FIRST, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy is clueless because Noynoy thinks that if there is no corruption, there will be no poverty. He seems to suggest therefore that eliminating corruption will not, or at least is a clueless way to, address the poverty issue, premised on the fact that there is corruption even in the greatest democracy and the richest country in the world.

Reality check:

Being the greatest democracy and the richest country in the world does not mean there is no poverty. Contreras is clueless that in the United States, approximately 13% to 17% live in poverty and roughly 40% fall below poverty line at some point in every 10-year period. Even in the greatest democracy and the richest country in the world, poverty exists because of corruption. In the Philippines, poverty is widespread because corruption is widespread. Yes, poverty will not be eliminated in any single-term presidency, but we need to start somewhere and we must start now. Unfortunately, we can only curb corruption through a president with an unblemished character, for how can you stop corruption if the chief executive is himself corrupt? The less greed and corruption there is, the less our people will suffer. Still, kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap!

While corruption is a global truth, the extent of corruption in the Philippines is such that it has in fact prevented economic progress and has instead plunged us deeper in the bottomless pit of poverty. If the taxpayers’ money is spent on the taxpayers, we would have better social services– better education, better healthcare, better social welfare. If we are better educated, if we are healthier, if we are happy as a people, then we shall be a more productive workforce, and economic progress necessarily follows.

Contreras wrote that the one at the helm of government must be someone who knows what he is doing and has political will. Does he mean someone like Gloria Arroyo who knows how to amass wealth while in office and who has the political will to do it with audacity and impunity? Noynoy Aquino knows that an honest government is key to economic progress and the elimination of poverty. Noynoy Aquino has not only the political will but most importantly the moral integrity and character to do the job. Contreras is simply clueless.

Incidentally, economists believe that the failure of governance is the main obstacle to the country’s long-run economic growth and that the call for a higher standard of public ethics is not an abstract moral preference but is an imperative for survival and development. ["Economists in support of Noynoy Aquino," by Isagani Cruz.][Read also "Why Noynoy will be good for business," by Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Francis Varela.]

Maybe Contreras has forgotten, or does not know, that his man has been besieged with issues on land grabbing, illegal conversion, unlawful self enrichment with C5 and similar projects, unlawful use of public office and influence at SEC, and many others. This same man is a man who knows what he is doing and who has successfully evaded the issues using legal technicalities, just as Gloria Arroyo had. Villaroyo, anyone?

SECOND, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy is clueless because Noynoy thinks that since he is not corrupt, then there will be no corruption. Either Contreras is clueless and misinformed, or that it’s all in his mind of fertile imagination. Noynoy Aquino never claimed that since he is not corrupt, then there will be no corruption.

Reality check:

Noynoy Aquino, being a person unblemished by corruption, reluctantly at first, simply responded to the clamor of the Filipino people for a transformational leader, someone who will lead the country to national renewal. Noynoy Aquino merely leads, it is incumbent upon the people to actively participate and cooperate in the quest for cleansing and rebirth. This is summed up in one of his campaign slogans, “laban na tapat, laban ng lahat” which roughly translates to “an honest fight is the fight of all.” The election of Noynoy Aquino as the 15th president of the republic, by itself, does not curb corruption– fighting corruption requires the help of all, from the president to the newborn.

Contreras further claims that Noynoy Aquino has no governance experience.  He probably forgot that Noynoy Aquino has been a member of the House of Representatives and an incumbent member of the Philippine Senate. Holding such positions of public trust may not be executive functions per se, but surely the responsibility that accompanies them are comparable to any executive position short of being the president of the republic. Besides, Cory Aquino, the mother of Philippine democracy, has been president without so much of an experience except being a good mother to her children, a strong faith in God, and personal dedication to truth, justice and democracy. Criticisms of her presidency notwithstanding, Cory Aquino remains as the housewife who steered this country to a democratic republic and secured freedom for its people– the very same freedom we now enjoy.

