together, for the good of this country, then I believe we are in better hands than the previous administrations combined.
But with all this talk and thinking of whether I’ll go for Mar or Duterte, I fear that in the end Binay would win. He tops the surveys – even after all the allegations of corruption and his tainted name. Let’s admit. A vast majority of voters are the CDE and for them, Binay is a hero. He probably goes around the countryside telling them he can turn their little towns into a replica of Makati.
I don’t know what 2016 Presidential Elections hold for our country. Surveys say that the race is getting tight. But one thing I won’t do is NOT vote. I won’t give up this right and responsibility. Even if Mar doesn’t win, I will still rest easy that at least I did my part in making my country a little bit better.
Since he became Mr. Palengke up until he stepped down to be PNoy’s running mate instead of LP’s Presidential Standard Bearer, I have supported Mar Roxas. To me, he is the logical choice to run the country. He came from a decent political family where all his relatives have served the country well without a hint of doubt to their integrity. He has worked diligently under the administrations who assigned him government posts and he has delivered what he’s supposed to do.
I know he is not perfect. There are times when he bungled up. Every time his PR team would come up with some cheesy campaign that will make him a laughing stock in social media I will cringe internally. I agree with them that the gimmicks are cheap but I disagree with the purported notion that Mar is not a viable choice for leadership.
When he was running for President during the 2010 Presidential Race, I was all out to support him. But when LP decided suddenly to switch to PNoy as their standard bearer, my heart went out to Mar when he decided to step down. I cannot forget what he said that day:
“Ito na ang pinakamabigat na desisyon sa buhay ko. Maniwala man kayo o hindi, ginagawa ko ito para sa bayan, para sa inyo. I do this for unity in support of change. And if that means that somebody must make the sacrifice, it must be me. Ako na,”
Mar Roxas, Aug. 1, 2009, Club Filipino
Now, we come full circle. After 6 successful years where Noynoy Aquino has successfully started the fight against corruption and began the positive change in our country, he is now announcing his successor. And this time, it is Mar.
Whereas in 2010, Mar began campaigning early, this 2016 he announced his Presidential ambitions last. He worked patiently, diligently and quietly with every responsibility assigned to him. Most of them even put him into bad light with the public who cannot comprehend how hard a position he holds. But he moved on, never once complaining.
This article summarizes beautifully why Mar Roxas is a game-changer; why he is the most rational choice for President after PNoy.
Grace Poe is a nice candidate. She’s a breath of fresh air since she’s not from a traditional political family. However, her experiences and capability to run the country is something debatable. Presidency is not just any ordinary position as I can see now. It involves a lot of other factors and winning it is certainly not as simple as it may seem.
Duterte is a popular choice because of his notorious reforms in Davao City but running a local unit is different from running a national unit. Besides, it would take more than social media to win the elections.
Who else? I totally agree with anyone who says Binay should not be President. Anyone who acts the way he does is someone who doesn’t deserve our vote. His pre-campaigns and his recent antics clearly smells of someone who is up to no good once he assumes office. Someone who tries really hard to secure his victory – to the extent of even leaving his Cabinet pose – is someone I will never trust in a million lifetimes.
Mar Roxas is the logical and most viable option we have. I hope Filipinos will start thinking rationally and strategically. Other candidates may be good but they need to have political allies, enough connections here and abroad, enough resources, and enough experience to be able to implement the changes that our country needs.
Roxas may have had his blunders but at the end of the day, he’s still the best option we got.
I am not ashamed to campaign for him for I believe in what he can do. And I believe we have no better alternative.
With Mar Roxas. Taken circa 2009 during the launch of GRF 50th Anniversary.
She had a warrant of arrest for graft and malversation of funds. Her political enemies filed the case against her. She said she will not post bail and authorities were free to arrest her. She said she’s not hiding from law and the reason her warrant is not being served is because no one is arresting her.
Last week, PNoy appointed her as Comelec commissioner. Last week, PNoy gave her bail money. Last week, LP president-on-leave, Mar Roxas accompanied her to post the bail. Now she holds office at the Comelec.
What’s wrong with the picture?
Grace Padaca suddenly found herself to have a very public role. She’ll be in the plain sight of authorities and the public; of both supporters and critics alike. If she will not post bail the authorities have to arrest her. How will she perform her role then?
PNoy promised her bail money. Mar Roxas accompanied her. For her, this was vindication that they believed she was not a corrupt official. She accepted their help.
In an interview I watched in ANC’s Prime Time, with voice cracking and hinting on tears, she said she had no choice but to accept the President’s offer since she doesn’t have the money on her own. She claimed it will not affect her integrity. She will remain objective in her post.
