Dear Ninoy

Dear Ninoy,

It is you I remember most these days.

I do not mean to disturb your peace.  You already have passed from this valley of tears to the House of the Father, but please, Ninoy, do not forget us in our present travails as a nation.  I know that you love this country so much.  You will not let us lose our hope.

Ninoy, embrace us and ask God to embrace your God-loving people.  Do not look at the blessings we have squandered and the heroism we have ridiculed.  Do not look at the biased media and the people that they have misled.  Do not look at the uncaring attitude of some people about the victims of the Mendiola massacre, the Hacienda Luisita massacre, and the SAF44 debacle.

Look at us in our fears and pray for us to God to heal our land. Give us more courage. Give us more hope.  Shake us up from political stupidity.

Thirty-one years after EDSA 1986, I hear our people ask: What shall we celebrate? What is there to celebrate?  By the corner of EDSA and Ortigas, I want to sit and weep as I remember the four glorious days of February 1986 now dimmed due to the failed promises of the past administrations after Ferdinand Marcos'.  The songs of peace now drowned by the hypocritical and self-serving people that we once trusted.

The bloodless revolt now stained by the blood of the victims under your wife and your son's leadership, and these same victims have yet to find peace and justice.

Four days of bloodless revolution!  Wow!

Now thirty-one years and the masquerading corrupt politicians still use the EDSA People Power in the name of delusional "change” that they abused for personal gain!  From Marcos' cronies, to Cory's Kamag-anak, Inc., and to PNoy's KKK - what a nightmare, Ninoy!  It is a shame.

The dictator ousted by people power is now buried among heroes, which in the first place would have never been possible IF Fidel V. Ramos did not allow his family to set foot in our country again.  This was the same man anointed by your own wife, Cory, to be her successor; the same man I voted, for the love of Cory.

The lady of 1,200-plus pairs of shoes is now a representative in Congress, and her family still lives a comfortable life.

A former actor - president ousted for plunder continues to be in power.

Another former president known for corruption is back in Congress.

Any Filipino can run for the presidency even without any substantial experience.  History books and historical memory are mocked.  Thanks to our inutile 1986 Constitution and to the traditional political alliances.  Imagine, even you wife and your son ate their shit and supposed personal convictions to join a plunderer for political convenience!  Thank God, Ninoy, you did not live to see those days.

Tears flowed. Uncertainties choked us. It was hard to choose silence and just take the blows. I thought, "How long can we endure?" It was hard to fight for the right without question or pause and be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause. You remember that song, Ninoy? Singing it makes me smile and makes me cry.

Were you ever discouraged and did you also question yourself if what you were doing was right? Were you ever afraid or did you ever feel the urge to stay in your zone of comfort instead of fighting the unbeatable foe?

My parents were loyal supporters of your family then, and I inherited their love for them.  However, even though they were among those people who were present during People Power 1, they got disillusioned with what had transpired over the years.  Slowly, they lost their interest in watching the annual celebrations which they dubbed as "pure entertainment only".  Nevertheless, for the love of you Ninoy, we still supported Cory's preferences in every election that followed, until 2007, for when we finally realized, "Enough is enough".  It was hard to turn a blind eye.  We could not stomach your wife's political alliance with a plunderer, just to show disdain for the administration at that time and to satisfy your son's political ambition. Just because one is against a corrupt president doesn't give him moral ascendance.  Ang isinuka, pwede rin pala nilang kainin muli.  Sobra na, tama na, itigil na ang kahibangan na ito.  Hindi sila mga santo.  Mga tao rin sila na may kanya-kanyang interes.  Pare-pareho lang pala sila, Ninoy...  Pare-pareho lang sila.

Ninoy, the thirty years of fakery have taught us to break away from political loyalty.  Those people who have failed us taught us how to cope more from disenchantment. They taught us how to be more courageous. They taught us to be more humorous (oh, you should see the creative memes now). They taught us to keep our faith that ONE DAY, WE, the FILIPINO people, WOULD BE ABLE TO BEAT THEM THROUGH A COLLECTIVE EFFORT AGAIN.  They taught us to be more discerning of the self-righteous authorities: may they be in the government or in religious groups. They woke us up from political blindness to be passionate again to fight for our country.

