The meeting with 4 Liberal Party (LP) Senatorial candidates definitely turned out to be one of the nicest interview sessions we had up to that point. Mainly because our 4 LP senatorial guests were very much warm & accommodating. Doctor Martin Bautista was so funny that it made the whole event very light & enjoyable.
We were not allowed to ask individual questions to each of the 4 LP senatoriables due to time constraints, so we were left with 1 generic question to ask Neric Acosta, Doctor Martin Bautista, TG Guingona III & Ruffy Biazon.
I already have a partial list of senatoriables to support for this upcoming May 2010 elections and most of them are from the Liberal Party. So I asked them the following question:
I support most Liberal Party senatoriables but I’m not convinced with your presidentiable. Can you tell us why you are running under Liberal Party & why you believe in Noynoy Aquino?
When I asked the question, I noticed their faces had lightened up. And it looked as if they were eager to answer the question that I had just asked of them. I could really feel the passion & their support for their Presidential standard bearer Noynoy Aquino when they answered (especially Neric Acosta).
Ruffy Biazon
# 7 in the ballot. Congressman Ruffy Biazon has served the lone disctrict of Muntinlupa City for the last three terms. His hands has touched many of the bills that has passed through Congress during his three terms. Not only has he been able to touch on these bills, but he has authored and co-authored many of these bills as well.
He has been part of many committees in congress, and has been at the forefront of such legislations as the Tobacco Regulation Act, The Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act, The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, The Cheaper Medicines Act, just to name a few.
Indeed with the many legislation that he has been a part or a main proponent of, he has even been cited by the Free Press Magazine as an Outstanding Congressman of the Philippines and the Philippine Graphic Magazine as one of the Top 100 Young Leaders of the country.
He continues to live up to his motto, “Do the right things and do things rightâ€, in his everyday life.
Why am I running with the LP?
When I first ran for office in 2001, I was with the LDP. When the LDP broke up prior to the 2004 elections, I went to the only party that I saw that had a genuine ideology and was composed of people of good stature and integrity so I went to the LP. I’ve been with the LP ever since.
Why am I supporting Noynoy Aquino?
Well, he’s the only one who has been through the test of power. Among all the presidential candidates, not one of them has been tested on how they would handle power when it is in their hands. I’m referring to the presidential power, and we all know how a presidential son can abuse the power of his parent as a president. Noynoy has been through that and he has shown humility & integrity in spite of being in access to such power within this country. He has already passed it, I don’t want to take a gamble with the others. I want to support the guy who passed that crucial test.
People are questioning his competence. Well, it’s just unfortunate that people are relying on impressions. If you’ve been given a chance to work with Noynoy, you will know that he is competent. If you’ll browse through the records of congress, the transcripts of debates, plenary sessions, committee hearings, you will see his intelligent participation in congress. He acts as the fiscalizer. They challenge him with the number of bills that he has filed but why do we look up at Joker Arroyo with high respects? If we look at his track record in filing bills and passing laws, it’s also comparable to Noynoy’s. But Joker Arroyo is performing a role that was also within his responsibility as a legislator and so with Noynoy Aquino.
The difference of Noynoy with many other politicians is that when he speaks, he does not look at the camera to speak to. It is because he speaks to the record. He does not want fanfare. He does not want publicity because he just wants to work. I’ve seen it first-hand.
In this presidential election, we’ve been through 9 years of an el nino of integrity. We’re now looking for a spring of hope, a spring of character because competence is what will get you up there but it will be character which will make you stay there. A lot of competent people have gone up. They fell down badly because of character. As far as Noynoy is concerned, I’ve seen that he has character which would let him handle power worthy of our trust and competence. That’s why I support Noynoy.
TG Guingona III
#19 in the ballot. TG Guingona, despite being the son of the prominent Teofisto Guingona, Jr., the 13th vice president of the Philippines, has himself been able to make an impact in public service. He has had a great focus on economic development, and is pushing for the passage of HB No. 5255 establishing the Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MEDA).
Aside from his great focus on Mindanao, his legislative focus continues to also center on a variety of issues such as budget reform, education, health services, food and energy security too.
He has been a champion for good governance, and has been at the forefront as well in terms of Disaster Risk Reduction Management.
The question is why are you with Noynoy? it’s a shared experience. it’s personal for me. We grew up together.
Looking around the room. I see that most of you were not around when martial law was declared in 1972. Those times were terrible. People were being picked up, tortured and at that time, we had no recourse. Noynoy and I grew up together. His dad and my dad were picked up by the martial law authorities. In high school, I do remember distinctly when Fridays come, our classmates would go to parties. Noynoy and I would prepare to go somewhere else to visit our father. He would go to Fort Bonifacio to visit Ninoy Aquino while I would go to Camp Crame to visit my dad.
Sometime in 1978, we did challenge the dictatorship. They called an election, Batasang Pambansang Election. That’s where Ninoy Aquino formed the Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN) to go against the dictatorship. In fact, that’s why we have the L sign. Hey guys, That’s not Liberal ah. It’s Lakas ng Bayan — LABAN. It goes all the way back to 1978 against the original fight against oppression. We see that now in the past 10 years that Gloria has been in power. She already tried to declare martial law in 2005. They did ask permission from the United states but the United States government told them “don’t do that, otherwise we wont support youâ€. They did not continue with martial law but we see it going there, we see oppression.
I grew up with Noynoy and I’ve seen him. We’ve been together in the fight against the oppression of martial law. It was a shared experience and it continued now as congressmen. In the impeachment, during the 2004, 2005, 2006 impeachment and in the battle against charter change.
So really, why will we vote for Noynoy? Kase ng tinatanong nila, anong nagawa mo? Ang tanong talaga , anong ipinaglaban mo? Nung panahon na kailangan tumayo, sino yung tumayo? Nung kailangan magsalita, sino nagsalita? Who paid the price? Noynoy Aquino was there. He was there in 1978 with his father. He was there during the congress of 2004 all the way to 2007. There was no blind ambition on the part of Noynoy to become president. As you’ve said, he did not want to become president originally so there is no hidden agenda, no blind ambition to become the most powerful of this land. I think this person is a person who has his heart in the right place. Ako mismo, si TG Guingona. I can vouch for him. I grew up with the person. We fought against the oppression of martial law and we fought against the oppression of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Siya nanindigan, siya ay lumaban. Kaya ako para kay Noynoy Aquino, all the way.
Read the rest of the article at Blogwatch.PH.
References:
Videos – http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4A3BC2A4B1B62F0A
Pictures – http://www.flickr.com/photos/rochellesychua/sets/72157623761251790/
