“THE PUBLIC’S EYES ARE WATCHING ON DISARMAMENT” – VILLANUEVA
“Even with eyes closed, one can still see clearly the bloodied lifeless bodies of innocent men and women who brutally suffered from the inconceivably blood-lusting hands of the perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre,” Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas Party said as he described the chilling effects of the grisly murders of 57 innocent civilians, including several members of the media.
Reacting to the arrest of four alleged gunmen involved in the multiple murders, Villanueva said in a statement that people are now more vigilant and would not even blink until justice has been served.
“The warlords’ monstrosity has opened the public’s eyes widely, never to be shut again to the atrocities of armed violence and criminality,” he said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) calls the suspects as “militiamen” under the control of Andal Ampatuan Jr.
Villanueva said that the massacre itself is the overwhelming evidence of the “continuing crime of breeding private armies.”
“We hope this recent arrest is not just a band-aid solution to the problem but the beginning of long-term solutions to the perennial political violence in Mindanao. We will be very vigilant as to the developments in this area,” he said.
“If the government is really sincere in serving justice to the victims, one of the sensible immediate actions to take is to disarm private armies. Disarming private armies not only in Mindanao but in all parts of the country will increase the possibility of a peaceful 2010 elections,” Villanueva added.
He also called on both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP to immediately relieve military and police officers who practically did nothing during and after the massacre, as he called the inaction as “utmost abandonment of duty.”
“It’s high time we weed out the few scallywags who unfortunately taint our military institutions and unjustly drag into the mire the honourable men and women in uniform who remain faithful to their sworn allegiance and duty to our people and nation,” said Villanueva. ###
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
BRO. EDDIE, BANGON PILIPINAS BETS FILE COCs TODAY
BRO. EDDIE, BANGON PILIPINAS BETS FILE COCs TODAY
With resolute belief in genuine change, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, presidential candidate of Bangon Pilipinas Party, will file his certificate of candidacy today, November 30 at the Commission on Elections.
Villanueva will be joined by a senatorial slate of equal firmness in the hope for genuine change: former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Perfecto Yasay, Jr., broadcast journalists Kata Inocencio and Alex Tinsay, Jr., educator Dr. Israel Virgines, lawyer Ramoncito Ocampo and theologian Dr. Zafrullah Alonto.
“Bangon Pilipinas is now more prepared. Bro. Eddie’s hope for a new Philippines is also now at its peak,” Bro. Eddie said in a statement.
Bro. Eddie’s slate brings with them a political platform of 7Es, which is envisioned to obtain a progressive, prosperous, and peaceful Philippines.
The 7Es are — Empowerment of the people, Emancipation of the people, Educating the people in a quality and progressive way, Energizing the economy, Elevating the living standards of all Filipinos, Eradicating bad governance and Establishing peace and order in the land.
“The country’s long and dramatic history of ups and downs has been stagnant in the down part for years. Oligarchs maintain rule in politics and economics which is why it is no surprise that the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen,” Bro. Eddie said.
He emphasized that corruption in government is at its worst because, for a long time, genuine public service has been sacrificed at the altar of some politicians’ personal vested interests.
“It’s high time that public servants finally keep their end of the covenant of trust that our people loan them when they get elected in public office,” Bro. Eddie added.
Among others, the Philippines has been named by the Political & Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) as the most corrupt nation in Asia.
“Given a new and right leadership that could rally the nation towards reforms, the Philippines could look forward to the reversal of this unfortunate situation,” said Villanueva.
“Genuine Change” or “Tunay na Pagbabago” is Bangon Pilipinas Party’s battle cry since its inception in 2004.
“We are the change we want to see. Real change begins in every person’s genuine desire to see change in his or her environment. But it takes strong will on the part of the nation’s leaders institutionalize change in the bureaucracy. That is what Bangon Pilipinas’ slate offers to the Filipino people,” Bro. Eddie said.
To recall, Yasay was the first public official who dared to stand up against a president of the Philippines on the issue of corruption, cronyism, and abuse of power. He earned the people’s respect when he not only disobeyed unlawful commands and directives, but also exposed it.
Inocencio, for her part, is a widely respected journalist who has been consistent in her advocacy against corruption in her television and radio programs. She also pioneered Bantay Bata 163, a public service program of ABS-CBN which until today provides assistance to abused children.
Tinsay is also a media man who, in a career spanning three decades, has made a name as a no-nonsense journalist. He has covered four presidents – Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo as a member of the Malacañang Press Corps.
Ocampo is a lawyer practicing in the United States (US) specializing in family law and immigration law. Over the years, he has helped a significant number of US-based Filipinos with their legal cases.
Virgines has been an educator for almost all his professional life and a well-known personality in the Adventist University of the Philippines which has branches all over the country.
Meanwhile, Alonto comes from the bloodline of the Alonto public servants of Mindanao. He is a brilliant theologian who has written various significant books about Islam
With resolute belief in genuine change, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, presidential candidate of Bangon Pilipinas Party, will file his certificate of candidacy today, November 30 at the Commission on Elections.
Villanueva will be joined by a senatorial slate of equal firmness in the hope for genuine change: former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Perfecto Yasay, Jr., broadcast journalists Kata Inocencio and Alex Tinsay, Jr., educator Dr. Israel Virgines, lawyer Ramoncito Ocampo and theologian Dr. Zafrullah Alonto.
“Bangon Pilipinas is now more prepared. Bro. Eddie’s hope for a new Philippines is also now at its peak,” Bro. Eddie said in a statement.
Bro. Eddie’s slate brings with them a political platform of 7Es, which is envisioned to obtain a progressive, prosperous, and peaceful Philippines.
The 7Es are — Empowerment of the people, Emancipation of the people, Educating the people in a quality and progressive way, Energizing the economy, Elevating the living standards of all Filipinos, Eradicating bad governance and Establishing peace and order in the land.
“The country’s long and dramatic history of ups and downs has been stagnant in the down part for years. Oligarchs maintain rule in politics and economics which is why it is no surprise that the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen,” Bro. Eddie said.
He emphasized that corruption in government is at its worst because, for a long time, genuine public service has been sacrificed at the altar of some politicians’ personal vested interests.
“It’s high time that public servants finally keep their end of the covenant of trust that our people loan them when they get elected in public office,” Bro. Eddie added.
Among others, the Philippines has been named by the Political & Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) as the most corrupt nation in Asia.
“Given a new and right leadership that could rally the nation towards reforms, the Philippines could look forward to the reversal of this unfortunate situation,” said Villanueva.
“Genuine Change” or “Tunay na Pagbabago” is Bangon Pilipinas Party’s battle cry since its inception in 2004.
“We are the change we want to see. Real change begins in every person’s genuine desire to see change in his or her environment. But it takes strong will on the part of the nation’s leaders institutionalize change in the bureaucracy. That is what Bangon Pilipinas’ slate offers to the Filipino people,” Bro. Eddie said.
To recall, Yasay was the first public official who dared to stand up against a president of the Philippines on the issue of corruption, cronyism, and abuse of power. He earned the people’s respect when he not only disobeyed unlawful commands and directives, but also exposed it.
Inocencio, for her part, is a widely respected journalist who has been consistent in her advocacy against corruption in her television and radio programs. She also pioneered Bantay Bata 163, a public service program of ABS-CBN which until today provides assistance to abused children.
Tinsay is also a media man who, in a career spanning three decades, has made a name as a no-nonsense journalist. He has covered four presidents – Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo as a member of the Malacañang Press Corps.
Ocampo is a lawyer practicing in the United States (US) specializing in family law and immigration law. Over the years, he has helped a significant number of US-based Filipinos with their legal cases.
Virgines has been an educator for almost all his professional life and a well-known personality in the Adventist University of the Philippines which has branches all over the country.
Meanwhile, Alonto comes from the bloodline of the Alonto public servants of Mindanao. He is a brilliant theologian who has written various significant books about Islam
BANGON PILIPINAS CANDIDATES DOMINATE SULU RACE
BANGON PILIPINAS CANDIDATES DOMINATE SULU RACE
“Among all the presidentiables, we see Bro. Eddie as the only credible candidate who can realize our hopes for peace in Mindanao,” said Nur Misuari as he announced his decision to run for the Sulu gubernatorial race under Bangon Pilipinas.
“My decision to run for Governor was brought about by my obsession to achieve peace in Mindanao,” added Misuari.
Bangon Pilipinas issued its Certificate of Nomination to Misuari and his slate that includes Sondosiea Abdurajak for Vice-Governor, Samsula Adju for Representative of the First District of Sulu, Ahmad Jinnul for the Second District, and other major positions for both the provincial and municipal levels.
Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Bangon Pilipinas standard bearer, said that Misuari’s alliance with Bangon Pilipinas “is today’s most refreshing news for Mindanao.” He added, “Today, not only that Muslims and Christians unite for a common cause, but also MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) and MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) meets eye to eye on the path to finally achieve the seemingly elusive reconciliation, peace, and development in Mindanao.”
Bangon Pilipinas’ senatorial slate includes theologian and former journalist Zafrullah Alonto who also brought with him the support of the MILF.
Bro. Eddie said that the unity between the MNLF and the MILF will have a crucial role to play in the National Peace and Development Commission that Bangon Pilipinas plans to establish. “Peace and development are inseparable,” he said
“Among all the presidentiables, we see Bro. Eddie as the only credible candidate who can realize our hopes for peace in Mindanao,” said Nur Misuari as he announced his decision to run for the Sulu gubernatorial race under Bangon Pilipinas.
“My decision to run for Governor was brought about by my obsession to achieve peace in Mindanao,” added Misuari.
Bangon Pilipinas issued its Certificate of Nomination to Misuari and his slate that includes Sondosiea Abdurajak for Vice-Governor, Samsula Adju for Representative of the First District of Sulu, Ahmad Jinnul for the Second District, and other major positions for both the provincial and municipal levels.
Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Bangon Pilipinas standard bearer, said that Misuari’s alliance with Bangon Pilipinas “is today’s most refreshing news for Mindanao.” He added, “Today, not only that Muslims and Christians unite for a common cause, but also MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) and MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) meets eye to eye on the path to finally achieve the seemingly elusive reconciliation, peace, and development in Mindanao.”
Bangon Pilipinas’ senatorial slate includes theologian and former journalist Zafrullah Alonto who also brought with him the support of the MILF.
Bro. Eddie said that the unity between the MNLF and the MILF will have a crucial role to play in the National Peace and Development Commission that Bangon Pilipinas plans to establish. “Peace and development are inseparable,” he said
ARROYO FOR CONGRESS IS A COMEDY – BRO. EDDIE
ARROYO FOR CONGRESS IS A COMEDY – BRO. EDDIE
“While we respect Mrs. Arroyo’s decision to run as congressional representative for the Second District of Pampanga, we believe that her action is a violation of the intent of the Constitutional provision on the ban on re-election,” said Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Bangon Pilipinas standard bearer.
The candidate also said that “for the thinking Filipino, her decision is a comedy, if not a tragedy, for the nation.”