We were looking for you but you are not here. We were waiting for your voice but we cannot hear. We wanted to see you again but you seem so far away now.  In those years, we missed you.

Thirty years after, the TRAPOs have unknowingly created their own monster.  Thirty years after, we regained hope and trust, for that monster is "someone who is willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause".  Sounds familiar, Ninoy?  The TRAPOs now fear that monster.

Can we still celebrate EDSA people power? Maybe you'd say, "Yes, because EDSA is for the people.  The true celebration of the EDSA People Power lies and depends in your hearts and not on a grand celebration wherein you will only see a gathering of POLITICAL GARBAGE.  That is not a celebration, but pure POLITICAL and SOCIAL TOXIN."

As Loida Lewis put it, "Doesn't have to be true, just needs to look like it."  Hence, DECEPTION.

For EDSA is not about a particular political color or a political clan that most saintly men and women usually adore and continuously portray to be upright, BUT about the faith and bravery of the enormous NAMELESS PEOPLE who called upon the Lord in their distress and whose cry the Lord has heard from heaven.  EDSA is our people’s cry and our God’s loving reply.

In your final years, Ninoy, you were firm to remind us that THE FILIPINO IS WORTH DYING FOR.  The EDSA spirit is pure and worth celebrating always.  It is the hypocritical and self-serving people who have RAPED it, which is even worse than the supposed uncountable extra-judicial killings of drug users and syndicates.

May we always remind ourselves that the people who prostituted the EDSA democracy are the very same people who are now afraid to face their nightmare: to be taken out of power.  Never shall we allow ourselves to be fooled again.   Enough of those wolves in sheep's clothing.  NEVER AGAIN.

Against all odds, Ninoy, we will remember. We will give thanks. We will challenge ourselves to live for God and to live for country as you did.

Rest now, Ninoy. You have left us lessons to last us many lifetimes. All we must do is to keep on remembering and to keep the fire aglow. You have passed on that torch to us and we will not fail you, not like what your wife and son did.

Promise!

In the Lord's House, please hug my mom for me, who was a staunch believer in you.

Lovingly,

Choy

Matthew 7:1-2

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

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DISCLAIMER:

It's been almost a year since I wrote here.  I do not own the entire entry.  It was after reading Archbishop Soc Villegas' letter to the late Cardinal Sin that I got inspired to "rewrite" his letter, but this time, addressed to Ninoy.

You may find his original letter here:  http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/874307/edsa-is-our-peoples-cry-and-gods-loving-reply#ixzz4ZYwPpwjr

Why I Will NOT Vote for Noynoy Aquino

Subject: Why I Will NOT Vote For Noynoy
To: ramon.banas@dlsu.edu.ph
Date: Monday, April 5, 2010, 9:37 PM


Dear Mr. Banas,

This is in reference to your article "Why I Will Vote For Noynoy" in Manila Standard dated March 29. You had your chance to express your opinion, now it's time to express mine.

I respect your choice. After all, we have the right to choose our own candidate. I just noticed that you failed to include Gordon. In my opinion, Gibo and Gordon are the two most qualified candidates for the presidency. But that's just my opinion and I don't expect you to agree with me.

What I didn't like, however, was the reason that you gave against Gibo Teodoro. What does he have to do with the wrongdoings of Ferdinand Marcos? Are they the same people with the same brains? What did he do to deserve such comparison? It's very unfair to compare Gibo with Marcos just because they are both intelligent. It's the same thing as it's unfair to judge Cory Aquino as an irresponsible parent just because she had a daughter like Kris.