Granted she is an honest woman; granted she is truly a public servant with good governance at heart but with her actions isn’t it just expected that the public will become wary of her and subsequently the President and his tuwid na daan advocacy? Doesn’t she know that credibility is one of the fundamental qualities of a good leader? Granted her intentions were good, granted the accusations against her were shrouded with political malice, but the actions of PNoy placed her in a bad light.
With PNoy having a senatorial line up of politicians who were before from other sides of the fence but gaining high survey approval ratings at the poll, one can’t help but think that PNoy is merely trying to cast his influence far and wide to assure him of solid support in his undertakings. He is making sure that all of those who can possibly win are part of his ticket.
I would have been supportive of this if only he is also able to show us that the bills that are fair and just are the ones able to pass into law. I know that it is very hard for a leader to get things done if faced with so much opposition. I can understand the need to have unanimous support in the legislature and the judicial branches. But signing the Cybercrime Act into law while continuously belittling the need for the Freedom of Information Law is a sign for me that he is not just and fair. For me, it’s a sign that the interest of the public is not utmost in his mind. For me, it’s a sign he can be influenced and he has his own interest too.
Appointing Grace Padaca as Comelec commissioner and posting her bail may have vindicated Padaca’s innocence but for me it’s a clear sign of PNoy’s one more step in ensuring majority support in the legislative branch. Further, it undermines PNoy’s sense of fairness and equality. Ms. Padaca is accused of the same crime as that of Ms. Arroyo and Mr. Corona. But while the latter two were tried and convicted respectively and upon heavy insistence of PNoy, Ms. Padaca is being defended by the President. Where is the sense of fairness and equality in that? Even if it is clear to the public that she did nothing wrong, she should still have stood trial.
If I were Grace Padaca, I would have stood my ground and demanded fair trial. I would have done it a long time ago. If I knew I was truly innocent, I would have nothing to fear or hide. I would even come forward willingly to clean up my name. I would not let things come this far.
That way, the public would, to this day, retain their trust to the President and his tuwid na daan. That way we can continue to hope that change is possible and is starting in this country. Unfortunately, it seems we’re still on the same old rot hole we were in years ago. The promise of change remains as elusive as a fleeting breeze on a hot dry summer.
Up until today I was somehow undecided whether I will vote for Noynoy or not. I knew Mar Roxas endorsed him, and I believe in Mar’s decisions and principles, yet I was somehow skeptical of Noynoy. I agreed with the critics notions that he is still unprepared and incapable of the presidency and he is merely riding on to his parent’s fame and the recent surge of the Cory magic. I agreed with the critics that he lacks experience as evidenced by his mediocre performance as congressman and as senator. I agreed with critics that shrewd advisers will take advantage of him and he may end up another Erap – dependent on his advisers’ greedy and self-serving advices. I agreed with them, now I disagree.
After reading several, I admit not quite a lot, people’s opinions on Noynoy’s bid for presidency; I must say that I have already decided which side I’m on. Before I was on the gray side, but I knew there’s only black and white in this race we’re in. There are only 2 sides of the coin – there’s nothing in between. Times are different now, I can feel that and as responsible voters and citizens of the country longing for change, we need to make a clear-cut stand on the matters and issues at hand. I have decided to take my stand.
I will vote for Noynoy and support him in the upcoming presidential race. I agree with a lot of points in De Quiros’ recent article about Noynoy, Yes, he can. Indeed what our country needs is not a leader that will act like a CEO of a company – serving only the needs of the stockbrokers and not of its employees; having a lot of skills and impressive accomplishments but questionable in integrity and moral standing. What our country needs is someone we can be confident of to rally behind to – a president we can support instead of rebut; a president we would be comfortable to trust with our resources and not fear that he or she would take it to his or her personal advantage. I agree that what the country needs is someone who can clean up the mess that has been accumulated over the past years – the mess that has made us apathetic and disillusioned about the country that we now live in. I agree that the elections this coming 2010 is not a regular and peaceful one. First there is the new automated system which I believe will raise a lot of complications since I don’t think it has been prepared adequately. Second, unlike other Presidential election periods, this election does not entirely guarantee a peaceful transition – not with talks of GMA wanting cha-cha and possibly not relinquishing her power in a docile and quiet manner. And with Erap seeking a re-election, what can we really expect?
Today, I admired Mar Roxas even more. When I first heard him speak during the Gerry Roxas Foundation 50th anniversary launching, I was already awed by the eloquence of how he delivered his speech. Furthermore I was awed by the sincerity oozing out from the person. I at once knew that he was a man of integrity.