Bangon Pilipinas senatorial candidate Kata Inocencio for her part said that Arroyo’s plan to run as congressional representative is a reflection of how Arroyo regards power. “Mikey is supposed to be on his last term but Mrs. Arroyo instead got this chance from her own son. If this is what she is able to do to her own child, think of what she could do to the country,” Inocencio explained. .
“While we respect Mrs. Arroyo’s decision to run as congressional representative for the Second District of Pampanga, we believe that her action is a violation of the intent of the Constitutional provision on the ban on re-election,” said Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Bangon Pilipinas standard bearer.
The candidate also said that “for the thinking Filipino, her decision is a comedy, if not a tragedy, for the nation.”
Bangon Pilipinas senatorial candidate Kata Inocencio for her part said that Arroyo’s plan to run as congressional representative is a reflection of how Arroyo regards power. “Mikey is supposed to be on his last term but Mrs. Arroyo instead got this chance from her own son. If this is what she is able to do to her own child, think of what she could do to the country,” Inocencio explained. .
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
MASSACRES SHOULD NOT DEFINE 2010 ELECTIONS – VILLANUEVA
PRESS RELEASE
For Media Reference:
Andrea T. Echavez
MASSACRES SHOULD NOT DEFINE 2010 ELECTIONS – VILLANUEVA
“Monday’s carnage in Maguindanao is too shocking to describe in human terms.”
Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas Party said as he joined the Filipino nation in condemning the massacre of at least 36 people including members of local media, the worst-ever election violence in the country’s history.
In a press statement, the former human rights activist-turned-religious leader called the massacre as “a crime against humanity” that must be condemned by all decent, peace-loving humans everywhere.
“This is a symptom of the lawlessness that prevails in the country today. This must be stopped immediately by the authorities who are in charge. Massacres should not define the 2010 elections,” Villanueva said as he expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the brutal murders in Maguindanao yesterday.
“While elections next year could be the most contested in all parts of the country in recent history, all Filipinos should condemn all forms of violence that would define such contests,” he added.
Bangon Pilipinas called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to immediately launch a serious investigation on the Maguindanao massacre.
While the Armed Forces of the Philippines has started its own investigation, the PNPshould also launch a parallel action, Bangon Pilipinas said in a statement.
“If the Maguindanao massacre will not be immediately given attention, it might set a ruthless and shameless precedent not only for the local elections but also for the national,” said Villanueva.
The PNP should ensure that election-related violence all over the country in the 2010 elections will be lower than in 2004, according to Bangon Pilpinas. “We do not want a repeat of the election-related violence officially recorded in the 2004 national elections: 189 deaths and 279 injuries.”
“Let us all work together so that the 2010 elections will not only be clean but also peaceful and orderly,” said Villanueva.
For Media Reference:
Andrea T. Echavez
MASSACRES SHOULD NOT DEFINE 2010 ELECTIONS – VILLANUEVA
“Monday’s carnage in Maguindanao is too shocking to describe in human terms.”
Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas Party said as he joined the Filipino nation in condemning the massacre of at least 36 people including members of local media, the worst-ever election violence in the country’s history.
In a press statement, the former human rights activist-turned-religious leader called the massacre as “a crime against humanity” that must be condemned by all decent, peace-loving humans everywhere.
“This is a symptom of the lawlessness that prevails in the country today. This must be stopped immediately by the authorities who are in charge. Massacres should not define the 2010 elections,” Villanueva said as he expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the brutal murders in Maguindanao yesterday.
“While elections next year could be the most contested in all parts of the country in recent history, all Filipinos should condemn all forms of violence that would define such contests,” he added.
Bangon Pilipinas called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to immediately launch a serious investigation on the Maguindanao massacre.
While the Armed Forces of the Philippines has started its own investigation, the PNPshould also launch a parallel action, Bangon Pilipinas said in a statement.
“If the Maguindanao massacre will not be immediately given attention, it might set a ruthless and shameless precedent not only for the local elections but also for the national,” said Villanueva.
The PNP should ensure that election-related violence all over the country in the 2010 elections will be lower than in 2004, according to Bangon Pilpinas. “We do not want a repeat of the election-related violence officially recorded in the 2004 national elections: 189 deaths and 279 injuries.”
“Let us all work together so that the 2010 elections will not only be clean but also peaceful and orderly,” said Villanueva.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
BK’s Advocacy towards POLITICAL CHANGE
“BK’s Advocacy towards POLITICAL CHANGE”
The day was so bright, so I expected that it will end beautiful too with all the presence of the Cibac Scholars and invited participants. This day will be very great I know because this will be the start of the Bangon kabataan in their strive for a change. I believe that there will be a transformation today, renewing not just the feelings, not just the behaviour, not just the circumstances but the minds of the participants.
Today is YouthVOTe Orientation and Voters’ Education Campaign. YouthVOte Philippines or YVOTE is a consolidated force of progressive, reform-minded youth groups and organizations working toward voters’ education and empowerment. What YouthVotePhilippines does is give Filipinos young and old the tools to make educated votes that each voter can stand for. And it is very timely to involve in this kind of activity since the Bagong Kabataan was also planning to conduct the same to their members and other partnered organization.
Around 54 youth leaders from General Santos City was oriented and put into short workshop. First activity was a Vision and Mission exercise. A question of What kind of nation they want by 2010 was raised. The two groups draw their vision. Both express how they wish to have a country that is corrupt-free, having leaders who are honest and dedicated for public service and a government that practice good governance. They are looking forward that if there will be a change of leadership by 2010, then by 2020, the Philippines will not be belong to Third World Country/ Underdeveloped nations anymore, but the Philippines that time will be belong to the Developed Countries. So what is their mission in achieving their vision? The participants felt their social responsibility in the coming election. AS YOUTH, they must exercise their right to vote. But still they can do it individually. They should encourage other young people the implication of voting. So another workshop was given. The human knot activity will foster camaraderie and teamwork towards the group. This activity will test how commited they are to their mission and vision. If they are serious to start the change then along with creating a change in their respective communities are the values that they have to instil within themselves. Their mission will put into waste if they don’t have the same values and teamwork. HONESTLY, FAITH IN GOD, LOVE, PATRIOTISM and RESPECT were the values that have strongly believed by the group that would be bridge towards CHANGE. In bringing voters’ education, voters’ agenda and voter’s registration to their respective schools and organizations, those values will be their guiding principles.
The group itself signified their full commitment to be a willing volunteer and A MEMBER OF YVOTE PHILIPPINES-GENSAN CHAPTER. Their will be a continued and separated skills-training for this group in order to equip them with knowledge, skills and attitudes as YVOTE members.
It is amazing how BAGONG KABATAAN members has a heart for our nation. It is indeed incredible having this kind of young people who is more than willing to give their time and share their talents to pro-active activities as this.
IKAW, AKO, TAYO ANG PAGBABAGO, the logo statement of the BAGONG KABATAAN is truly not just a mere declaration of the org’s advocacy but an advocacy IN ACTION. It is really true that our youth is the trustee of posterity.
The BAGONG KABATAAN is now partner of the YouthVOTE Philippines in educating and giving enough information to their fellow youth regarding the significance of voting. We are now part of the advocacy of providing tools to make educated votes that each voter can stand for, we will not tell you whom to vote but we aim to give you information so that YOU will know WHY you made certain choices. As responsible adults, we cannot make decisions lightly and then know why we did them. Everyone has the right to DISCERN for themselves who their leaders should be. YOUTH SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CHOICE. And the BAGONG KABATAAN will help YVOTE PHILIPPINES. so that whatever, and whomever you choose, you know that you can stand up for those choices.
MABUHAY ANG KABATAAN. MABUHAY ANG BAGONG KABATAAN.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Christian group’s Bro. Eddie to announce 2010 plans on Friday
CBCP News
MANILA, August 20, 2009— Jesus Is Lord Christian group leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s political plans for 2010 will be known on Friday.
Villanueva earlier said there is pressure from various groups and his sympathizers for him to make a public answer whether he is running or not.
So the decision, said his Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Pilipino Movement, could be learn on August 21.
Villanueva will make the announcement during his group’s commemoration of the patriotism of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, with thousands of his supporters present.
The movement, which espouses the setting up of a righteous leadership in government, believes that in order to have national renewal, the principles of justice must be instituted in the country.
The born again leader has been saying that he will run in the 2010 elections depending on their network and political machinery.
Villanueva is also calling on his followers and supporters to join their commemoration of Aquino’s 26th death anniversary.
“The heroic death of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino is best honored by the birth of a new Philippines,” said Villanueva.
Some 10, 000 Bagong Pilipinas supporters will join Villanueva in paying tribute to Aquino outside Barasoain Catholic Church in Malolos, Bulacan.
The activity, called Sigaw ng Pilipino: Parangal ng Bulakenyo para sa Kabayanihan ni Ninoy Aquino,” will also gather multi-sectoral groups supporting Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas Party.
A mass march from four points of convergence going to Barasoain Church will show Villanueva’s force: Kapitolyo, Crossing, Cathedral and Barasoain.
"The Movement is holding the activity in Bulacan because the province is undisputedly the 'Bayan ng mga Bayani'," said Villanueva who is also one of the most prominent sons of Bulacan. (Roy Lagarde)
MANILA, August 20, 2009— Jesus Is Lord Christian group leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s political plans for 2010 will be known on Friday.
Villanueva earlier said there is pressure from various groups and his sympathizers for him to make a public answer whether he is running or not.
So the decision, said his Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Pilipino Movement, could be learn on August 21.
Villanueva will make the announcement during his group’s commemoration of the patriotism of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, with thousands of his supporters present.
The movement, which espouses the setting up of a righteous leadership in government, believes that in order to have national renewal, the principles of justice must be instituted in the country.
The born again leader has been saying that he will run in the 2010 elections depending on their network and political machinery.
Villanueva is also calling on his followers and supporters to join their commemoration of Aquino’s 26th death anniversary.
“The heroic death of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino is best honored by the birth of a new Philippines,” said Villanueva.
Some 10, 000 Bagong Pilipinas supporters will join Villanueva in paying tribute to Aquino outside Barasoain Catholic Church in Malolos, Bulacan.
The activity, called Sigaw ng Pilipino: Parangal ng Bulakenyo para sa Kabayanihan ni Ninoy Aquino,” will also gather multi-sectoral groups supporting Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas Party.
A mass march from four points of convergence going to Barasoain Church will show Villanueva’s force: Kapitolyo, Crossing, Cathedral and Barasoain.
"The Movement is holding the activity in Bulacan because the province is undisputedly the 'Bayan ng mga Bayani'," said Villanueva who is also one of the most prominent sons of Bulacan. (Roy Lagarde)
Bro. Eddie to lead tribute to Ninoy in Barasoain Church; 10,000 supporters expected to join
"The heroic death of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino is best honored by the birth of a new Philippines."
Bro. Eddie Villanueva, leader of Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Pilipino Movement (BPBPM), said in a statement as he called on BPBPM supporters across the country to join the national commemoration of the patriotism of Aquino on August 21.