I would have appreciated it more if you just concentrated on discussing your stand on supporting Noynoy Aquino instead of giving us reasons to not vote for his opponents. Furthermore, your point against Gibo Teodoro is baseless. So you mean to say that anybody who is intelligent and witty should not be voted because he might end up like FM?! Masama na pala ngayon ang maging magaling at matalino at baka makatulad ni Marcos. Sorry but for me, this is such a lame excuse, especially if coming from a university professor like you. How would you feel if I say that I'm afraid to vote for Noynoy for the simple reason that he acts like his sister, Kris - shooting his mouth off without thinking well? At least, comparing Noynoy to Kris, I have facts to back up my point.

You are praising Noynoy Aquino for his untarnished record, as if Noynoy has the monopoly of cleanliness. Maybe you aren't aware that Gibo also has an untarnished record against corruption and he also has a reputation to protect. Just because Noynoy is an Aquino that makes Gibo Teodoro a less righteous individual. Gibo's father served during the Marcos regime as the SSS President but never was he accused of any anomaly. That in itself was remarkable. Same thing applies to Gibo - he was considered as one of the most upright cabinet members despite having a (perceived to be) corrupt superior - GMA. Don't we deserve an upright servant even under a corrupt government? This only proves that working under a corrupt government does not necessarily make one a corrupt individual also. Mind you, even those in the opposition have praises for Gibo because either they were able to work with him or they are fully aware of his capabilities as a leader. One good example is Bishop Cruz, who is known as one of GMA critics but is supporting Gibo Teodoro nonetheless.
http://www.angtinig.com/bishop-cruz-turns-green/
Objectively speaking, it only shows that one's disgust towards our government is not a hindrance from supporting a viable administration candidate like Gibo Teodoro.

I hate to say negative remarks but since you started it, I'll say them anyway --- If Noynoy was not able to discipline his own sister (Kris Aquino) and still cannot solve their own land problem, what makes him fit to run our whole country?! Linisin muna n'ya sariling nilang bakuran bago s'ya maglinis ng iba. Do you honestly believe in his slogans - "Tanggalin ang Tiwali, Itama ang Mali"; "Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap."; and his famous line in his ad, "Hindi ako magnanakaw."?! Do you still remember who was he with in 2007? Joseph ERAP Estrada! I think this is self-explanatory, I don't need to elaborate on this. And just recently, he had the nerve to say that GMA was wrong in pardoning Erap. Who is he to say that? If indeed he knew that Erap was guilty and deserved punishment, they why did he get his endorsement in 2007 anyway? Hypocrite. Isn't that indicative of a man without principles? Imagine, the people who fought for the impeachment of Erap (Noynoy, Mar, Villar, Legarda, etc) were the very same people who kissed his ass in 2007 just for political convenience. Isn't this what TRAPOs always do: they unite simply because they want to overthrow somebody, never mind if their "allies" are as unscrupulous as the one that they are cursing? Aanhin ko naman ang pagiging malinis n'ya kung wala rin naman pala s'yang prinsipyo? On the other hand, is this really what you can call as a "clean" candidate? And HOW exactly can we have a "clean government" with such kind of a mindset?

Sorry but I don't buy his slogans/ads. Those kinds of slogans/ads have been used and reused for so many times every election. In short, gasgas na, pang-TRAPO. Sino ba naman ang magsasabing "Magnanakaw ako kapag naging Pangulo"? "Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap" - hindi ka nga corrupt pero wala ka naman sariling paninindigan. "Tanggalin ang Tiwali, Itama ang Mali" - eh nakuha nga n'yang maki-alyado sa isang tiwali na isa ring napakalaking pagkakamaling naiboto ng mga Pilipino. Sino niloloko n'ya?! Clearly, he doesn't know how to practice what he preaches. Palagi na lang ba kailangan mag-drama kapag nangangampanya? Para na silang nagsasagutan ni Villar sa ads... Namatayan ng kapatid si Villar, tapos s'ya rin inapi at namatayan naman ng mga magulang. Kailangan ba lagi nasa ads sina Ninoy at Cory? Sino ba talaga ang kandidato, sila o si Noynoy? Goodness gracious. Konting respeto naman. Patahimikin na sana ang mga yumao at huwag na sila gamitin para lang paglaruan ang emosyon ng mga tao.

