Noynoy Aquino for President

Hindi ako taga-Liberal Party o may anumang partidong sinasapian. Hindi ako taga-hanga ni Kris, dahil wala akong hilig sa comedy. Hindi ko rin hilig ang pulitika dahil sabi sa aking ng tatay ko ay marumi raw ito. Subalit naaawa na ako sa Bansang Pilipinas. Marami ang nababasa ko na huwag nating isisi lagi sa gobyerno ang nangyayari sa Pilipinas kaya walang asenso, dapat daw na baguhin ng bawat Pilipno ang kanilang ugali na magkaroon ng disiplina para umunlad ang bayan. Napakagandang katuwiran. May puntos ika nga.
Subalit papaano magkakaroon ng disiplina ang mga anak, kung hindi makikita ito sa mga magulang. Paano magkakaroon ng disiplina ang bawat Pilipino kung yaong mga namumuno sa bayan ay walang disiplina. Hindi pinalaki ng maganda ng magulang o baka talagang ganid ang pagkatao nito. Sabi ng aking Pastor, hindi raw pwedeng mag-akay ang bulag ng kapwa bulag. Nabulag na ang nasa administrasyon ng kanilang kapangyarihan. Hindi na nila alam ang mangyayari sa susunod... Ang nais nila ay maipagpatuloy ang kapangyarihang ito kahit na masagasaan ang maraming mahihirap. Nais nilang magpakayaman lalo upang matugunan ang pansarili nilang pangangailangan, upang lalo lumawak ang kanilang kapangyarihan at mahawakan ang buhay ng ordinaryong mamamayan.
Iisa ito sa laban ni Ninoy ng kapanahunan ng diktatoya ni Marcos. Magkaiba lamang ang situasyon. Noon tayo ay under Martial Law, walang pwedeng magsalita ng laban sa Administrasyon, pwede kang makulong, salvage ang aabutin mo kapag minamalas pa.
Ngayon di ba ganoon din. Ilan na ang namatay na mamamahayag. Ilan na ang mga namatay dahil nakikiisa sila na mabago at ipaglaban ang kapayapaan ng Pilipinas tungo sa kaunlaran. Isa rito ay si Fernando Poe Jr. na dinaya, upang hindi magkaroon nag pagkaktaon na maipadama niya ang pagmamahal niya sa bayan.
Ngayon ay narito muli ang laban. Nandito muli ang labang pinasimulan ni Ninoy at Cory sa katauhan ng nagiisang anak na lalaking si Noynoy. Hindi ko siya kilala. Hindi ko alam ang tunay niyang pagkatao. Wala akong alam mula sa kanyang pagkabata. Subalit mahalaga sa kanya ang kaniyang pinagmulan. Katulad ni Jesus sa kapanahunan noon. Mahalaga ang kaniyang pinanggalingan. Importante kung kanininong dugo siya nagmula. Kaya nga libro ni Mateo sa Biblia inisa-isa ni Mateo ang genealogy ni Jesus, upang makita ng mambabasa na galing ito sa mapagpalang angkan.
Kaya nga ako bilang isang batang Pilipino nakikiisa kay Ninoy, Cory at ngayon ay kay Noynoy. Para sa ikauunlad ng Bayan, para sa tunay at ganap na pagbabago. Ituloy ang laban ni Ninoy at Cory. Noynoy Aquino for President.

‘May araw din tayo’

By Conrado de Quiros, Theres The Rub, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sabi mo, Gary Olivar, magpakalalaki si Noynoy, huwag na nyang punahin ang boss mo. Sabi mo rin, politically mature na tayo, di na dapat ginagamit sa pulitika ang mga salitang “Good vs. Evil” or “Kabutihan laban sa Kasamaan.”

Payong kapatid, p’re, easy ka lang sa salitang “mature.” Di ka gaanong kapanipaniwala pag nagpapasya ka kung ano ang mature at ano ang hindi. Hindi na ko magpapayo na easy ka rin lang sa paghamon sa ibang tao na magpakalalaki, bahala ka lang magnilay-nilay tungkol dyan sa harap ng salamin.

Meron pa bang mas immature kesa sa sagot mo kay Noynoy? Obvious naman na ang pinanggalingan nyan ay ang kulturang macho na nagsasabing ’wag kang papatol, o makikipagaway, sa babae kung tunay kang lalaki. Kung ganun lang ang deskarte n’yo, uminom na lang kayo ng gin hanggang sa machoka. ’Yang machong kulturang ’yan ay matagal nang ibinasura ng taongbayan sa tulong ng women’s groups dahil sa mababang pagtingin sa kababaihan. Kunyari nagtatanggol sa mga babae, sa totoo ay sinisiraan ang mga babae.

