My President, Our President

I wish I had written this.

My president is the president of the powerless and the leaderless.

My president is the voice of those who have no voice and those who are not heard.

My president dreams of things that have never been, and fights for things that must be.

Yes, you know my president.

My president is the biggest critic of the Administration, a tough investigator in Senate inquiries, a crusader in the impeachment of those who betray the public trust. He cannot hide his contempt for abuse of power, and he has no patience for dishonesty in service.

My president is the second poorest Senator in the land. He has chosen the inconvenience of honest service over convenience of easy lobby money.

My president is not the darling of movie stars and gossip hosts. But his is the voice that the public seeks when it needs understanding on the burning issues of the day.

My president is not of the billionaires, and the landed elite. But he is the president of workers, consumers, jeepney drivers, and the riding public who are powerless to stop oil price increases, and the farmers who toil to own the land they till.

My president vows to discard pork barrel funds – one of the biggest sources of corruption in the land, and he cannot be loyal to politicians who never want this privilege to end.

My president rejects the offers of other political parties. He cannot pretend respect for those whose reputations are tainted by money stolen from public coffers, or whose incompetence has wasted the lives of many of our people .

My president ignores the call of those who say it is time to quit. For if he cannot fight for change right now, then when? And if he will not lead the way, then who will?

My president, they say, is too young to be president. But is anyone too young to fight for a better world? Is anyone too young to challenge the powers that be?

My president repudiates the politics of old – the politics of entertainment, the politics of patronage, the politics that treats public service as commerce, the politics of same-as-before, and business-as-usual.

My president stands for new politics – the politics of principles, of conscience and morality, the politics of honest and competent service, the politics for the people, and the politics of genuine change.

My president has bravely declared his independence, but he is not alone. For the Filipino People are his party, and their interests, his ideology.

My president is the president of hope, the president of change, the president of new beginnings.

My president is

Chiz Escudero: Francis Guevarra Escudero.

Now, let us unite to make him, not only my president, rather our president, the president of the Filipino People!

Bakit Si Chiz?

E-mailed to our e-groups by a contemporary from UP. The topic of discussion? The 2010 presidential elections, Noynoy's candidacy, and Chiz Escudero's resignation from the NPC.

Tungkol naman sa kay Chiz Escudero, ni kailanman ay di ako nagduda na sya ay tatakbo. At kailanman ay di ako bumoto batay lamang sa kung sino ang palagay ko na mananalo o di mananalo. Ang boto ko ay laan lamang sa taong pinaniniwalaan ko, yaong bumubuhay ng aking pag-asa sa kapwa at sa bayan. Si Chiz Escudero yun.

Noong namatay si Cory, isa ako sa nagdalamhati. Lumaki akong humanga kay Ninoy at kahit na sandamakmak ang mga kamaliang nagawa ng administrasyong Aquino, ako'y humanga sa busilak nyang kalooban. At noong umurong si Mar Roxas sa laban bilang pangulo, batid ko agad na si Noynoy ang tatakbo. Ang sabi ko sa aking sarili at sa ilan mga kaibigan: "Chiz has my vote but my heart belongs to NoyNoy." Corny mang maituturing pero yaon ang aking pinaniwalaan noon.

Noon yun. Ngayon, ang ginawa ni Chiz na pag-iwan sa NPC, ang pagtalikod sa tradisyunal na partido pulitika, ang pagtakwil sa pork barrel system at work contractualization at iba pa, ay nagdala ng bagong pagninilay-nilay sa akin. Ang kanyang katapangan na iwanan ang NPC sa harap ng napipintong pinakamalaking laban ng kanyang buhay pulitiko ay binansagan ng iba na "youthful naivete" at "political suicide." Pero ito ang pumukaw sa aking damdamin at gumising sa aking idealismo. Sinong kandidato sa pagkapangulo ang iiwan ang partido at makinarya at sumuong sa laban na kulang sa armas? Sino ang kayang gawin ito sa panahon ngayon? Sino nga ba kungdi yaong may tapang at idealismo. Sino nga ba kungdi isang Chiz Escudero.

Ngayon ay kinukwestyon ko na kung bakit animnapung porsyento ng Pinoy ay para kay Noynoy. Sadyang sadlak lang ba ang Pinoy sa kahirapan at kawalan ng pag-asa na kahit wala silang alam sa pagkatao ni Noynoy ay sapat na para iboto syang presidente dahil lamang mga bayani at hinahangaan ang kanyang mga magulang? Ano nga ba ang alam natin kay Noynoy? Na anak sya ni Ninoy at Cory at kapatid sya ni Kris at bayaw ni James Yap? Na dati nyang kasintahan si Korina Sanchez-Roxas at Bernadette Sembrano? Na dati syang kongresista at ngayon ay senador? Ano pa nga ba? Na si Kris at hindi si Noynoy ang "female Ninoy" o "Cory's favorite child"?

Maaring tama ang idolo kong si Conrado de Quiros na hindi magnanakaw si Noynoy dahil di nya yuyurakan ang pangalang iniwan ng kanyang mga magulang. Maaring tama rin si De Quiros na di gahaman sa kapangyarihan si Noynoy dahil sya diumano ay "reluctant candidate." Maari. Pero sa ganang akin, ang katapatan at pagkamatuwid ay hindi lang sa dugong Aquino nananalaytay. Sa katunayan, wala noon sa kanyang kapatid na si Kris. At kung ako ang papipiliin sa isang pulitikong binasbasan ng tadhana at isang gagawa ng sariling nyang kapalaran, ay doon na ako sa huli. Tulad nga ng itinuran ni Robin Williams sa pelikulang "Dead Poets Society" na "carpe diem", pabor ako dun sa matapang at buo ang loob na iguhit ang sariling nyang kapalaran.