Different times call for different strategies. Cory Aquino's victory was intended to regain our lost democracy. That was then, now is different. We need to move forward to improve our economy and strengthen our unity as a nation. Please don’t get me wrong. I know that Gibo is not perfect but I'd rather support him (a less popular candidate but with a very positive attitude) than support someone who:
- is perceived to be clean but actually eats his own garbage
- has a habit of flip-flopping with his own statements (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2010/march/3/jojorobles.isx&d=2010/march/3)
- regards debates as a waste of time (http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/top-stories/5028-noynoy-debates-just-waste-of-time.html)
- is too blinded by hatred towards GMA, etc. (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2010/march/17/emiljurado.isx&d=2010/march/17)

We don't deserve someone who allies himself with a convicted plunderer, if need be, for political convenience. We don't deserve a fickle-minded leader. We don't deserve a candidate who insults the intelligence of the Filipino voters by not attending debates because as he said, "It's just a waste of time." Oh, come on! But if the invitation comes from ABS-CBN, he can readily accept it. Again, hypocrite. We don't deserve a candidate whose mind is just stuck with criticizing GMA that even the El Nino phenomenon is perceived by him as a government's excuse to cheat (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=553635&publicationSubCategoryId=64). Etcetera, etcetera...

Sadly, most of the time, when Noynoy supporters are faced with these facts, they try to gloat by saying, "It's okay, he still tops the surveys because the people love him." That's all?! Does this mean that because he is an Aquino, he has the liberty to commit mistakes and get away with them?! So, we just need to rely on the surveys? So we just need to rely on our love... but for whom really - for Noynoy or just for his parents? Wouldn't it be better to show our love for our country by voting wisely and not just because we are bound by surveys or by our love for somebody else's legacy?

I hate hearing people say that we don't need an intelligent president anymore because we ONLY need an honest one in order to have a corruption-free government. I beg to differ. We need a president who is not only HONEST but also INTELLIGENT, SMART, COMPASSIONATE, HARDWORKING and GOD-FEARING in order to lead our people by example and rebuild our country's pride. In short, it should be a complete package. It's the same thing when evaluating an applicant - you hire him on the basis of his credentials, examinations (IQ / personality / physical), on-the-job training performance & clearances and not merely just by looking at his referrals nor by just knowing his parents/relatives. Otherwise, you will be accused of not giving equal job opportunity for applicants. In this case, it looks like many people are guilty of such when evaluating a candidate. Aren't we supposed to look at every angle and not just focus on the surname that a candidate carries? Goodness is not enough to run this country. Otherwise, there are thousands of people who are more qualified than Noynoy Aquino. Remember, having a good moral character is not sufficient enough to be hired as a CEO of a big company. So, what more in leading this nation?

They also say that Noynoy Aquino is clean because he is "maka-Diyos" and "makatao". Really? Who do you think acts more like a true Christian: the one who participates in mudslinging or the one who practices positive campaigning? Action speaks louder than words, doesn't it? Aanhin ko ang madasalin o ang palasimba kung hindi naman nito isinasabuhay ang totoong Salita ng Diyos? Frankly speaking, not everyone who goes to church and pray can be considered as "maka-Diyos" and "makatao". It's the same thing as not everyone who rarely goes to church is non-Christian. I know some people who always attend Mass and pray the rosary but they don't truly practice Christianity. On the other hand, my father rarely goes to church but he lives in a true Christian way.

I love Noynoy's father, Ninoy and I still have respect for his late mother, Cory. I have nothing personal against Noynoy and I know that he may be a good person also but we need somebody much better than him to be our president. Truth be told, before Cory's death, Noynoy was never thought of as a presidential material; not even as a JOKE. In all honesty, I used to be a very loyal Aquino supporter every election. I had been following religiously all of Cory Aquino's endorsements. Sorry but that was then. I don't practice blind loyalty.