Villanueva himself will lead 10,000 BPBPM supporters in a tribute to Aquino in Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. The activity, called "Sigaw ng Pilipino: Parangal ng Bulakenyo para sa Kabayanihan ni Ninoy Aquino," will also gather multi-sectoral groups which are members and allies of Bangon Pilipinas Party as well as local executives of the province led by no less than Governor Jonjon Mendoza.
"The Movement is holding the activity in Bulacan because the province is undisputedly the 'Bayan ng mga Bayani'," said Villanueva who is also one of the most prominent sons of Bulacan.
A mass march from four points of convergence going to Barasoain Church will show the force of those calling for a new Philippines: Kapitolyo, Crossing, Cathedral and Barasoain.
"The call for change is real. This march for change will show that Filipinos are genuinely committed to support the birth of a new Philippines," the leader of the good governance group said.
BPBPM's vision centers on the belief that the Filipinos are capable of transforming the Philippines into a productive, prosperous and respectable nation through a 7-point roadmap: empower the people, emancipate the people, educate the people, energize the economy, elevate living standards, eradicate bad governance and establish peace in the land.
Meanwhile, Bangon Pilipinas Party will make an announcement on its participation in the 2010 national elections.
Bro. Eddie Villanueva, leader of Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Pilipino Movement (BPBPM), said in a statement as he called on BPBPM supporters across the country to join the national commemoration of the patriotism of Aquino on August 21.
Villanueva himself will lead 10,000 BPBPM supporters in a tribute to Aquino in Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. The activity, called "Sigaw ng Pilipino: Parangal ng Bulakenyo para sa Kabayanihan ni Ninoy Aquino," will also gather multi-sectoral groups which are members and allies of Bangon Pilipinas Party as well as local executives of the province led by no less than Governor Jonjon Mendoza.
"The Movement is holding the activity in Bulacan because the province is undisputedly the 'Bayan ng mga Bayani'," said Villanueva who is also one of the most prominent sons of Bulacan.
A mass march from four points of convergence going to Barasoain Church will show the force of those calling for a new Philippines: Kapitolyo, Crossing, Cathedral and Barasoain.
"The call for change is real. This march for change will show that Filipinos are genuinely committed to support the birth of a new Philippines," the leader of the good governance group said.
BPBPM's vision centers on the belief that the Filipinos are capable of transforming the Philippines into a productive, prosperous and respectable nation through a 7-point roadmap: empower the people, emancipate the people, educate the people, energize the economy, elevate living standards, eradicate bad governance and establish peace in the land.
Meanwhile, Bangon Pilipinas Party will make an announcement on its participation in the 2010 national elections.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
About CIBAC
| About CIBAC |  |  |
| CIBAC is a multi-sectoral organization dedicated towards fighting graft, corruption and cronyism in government. It is made up of people bound together with the common belief that such diseases must be stamped out in order for true national development to commence. Formed in 1997, CIBAC has grown into a nationwide organization through the efforts of the idealistic and dedicated men and women who compose it. But the fight against corruption is no easy task, it is for this reason that CIBAC continueView Blogs its invitation for nationalistic, law-abiding and God-fearing citizens to join its cause and contribute towards ensuring a better future for our country. CIBAC has continuously faced corruption head on. It is instrumental in the filing of cases against erring officials with the Ombudsman and other courts. It has also joined hands with other civic groups as petitioners in filing cases of plunder, graft and corruption, bribery, violations of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Government Employees, and perjury against known public officials. Primary among these is the impeachment complaint filed against former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada in 2000. CIBAC has not limited its battle against corruption to the courts though. Since 1998, it has been an active participant in peaceful mass actions and mobilizations to reiterate its stand against all forms of corruption. It also continues to broaden its network of anti-corruption groups and agencies to intensify its campaign against corruption. As a party-list member in the House of Representatives, CIBAC has taken a more active legislative stand on issues pertaining to good governance, transparency and honesty in the conduct of operations and management of both the public and private sectors, and promotion of the welfare of the marginalized sectors and interest groups, particularly the youth, women, overseas filipino wokers, rural communities, urban poor and labor. The prevalence of corruption makes it difficult and sometimes impossible for government to address the true needs of the people. The Citizen's Battle Against Corruption is an organization dedicated towards the elimination of this disease in all levels of government. CIBAC believes that this could be best addressed through long term solutions that would make it difficult for officials to continue taking advantage of the people. At the same time, it also seeks to educate and inform people about corruption and provide an agency that would both hear and voice their concerns. To this end, CIBAC adopts the following as its general program of action to achieve its goals:
CIBAC Nominees 1. Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva 2. Atty. Cinchona C. Gonzales 3. Atty. Armi Jane Borje
EMMANUEL JOEL J. VILLANUEVA  Born on 02 August 1975, Emmanuel Joel Jose Villanueva became the youngest member of the House of Representatives (HOR) when he took his oath of office on February 6, 2002. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Commerce, major in Economics, from the University of Sto. Tomas in 1996. Afterwards, he completed a Special Studies Course in Business Administration from the Harvard University.Even before becoming a solon, Rep. Joel (as he is more fondly referred to) had already been going around the country doing numerous humanitarian work and services. He has also been the Chairman of the Kristiyanong Kabataan para sa Bayan (KKB) [www.kkbmovement.org] since 1999. Professionally, he has served as the Managing Director of the ZOE Broadcasting Network, Inc., and President of Chosen Freight (a forwarding company) and Vills Water Corporation. Rep. Villanueva became deeply involved in politics during the Erap Resign Movement. Within a couple of weeks after Chavit Singson's disclosure, CIBAC's first nominee led a contingent in the Senate asking for the Former President's resignation. Later, CIBAC became a signatory on the impeachment complaint filed against former President Estrada. On 04 March 2002, Rep. Villanueva was chosen as one of the Majority Leaders of the 12th Congress. . Aside from this, he was also chosen as member of twenty-three (23) standing and two (2) special committees of the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, the failure of the Arroyo Administration to keep its promise to curb corruption and institute genuine reforms along with the anomalies and controversies that plagued PGMA's presidency disillusioned the young solon. In the 13th Congress, the young CIBAC representative sit with the Minority of the House as its youngest deputy minority leader where he continued to push for his advocacies for a corruption-free Philippines. As Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Villanueva served as an ex-officio member of all House Committees. Now in the 14th Congress, Rep. Villanueva is the Assistant Minority Floor Leader of the Commission on Appointments.
ATTY. CINCHONA C. CRUZ-GONZALES CONG. CHONA: LARAWAN NG MASIGASIG NA LINGKOD NG BAYAN
Noong ika-14 ng Setyembre 2007, naiproklama si Cong. Chona bilang ikalawang kinatawan ng CIBAC Party List. Mula noon ay wala siyang sinayang na panahon para mapaglingkuran ang mga mamamayan na nagluklok sa kanya sa pwesto. Sa ngayon ay mayroon na siyang nasumiteng 17 House Bills (HB) na naglalayong matugunan ang pangangailangan ng iba’t ibang sektor ng lipunan. Kabilang dito ang HB 997 na kung maisasabatas ay magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa publiko na malayang makita at maunawaan ang mga transaksyon ng pamahalaan; HB 3364 na nagsusulong na maipaunawa sa mamamayan ang mga panganib na dulot ng paninigarilyo sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita ng mga angkop na larawan; HB 4080 na naghahangad na mabigyan ng proteksyon ang mga taong may angking katapangan na ilantad ang korupsyon at pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan; HB 4273 na nagtitiyak ng pantay sa pagtrato at oportunidad para sa mga kababaihan sa lipunan; HB 998 o Immorality, Pornography and Obscenity Deterrence (IPOD) Act na naglalayong parusahan ang mga gumagawa ng pornograpiya sa Internet; at co-author din siya ng OFW Credit Assistance. Bukod dito ay mayroon na rin siyang nasumiteng 10 House Resolutions (HR) na naghihikayat sa Kongreso na talakayin at imbestigahan ang iba’t ibang isyung panlipunan. Kabilang dito ang HR 721 na isang panawagan sa Kongreso na imbestigahan ang suhulang naganap umano sa Court of Appeals ukol sa alitan sa pagitan ng pamilyang Lopez at GSIS para sa pagmamay-ari ng MERALCO; HR 556 na naglalayong imbestigahan ang talamak at ilegal na pagtatago ng bigas na siya marahil na dahilan ng hindi mapigilang pagtaas ng presyo nito sa merkado; HR 33 na nagpapa-imbestiga sa $21 milyon anti-corruption aid mula sa Millennium Challenge Corp. ng bansang Estados Unidos na naglalayong siguruhing walang bahid ng korupsyon ang transaksyong ito. Sa kabila ng mga parangal, papuri at tagumpay na kanyang nakamit sa larangan ng abogasya at paglilingkod sa bayan, nanatiling nakalapat sa lupa ang mga paa ni Cong. Chona. Hindi niya kailanman hinayaang baguhin ng sistemang pulitikal ang kanyang payak at mapagpakumbabang pagkatao. Kaya naman hindi na nakapagtatakang madali siyang minahal at hinangaan ng mga kapwa-Kongresista, ka-opisina at maging mga kababayan na kanyang nakikilala tuwing siya ay naghahatid ng tulong sa kanila. Dahil sa kanyang angking katalinuhan, kasipagan, at kabutihan ng kalooban, walang dudang siya na nga ang bagong mukha ng tunay na lingkod ng bayan! |
Sa murang edad pa lamang ni CONGRESSWOMAN CINCHONA CRUZ-GONZALES, o mas kilala sa tawag na CONG. CHONA, ay kinakitaan na siya ng angking katalinuhan at kakayanan sa pamumuno (leadership) at kasipagan. Katunayan, bukod sa mga parangal na kanyang natanggap sa mga inter-school competitions, siya ay nagtapos bilang valedictorian sa Daang Hari Elementary School sa Navotas City. Patuloy niyang ipinamalas ang kanyang kakayahan sa pag-aaral at maging ang talento niya sa sining ng pagganap sa St. James Academy sa Malabon City, kung saan siya nagtapos ng haiskul. Sa gitna ng mga kaganapan ng EDSA People Power Revolution noong 1986, namulat sa kaisipan ni Cong. Chona ang responsibilidad ng mga lider ng pamahalaan, ang kanilang sagutin sa Diyos at Bayan, katuwiran, katarungan at kapangyarihan ng mamamayan habang tinatapos ang kursong AB Philosophy sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas (UST). Kaya naman nagpatuloy siya ng pag-aaral sa San Beda College of Law kung saan tinapos niya ang kursong Bachelor of Laws. Matapos maipasa ang isa sa tinaguriang pinakamahirap na pagsusulit sa bansa—Bar Examination—siya ay nagsimulang magtaguyod ng karapatan ng manggagawa, maralita at kababaihan kasama ang mga bata. Mula 1992 hanggang 1997, siya ay nagsilbi ding resource person sa isang on-the-air free legal counseling radio program sa DZRJ. Noong 2003, kanya muling pinalawig ang kanyang kaalaman nang siya’y nakibahagi sa Harvard Law School’s Program of Instructions for Lawyer. Naglingkod rin siya bilang abogado ng ating Republika at mamamayan sa Office of the Solicitor General sa loob ng 12 taon. Naging consultant din siya sa DENR sa maikling panahon.Sunday, August 16, 2009
Youth Generation For Christ(YGFC) Polomolok, South Cotabato
Bagong Kabataan Leadership was invited last August 16, 2009 to conduct workshop for the Youth Generation For Christ (YGFC) Composed of young people from different Evangelical and Pentecostal churches of Polomolok. It was fulfilling for us to share our passion in reaching our generation today. Bagong Kabataan is an organized YOUTH ORGANIZATION in GENSAN.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The 7E’s Platform of Government of Bro. Eddie Villanueva
Bro. Eddie Villanueva, The 7E’s of His Platform of Government
Bro. Eddie is a decisive leader and has more than enough experience in leading our nation into economic, spiritual and moral revolution. He speaks from his heart more than from his head though he has both.