After the event, and after having my photo taken with him – of which he was most kind to oblige to – I resolved to be more attuned to the current state of the country. Thus began my after lunch ritual of going to CRL (Church of the Risen Lord)’s office to have a cup of coffee while perusing the day’s headlines.
I can say that at that time I was updated with all the latest happenings in the country. And I owe that to the awareness created by Mar Roxas when I heard him give that privilege speech. Of course I did not only tuned myself to the country, I also tuned myself to the man. I researched about him and subscribed to his blogs (Twitter wasn’t yet invented that time or it was still relatively new, else I would have joined Twitter because of him).
Yet after he announced officially his intent to run for President in 2010, and when he started his infomercials, not to mention publicize his engagement to Korina, I began doubting his sincerity. Perhaps he was just like the rest – putting up shows for people to watch and know him. After all, he was inconsistent with the image he projects to the country and admittedly, the engagement announcements were tasteless.
At this point, disappointment crept in and I began to see the glare of the negative blogs about him. I stopped altogether caring about the person. Yet I knew deep down that I will still vote for him for President.
Now, he has withdrawn his candidacy. He has chosen country over self. And for that I admire him even more. His critics may argue that he was already losing, that his campaign was going to the drain and to withdraw is simply his attempt to redeem his plunking reputation but I beg to disagree. Yes, given the fact that his campaign was going nowhere and his ratings were dropping, to admit defeat is a manly and very courageous thing to do. Furthermore, to support someone who he believes will win (for whatever reasons, I can only speculate), is something that I believe took lots of guts and courage for him to do.
Considering that he has been very vocal about running for President, considering that he had received a lot of criticisms over his infomercials, considering that even his fiance has been accussed of simply wanting to be First Lady so she will marry Mar, I think it was really brave of the senator to step down and claim defeat.
He has set aside his personal ambition, his personal dream to serve the country in the highest position possible, to consider the country’s welfare. That for me is true public service. That for me is using your brains to see the nation prosper. That for me is sincerity at its best. Sincerity amidst a see of hypocrisy.
How I wish the other politicians will take heed. Don’t they see that the people are already becoming confused with the huge number of candidates we are asked to chose from? Can’t they unite under one banner – the banner of what they are fighting for. Mar recognized that he was on the same boat as Noynoy. If it was Noynoy who had more chances of winning, he was prepared to join Noynoy’s boat and fight the same cause. He wasn’t afraid to look stupid because he went against the norm of politics.
In our political system, it is so easy to break off and create another party if one is not chosen as standard bearer of his respective party even if the causes and reforms are all the same. No wonder, our country has a lot of candidates, under different party names, but basically fighting for the same causes. No wonder Erap is seriously considering running if the Opposition will not come up with one solid candidate. In fairness to Erap, I like how he thinks this time.
We still have time. It is but 8 months away till elections. I wish that the politicians will use that time to decide once and for all who they are serving – themselves or the country.
With the upcoming 2010 elections, some questions sprang to mind. This is after all my first Presidential elections, my first time to vote in the national elections. And since I care deeply about how the country ultimately turns out, I want to make my vote count.
And so I ask, who should I vote for?
There are several who have already cited their unwavering intent for the post and who have in fact made some attempt at infomercials. Still I remain undecided as to who to vote for. Even the one I said I will support – Mar Roxas – still doesn’t seem right. To me, he appears to still be lacking something.
Then again, a nagging question comes to mind. With all these presidential hopefuls, the country’s vote will no doubt be divided amongst all of them. What if some presidential hopeful, who I believe is really wrong for the position, suddenly garnered majority of the votes? Then the runner-up is also someone who I am not convinced of but is a more probable president than the currently winning candidate, will I then pull out my vote from the person who I believe can lead the country but appears hopeless to win to support the lesser evil runner up? Should I then practice strategic voting?
Politics. A much better topic for the mind to engage on than the hapless questions of love and what should be not. 😀
The Liberal Party is choosing between Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas for their Presidential Bet. Although Roxas was the first to announce his presidency bid, the recent death of the late President Cory Aquino and the tremendous support shown by the Filipino people for this beacon of democracy has made Aquino a contender for the presidency even if he had no intentions of running in the first place.
Now I am at odds who to vote for. Even if I am not entirely convinced that Roxas is what the country needs right now, he is still my best bet for the presidency. Well up until I am able to investigate further the other likely candidates like Villar and Escudero – if Escudero will really run for Presidency. Even with the 2010 Elections drawing to a close, I still haven’t given up my ideals that for a change to really happen in the country, we need to change the entire political system – have only two parties instead of the numerous parties we now have, change how some government policies work out, etc. But then reality bites, we cannot really change the system now. It is too late for that and even if we do so, that would encourage a lot of uproar in the society for that would further compromise the position of the current president. What if she somehow manages to really extend her term? There would be civil war, no doubt.