Gibo is not FM nor GMA = Noynoy is not Ninoy nor Cory

Again, just to clarify, I have no problem with you supporting Noynoy Aquino. That's your choice and I respect that. I just hope that next time, you will refrain from denigrating another candidate most especially when you don't have pertinent facts to back it up. Do not judge another candidate if you don't want yours to be judged also in the same way.

Matthew 7:1-2
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Happy voting. Good luck to all of us.

Hypocrisy of Noynoy Aquino's Facebook Page Administrator

From the yellow's Facebook page:
Benigno "Noynoy" S. Aquino III [Admin 2]
"Some candidates are flaunting intelligence and pushing for CHANGE. When you ask for change, that means there really is something WRONG. But let me ask you this, SINCE WHEN DID YOU DIVORCE YOURSELF FROM WHAT WAS WRONG? You can NEVER ask for CHANGE when the one you want to be changed is SUPPORTING YOU."

(Since they block everybody who contradicts them, I'd rather post my reaction here. Oh, yes! That's their interpretation of democracy --- blocking everyone who opposes their views rather than dealing with them decently.)

Noynoy Aquino's slogan states "Tanggalin ang Tiwali, Itama ang Mali" ---
If I may ask: Who joined the Genuine Opposition in 2007 and got Erap's endorsement for the Senatorial Elections? Who met with Erap during the height of Ondoy's relief operations? Who is still a good friend of a convicted plunderer? Come on! Don't be a hypocrite! Since when did you equate JOINING A CONVICTED PLUNDERER as SOMETHING GOOD in the TRUE SENSE of FIGHTING AGAINST CORRUPTION?! How do you expect me (and the rest of the disenchanted Aquino followers since then) to believe that slogan when Noynoy himself is still associated with a convicted plunderer?! Pasens'yahan, mula 2007, markado na ang mga ito sa akin: Aquino, Roxas, Villar, Legarda, etc. And I call them "political pigs" simply because they like to eat what they have thrown up, all for the sake of political convenience. It doesn't take a genius to translate their actions. Do your own cleaning first and look into the mirror before examining another person's dirt. Most of all, please practice what you preach.

P.S. I got blocked from their page just by defending Gibo Teodoro regarding the "Posible" copyright issue that (topic) was initiated by their own yellow member. Take note, I didn't even criticize Noynoy and I still got blocked. Pathetic!

Noynoy Aquino's Campaign Music Video

Honestly, I love the concept of this music video. Who wouldn't given the all-star cast and the dramatic execution? However, I would have appreciated it more if it was done for Ninoy's death anniv or for the EDSA 1's anniv. It's not quite appealing to me knowing that the real purpose of it is to campaign for Noynoy. Also, the Piso for Noynoy drive doesn't make any sense after watching this. Monetarily speaking, he has ALL the big stars to back him up. Well, maybe next time it would be much better if they could put up an ad focusing on Noynoy's own strengths and capabilities instead of showcasing his parents' legacy. ;)

Nevertheless, NINOY AQUINO will live in my heart forever! Truly, NAG-IISA lang s'ya. :)

Feedback on ANC's Forum (Local Government Champions Face-to-Face with Four Presidentiables: Oct. 6)

EDITORIAL: Not ready for the Presidency
The Daily Tribune
October 8, 2009

Going by the forum meeting between a group of local executives four presidential aspirants, the answers Sen. Noynoy Aquino, the Liberal Party presidential bet, gave the local executives showed clearly that he just isn’t ready for the presidency, and worse, he does not appear to have any understanding of how government works or shouldn’t work, under a system of laws.

The answers he gave to the questions raised by the local executives were much too vague and indirect, offering nothing substantive, probably because he has no position on these issues in the first place or he is plain clueless.

He kept on going about democracy and people power in virtually every answer he gave, two issues which are not the issues at this time, but as he was still evidently following the campaign spiels taken by his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, including the "walang alam" bit which is better than having an experienced one that is corrupt, which criticism had been leveled against his mother, he continues to tread this path, which will hardly resonate with the voters, just as it did not resonate with the local officials present in that forum.