Bro. Eddie Villanueva, a true champion and a leader is more than willing to do sacrifices by offering himself for the second time to lead our country as President on 2010 Philippine National Elections.
THE BAGONG PILIPINAS, BAGONG PILIPINO MOVEMENT PLATFORM
Our vision and our hope
We are Filipinos who believe in God and in the Philippines, that it is capable of transforming itself into a productive, prosperous and respectable nation.
We stand for good governance, and good governance can be achieved only when like-minded Filipinos bind themselves together and provide a moral force to bring this about.
We support a Filipino economy that is built on a highly-educated, creative and productive citizenry; one that is driven by sustainable growth for at least 100 years and beyond with optimum investment in infrastructure as well as in modern technology for agriculture, industry and services; one that aims to strengthen and depend on domestic demand while completely taking advantage of what the rest of the world can offer; and one where families can enjoy to the fullest the fruits of their labor right in their own land.
We aspire for a Filipino society that promotes justice for all regardless of their status in life; one where all Filipinos can live in peace and harmony; and one where our integrity and sovereignty as a nation are meaningful because Filipinos are aware and proud of their cultural heritage and they are supported by strong air, land and sea defenses.
While attaining our vision for a Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Pilipino or New Philippines, New Filipino will be a long road, we shall persevere in definite stages until we all share in the common hope and say the common prayer that we are making and shall continue to make good progress. Succeeding generations of leaders will have to build on those achievements so that there shall be cumulative growth and development as we aspire to catch up with and finally overtake our Asian neighbors in 24 years.
Our priorities and our commitment
The road to Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Pilipino is a long, arduous one. There is therefore a need to prioritize if only to show to our people and convince them that we can do it. We have what it takes to be a world-class nation. We need to break the spirit of indifference and skepticism among our people.
In the first six years, we seek to achieve the following goals, the Seven E’s:
1. Empower The People
To empower the people, we shall first ensure the integrity of the new automated voting system by subjecting it to various third party audit and stress tests. This will convince the people that the election mechanism can serve the interests of the people in achieving change through the electoral system instead of staging new forms of public protests. Second, press freedom and academic freedom shall be more strongly upheld by executive commitment and legislative support through appropriate laws. Third, there shall be dedicated desks in each public agency to immediately address the complaints of the general public. The Presidency shall monitor and ensure quick action on these complaints.
2. Emancipate The People
To emancipate the people, first, a quick judicial review shall be conducted of all outstanding cases pending in the regional trial court, appellate court, Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court complete with accountability check. There shall be appropriate sanctions against those found to be negligent, corrupt and incompetent. New cases shall be required to be resolved within reasonable period of time. If necessary, dedicated and special courts of law shall be established. High- caliber public lawyers shall continue to be provided to level the legal playing field. This is all about fairness and justice. Second, and in the latter part, there shall be learning campaigns about the country’s rich cultural heritage while efforts shall be undertaken to achieve cultural revival for the full blossoming of Filipino creativity to help the people realize that indeed they can be proud of their heritage then and now, rather than be ashamed of what we have become. This is all about delivering the minds and spirits of the Filipinos.
3. Educate the People
To educate the people, we shall do a quick multisectoral, multidisciplinary stock-taking to overhaul the existing educational program in the Philippines starting with first, the curriculum in all levels with emphasis on the sciences and engineering, mathematics and computer sciences as well as English and literature. Second, there shall also be a comprehensive review of all textbooks and other school materials to ensure the world-class quality of Philippine education. Third, there shall be quick and across-the-board adjustment of salaries of all teaching personnel to ensure a corps of dedicated, highly skilled and well-paid educators. Fourth, there shall be a quick review of all existing learning centers to ensure that only quality schools and colleges are allowed to operate. Fifth, a feeding program shall be installed immediately starting with depressed communities and provinces to spread throughout the archipelago to ensure the proper frame of mind and body of the students. In the latter part, two projects are in the pipeline: public libraries in all cities and municipalities shall be built and continuing education and training shall also be conducted for the senior citizens and those who are intellectually and physically challenged.
4. Energize The Economy
To energize the economy, a comprehensive 24-year program of economic miracle shall be prepared, leveraging on the existing programs and vision of the Government with a great difference: there shall be greater role for Government to direct the priorities of investment and provision of infrastructures to priority areas and sectors to achieve one overriding goal: to see a New Philippines overtaking its neighbors in 24 years or even earlier. First, massive infrastructure projects shall be implemented to ensure more than adequate road facilities, cheaper power, better utilities and communications. We shall build an integrated transportation system that will link air travel and sea travel to railways and road systems for convenience, safety and economy of the riding public. Research and development shall be harnessed to bring about modern and environment-friendly technology to multiply the efficiency and productivity of sunrise segments of agriculture, industry and services and all their ancillary industries. Second, and to ensure resources are available for these massive undertakings, there shall be a rethinking of fiscal policy: regressive taxation shall give way to progressive, simplified taxation to achieve higher tax collection and contribute to income redistribution. If necessary, new taxes shall be passed while existing taxes especially on financial transactions that stifle rather than encourage economic growth shall either be reduced or abolished. Effective tax mapping of all establishments and households shall be conducted to increase the tax base even while the system is being streamlined. Fiscal incentives to industries shall also be rationalized in favor of the provision of better facilities, services and infrastructures. Quality and directed expenditure shall be ensured. Third, we support a truly independent central monetary authority to ensure low and stable prices while the financial system remains safe and sound. The BSP shall be allowed to float its bonds for monetary stabilization. Its capitalization shall be fully paid and if necessary, increased. Sufficient protection shall be afforded by law to central bank staff and officers to safeguard their independence in the performance of their duties. Fourth, given the increasing need for more lands, the current agrarian reform shall be reassessed and recalibrated as necessary to adapt it to modern agriculture. Illegal occupancy of public lands shall give way to important public projects particularly in industrial and commercial zones. Illegal occupants shall be relocated in new communities where employment opportunities shall also be secured. Legal obstructions like right-of-way, temporary restraining orders by the courts, and so on shall be appropriately dealt with to ensure quick resolution of cases and realization of both domestic and foreign investments.
5. Elevate the Living Standards of the People
To elevate the living standards of the people, the manifesto of a common man shall be heeded: the State shall promote an environment where job and business opportunities will make it possible for every Filipino to have: (1) decent and affordable housing by rationalizing all government agencies involved in housing, leveraging on the resources of the GSIS and SSS or a new provident fund system with stronger terms of reference; (2) clean and safe water, electric connection and communication facilities by requiring current water, electric and telecom concessionaires to devise a consolidated system to benefit from economies of scale; (3) decent and affordable medical care by overhauling public hospitals and clinics and providing them with sufficient personnel and logistical support; (4) well- built and well-lighted streets, public parks and playgrounds through effective coordination between the local and the national governments especially in the efficient use of the internal revenue allotment; (5) reliable and secure post office facilities by overhauling the current system and increasing the pay scales of post office personnel; (6) regular garbage collection by institutionalizing performance review of all contractors and sub-contractors; and (7) adequate police protection by overhauling the PNP. Within six years, with ample resources from robust tax collection and a conscientisized bureaucracy, we want to improve on the old Philippines where public services worked and were highly-prized and Filipinos would never trade staying in the Philippines with living in other countries. Overseas employment is no longer a necessity but will be reduced to a simple choice.
6. Eradicate Bad Governance
To eradicate bad governance, we shall, first, encourage a covenant to be signed by the President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House as well as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that they reiterate their oaths of office and their commitment to carry out their respective mandates to achieve good governance, free of corruption in all agencies of Government under their jurisdictions. This is possible because with a robust economy yielding higher public revenues, salaries of all public personnel shall be increased to reduce their vulnerability to corruption. At the same time, performance review shall be institutionalized as basis for higher rewards for good public servants and severe penalties for the inept and the corrupt. And second, we shall establish greater transparency and clear-cut mechanisms for reporting and prosecuting cases of graft and corruption to achieve zero-tolerance for corruption among those in government and even in the private sector.
7. Establish Peace in the Land
To establish peace in the land, first, the full force of Government shall be used to bring the Mindanao peace process to a fruitful resolution without compromising the integrity and sovereignty of the Philippine Republic; second, we shall invite the rebel forces to the negotiating table to impress upon them that under a new, prosperous and honest dispensation, all their causes shall be addressed under the umbrella of one Republic of the Philippines; third, while we speak softly, we shall carry a big stick by strengthening our land, air and sea defenses with modern equipment and weaponry as well as by providing high-level training for a leaner but meaner military force; and fourth, we shall strengthen our ties with both regional and global allies to more effectively address issues and concerns that transcend national boundaries and in the process establish the credibility and leadership of the Philippines.
Bro. Eddie on Cory and Ninoy: Let Their Light Continue to Shine
Bro. Eddie on Cory and Ninoy: Let Their Light Continue to Shine
August 6, 2009
By Bro. Eddie Villanueva
The mammoth crowd that brought former President Cory Aquino to her final resting place Wednesday was “an indelible sign of a changing of season.”
So said Bro. Eddie Villanueva as he lauded those who braved the rains and the heat to show last respects to the former President, one of the country’s greatest pillars of democracy.
“For so many years now we Filipinos have tried to contradict the disappointingly low regard of many foreigners on us. We have been called the most corrupt and hungry nation in Asia, a nation of maids, etc. But what the nation has tried to overcome through the efforts of the living was initially achieved over night ironically by the death of a widow,” Villanueva, leader of good governance group Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Pilipino Movement said in a statement.
Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos joined the Aquino children in the funeral procession from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park that lasted almost eight hours.
Apart from those who were on the streets, hundreds of thousands were also glued to television coverage and listened to radio reports as the nation bid President Cory farewell. Online interaction on tributes to the former President also reached phenomenal hits.
“President Cory has opened a better door for the Filipino to enter — a door that showed the best the Filipino spirit can muster. Where the current national leaders have failed to inspire the Filipino, she by her death indelibly showed to the country and to the world the kind of character Filipinos are really made of,” he added.
Villanueva called on nation-loving Filipinos to take on the legacy of President Cory and her husband, former Sen. Ninoy Aquino.