Minsan ay matatawa ka sa Pinoy. Pagkaharap nya ay trapo, maghahanap sya ng may idealismo. Ngayong andyan at sumisigaw ng idealismo si Chiz Escudero, pinagdududahan syang kulang lang daw sa pondo. Tulad ng sabi ko sa aking mga kaibigan ng araw na iniwan ni Chiz ang NPC: "ang mensahe ni Chiz ay yaon mismong sinabi nya; you dont have to read between the lines."

Binabatikos rin si Chiz dahil kung ayaw raw nyang ma-impluwensyahan ng partido ay bakit ngayon lang daw nya ginawa ang pagtalikod sa NPC gayong higit isang dekada na syang miyembro nito. Bakit, kung tama at para sa tama ang gagawin mo, kailangan pa ba nating tanungin kung bakit ngayon lang? Di ba ang mahalaga ay nagawa ang tama at may tapang na gawin ito sa harap ng pagbatikos? Mabuti nga at ginawa di ba? Di ba't mas dapat na batikusin ang mga kandidatong walang tapang at idealismo na gawin ang ginawa ni Chiz Escudero?

Sa mga kadahilanang aking nabanggit, kay Chiz Escudero po ang boto at puso ko.

August 21

It is said that heroism is serving others, even at the cost of one’s life.

Safely beyond the reach of a government that had unjustly prosecuted and jailed him, opposition leader Ninoy Aquino could have lived out the rest of his life in comfort with his beloved wife, President Cory, and his five children in the United States. Instead, Ninoy chose to return to the country of his birth––despite repeated warnings that he would forfeit his life if he did, and that his death would be in vain.

Rather than listen to the cynical and the disillusioned, he chose to believe in the Filipino people. Rather than turn his back on his country and its people, Ninoy chose to embrace his fate. At the cost of his life, Ninoy showed a whole country how to act in the face of oppression, how to stand up to injustice, and how to respond to the cries of a people yearning for change.

Ninoy’s faith in us was ultimately rewarded three years after his death by People Power––a bloodless revolution led by his widow. But beyond serving as the inspiration for the restoration of our democracy, Ninoy’s sacrifice imparts a valuable and lasting lesson: that the course of our country’s history can be changed by the choices one makes––by choosing hope over despair, action over indifference, and duty above self.

Today the face of oppression has changed, injustice is prevalent, and our people again cry for change. Faced with these challenges, let us all derive inspiration from the life and death of Ninoy and choose to act and fight for ourselves and our people.

Tuloy ang pakikibaka.

Pinoy Movies

Dahil sa Agosto natin ipinagdidiriwang ang Linggo ng Wika, naisip ko na marapat at dapat i-promote ang mag sineng Pinoy na napanood at na-enjoy.

1. Magnifico

Nakakaiyak. Sobra.

2. May Minamahal

Isa sa mga "langit ka at lupa lang ako" na kwentong pag-ibig. Si Aiko, maliban sa cute, marunong umarte.

3. Kung Ako Na Lang Sana

Ang matalik na kaibigan, pwede bang maging kasintahan? Isinasagot nina Shawie at Aga dito.

4. Pusong Mamon

Laugh trip. Matagal ko nang crush itong si Lorna Tolentino. Dito, di lang sya maganda––sya'y nakakatawa.

5. Tanging Yaman

Si Johnny Delgado... panalo! Kung lumaki ka sa Going Bananas, di mo maisip na mahusay umarte itong si Manong Johnny, pero dito, isa sya sa mga umaagaw eksena.

6. Dekada '70

Magandang libro, magandang sine.

7. Bagong Buwan

Kung wala kang alam sa problema sa Muslim Mindanao, panoorin mo 'to.

8. Kristina Moran... Babaeng Palaban

Isa sa pinakanakakatawang sine––sa wikang Ingles o Pilipino––na napanood ko. Si Rosanna Roces, di lang sexy––siya'y magaling magpatawa.

9. Crying Ladies

Patunay na di mo kailangan ng special effects para gumawa ng matinong palabas.

10. Imelda

Mahusay na dokyu. Dapat panoorin ng mga Pinoy na di pa pinanganak nung Martial Law.

The Million-Peso Dinner

From Manuel L. Quezon III's Twitter feed, a rundown of the officials who may have been with GMA during the dinner at Le Cirque in New York:

1. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita
2. House Speaker Prospero Nograles
3. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
4. Sec. Heherson Alvarez
5. DFA Sec. Alberto Romulo
6. DA Sec. Arthur Yap
7. DND Sec. Gilberto Teodoro
8. Sec. Cerge Remonde
9. Bayani & Marides Fernando
10. Bataan Gov. Tet Garcia
11. Danao City Mayor Nitoy Durano
12. Jacqueline Lingad Ricci (FILUSA)
13. Sen. Lito Lapid
14. Reps Rodante Marcoleta
15. Rep. Daryl Grace Abayon
16. Rep. Catalina Leonen Pizarro
17. Rep. Godofredo & Remedios Arquiza

The Manila Bulletin Sends A Subtle Message

Whoever wrote the caption must be thinking what millions of other Filipinos are thinking.

What Not To Wear In The Presence Of A Priest

Today, a priest came over to bless our office. I couldn't have chosen a worse shirt to wear.

Image from here.