But it has been noted for sometime that Noynoy Aquino, even in media interviews, is always vague and never directly answers the questions and at times, even his answers are off tangent. Mar Roxas has also been noted to "save" the day for Noynoy by explaining what Noynoy meant to say.

Another thing going against Noynoy, no matter what his yellow supporters say, is that he can’t seem to make any decision unless and until he gets his four sisters — and their husbands apparently — to agree on a decision to be made.

Even when he holds "unity meetings" with other opposition bets, the sisters and their husbands are always present. Can’t he make a decision on his own and make a firm stand on issues? Is his presidency going to be a presidency of five Aquino siblings?

What is, however, surprising is the ignorance of Aquino in local government issues, which should have been right up his alley, given the fact that Aquino is the chairman of the local governments committee.

It was apparent that Noynoy, as chairman, never studied his lessons, nor for that matter, has he even called some kind of hearing — even now, with the disaster and the unpreparedness of Malacañang and the local government officials in addressing the needs of the typhoon victims, today being questioned by the public.

All Aquino said, by way of answers to the questions posed by the local governments, was that this and that have to studied first.

A bigger mistake he made was telling the local government executives that he wouldn’t, as president, be giving funds to the local government units that do not perform. But hey, such funds, meaning the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) fund is a must, as the law says the local government executives get 40 percent as IRA. To withhold it is unlawful and not to provide any funds to a non-performing LGU even when it is needed is unconscionable.

Outside of that, no specifics were given, no concrete examples were given on how he, as well as the other presidential bets, will go about their presidency in reforming the system, mainly because they really have no idea on how to bring about reforms, given their varied backgrounds.

If truth be told, none of the presidential aspirants invited to speak at the forum were impressive in their answers, but as all politicians do, they all mouthed motherhood statements, and from the faces of the audience, it was evident that the local officials were hardly impressed by the four presidentiables, with some looking much too bored.

As one former local executive put it, "If all that the candidate can tell us is that he will study it, we’ve been through that already. He has to say and do something good for us and the country."

Noynoy just lost a golden opportunity for him to prove to the nation that he is prepared for the presidency.

He just proved that he isn’t and won’t ever be.


About that job interview forum for President
SHOOTING STRAIGHT
By Bobit S. Avila (The Philippine Star)
Updated October 10, 2009 12:00 AM

Last Tuesday morning we watched on ANC the forum in AIM in Makati City with four presidentiables dubbed the 100 Local Government Champions face-to-face with the four presidentiables – Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, and Sen. Manny Villar. They said this was more of a job interview for the presidency as the people in the forum who were asking the questions where officials of local government units (LGUs) from all over the country.

Call it timely that we also attended the “Understanding Choices Forum on Genuine Leadership and Good Governance: How Shall We Lead the Philippines in 2010” at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation’s (RAFI) Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (EADS) last Wednesday, and indeed, it was a great way of getting the criteria done in order to choose who should be the next president of this ailing nation.

The first presidentiable was Defense Secretary Teodoro who answered the question about peace in Mindanao. He pointed out that no one can claim to have a solution to the problems in Mindanao because the problems in Sulu are different from those in Compostela Valley or those in Maguindanao. Obviously, Gibo knows what he’s talking about.

He also pointed out correctly that one way for peace to move forward is for the government to disarm the armed groups roaming around Mindanao for various reasons. I have for so long written about this fact… that armed groups even proudly show their weapons on nationwide TV that only proves that there is a double standard in the application or enforcement of gun laws in this country. Defense Secretary Teodoro also stated that the military has been successful in neutralizing these armed groups… but the major problem is we cannot hold the territory for long. This is very true!

He added that we have only 120,000 men and women in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and another 130,000 in the Philippine National Police (PNP) despite our internal security problems, while Thailand, which has only a single internal threat in the south, has 300,000 men in arms, while Malaysia, which has no internal problems, has 130,000 military men. As I’ve always said, we can boost this number instantly by resurrecting the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC), the cheapest way to recruit the youth.