“Democracy can be stolen from us. But if we fight for it and do our share to protect it, like the examples shown to us by President Cory and her husband Ninoy, democracy will also empower all of us so that we will live a dignified life as a nation,” he said.
Villanueva said Filipinos should not bury the legacy of the Aquino couple with them, but to continue protecting the democracy of the Philippines.
“Though we mourn as a nation the loss of a President who epitomizes all that the people hope for, the answer to the challenge is within each one of us. By continuing the fight that President Cory and Senator Ninoy have started, we will let their light shine on,” he said.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Bro. Eddie sees self as defense chief
By Abigail KwokINQUIRER.netFirst Posted 09:56:00 08/03/2009Filed Under: Politics, Elections, Eleksyon 2010
MANILA, Philippines—Citing the need to “overhaul” the Armed Forces and to directly put an end to the issue of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations, presidential wannabe Brother Eddie Villanueva said he would temporarily assume the post of defense chief should he win in the 2010 elections.Speaking to reporters and editors of Bandera, Villanueva said that should become president, he would take on the crucial role of defense chief and use his authority to put an end to corruption in his first 100 days as president.“This is my plan: I would postpone the appointment of Secretary of National Defense. If ever the Lord and the Filipino people would allow me to be the next tenant of Malacanang, I will first act as SND because I have to overhaul, to put order in the department because we need a no-nonsense Armed Forces in demolishing and destroying the apparatus of corruption and all forms of injustices,” he said.Although he has yet to formally throw his hat in the ring, he said he was “seriously considering” running again.Villanueva ran in the 2004 presidential elections but lost to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.Should he win as president, he said a “special committee on truth and justice” would be created to solve the lingering problems of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.The founder of the Jesus is Lord Movement said he was confident he would solve both problems in his first 100 days. “In 100 days, I believe, I can put these people in jail and I know how,” Villanueva said, citing the need to “maximize the full force of the law based on truth, justice, and righteousness.”Under the Bangon ng Pilipinas Movement, he said he would push for good governance using his background as a political economist. If he wins as president, Villanueva said he would have academicians and scholars dominate his Cabinet. He said the selection of his Cabinet members will be done based on merits and not on political affiliation.“So I’d have a long list. Mamimili ang select committee based on their resume, qualifications. Search committee yun. Yun ang matagal ko ng policy since 2004. To me, what is important is that the right people are in the right place,” Villanueva said.He said that one of the plans of the movement was for a “genuine national reconciliation policy that is anchored on justice tempered with mercy.”“A genuine righteous leadership will be experienced by the Filipino, which is something they haven’t experienced before,” Villanueva said.He added that there are two scenarios that can happen after the 2010 elections: first a civil war that can be a result of the massive electoral fraud, which allegedly happened in the 2004 presidential elections.“Or traditional politics will dominate and these traditional politicians will appease the clamor of the people for change. It will take another two decades for the country to experience the scenario being experienced now,” Villanueva said.
MANILA, Philippines—Citing the need to “overhaul” the Armed Forces and to directly put an end to the issue of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations, presidential wannabe Brother Eddie Villanueva said he would temporarily assume the post of defense chief should he win in the 2010 elections.Speaking to reporters and editors of Bandera, Villanueva said that should become president, he would take on the crucial role of defense chief and use his authority to put an end to corruption in his first 100 days as president.“This is my plan: I would postpone the appointment of Secretary of National Defense. If ever the Lord and the Filipino people would allow me to be the next tenant of Malacanang, I will first act as SND because I have to overhaul, to put order in the department because we need a no-nonsense Armed Forces in demolishing and destroying the apparatus of corruption and all forms of injustices,” he said.Although he has yet to formally throw his hat in the ring, he said he was “seriously considering” running again.Villanueva ran in the 2004 presidential elections but lost to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.Should he win as president, he said a “special committee on truth and justice” would be created to solve the lingering problems of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.The founder of the Jesus is Lord Movement said he was confident he would solve both problems in his first 100 days. “In 100 days, I believe, I can put these people in jail and I know how,” Villanueva said, citing the need to “maximize the full force of the law based on truth, justice, and righteousness.”Under the Bangon ng Pilipinas Movement, he said he would push for good governance using his background as a political economist. If he wins as president, Villanueva said he would have academicians and scholars dominate his Cabinet. He said the selection of his Cabinet members will be done based on merits and not on political affiliation.“So I’d have a long list. Mamimili ang select committee based on their resume, qualifications. Search committee yun. Yun ang matagal ko ng policy since 2004. To me, what is important is that the right people are in the right place,” Villanueva said.He said that one of the plans of the movement was for a “genuine national reconciliation policy that is anchored on justice tempered with mercy.”“A genuine righteous leadership will be experienced by the Filipino, which is something they haven’t experienced before,” Villanueva said.He added that there are two scenarios that can happen after the 2010 elections: first a civil war that can be a result of the massive electoral fraud, which allegedly happened in the 2004 presidential elections.“Or traditional politics will dominate and these traditional politicians will appease the clamor of the people for change. It will take another two decades for the country to experience the scenario being experienced now,” Villanueva said.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Ang pagyao ni Cory at ang 2010 elections
| Ang pagyao ni Cory at ang 2010 elections AKSYON NGAYON Ni Al G. Pedroche (Pilipino Star Ngayon) Updated August 03, 2009 12:00 AM |
NO one dies in vain.
Naniniwala ako na ang pagkamatay ni dating Presi dente Corazon C. Aquino ay magdudulot ng positibong resulta sa halalang pampanguluhan sa Mayo 2010.
Sabi ng iba, nawalan ng importanteng haligi ang demokrasya sa pagpanaw ni Mrs. Aquino. Mali. Sa totoo lang, ngayon lalung naitayong ang haligi ng demokras yang ito sa pagkamatay ng dating Pangulo.
Nakikita natin sapul nang mamatay ang dating Pangulo noong Sabado ang pagbangong muli ng diwa ng EDSA na simbolo ng nasyunalismo at pag-ibig sa bayan. Ang ibig sabihin, ang sambayanan ay lalung magiging mapag matyag upang siguruhin na walang madaya at tiwaling politiko ang makalulusot sa 2010 elections. Wika nga ng isang advocacy group: Dapat Karapatdapat.
Ang sabi nga sa aklat ni Juan: Matangi na lang kung mahulog sa lupa at mamatay ang butil ng trigo, hindi ito tutubo at yayabong at mamumunga ng sagana.
Kung papaanong naging makabuluhan ang pagka matay ni Benigno S. Aquino Jr., ganoon din kasing-kabu-lu han ang pagpanaw ng asawa niyang si Cory.
Sabi nga ni Bro. Eddie Villanueva ng Bagong Pilipi-nas, Bagong Pilipino Movement kay Cory:
“Her good courage and integrity gave us back the will to believe in our collective power as a people to institute a national change that seemed an utter impossibility then.”
Hindi si Cory ang iniidolo natin kundi ang mga prinsip yong kanyang pinaninindigan. Maaaring naging kapos siya sa kakayahang bilang administrador pero ang im portante ay napagbuklod niya ang mamamayan sa iisang layuning buwagin ang diktaduryang sumiil sa demokrasya sa loob ng mahabang pa nahon.
Wala rin siyang ipina kitang pagkagahaman sa kapangyarihan kahit ma rami ang umuudyok sa kanyang palawigin pa ang kanyang termino.
Providential ang pagka matay ni Cory sa panahong nag-uuminit ang lagnat-pulitika sa bansa. Pagunita ito sa lahat ng Pilipinong nagmamalasakit sa ating Inambayan na magkaisa tungo sa pagkakaroon ng isang administrasyong matuwid at may takot sa Diyos gayundin ng kaka yahang paigihin ang kala gayan ng bawat mama mayang Pilipino.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Much More Time, Much Less Accomplished
Much More Time, Much Less Accomplished
July 25, 2009 by Jay Filed under Blog -->
By Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva
Today, with another State of the Nation Address to be delivered in a little over 24 hours, the nation is once again led to look back to the now more than eight and a half years – 8 years, 6 months and 6 days or 3,109 days, to be exact – under the leadership of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who, with the exception of Ferdinand Marcos, has occupied the highest office of the land far longer than any other president of the country.
This, as every Filipino knows, is much more than what our hallowed Constitution would normally allow for the leader of our nation.
Madame Arroyo has had much more time and opportunity to use the tremendous powers of the Presidency to uplift the lives of 92 million Filipinos.
She has had much more time and opportunity to fight the scourge of poverty among our people, meet every Filipino family’s basic needs, steer and set on a more stable course the country’s socio-economic-political development and inspire hope in our children and youth for a bright and meaningful future.
She has had much more time and opportunity to bridge age-old divisions plaguing Philippine society, to rally the nation behind one shared vision of prosperity and sustainable development, and to make Filipinos proud of their race, their cultural heritage, and their inherent excellence.
She had much more time and opportunity to strengthen our institutions of governance, restore Filipinos’ trust in their government and public servants, and make the government truly a government of the people, by the people and for the people, serving the common good.
Yes, she has had much more time – well beyond the six years our current Constitution gives a Philippine President. She has stayed that long not out of the will of the wide majority of the Filipino people, but out of her own desire and devious machinations.
Now, there are unmistakable indications that she is determined to grab for herself even more time than she has already had and regularly allotted by the Constitution.
The natural question to ask is: What has she done all of this time to justify inflicting herself and her minions on all of us for even more time to come? What would justify her staying one minute more in power beyond noon of June 30, 2010?
Anong kabutihan ba ang kaniyang nagawa na magbibigay katwiran na ipagpilitan pa rin niya at ng kanyang mga kampon na manatili pa nang lalong matagal sa kapangyarihan?
What even justifies her having had much more time already than any other President this country has ever had other than her seeming inspiration and role model, the deposed dictator Marcos?
Sa anong katwiran maipagtatanggol na nagkaroon siya ng higit na mahabang panahon ng pamumuno kaysa lahat ng iba nating mga naging pangulo, maliban sa napatalsik na diktador na si Marcos?
Five QuestionsThis is a question not to be answered with glowing statistics of economic growth or similar aggregate indicators. Wala po sa magagandang statistics na pinangangalandakan ng Malakanyang ang sagot sa katanungang iyan.
Ang dapat sumagot sa katanungang iyan ay ang mismong taongbayan, base sa karanasan nila sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. It is a question to be answered by people themselves based on actual impacts and outcomes on their lives of the actions of this unpopular government whose existence is determined to end by June 30, 2010.
But it is a question not to be asked of the big businessmen in Makati, or in the affluent enclaves of Cebu, Davao City and other economic centers of the country.
It is a question not to be asked of people in positions of power in the economy, politics or society, or of powerful men in uniform.
Rather, it is a question best answered by the struggling small farmer in the countryside squeezing what he can out of the constantly depleting soil; the trisikad driver plying his punishing daily route; the refugee Mindanao resident constantly on the run from hostilities not of his own making; the common housewife constantly struggling to make ends meet for her family; or the average middle-class wage worker constantly wondering how long her job will last.