Kayo lang naman ang nakakakita ng babae o lalaki sa usaping ito. Lahat naman ng Noypi ay nakikita lang ang tama o mali sa usaping ito. Pero pinag-uusapan din lang natin ang babae at lalaki, masisisi mo ba si Noynoy kung sabihin nyang nakalimutan yata ng dating titser nya ang mga itinuro sa kanya? Dahil meron din syang naging titser na babae, di hamak na mas magaling, at ni minsan ay hindi nakalimutan ang mga itinuro. ’Yan ay si Cory.

At pinaguusapan din lang natin ang lalaki at babae, sino naman ang me sabi sa yo na ang boss mo ay babae? Dahil galit na galit na sinasabi sa ’kin ng mga kaibigan kong babae, “Hindi namin kaano-ano ’yan.”

Tingnan natin kung di sapul ng “Good vs. Evil” ang labanang ito:

Huwag na tayong magpa-cute pa at diretsuhin na lang: Ang boss mo ay sinungaling. Sino ba ang mahilig magpanggap na madasalin, laging nagpaparetrato habang nakaluhod at mataimtim na nananalangin kay—bahala ka nang magsabi kung Kanino. Sino nga ba ang mas sincere sa kanilang dalawa ng aso na ganyan din ang posing? Sino ba ang lumamon ng kung anu-ano sa New York at nagsabing: (1) Di nangyari yon, (2) Nangyari yon pero di ganun ang bill, (3) Ganun ang bill pero si Martin Romualdez naman ang nagbayad, (4) Ayos lang yon dahil marami namang nagpakasasa?

Sino ba ang nagsabing hindi sya tatakbo sa 2004?

Sa kabilang banda, eto si Noynoy na pinalaking maayos ng mga magulang. Nagsabing magdadasal, tapos magdedesisyon. Nagdasal, tapos nagdesisyon. Kung ano’ng sinabi, yon ang ginawa. Paminsan-minsan siguro nangangako sa GF na darating nang maaga pero nale-late. Pero pwede na nating palampasin yon.

Ano’ng tawag mo dyan? Di ba Tama laban sa Mali? Di ba Makatotoo laban sa Peke? Di ba Good vs. Evil?

Ang boss mo ay mandaraya. Sino ba ang paulit-ulit na tumawag kay Garci noong bilangan para makalamang ng 1 million boto kay FPJ, at nakalamang nga ng 1 milyon boto kay FPJ? Sino ba ang gumawa ng batas na nagsasabing walang maaaring magsabi na nandaya sya nang wala niyang pahintulot? Sino ba ang nagtago sa “executive privilege” para hindi managot sa bayan kung sya nga ang mastermind ng NBN?

Sino ba ang me mga anak na di makapagpaliwanag ng mga ari-arian sa San Francisco?

Sa kabilang banda, eto si Noynoy na walang record na nandaya sa Kongreso at Senado. Na may nanay na paulit-ulit na pinangaralan silang magkakapatid sa pagiging matapat. Na nagbigay ng halimbawa sa pag-ingat sa mga kagamitan sa Malakanyang dahil “’yan ay pag-aari ng taongbayan.” Paminsan-minsan siguro, nandadaya rin si Noynoy sa dieta at nage-extra rice. Pero pwede na rin nating palampasin yon.

Ano’ng tawag mo dyan? Di ba Tama laban sa Mali? Di ba Katinuan laban sa Kabuktutan? Di ba Good vs. Evil?

Ang boss mo ay mandarambong. Sino ba ang naturingan ng World Bank na pinaka corrupt na leader sa buong Asya? Sino ba ang nangutang ng higit pa kay Fidel Ramos at Erap combined, pero walang mapakain sa taongbayan, ang ramdam na ramdam lang ni Juan ay gutom? Sino ba ang pabyahe-byahe at tumatrato sa buwis ni Juan bilang pocket money? Sino ang nagkorap sa lahat ng institusyon ng demokrasya, ang Kongreso, ang Korte, ang Comelec, ang Simbahan, ang Sundalo? Sino ang gumawa ng tama sa mali at mali sa tama?

Sa kabilang banda, meron ka bang narinig na nagnakaw si Cory, nagnakaw si Noynoy, nagnakaw ang mga kapatid ni Noynoy? Paminsan-minsan si Kris ay nagnanakaw ng eksena, pero pwede na rin nating palampasin yon. Paminsan-minsan din, si Noynoy ay nagnanakaw ng halik, pero pwedeng-pwede nating palampasin yon.

Ano’ng tawag mo dyan? Di ba Tama laban sa Mali? Di ba Kagandahang Asal laban sa Asal-aso? Di ba Good vs. Evil?

May araw din kayo.

At may araw din kami.