On the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, Secretary Teodoro had this to say, “Population management is a necessary thing… the RH Bill minus certain punitive provisions may work… but I’m totally against abortion! Religious organizations have a very important role, but not through the state, but through the conscience of the people.” On the issue of Charter change, Gibo was very emphatic that there will be a constitutional convention (con-con) if he is elected president. This is something that brings hope to the rest of the country, more so that we are now seeing that Metro Manila, despite having the biggest slice of the nation’s revenues, cannot even fix itself due to tropical storm “Ondoy,” and federalism might just be the key to give full autonomy to the LGUs.

As for Sen. Manny Villar, he apparently believes that we don’t need a new system of governance… all we need is good leadership. This runs counter to my belief that even with good leadership, which we already had before during the terms of Tita Cory and President FVR, this nation still hasn’t moved forward. So what can we expect under a Sen. Manny Villar presidency… same as usual?

Among the four presidentiables, Sen. Escudero had the best charisma. He is young, talented and knows the issues very well. However, he failed to realize that some of the LGU officials asked their questions in English because they really cannot understand Tagalog. If he listens to good advice as he said he would, then if he is asked a question in English, he must learn to answer it in English, not in his monotone Tagalog.

Last to be interviewed was Sen. Aquino and when asked about Charter change, he replied: “We need to go into a national debate on whether this is what the people want.” He emphasized that his government will be a government of consultation. Perhaps Sen. Noynoy should be told that natural-born leaders take the bull by its horns and lead the people because they know what is good for the people.

If our Lord Jesus Christ consulted his Apostles and threw the question to them on whether he should die on the cross, I’m sure that the Apostles would have voted for him not to sacrifice his life and die on the cross. It’s not too late for Noynoy to change his attitude or approach and be a true leader. This is the first time that the four presidentiables have squared off; if they meet again, we can be more definite as to who we should elect as president.

Noynoy Aquino for President?!

I had been a follower of Cory Aquino and of whoever she endorsed. However, after Cory's apology to Erap and Noynoy's alliance with that same person (Noynoy was endorsed by Erap in the GO: Genuine Opposition --- there was even a photo of Erap raising the hand of Noynoy --- what an eyesore!), my admiration for the two of them has slowly faded and now, I'm afraid it's gone. Nonetheless, my respect still goes to our former President Cory Aquino for the mere fact that she was able to restore democracy in our country.

I have always regarded Ninoy Aquino as somebody of high morals and I will always remain as a Ninoy Aquino believer. However, his son, Noynoy has failed me. As a person, I believe he is good also (no doubt about that) but as a public servant/politician, I could not extend the same courtesy that I have extended to his father. How can Noynoy justify his alliance with a very corrupt and a morally-devoid individual (Erap)? How can you fight the present administration's evil system when you are also associated with a convicted plunderer? It's very disgusting to see an Aquino befriending such a lowlife; all for the sake of political convenience! In my opinion, that's an un-Aquino trait. He gained Erap's supporters but he eventually lost some of Aquino believers as a consequence... and that includes my family.

Nasaan ang delicadeza? Nasaan ang prinsipyo? Paano ko rerespetuhin ang isang taong kaya rin palang kumain nang naisuka na? Higit sa lahat, paano ko papanigan ang isang taong kaya rin palang mabaluktot ang prinsipyo basta't umaayon sa kanyang pampulitika na interes?

Noynoy Aquino for President?! Of course, he has a big chance of winning. Why not? After all, AQUINO s'ya. AQUINO lang kasi s'ya. Pero kung sa kakayanan at prinsipyo ng namayapa n'yang ama, WALA s'yang namana! Bulok din pala ang paninindigan n'ya tulad ng ibang pulitiko. TRAPO.

Kawawang Pilipinas. Wala nang mapili kundi ang "the least evil of them all (?)" but not necessarily the best one that can lead and govern our country.