And as we ask these true voices of the Filipino people what could possibly justify the much longer time this president has enjoyed over her predecessors, five simple questions are crying out to be answered (which I invite you to think about and answer for yourself):
First: Are you and your family able to provide for your basic needs better now than in 2001, when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo first ascended to power? Mas natutugunan niyo ba ngayon ang mga pangangailangan niyo at ng inyong pamilya ngayon, kaysa noong 2001 nang unang umupo si Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa Malakanyang?
Second: Are you feeling more healthy, safe and secure now than in 2001 in your home, in your neighborhood, and in your general environment? Nararamdaman niyo bang kayo ngayon ay mas malusog, ligtas at may seguridad sa inyong tahanan, komunidad, at buong kapaligiran, kung ikukumpara sa kalagayan niyo noong 2001?
Third: Do have greater trust and respect now than in 2001 for our government and its leaders, and their capability to help uplift your family’s well-being? Mas higit ba ngayon ang inyong tiwala at respeto sa ating pamahalaan at mga pinuno kaysa noong 2001?
Fourth: Do you have better confidence in the future of your children now than in 2001? Mas higit ba ngayon ang kompiyansa niyo sa kinabukasan ng inyong mga anak kaysa noong 2001?
And Fifth: Are you prouder of our country and of being a Filipino now than you were in 2001? Mas maipagmamalaki niyo ba ngayon ang ating bansa at ang inyong pagiging Pilipino, kaysa noong 2001?
Ang sagot po sa mga katanungang ito ng karaniwang Pilipino ang naglalahad ng tunay na kalagayan ng ating bansa. It is the answers to these questions by the ordinary Filipino that describes the true state of the nation.
Basic Needs UnmetMas natutugunan ba ngayon ang mga pangangailangan ng karaniwang pamilyang Pilipino, kaysa noong 2001? Is the average Filipino family better able to provide for their basic needs now than in 2001?
Whether we look at official statistics on human development indicators, or at countless anecdotes that are plentiful around us, we are inevitably led to conclude otherwise.
Government cannot hide the fact that poverty has risen in recent years, as its own statistics say so. The official data tell us that there were more than 4 million more poor Filipinos in 2006 than in 2003, or about 700,000 more poor families. Mahigit apat na milyon po ang naging karagdagang mahirap na Pilipino sa pagitan lamang ng 2003 at 2006, base sa official data ng pamahalaan!
Data also show declining school enrollment rates, rising school drop-out rates, and worsening nutrition among children in many parts of the country. And ironically all this have been happening at a time government was boasting brisk economic growth.
This only tells us that the glowing economic numbers don’t really tell us what we really need to know. What is more illuminating are graphic TV images showing more and more Filipinos driven to eat pagpag – ito po yung tira-tirang pagkain na kinolekta sa mga basurahan ng restaurant, hotel o bahay-bahay, na niluluto ulit para ibenta.
We have also even seen the pathetic sight of our countrymen forced to eat rats and cockroaches – daga at ipis – for lack of anything else to eat.
We have watched how more and more Filipinos are driven to sell their own kidneys and other body organs in the black market. Just a few days ago, columnist Rina David of the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote of how more and more Filipinos have knowingly or unknowingly entered into sham marriages for the purpose only of providing a legal way for them to donate their kidneys to a foreigner needing their organs. This is after the Department of Health outlawed the open sale of such body parts.
And we all know that more and more Filipinos are constrained, even compelled and driven to leave their families behind and live a lonely life overseas to bear the yoke of often sacrificial jobs abroad, driven by sheer lack of work opportunities within our own shores.
More and more Filipinos are also driven to our uplands and coasts to squeeze an increasingly difficult living out of our denuded mountains and depleting coastal fisheries.
The record speaks for itself: through much of the Arroyo administration, the share of the national budget that went to education and health, and to infrastructure and agriculture, actually went down. It is only recently that these shares have finally moved upward again, but have not even gone back to where they were in 2001. But the damage had been done, and we see it in the human development and poverty statistics.
So again we ask: Is the average Filipino family better off now than in 2001?
Umangat ba ang pamumuhay ng nakararaming masang Pilipino mula nang umupo sa Malakanyang si Ginang Arroyo?
Sa nakikita at nararanasan ng karamihan sa atin, malinaw na ang sagot ay isang mariing HINDI!
Unhealthy, Unsafe & InsecureThe second simple question is: Is the average Filipino family now feeling more healthy, safe and secure than in 2001 in their homes, in their neighborhoods, and in their overall environment? Nararamdaman ba ng karaniwang Pilipino na sila ngayon ay mas malusog, ligtas at may seguridad sa kanilang tahanan, komunidad, at buong kapaligiran, kung ikukumpara sa kalagayan noong 2001?
Paano sila makapagsasabing mas malusog sila ngayon, kung ang presyo ng gamot, dala ng sabwatan ng mga makapangyarihan sa gobyerno at ng mga ganid na drug companies, ay di kayang abutin ng mga hirap nating kababayan, kung sino rin ang mas madaling lapatan ng sakit dahil sa kakulangan ng pagkain at karumihan ng kanilang kapaligiran? Ngayon na nga lamang, kung kailan naka-tiyempo sa SONA, biglang binigyang pansin ang bagay na ito ng Malakanyang. Kung puwede naman palang hatiin sa kalahati ang presyo ng mga mahahalagang gamot tulad ng ipinangangako sa atin ngayon, iisa lamang ang kahulugan nito: Matagal na pala tayong pinagsasamantalahan at nagpapayaman sa iilan, samantalang napakaraming Pilipino na ang naghirap at nangamatay dahil sa hindi makabili ng gamut para sa kanilang karamdaman.
Paano masasabi ng karaniwang Pilipino na sila’y mas ligtas ngayon, kung daan-daan nang kababayan natin ang walang tigil na dinudukot, binubugbog at pinapatay, kahit base sa hinala lamang? Kung patuloy ang paglaganap ng krimen sa ating paligid, kasama na ang bombahan, patayan, kidnapping, holdapan, nakawan at marami pang iba, na sa karamihan ay sumasawa na sa pagreport sa pulisya at maykapangyarihan sapagka’t wala rin naming kinahihinatnan? Paano nga ba kung ang kidnapping, bank robbery at pangingikil sa namngangalakal mismo ay tila ba’y itinuturing nang karaniwang negosyo, at minsa’y paraan pa upang maglikom ng salapi para sa kampanya ng mga pulitiko?
Paano sila makakasagot ng “Oo” sa ating tanong kung nauubos ang ating mga gubat at isda sa ating mga dagat, tumatabang ang ating mga lupa sa kabukiran, nauubos ang kayamanan ng ating biodiversity at iba pang likas-yaman, at patuloy na dumudumi ang ating kapaligiran, pag-usapan man ay hangin, katubigan o ang laganap na basurang di makolekta sa ating paligid?
Governance & InstitutionsDo Filipinos have greater trust and respect now than in 2001 for their government and its leaders, and their capability to help uplift their family’s well-being? Mas tiwala ba tayo ngayon sa ating pamahalaan at sa mga namumuno sa atin?
The result of countless surveys is clear: This government has had the lowest credibility and trust rating on record. The present Malacañang occupant is the least liked and most unpopular President this country has ever had.
And this surprises none of us, considering how Mrs. Arroyo has repeatedly misused and abused the powers of the presidency to gain an iron grip on power – so much so that she now enjoys far greater power within our government than even the popular US President Barack Obama enjoys within the government of the most powerful nation on earth.
It is under the present leadership that our country has attained the shameful distinction of being perceived in reputable international surveys as the most corrupt nation in Asia. Iniiwasan tayo ng mga dayuhang negosyante at dinadala ang kanilang mga investment sa mga bansang nakapaligid sa atin dahil sa talamak na korupsiyon sa ating gobyerno. Sinong negosyante nga ba ang maa-akit tumaya sa Pilipinas kung alam nilang wala pa ni isa sa malalaking corruption scandal na naibunyag sa administrasyong ito ang nalulutas – at lalong higit na wala pang naparurusahan? Nandiyan ang fertilizer scam ni Jocjoc Bolante, ang swine scam ng DA, ang NBN-ZTE at IMPSA scandals, at marami pang iba. Oo nga, may inusig at napakulong na dating Pangulo pero di pa nagtaggal sa pagapela sa Kataas-taasang Hukuman, ay pinatawad at pinalaya ng kasalukuyang Pangulo na tila sinasabing ‘kung sakali mang malasin ako, malitis at makulong ay kadyat ding palayain tulad ng ginawa ko sa dating Pangulo.
How can our people trust a government that keeps penalizing the obedient taxpayers with ever-increasing taxes whenever its funds are running low, while continuing to allow big tax evaders to have their way? Leading economists cite the shameful data that our tax-to-GDP ratio under Arroyo has either declined or stayed stagnant. This ratio is even lower now than it was when she took office in 2001! This, to me, is telling us two things: One, the government has continued to fail miserably in collecting taxes that can potentially be collected. Two, our taxpayers are deliberately and increasingly holding back their tax payments to a government that they utterly do not trust to use their hard earned tax money prudently and properly.
Then there is the issue of the ever growing and ballooning government indebtedness, foreign and local, the servicing or repayment of which has eaten up our annual budget to about 50%. Sa madaling sabi, dahil sa mga utang ng gobyerno, sa labas o loob ng bansa, halos higit sa 50% na nakukolekta ng gobyerno ay napupunta sa pagbabayad ng mga ito keysa sa pagtustos ng pangangailangan ng ating bansa laluna sa edukasyon, pangkalusugan at sa paggawa ng inpras-struktura at iba pa. Ang malala pa, ang inuutang natin na sabi ay upang matustusan ang mga pangangailangan ng ating bansa ay higit na nananakaw at napupunta sa mga bulsa ng mga corrupt sa pamahalaan.
Malacañang and its minions have constantly tested the limits of the law, repeatedly taking the shameless approach of violating the law first, and then waiting for the Supreme Court to stop it. Even as the highest court of the land has rebuked it several times by declaring its actions illegal and unconstitutional, this has not stopped the government from taking the same approach over and over. The railroading of the Con-Ass resolution is but the latest example of this approach of violating the law first, and wait for Supreme Court action. Governmental institutions tasked to safeguard and enhance our democracy and fight corruption are being ‘raped’ and made inutile either by servile appointments o pagtatalaga ng mga ‘tuta’ or sheer lack of support of the institution’s decisions (i.e., COMELEC’s Orders to arrest Bidal, etc.). How can Filipinos trust their leaders when they are the first to violate the laws of the land in plain sight for all to see?
Failing Our ChildrenDo Filipinos have better confidence in the future of their children now than in 2001? Mas higit ba ngayon ang kompiyansa natin sa kinabukasan ng ating mga anak kaysa noong 2001?
We often hear it said, and we like to say, that the children and the youth are our hope for a better tomorrow. If the bad habits and misguided ways of our present generation of leaders can no longer be changed in our lifetimes, then let the successor generation be our hope for changing the country.