Then again, I know that I should really investigate these presidential hopefuls. It is my right to vote and it also goes to follow that it is my duty to vote wisely. Voting wisely means investigating for myself what these candidates had done and is capable of doing. Who are they really and what is their character? Are they really capable of the highest position in the country? How certain am I that even if they are morally upright now, when faced with temptations greater than what they have probably encountered before, they will not balk and give in?
Interestingly, I do not think that either Roxas or Aquino should be the president. They have done a lot for the country and they are morally upright but I do not think they have the capacity to rule the country – just yet. Maybe they should first be vice-presidents or something. In any case, I was talking to my friend today (thanks to GLOBE UNLI-CALLS which they gave to me for free), and I learned that Aquino lived in his parent’s house till the time of Cory’s death. My friend said Kris Aquino, in a statement she made in the Buzz, said that since there were a lot of memories associated with the old house, they will not allow it to be destroyed. She further mentioned that she is now allowing Noynoy to look for his own place, just make sure it’s not too expensive. Hmm. Interesting comment don’t you think? My friend and I then speculated if Noynoy really earns such a small salary that Kris is the one probably paying for his rent or expenses. Then again, a public servant’s salary is really small.
Another thing I’ve noticed, both Liberal contenders are bachelors. Well it is true that Roxas is now engaged and Aquino has a girlfriend, but then again, it doesn’t change the point that they were or are bachelors for a long time.
Then agian, I do not really think that personal lives determine a person’s worth as a public servant. I just hope that the next president will really have the capacity to turn the country around. I should start doing my research.
The Liberal Party is choosing between Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas for their Presidential Bet. Although Roxas was the first to announce his presidency bid, the recent death of the late President Cory Aquino and the tremendous support shown by the Filipino people for this beacon of democracy has made Aquino a contender for the presidency even if he had no intentions of running in the first place.
Now I am at odds who to vote for. Even if I am not entirely convinced that Roxas is what the country needs right now, he is still my best bet for the presidency. Well up until I am able to investigate further the other likely candidates like Villar and Escudero – if Escudero will really run for Presidency. Even with the 2010 Elections drawing to a close, I still haven’t given up my ideals that for a change to really happen in the country, we need to change the entire political system – have only two parties instead of the numerous parties we now have, change how some government policies work out, etc. But then reality bites, we cannot really change the system now. It is too late for that and even if we do so, that would encourage a lot of uproar in the society for that would further compromise the position of the current president. What if she somehow manages to really extend her term? There would be civil war, no doubt.
Then again, I know that I should really investigate these presidential hopefuls. It is my right to vote and it also goes to follow that it is my duty to vote wisely. Voting wisely means investigating for myself what these candidates had done and is capable of doing. Who are they really and what is their character? Are they really capable of the highest position in the country? How certain am I that even if they are morally upright now, when faced with temptations greater than what they have probably encountered before, they will not balk and give in?
Interestingly, I do not think that either Roxas or Aquino should be the president. They have done a lot for the country and they are morally upright but I do not think they have the capacity to rule the country – just yet. Maybe they should first be vice-presidents or something. In any case, I was talking to my friend today (thanks to GLOBE UNLI-CALLS which they gave to me for free), and I learned that Aquino lived in his parent’s house till the time of Cory’s death. My friend said Kris Aquino, in a statement she made in the Buzz, said that since there were a lot of memories associated with the old house, they will not allow it to be destroyed. She further mentioned that she is now allowing Noynoy to look for his own place, just make sure it’s not too expensive. Hmm. Interesting comment don’t you think? My friend and I then speculated if Noynoy really earns such a small salary that Kris is the one probably paying for his rent or expenses. Then again, a public servant’s salary is really small.
Election 2010
Another thing I’ve noticed, both Liberal contenders are bachelors. Well it is true that Roxas is now engaged and Aquino has a girlfriend, but then again, it doesn’t change the point that they were or are bachelors for a long time.
Then agian, I do not really think that personal lives determine a person’s worth as a public servant. I just hope that the next president will really have the capacity to turn the country around. I should start doing my research.
