Dear Divine (Aquino and Binay)

12 May 2010

Dear Divine,

 

I hope you didn’t vote, and I say this only because of my concern for your health. Kris Buntag (your JVP batchmate) waited for hours; I believe 10hrs, that wouldn’t have been advisable for you. I, on the other hand stood for 3 hrs and 15mins and still voted for GORDON. Even if the chances were very slim, I hoped that by some form of miracle he would win.

 

With the Automated Elections this year (of which Gordon was one of the principal authors), the results are out quite fast and the whole country (and most of the world) knows that it is an Aquino win for the Presidential Seat and most probably a Binay for the Vice Presidential Post.

 

A good number of my (our) friends voted for Aquino in the spirit of ‘change’ the he symbolizes mainly because he has inherited it from the work and sacrifices of his parents. They voted because his political career was not marked by any form of corruption. There were some standards to what a President is and should be that they had to forego in voting for him and believing in him. Some voted despite his lack of experience, passion and hardwork with the stronger belief that those behind him and will work for him are Experienced Leaders, Great Visionaries and Genuinely Good people. I know a number who voted for his advisers and not necessarily for him. And that is where my fear lies.

 

Not that I do not respect and believe his advisers, I actually admire a good number of people in the Liberal Party, but I fear how we never get over the spirit of ‘utang na loob.’ With a good number of people, donors, and sponsors to Thank for the successful campaign of Mr. Aquino, what will he give in exchange for that? (and those who dare say that he will not give them anything because he owes them nothing are Hypocrites)

 

The dependency on advisers scares me because much as I know a number of them, I also don’t know many of them – I do not know what their real intentions are. And I’m sorry to Aquino ‘fans,’ I said this before, I do not believe he has the right sense of passion and assertiveness to not be driven by the motives of others. in short he doesn't have the 'balls' that Gordon and Gibo have (or atleast shown us that they have)

 

The chances of Mar Roxas winning the VP seat is getting slimmer by the hour. I pity the man. I still haven’t forgotten how much of a traditional politician he is; his early electioneering with the ‘padyak’ advertisement (among others); and for marrying korina – but the man works and doesn’t have a corruption tainted name. Unlike that of BINAY, who will most probably be our VP.

 

None of my friends voted for Binay, perhaps a few acquaintances did. But if I show them factual information of his corrupt practices I doubt if they wouldn’t change their mind about him (because if they don’t, I will be the one to change my mind about being associated with them). And with Binay as vice president, who will most probably ask for the DILG cabinet position, I am very much afraid. I am afraid of how much more money he will steal and of how much influence he can have over our county. I am very much afraid.

 

 

I CHOOSE FAITH. In as much as there is some anger toward the turnout of the elections (Erap still being #2, of Binay, Pacquaio, GMA, Mikey Arroyo’s party list winning), the sense of loss in wanting for better leaders to win (Gordon, Gibo, Mar, Hontiveros, N.Acosta, etc) and a sense of dismay in the many controversies that surrounded this elections (PCOS konking out, procurement issues of those darn folders and UV ray lights that were never used,etc). I choose to have faith.

 

I choose to believe in better things ahead of us, because in a way, that’s what we ought to do. We have to move on in the spirit that at least CHANGE is going to come. And in as much as we have been vigilant during the election period, we are asked to become even more vigilant, even more demanding of the new National and Local Elected Leaders. That is how we should move on from loss – we are entitled to grieve a little, be angry for a while, but if our concerns are truly for the country - we work with the leaders that we have. Many have said it, it’s MAJORITY VOTE, not necessarily the RIGHT VOTE – that’s democracy and so work within the bounds of the democratic country we are in.

 

I would have wanted for the many good leaders who lost to be able to take on a seat in the Cabinet but the law will not allow it – at least for a year. And so I choose to be patient in the hopes that despite their loss, they will be there to help the country whether in a position or not but hopefully after a year in a position of great significance. This will re affirm my belief in them and my choice to have faith in this new President of ours. I will choose to have faith in Mr. Aquino’s genuinely good advisers. But note Divine that I will not stop from practicing a healthy sense of skepticism in their actions, for that is the faith that I know – not blind faith, but a vigilant one.

 

On that note, I WILL NOT FORGET TO LOOK AT CONGRESS. Because the long wait for new governance is well on its way, but the ‘old’ highest leader will be sitting in congress with some, if not most, of his allies. And we should not allow her to regain power and take a Prime Minister seat.

 

This election is not just about the President and the Vice President, there is change all over the country and we ought to be aware of those changes. I hope you do not forget that for I know I won’t. PILIPINAS KONG MAHAL! :)

Dear Divine 6May2010

Dear Divine,

I am happy to hear that you have been discharged from the hospital there in Zamboanga and that you are recovering from home. I believe you are still under medication and observation so we continue to pray for your good health and hope that your Doctors make the best decision about your condition. We will wait if you need to fly in here in Manila or if you will be sent to Davao. Either way, we are with you.