THIRD, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy is clueless because Noynoy believes that poverty would be eliminated if only there is clean governance. Contreras is clueless that without clean governance, eradication of poverty will remain a hollow promise.

Reality check:

Contreras himself wrote,

“How do we eliminate poverty? By sharing. This is what the first Christians did. The rich shared their wealth with the poor, and the result was that there was no one in need (Acts 4:34). This is not just about giving handouts. Part of sharing is sharing the opportunities to make money, giving  just compensation to employees, giving land to the landless.”

The Pharisee is clueless. If we can eliminate poverty by sharing, how can we share if we are greedy? Corruption is greed, and if there is corruption there won’t be any sharing. It now appears that Contreras has just contradicted his earlier assertions. Far from being clueless, Noynoy Aquino thus is correct– to eliminate poverty, we must eliminate corruption!

“Part of sharing is sharing the opportunities to make money, giving just compensation to employees, giving land to the landless,” wrote Contreras. He is probably clueless that his very candidate stands for the opposite of his idea of sharing. Is defrauding poor farmers and robbing them of their land Contreras’ idea of giving land to the landless? Is converting agricultural land to pricey subdivisions Contreras’ idea of sharing the opportunities to make money, despite its adverse effects on rice production of the country? Probably Contreras is forward-looking: if agricultural land are unlawfully converted to subdivisions, we will have rice shortage. If we will have rice shortage, we will import rice– an opportunity to pocket public funds and share in the opportunity to make money since, according to Contreras himself, “corruption is unfortunately deeply ingrained in the Philippine political system.” Either that or Contreras is as clueless as his work of fiction.

Contreras has brought up the issue of the Hacienda Luisita and further exposes himself to be clueless. Luisita was a thriving community which enjoyed free basic social services– hospitalization, education, housing. Workers had social security, bonuses, good wages. Due to its success, it has attracted workers from outside the Hacienda and its workforce swelled. Then leftist elements infiltrated their ranks, led by Satur Ocampo and his kind. They instigated an illegal strike, which was participated more by outsiders– activists and leftist cadres –than by the workers themselves. The illegal strike resulted in violence and led to the closure of the Hacienda, leaving the legitimate workers with no means to earn a living. Of those arrested, less than 10% were legitimate workers. Of the two killed, one died from gunshot caused by a makeshift firearm carried by the instigators.

Learn the truth behind the Hacienda Luisita issue.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

“Noynoy is part of the social-and-economic elite, and cannot be expected to stand against them in favor of the poor,” Contreras wrote. He probably expects Manny Villar to be his hero who will stand against the so-called social-and-economic elite. Perhaps Contreras is clueless that the poor boy story of Villar is simply a blatant lie to deceive the public and earn sympathy for himself. Perhaps Contreras is clueless that Manny Villar is now a member of the social-and-economic elite, and maybe Contreras has forgotten that the wealth of Manny Villar has exponentially bloated since he entered public (dis)service as congressman and later senator, not very different from the way the Arroyo fortune ballooned when Gloria Arroyo became president.

FOURTH, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy is clueless because Noynoy does not understand the poor. Contreras seems to suggest that one has to be poor to understand poverty, and I haven’t seen a more illogical and fallacious argument than this one. Contreras may be clueless, or is simply blind.

Reality check:

You do not need to be a criminal to understand crime. You do not need to be corrupt to understand corruption. You do not need to be poor to understand poverty.

“His criticism of Manny Villar’s claim of poverty, even to the point of maligning him regarding his brother Danny’s death, show how callous he can be,” wrote Contreras. What could be more callous than using your brother’s death to advance personal agenda? What could be more callous than deceiving the Filipino people with a sham story of being a poor boy from Tondo just to evoke public sympathy? What could be more callous than using your aged mother and risking her fragile health condition for political propaganda? Yet, Contreras had the temerity to speak of callousness– it just exposes how clueless he really is.