But can we really rely on that hope if we are not even able to adequately care for and properly model our children? If we have permitted drop-out rates in our schools to rise, enrollment rates to fall, and malnutrition to increase, what hope can be expected? Can we expect the next generation to be better if the older generation is giving them such a bad example – by allowing them to grow up in a culture of violence, of loose morality, of dishonesty, and lack of respect for authority?
Paano tayo makaka-asa sa susunod nating henerasyon para sa pagbabago, kung hinahayaan nating lumaki sila na kapos sa edukasyon at sa kalusugan, at saksi sa laganap na karahasan, korupsiyon at kawalan ng moralidad? Paano natin masesegurong maliwanag ang kanilang kinabukasan kung pinababayaan nating mawaldas ang ating likas-yamang kagubatan, palaisdaan, mga minerals, at ang ating biodiversity na kinikilalang isa sa pinakamayaman sa buong daigdig?
For the sake of our country’s survival and future, and the welfare of our children and their children to come, we need to change our wicked and wasteful ways. And this change must begin in all of us, but especially in those entrusted to lead us by their examples.
Our Damaged PrideFinally, are we prouder of our country and of being a Filipino now than we were in 2001? Mas maipagmamalaki ba natin ngayon ang ating bansa at ang ating pagiging Pilipino, kaysa noong 2001?
Our pride in our own country should not merely come from the successes of a world champion boxer, nor internationally acclaimed entertainers but from our collective achievements and successes as a people. Ang karangalan nating mga Pilipino ay di lamang dapat manggaling sa tagumpay ng isang world champion na boksingero, o magagaling na mga mangaawit at entertainers, kung hindi sa sama-sama nating tagumpay bilang mga mamamayang Pilipino.
There is much, fortunately, that we can be proud of, with no thanks to our national leadership. We have shown that Filipinos are inherently a caring people. We see this with the millions of our overseas countrymen making a living out of loving, caring for and meeting the needs of others they serve in foreign lands. We see this in Filipinos here at home demonstrating caring and sharing in concrete ways as in initiatives like Gawad Kalinga, Operation Compassion, Habitat for Humanity, Purpose Driven Ministries and many others.
We have also constantly shown that Filipinos are a resilient and hardworking people. We do not only endure hardship and suffering, but even find grace and humor in them. Our workers are sought-after wherever they go, because others know the Filipino worker can be relied upon. And we have also constantly reaped admiration for being a God-fearing and God-loving people, and as the only Christian nation in our part of the world, we are increasingly assuming God’s anointed role of bringing his Word to the far corners of the earth. There is, indeed, so much we can be proud of.
But it is hard to be proud of our country when our very leaders manifest the worst of the Filipino and earn for us the image of a nation that is corrupt, impoverished and perennially dependent on and seeking favor with our former colonial masters. It is hard to be proud of our country when our own President is constantly traveling to foreign lands with dozens, sometimes hundreds of politicians clinging to her skirt, inviting questions about how the leaders of a small poor country such as ours can have the gall to spend taxpayers’ money so recklessly and extravagantly. And it is hard to be proud of our country when millions of our people, due to government neglect, have to be driven abroad to seek lowly jobs that many are overqualified for – even as we can be proud of the diligence and dignity that our OFWs bring into their work in foreign lands.
My fellow Filipinos:
In the end, the true state of our nation today is mirrored in the lives of the multitude of Filipinos all over our 7,100 islands.
Let us ask ourselves: Is the image we see in that mirror one of a better life than we had in 2001, when Gloria Macapagal Arroyo first ascended to the presidency?
If our answer is No, as I believe most of us would reply, then it is time that we take a more active role as Filipino citizens, and as children of God, in seizing our destinies and shaping our nation’s future according to what God has always had in store for us as His anointed people.
Sa pagtutulung-tulungan natin, pinatibay ng malalim na pananampalataya natin kay Hesus na ating Panginoon, ipagbunyi natin ang patuloy nating pananalig na Babangon ang Bagong Pilipinas!
“Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.” – Proverbs 14:34
July 25, 2009 by Jay Filed under Blog -->
By Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva
Today, with another State of the Nation Address to be delivered in a little over 24 hours, the nation is once again led to look back to the now more than eight and a half years – 8 years, 6 months and 6 days or 3,109 days, to be exact – under the leadership of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who, with the exception of Ferdinand Marcos, has occupied the highest office of the land far longer than any other president of the country.
This, as every Filipino knows, is much more than what our hallowed Constitution would normally allow for the leader of our nation.
Madame Arroyo has had much more time and opportunity to use the tremendous powers of the Presidency to uplift the lives of 92 million Filipinos.
She has had much more time and opportunity to fight the scourge of poverty among our people, meet every Filipino family’s basic needs, steer and set on a more stable course the country’s socio-economic-political development and inspire hope in our children and youth for a bright and meaningful future.
She has had much more time and opportunity to bridge age-old divisions plaguing Philippine society, to rally the nation behind one shared vision of prosperity and sustainable development, and to make Filipinos proud of their race, their cultural heritage, and their inherent excellence.
She had much more time and opportunity to strengthen our institutions of governance, restore Filipinos’ trust in their government and public servants, and make the government truly a government of the people, by the people and for the people, serving the common good.
Yes, she has had much more time – well beyond the six years our current Constitution gives a Philippine President. She has stayed that long not out of the will of the wide majority of the Filipino people, but out of her own desire and devious machinations.
Now, there are unmistakable indications that she is determined to grab for herself even more time than she has already had and regularly allotted by the Constitution.
The natural question to ask is: What has she done all of this time to justify inflicting herself and her minions on all of us for even more time to come? What would justify her staying one minute more in power beyond noon of June 30, 2010?
Anong kabutihan ba ang kaniyang nagawa na magbibigay katwiran na ipagpilitan pa rin niya at ng kanyang mga kampon na manatili pa nang lalong matagal sa kapangyarihan?
What even justifies her having had much more time already than any other President this country has ever had other than her seeming inspiration and role model, the deposed dictator Marcos?
Sa anong katwiran maipagtatanggol na nagkaroon siya ng higit na mahabang panahon ng pamumuno kaysa lahat ng iba nating mga naging pangulo, maliban sa napatalsik na diktador na si Marcos?
Five QuestionsThis is a question not to be answered with glowing statistics of economic growth or similar aggregate indicators. Wala po sa magagandang statistics na pinangangalandakan ng Malakanyang ang sagot sa katanungang iyan.
Ang dapat sumagot sa katanungang iyan ay ang mismong taongbayan, base sa karanasan nila sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. It is a question to be answered by people themselves based on actual impacts and outcomes on their lives of the actions of this unpopular government whose existence is determined to end by June 30, 2010.
But it is a question not to be asked of the big businessmen in Makati, or in the affluent enclaves of Cebu, Davao City and other economic centers of the country.
It is a question not to be asked of people in positions of power in the economy, politics or society, or of powerful men in uniform.
Rather, it is a question best answered by the struggling small farmer in the countryside squeezing what he can out of the constantly depleting soil; the trisikad driver plying his punishing daily route; the refugee Mindanao resident constantly on the run from hostilities not of his own making; the common housewife constantly struggling to make ends meet for her family; or the average middle-class wage worker constantly wondering how long her job will last.
And as we ask these true voices of the Filipino people what could possibly justify the much longer time this president has enjoyed over her predecessors, five simple questions are crying out to be answered (which I invite you to think about and answer for yourself):
First: Are you and your family able to provide for your basic needs better now than in 2001, when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo first ascended to power? Mas natutugunan niyo ba ngayon ang mga pangangailangan niyo at ng inyong pamilya ngayon, kaysa noong 2001 nang unang umupo si Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa Malakanyang?
Second: Are you feeling more healthy, safe and secure now than in 2001 in your home, in your neighborhood, and in your general environment? Nararamdaman niyo bang kayo ngayon ay mas malusog, ligtas at may seguridad sa inyong tahanan, komunidad, at buong kapaligiran, kung ikukumpara sa kalagayan niyo noong 2001?
Third: Do have greater trust and respect now than in 2001 for our government and its leaders, and their capability to help uplift your family’s well-being? Mas higit ba ngayon ang inyong tiwala at respeto sa ating pamahalaan at mga pinuno kaysa noong 2001?
Fourth: Do you have better confidence in the future of your children now than in 2001? Mas higit ba ngayon ang kompiyansa niyo sa kinabukasan ng inyong mga anak kaysa noong 2001?
And Fifth: Are you prouder of our country and of being a Filipino now than you were in 2001? Mas maipagmamalaki niyo ba ngayon ang ating bansa at ang inyong pagiging Pilipino, kaysa noong 2001?
Ang sagot po sa mga katanungang ito ng karaniwang Pilipino ang naglalahad ng tunay na kalagayan ng ating bansa. It is the answers to these questions by the ordinary Filipino that describes the true state of the nation.
Basic Needs UnmetMas natutugunan ba ngayon ang mga pangangailangan ng karaniwang pamilyang Pilipino, kaysa noong 2001? Is the average Filipino family better able to provide for their basic needs now than in 2001?
Whether we look at official statistics on human development indicators, or at countless anecdotes that are plentiful around us, we are inevitably led to conclude otherwise.
Government cannot hide the fact that poverty has risen in recent years, as its own statistics say so. The official data tell us that there were more than 4 million more poor Filipinos in 2006 than in 2003, or about 700,000 more poor families. Mahigit apat na milyon po ang naging karagdagang mahirap na Pilipino sa pagitan lamang ng 2003 at 2006, base sa official data ng pamahalaan!
Data also show declining school enrollment rates, rising school drop-out rates, and worsening nutrition among children in many parts of the country. And ironically all this have been happening at a time government was boasting brisk economic growth.
This only tells us that the glowing economic numbers don’t really tell us what we really need to know. What is more illuminating are graphic TV images showing more and more Filipinos driven to eat pagpag – ito po yung tira-tirang pagkain na kinolekta sa mga basurahan ng restaurant, hotel o bahay-bahay, na niluluto ulit para ibenta.
We have also even seen the pathetic sight of our countrymen forced to eat rats and cockroaches – daga at ipis – for lack of anything else to eat.
We have watched how more and more Filipinos are driven to sell their own kidneys and other body organs in the black market. Just a few days ago, columnist Rina David of the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote of how more and more Filipinos have knowingly or unknowingly entered into sham marriages for the purpose only of providing a legal way for them to donate their kidneys to a foreigner needing their organs. This is after the Department of Health outlawed the open sale of such body parts.
And we all know that more and more Filipinos are constrained, even compelled and driven to leave their families behind and live a lonely life overseas to bear the yoke of often sacrificial jobs abroad, driven by sheer lack of work opportunities within our own shores.
More and more Filipinos are also driven to our uplands and coasts to squeeze an increasingly difficult living out of our denuded mountains and depleting coastal fisheries.
The record speaks for itself: through much of the Arroyo administration, the share of the national budget that went to education and health, and to infrastructure and agriculture, actually went down. It is only recently that these shares have finally moved upward again, but have not even gone back to where they were in 2001. But the damage had been done, and we see it in the human development and poverty statistics.