Three days to go before election Divine - the country is in a crazy state. I urge you not to watch television if you can resist it because 80% of the advertisements are that of politicians and 90% of the news is about the main candidates. It might make you sick again. There are times I want to puke at the mere sight of the candidates. I also hate it that for the past 3 days, the song is my head is the jingle of one of the vice-presidential candidates whom I despise. He claims to be genuinely good and "pure" when I know for a fact that he has been stealing from the beloved city he is supposed to work in and for. 

The news about PCOS machines not working, of the need for the CF cards to be reformatted are alarming in so many ways. I cannot put into words my mixed emotions of fear, a bit of anger and disappointment. The equipment that has been put in place to help us and help transparency and accountability during the elections better not be used for cheating and for violence to ensue. 

The teachers, the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs), at least in Luzon according to the news, have been receiving the machines and are familiarizing themselves with the tool. I see some of them quite happy with the new system. The manual counting all these years must have been so excruciating for them - this automation, should it work well and justly is great help to them. 

This coming elections, I especially pray for them. I hope they do not forget all the things they learn from the orientations. I hope the BEIs don't get confused on the day itself and I hope no one uses them as an instrument to cheat - to cheat the system and the people. On the day of the elections, the BEIs are our TRUE PUBLIC SERVANTS - without the trade of national position after elections, without huge compensation for the stress of the day and with the possibility of being screamed at by confused or disappointed voting population they will still be there. The BEIs will and should stay all day until the votes are counted. 

Let us not forget about the BEIs when we pray and hope for honest and clean elections.  

Voting for GORDON

I believe this is it, it's final. I am voting for RICHARD GORDON on Monday. 

I must admit that he has always been the frontrunner for me the last couple of months. When I once posted that I'm leaning toward a G, I was choosing between Gordon and Gibo. Oh yes, I did consider Gibo, very different from my sentiments about him last May 2009. 

A couple of my good friends would react majorly about my vote for Gordon - even though they already expect it more or less. They will speak about his ARROGANCE, his being "PIKON," his untamed TONGUE and perhaps his Exaggerated Claims about his accomplishments. I will not take that away from them. But I will share some of my reasons why him. 

First, of all the negative things that people throw at him there is never anything major about INTEGRITY. Nothing that will speak about a history or even the tendency to be corrupt. I'm pretty sure he is no ANGEL - what with that tongue (esp during UAAP games), but I am not expecting a Saint out my President. I expect a PERSON and a "HUMAN BEING" who has had a record of helping others - without the camera following him and without the need to count the people s/he has helped. 

Second, when they attack him about his ARROGANCE - they almost never look at it in a positive light and see it as CONFIDENCE that can mean KNOWING WHAT HE WANTS and ASKING US TO ALLOW HIM TO BRING US THERE. Gordon is Assertive and one cannot truly be assertive is he is not confident in what he is doing. Isn't there a quote that says - "HE WHO KNOWS and KNOWS HE KNOWS (is WISE) is a LEADER - FOLLOW HIM!?" Aaaa! 

PIKON si GORDON! I just laugh, I think he is too. But he is right (to some extent) - it can be that his PASSION exudes when he speaks that's why he can be emotional. And We ought to WANT and VOTE for a PASSIONATE LEADER. Someone who knows, and knew, what he is getting into. And I don't easily find passion in a lot of leaders nowadays. I actually see it in GIBO too perhaps in BRO. EDDIE. But to others, I think I see 'POLITICAL DREAMS' in their eyes more than PASSION. And to me, that is scary and dangerous. 

Years back Gordon spoke about one of the major things that Young people like myself often forget - EDUCATION CANNOT take the place of EXPERIENCE, they have to go hand in hand. I agree. And I see both in Gordon - Education and Experience. In addition, I also think that if you were given an opportunity to hold position in public office, you should maximize it. It is not enough for me that you rose from the ranks, that is not what EXPERIENCE is. Your years in public office will only count if you actually did something during those years. This is one of the major reasons why despite my wanting for CHANGE - it cannot be someone REALLY VERY NEW in Public Office. He has to be experienced enough to hold that highest seat in the government.

GORDON doesn't owe any political parties, or old politicians or businessmen, a favor. Heck, I don't think he owes anybody anything major - what with his frankness and all, he is not exactly Mr. Congeniality. hehehe. That's fine with me. My leader has to work and has to make MAJOR decisions that can be Unpopular at times. I want to make sure the person sitting there is capable of doing such, of making the unpopular choices but THAT those choices can BENEFIT MORE of the POPULATION.

To those who are HONEST enough to admit to themselves that GORDON is the Best but fear that He will not win and Fear that Villar might win if the votes will spread so much. And so they are thinking of casting the more "idealistic" vote - voting for someone high in the surveys to make sure the other one doesn't win. This I want you to think about - think if there are atleast 1 MILLION of US, And if we all think that way, if we settle - that's 1 MILLION VOTES gone to WASTE - 1 million settled for Less. tsk tsk tsk. 

Don't SETTLE for LESS. Don't let the SURVEYs FOOL YOU. MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT - Matter!