Pinangako ko sa sarili ko na kapag tumugon si Noynoy Aquino sa hamon ng panahon, susulatin ko ang kolum na ito. Tagalog pa rin dahil me mga bagay na masasabi mo lang na swak na swak sa lingwaheng malapit sa puso o bituka mo.

May araw din ang taongbayan.

’Yan ang naisip ko sa Club Filipino noong nakaraang Miyerkoles. Naghalong “Tapos na ang maliligayang araw n’yo,” at “Sa gitna ng kadiliman ay meron ding bukang-liwayway.” Mangiyak-ngiyak ang mga kaibigan ko habang pinakikinggan si Noynoy maghayag na tatakbo siya bilang pangulo ng bansa. Naisip ko: Ganyan nga siguro ang pakiramdam ng mga bilanggong malapit nang palayain. Hindi ko sila masisisi. Ganyan din ang naramdaman ko.

Pagkatapos ng matinding paghihirap, makakaginhawa din. Pagkatapos ng matagal na pagkabilanggo, makalalaya din. Pagkatapos ng walang humpay na kabiguan, magtatagumpay din.

May araw din tayo.

Leading all the way (More than euphoria)

By Atty. Romeo V. Pefianco, Manila Bulletin (www.mb.com.ph)

The few advantages of Senator Noynoy’s campaign are too glaring to be ignored: 1) very low profile but highly effective nonetheless 2) totally obvious media bias in his favor 3) nearly zero budget for political ads and corny postures 4) influential and mainstream armies of volunteers trekking to his bandwagon and 5) patriotic and religious chants/ditties where people gather, to touch his skin and shirt, that also move the heart.

Deliberate choice

According to PR practitioners and veteran analysts the above show of support is not mere euphoria. It is both emotional and deliberate, signs of honest, lasting and sincere attachment to the man and for his cause.

Critics of Noynoy may do well, exceedingly well, if they stop calling him not qualified, not an impressive speaker, lacks charisma and expensive propaganda.

All men at Palace

Lately, Palace advisers told Noynoy: “Be a man!” Critics at coffee shops commented: At the Palace boys are like girls and girls are more than men, period.

The ‘mechanic’

Thousands of critics of Ramon Magsaysay referred to him as a passenger bus mechanic (at Try-Tran Co. where he eventually became manager); that he viewed the law of supply and demand as a piece of legislation that needed immediate repeal. But pollsters had the last laugh: Magsaysay was way ahead of Quirino by 60 percent to less than 40 percent for the president some three months before the November 10, 1953 elections.

Leading all the way

On election day Magsaysay had beaten the surveys: He won in all provinces, except Ilocos Sur, getting an unheard of 69 percent of the votes.

View(Magsaysay had studied at UP in 1927 and later graduated with an BS in Commerce from Jose Rizal College, now a university.)

Most people, the masses especially, don’t change candidates if they see one to their liking. They don’t like the smart-alecky pros with a long list of promises, or a repeat of their opponents’ pledges in all fields of endeavor. They don’t like veteran pols who mimick orators with long, repetitious speeches that nail nothing after the oratory.

Show of sincerity

They speak well of honest, sincere and smiling candidates. Years ago Clark Gable was an aggressive seller, promoter who used dubious methods in praise of things to come in The Huckster.

Then he met a truly sincere, lovely and sad girl who asked him to stop making lots of money by lying to people as buyers/customers. One day Gable stopped by a haberdashery and asked for a new tie. He was given ties costing 50, 25 or 10 dollars.

Gable’s choice: “I want a tie that looks sincere.” It took the store manager to find it. With his tie that looked sincere Clark Gable quit his job, threw his wallet into a river and started a new life by marrying Deborah Kerr.

Use of tax money

Most politicians and candidates often seen on TV are candidates of self-praise who probably use tax money to promote/sell themselves, their office and influence or take advantage of strategic highway curves to show billboards with their huge picture to advertise their so-called achievements funded with tax money.

In the last 40 years RP politics has become more sophisticated, thoroughly corrupt and shamelessly costly. No candidate for senator or congressman since 1987 could expect a small welcoming crowd without sending an advance party who would distribute cash and favors to local lowers, mostly local officials and their families.

Counting in public In April 1987 one candidate for senator had given P20,000 each to local candidates in two or three Western Visayas provinces. But one segurista local counted in public what was inside the envelope he received and shouted “exacto P20,000.” Voters could not stand his kind of shamelessness and turned against him.

Bidding

It is known to us all that incredible poverty (about 70 to 80 percent) in the countryside, especially in coastal barrios, voters are on the list of opposing candidates who have mastered the art of bidding for votes. The price may vary from P500 to P2,000 if the contest for mayor appears too close to call, so to speak.