Malapit na na naman ang eleksyon. Sa darating na May 2010, iboboto natin ang ika-15 Pangulo ng Bansa. Makasaysayan ito para sakin. Unang pagkakataon kong boboto ng pangulo. Noon pa man pinaghandaan ko na to. Sino nga ba ang gusto ko na maging lider ng bansa. Hindi man ako ganon ka updated sa news or maalam sa batas sa bansa, malaki ang pagmamalasakit ko sa mga sakit na pumipeligro dito. Madalas ko ngang sabihin sa mga kaibigan ko na gusto ko maging presidente, hindi lang ng student body o org, kundi ng bansa at eto ang plataporma ko: blah blah blah.
Pero seryoso, meron talaga akong sariling plataporma kung pano ko masosolusyunan ang mga problema ng bansa.
Kaya naman sa unang pagboto ko, gusto ko na tamang tao ang ihahalal ko sa posisyon. Ang tao na alam ko maraming magagawa para sa bansa – kung hindi man malutas ang lahat ng problema, at least, masimulan silang ayusin. Kahit na madami nagsasabi na impossible ang sitwasyon sa Pilipinas, na hindi na ever maaayos pa ang corruption or pollution or krimen or kahirapan, naniniwala pa rin ako na maaayos sila. Idealistic, oo. Pero para sakin mas mabuti na yun kaysa manatiling pessimist. Pag dumating ako sa punto na naisip ko na wala ng pag-asa ang bansa, baka lumayas na rin ako dito.
This was my reaction when I learned that Erap is seriously considering running for presidency in the 2010 elections. He even has the nerve to refer to the study made by several political experts that he wouldn’t be breaching any constitutional law by running for presidency in the year 2010.
His arguments for him being qualified to run are in fact valid since according to Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III the constitutional provision against reelection of a president applies only to a sitting or incumbent president – and since Erap is neither, then he has all the green signals to run in 2010. After all, he hasn’t finished his last presidency term and he seems to have unfinished plans for the country, right?
Yet this would only materialize if the opposition wouldn’t unite under one candidate. Erap stresses over the fact that the votes of the Filipino people would be divided over the various presidential hopefuls of the opposition. They are no other than Ping Lacson, Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero and Jejomar Binay. He is worried that the same 2004 scenario, wherein FPJ and Lacson, two oppositional candidates who fought over the presidential slot were both “cheated” of their respective votes. He maintains that cheating against the opposition would be easy if they will field a lot of presidentiable candidates in the upcoming elections.
Well, we still have July or August to find out for certain if Erap will indeed run for presidency.
***Source: The Philippine Star News Page4 May 24, 2009***
Erap’s headache over the numerous presidential aspirants of the oppositon brings to mind my opinions and views on the party system of the Philippines. The election scene of the country is obviously party-oriented and not reform oriented. I am no greaat fan of the US but I must admit that I admire their approach to democracy and elections – that is in the sense that they only have 2 parties – Democratic and Republican, the major difference being in the reforms and beliefs of the said parties. And when a voter votes, he or she considers not the politician per se but the party he is in and the reform or advocacy of that party he is part of.
In the Philippines, there is no control as to the number of parties participating in the elections. Every election year, we hear of parties being made with some fading into oblivion in the next election year. This has happened so many times that we have ceased to really concern ourselves with the party and instead managed to look at the candidate himself thus making our election process personality-based instead of reform-based. If we closely looked at the nature of these political parties, we would see that most of them have basically similar reforms albeit worded differently.
So why then are there numerous presidentiables who would simply establish their own parties if their previous party had the unfortunate slip in decision to make them the presidential bet? Does it not make us think that they are now merely running for their own personal gain and not for the reforms that they claim to be their motivations for serving the public?
I know that our country is unique and I do not have any intention of it being patterned entirely upon US election scenarios, much as I admire those scenarios. It’s just that I hope our public servants would stop and think for a while and would really be sincere in what they want to accomplish for the country. I believe it would serve the voters more if we would be able to wisely decide who to vote for, not on the merits of the candidates personality, but on the merits of the reform his party advocates.
Another thing, it is easier to vote or select when one only has two options than when one is given a multitude of choices, right?
Up until today I was somehow undecided whether I will vote for Noynoy or not. I knew Mar Roxas endorsed him, and I believe in Mar’s decisions and principles, yet I was somehow skeptical of Noynoy. I agreed with the critics notions that he is still unprepared and incapable of the presidency and he is merely riding on to his parent’s fame and the recent surge of the Cory magic. I agreed with the critics that he lacks experience as evidenced by his mediocre performance as congressman and as senator. I agreed with critics that shrewd advisers will take advantage of him and he may end up another Erap – dependent on his advisers’ greedy and self-serving advices. I agreed with them, now I disagree.