So again we ask: Is the average Filipino family better off now than in 2001?
Umangat ba ang pamumuhay ng nakararaming masang Pilipino mula nang umupo sa Malakanyang si Ginang Arroyo?
Sa nakikita at nararanasan ng karamihan sa atin, malinaw na ang sagot ay isang mariing HINDI!
Unhealthy, Unsafe & InsecureThe second simple question is: Is the average Filipino family now feeling more healthy, safe and secure than in 2001 in their homes, in their neighborhoods, and in their overall environment? Nararamdaman ba ng karaniwang Pilipino na sila ngayon ay mas malusog, ligtas at may seguridad sa kanilang tahanan, komunidad, at buong kapaligiran, kung ikukumpara sa kalagayan noong 2001?
Paano sila makapagsasabing mas malusog sila ngayon, kung ang presyo ng gamot, dala ng sabwatan ng mga makapangyarihan sa gobyerno at ng mga ganid na drug companies, ay di kayang abutin ng mga hirap nating kababayan, kung sino rin ang mas madaling lapatan ng sakit dahil sa kakulangan ng pagkain at karumihan ng kanilang kapaligiran? Ngayon na nga lamang, kung kailan naka-tiyempo sa SONA, biglang binigyang pansin ang bagay na ito ng Malakanyang. Kung puwede naman palang hatiin sa kalahati ang presyo ng mga mahahalagang gamot tulad ng ipinangangako sa atin ngayon, iisa lamang ang kahulugan nito: Matagal na pala tayong pinagsasamantalahan at nagpapayaman sa iilan, samantalang napakaraming Pilipino na ang naghirap at nangamatay dahil sa hindi makabili ng gamut para sa kanilang karamdaman.
Paano masasabi ng karaniwang Pilipino na sila’y mas ligtas ngayon, kung daan-daan nang kababayan natin ang walang tigil na dinudukot, binubugbog at pinapatay, kahit base sa hinala lamang? Kung patuloy ang paglaganap ng krimen sa ating paligid, kasama na ang bombahan, patayan, kidnapping, holdapan, nakawan at marami pang iba, na sa karamihan ay sumasawa na sa pagreport sa pulisya at maykapangyarihan sapagka’t wala rin naming kinahihinatnan? Paano nga ba kung ang kidnapping, bank robbery at pangingikil sa namngangalakal mismo ay tila ba’y itinuturing nang karaniwang negosyo, at minsa’y paraan pa upang maglikom ng salapi para sa kampanya ng mga pulitiko?
Paano sila makakasagot ng “Oo” sa ating tanong kung nauubos ang ating mga gubat at isda sa ating mga dagat, tumatabang ang ating mga lupa sa kabukiran, nauubos ang kayamanan ng ating biodiversity at iba pang likas-yaman, at patuloy na dumudumi ang ating kapaligiran, pag-usapan man ay hangin, katubigan o ang laganap na basurang di makolekta sa ating paligid?
Governance & InstitutionsDo Filipinos have greater trust and respect now than in 2001 for their government and its leaders, and their capability to help uplift their family’s well-being? Mas tiwala ba tayo ngayon sa ating pamahalaan at sa mga namumuno sa atin?
The result of countless surveys is clear: This government has had the lowest credibility and trust rating on record. The present Malacañang occupant is the least liked and most unpopular President this country has ever had.
And this surprises none of us, considering how Mrs. Arroyo has repeatedly misused and abused the powers of the presidency to gain an iron grip on power – so much so that she now enjoys far greater power within our government than even the popular US President Barack Obama enjoys within the government of the most powerful nation on earth.
It is under the present leadership that our country has attained the shameful distinction of being perceived in reputable international surveys as the most corrupt nation in Asia. Iniiwasan tayo ng mga dayuhang negosyante at dinadala ang kanilang mga investment sa mga bansang nakapaligid sa atin dahil sa talamak na korupsiyon sa ating gobyerno. Sinong negosyante nga ba ang maa-akit tumaya sa Pilipinas kung alam nilang wala pa ni isa sa malalaking corruption scandal na naibunyag sa administrasyong ito ang nalulutas – at lalong higit na wala pang naparurusahan? Nandiyan ang fertilizer scam ni Jocjoc Bolante, ang swine scam ng DA, ang NBN-ZTE at IMPSA scandals, at marami pang iba. Oo nga, may inusig at napakulong na dating Pangulo pero di pa nagtaggal sa pagapela sa Kataas-taasang Hukuman, ay pinatawad at pinalaya ng kasalukuyang Pangulo na tila sinasabing ‘kung sakali mang malasin ako, malitis at makulong ay kadyat ding palayain tulad ng ginawa ko sa dating Pangulo.
How can our people trust a government that keeps penalizing the obedient taxpayers with ever-increasing taxes whenever its funds are running low, while continuing to allow big tax evaders to have their way? Leading economists cite the shameful data that our tax-to-GDP ratio under Arroyo has either declined or stayed stagnant. This ratio is even lower now than it was when she took office in 2001! This, to me, is telling us two things: One, the government has continued to fail miserably in collecting taxes that can potentially be collected. Two, our taxpayers are deliberately and increasingly holding back their tax payments to a government that they utterly do not trust to use their hard earned tax money prudently and properly.
Then there is the issue of the ever growing and ballooning government indebtedness, foreign and local, the servicing or repayment of which has eaten up our annual budget to about 50%. Sa madaling sabi, dahil sa mga utang ng gobyerno, sa labas o loob ng bansa, halos higit sa 50% na nakukolekta ng gobyerno ay napupunta sa pagbabayad ng mga ito keysa sa pagtustos ng pangangailangan ng ating bansa laluna sa edukasyon, pangkalusugan at sa paggawa ng inpras-struktura at iba pa. Ang malala pa, ang inuutang natin na sabi ay upang matustusan ang mga pangangailangan ng ating bansa ay higit na nananakaw at napupunta sa mga bulsa ng mga corrupt sa pamahalaan.
Malacañang and its minions have constantly tested the limits of the law, repeatedly taking the shameless approach of violating the law first, and then waiting for the Supreme Court to stop it. Even as the highest court of the land has rebuked it several times by declaring its actions illegal and unconstitutional, this has not stopped the government from taking the same approach over and over. The railroading of the Con-Ass resolution is but the latest example of this approach of violating the law first, and wait for Supreme Court action. Governmental institutions tasked to safeguard and enhance our democracy and fight corruption are being ‘raped’ and made inutile either by servile appointments o pagtatalaga ng mga ‘tuta’ or sheer lack of support of the institution’s decisions (i.e., COMELEC’s Orders to arrest Bidal, etc.). How can Filipinos trust their leaders when they are the first to violate the laws of the land in plain sight for all to see?
Failing Our ChildrenDo Filipinos have better confidence in the future of their children now than in 2001? Mas higit ba ngayon ang kompiyansa natin sa kinabukasan ng ating mga anak kaysa noong 2001?
We often hear it said, and we like to say, that the children and the youth are our hope for a better tomorrow. If the bad habits and misguided ways of our present generation of leaders can no longer be changed in our lifetimes, then let the successor generation be our hope for changing the country.
But can we really rely on that hope if we are not even able to adequately care for and properly model our children? If we have permitted drop-out rates in our schools to rise, enrollment rates to fall, and malnutrition to increase, what hope can be expected? Can we expect the next generation to be better if the older generation is giving them such a bad example – by allowing them to grow up in a culture of violence, of loose morality, of dishonesty, and lack of respect for authority?
Paano tayo makaka-asa sa susunod nating henerasyon para sa pagbabago, kung hinahayaan nating lumaki sila na kapos sa edukasyon at sa kalusugan, at saksi sa laganap na karahasan, korupsiyon at kawalan ng moralidad? Paano natin masesegurong maliwanag ang kanilang kinabukasan kung pinababayaan nating mawaldas ang ating likas-yamang kagubatan, palaisdaan, mga minerals, at ang ating biodiversity na kinikilalang isa sa pinakamayaman sa buong daigdig?
For the sake of our country’s survival and future, and the welfare of our children and their children to come, we need to change our wicked and wasteful ways. And this change must begin in all of us, but especially in those entrusted to lead us by their examples.
Our Damaged PrideFinally, are we prouder of our country and of being a Filipino now than we were in 2001? Mas maipagmamalaki ba natin ngayon ang ating bansa at ang ating pagiging Pilipino, kaysa noong 2001?
Our pride in our own country should not merely come from the successes of a world champion boxer, nor internationally acclaimed entertainers but from our collective achievements and successes as a people. Ang karangalan nating mga Pilipino ay di lamang dapat manggaling sa tagumpay ng isang world champion na boksingero, o magagaling na mga mangaawit at entertainers, kung hindi sa sama-sama nating tagumpay bilang mga mamamayang Pilipino.
There is much, fortunately, that we can be proud of, with no thanks to our national leadership. We have shown that Filipinos are inherently a caring people. We see this with the millions of our overseas countrymen making a living out of loving, caring for and meeting the needs of others they serve in foreign lands. We see this in Filipinos here at home demonstrating caring and sharing in concrete ways as in initiatives like Gawad Kalinga, Operation Compassion, Habitat for Humanity, Purpose Driven Ministries and many others.
We have also constantly shown that Filipinos are a resilient and hardworking people. We do not only endure hardship and suffering, but even find grace and humor in them. Our workers are sought-after wherever they go, because others know the Filipino worker can be relied upon. And we have also constantly reaped admiration for being a God-fearing and God-loving people, and as the only Christian nation in our part of the world, we are increasingly assuming God’s anointed role of bringing his Word to the far corners of the earth. There is, indeed, so much we can be proud of.
But it is hard to be proud of our country when our very leaders manifest the worst of the Filipino and earn for us the image of a nation that is corrupt, impoverished and perennially dependent on and seeking favor with our former colonial masters. It is hard to be proud of our country when our own President is constantly traveling to foreign lands with dozens, sometimes hundreds of politicians clinging to her skirt, inviting questions about how the leaders of a small poor country such as ours can have the gall to spend taxpayers’ money so recklessly and extravagantly. And it is hard to be proud of our country when millions of our people, due to government neglect, have to be driven abroad to seek lowly jobs that many are overqualified for – even as we can be proud of the diligence and dignity that our OFWs bring into their work in foreign lands.
My fellow Filipinos:
In the end, the true state of our nation today is mirrored in the lives of the multitude of Filipinos all over our 7,100 islands.
Let us ask ourselves: Is the image we see in that mirror one of a better life than we had in 2001, when Gloria Macapagal Arroyo first ascended to the presidency?
If our answer is No, as I believe most of us would reply, then it is time that we take a more active role as Filipino citizens, and as children of God, in seizing our destinies and shaping our nation’s future according to what God has always had in store for us as His anointed people.
Sa pagtutulung-tulungan natin, pinatibay ng malalim na pananampalataya natin kay Hesus na ating Panginoon, ipagbunyi natin ang patuloy nating pananalig na Babangon ang Bagong Pilipinas!
“Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.” – Proverbs 14:34
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