The early birds who cast their votes between 8 a.m. and 12:30 noon live mostly in the poblacion, especially the merchant class, referred to as intelligent voters.

The young and educated voters don’t ask for favors and don’t give a hoot to politicians’ bola in the campaign. This is the most reliable class who can announce their choice fully and openly weeks or months before election day.

Hope

They can influence the final result of the election by their number alone and by showing that only leaders of known sincerity and honesty can change and lead us to relative progress and prosperity, not to “just manageable”

GDP the poor masses cannot eat.

The campaigners of Noynoy can offer hope, long lost to 92.2M Filipinos since the 1970s.

Even hope can make people realize that politicians can win or lose by failing to offer it on time.

A Love Letter to Noynoy

By Maria Reylan M. Garcia, Young Voice, The News Today Online Edition

It was better than Shakespeare. It was shorter than any novel, but the three pages told a life story of love. It was the shortest epic of love, the love of a father to his son and the love of a man to his country. It was typewritten and a few parts had some erasures. The piece of literature was a letter from a bespectacled man who never lost hope in his fellowmen. In his letter, he told his 15-year-old son, “There is no greater nation on earth than our motherland. No greater people than our own. Serve them with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength.” That man entrusted his country to his son. In a few years time, that man was killed in the soil of the country he loved, was declared a hero and his face became the insignia of Philippine democracy.

It was Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr.’s letter to his son, Benigno “Noynoy”Aquino III. Every time I would withdraw from the ATM, before I place the bills inside my wallet I am always reminded that a man called Ninoy said, that a pimply eighteen year old girl who just received her whole month’s allowance along with others of her race was worth dying for.

I only knew Ninoy from the documentary films and history textbooks. I only saw his charismatic speeches from video streaming websites. But long since I knew of his contribution, I had considered him as one of my personal heroes. I downloaded a scan of Ninoy’s letter to the adolescent Noynoy that sounded more like a last will and testament. Ninoy wrote this letter after he had decided to forego his participation in the proceedings of the Military Commission who will try him for his charges of illegal possession of firearms and murder.

I do not know how Noynoy felt while reading his father’s letter; if it was me I could have cried a bucketful.

Last September 9, 2009, in the very same site where his president mother, the late Corazon Aquino was inaugurated, Noynoy announced his bid for candidacy in the 2010 presidential elections. Noynoy, now 49, is more than determined to continue unraveling his dad’s dreams for the country. Within seconds of Noynoy’s announcement, millions of opinions echoed the commentaries of every medium. Some say Noynoy will be the resurrection of his parents’ tandem that Noynoy will continue the Laban. Some would disagree and throw out to rubbish the like-father-like-son or the like-mother-like-son ideology. Some believe that Noynoy is just made to look eligible by his parents’ influence more so his mother’s recent death or even his younger sister’s natural charisma and not of his own accord.

I am not a political analyst. I do not have much knowledge on what can influence the rise and fall of survey polls. But I am a registered voter and eventually I will have to pick my choice, I will have to elect my president. I am still not sure whether or not I will actually vote for Noynoy but quite frankly I have a jar of hope allotted for him. Considering his familial background, his moral stand and his capacity to make a strong presidentiable back-out and concentrate on wedding plans, Noynoy may have a chance, well a huge chance to get my vote at least.

What I am looking for in a president is beyond the academic education and bulk of wealth. We had plenty of those and each one had transformed into power-hungry monsters who had simply rubbished their idealistic promises. What I am looking for in a president is beyond the experience and seniority. We had plenty of those some even took every step of government hierarchy but eventually ran the country like an impulsive amateur. What I am looking for in a president is simply a good moral foundation and the capacity to unite a country. We are divided geographically and the last thing we need is a societal faction. There are many presidentiables who continue to make themselves smell like roses in springtime through their numerous charity works. But, these are actually to mask their previous scandals and mischievousness. As of now, in my opinion, Noynoy bears the cry of an almost united Philippines. Noynoy is the conscious reality of a Filipino’s dream of change. Noynoy is the Filipino’s hope of the revival of the 80’s advocacy. I just hope he will be able to maintain that.

The last line of Ninoy’s letter to Noynoy was, “Son, the ball is now in your hands.” I will not compare Noynoy to Ninoy although at times I get their names mixed up. They are different individuals. The ball is now in Noynoy’s hands, this is the dream of his father, the dream of the Philippines in the past. I am looking forward at how Noynoy will dribble and shoot the ball. He may still need improvements. Lucky for him he has an MVP brother-in-law.

This is not a campaign for Noynoy Aquino. I am not paid to favor him. Actually, I am still unsure whether or not to vote for him.

But he has the greater chance to unite the Philippines. He has the greater chance to put to life one of the greatest love stories I have read. We’ll see.