Villar has been accused of unlawful and unethical conduct as a legislator. A proposal to censure him at the Senate has been tabled yet through sheer transactional politicking, he evaded facing the charges by mere technicality– the lack of quorum. What could be more callous than comparing yourself to a hero of Philippine democracy who refused to be subject of a staged court martial, when you are nothing but a canny politician-with-a-lot-to-hide dodging an otherwise legitimate proceedings in a democratic institution?

A further proof that Contreras is clueless and his logic flawed, he wrote that “in desiring to eliminate corruption, would that not benefit the rich businesmen most? Then they will only grow richer, and the poor poorer.” How can collection of proper taxes from rich businessmen benefit them most? If the rich businesses pay the correct taxes, how would that benefit them more than it would benefit the poor? If the taxes collected are spent on those needing attention most, i.e. social services for the poor, how could that make the poor poorer and the rich richer? If public funds are spent for the public instead of going to the pockets of corrupt politicians, how can that not benefit the poor?

Contreras wrote that poverty can be eliminated “by sharing. This is what the first Christians did. The rich shared their wealth with the poor, and the result was that there was no one in need (Acts 4:34).” If corruption is eliminated, greed will be eliminated. If people are not greedy, what would prevent them from sharing? If people share, how can that not benefit the poor? The cluelessness of Contreras, I am afraid, is far worse than he initially appeared to.

FIFTH, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy is clueless because Noynoy does not understand that reproductive health means abortion. If I were to follow his arguments in his fourth claim, does that mean that Contreras understands abortion because he himself is an abortionist? Contreras’ understanding and experience on abortion notwithstanding, claiming that reproductive health means abortion exposes Contreras’ cluelessness– and ignorance.

Reality check:

Contreras started with quoting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who purportedly said that, “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.” Contreras missed the point that Clinton said “reproductive health includes … access to legal, safe abortion.” Clinton did not say that reproductive health necessarily includes access to legal, safe abortion. In other words, while abortion could be an option in reproductive health, not all reproductive health efforts include abortion.

“Reproductive health promotes condoms, condoms fail and result in unwanted pregnancies, then women procure abortions,” Contreras claims. He appears, however, to be clueless to the very fact that even without reproductive health, many Filipino women have already resorted to abortion in one way or another. Would Contreras prefer fly-by-night, unsafe and illegal abortion over legal, safe abortion? On the contrary, use of condoms could prevent resort to abortion– more than failed condoms could result in unwanted pregnancies, and unwanted pregnancies resulting to abortion. Moreover, use of condoms could prevent the spread of sexually transmitted disease, and the slow but increasing threat of HIV. Contreras is no worse than a Pharisee meddling with state affairs– he may be clueless that under the Constitution, there is a clear separation between the Church and the State.

Having pointed that out, let me quote from Philippine Star columnist William Esposo,

“The media prostitutes are peddling the falsehood that Noynoy is pro-abortion, anti-life, anti-Catholic Church because he allegedly signed the RH Bill. They maliciously manipulate this to subliminally erode the popular perception that Noynoy is good – versus his rivals who are largely perceived as lesser evils. The misinformed media factors who are acting in good faith but on the wrong information tend to unwittingly support the goals of the media prostitutes.”

“Anti Noynoy for all the wrong reasons” in As I Wreck This Chair, Philippine Star, November 17, 2009

To the clueless Contreras, Noynoy Aquino is not pro-abortion. Noynoy Aquino is not pro-euthanasia. Noynoy Aquino is not pro-contraceptives. Noynoy Aquino, however, is pro-couple’s choice for he believes that “God gave us FREE WILL and not even God will dictate to the couples what to do.”

Contreras closed his fifth argument with, “if we accept the RH bill, abortion will not be far behind.” Probably, Contreras is clueless on how the legislative department works. A law that allows carrying of firearms does not mean that a law legalizing the killing another with a firearm is in the works. Already a flawed logician, further Contreras reveals himself also as a malicious alarmist. I wonder if he would accept the proposition that since Manny Villar has spent billions in his campaign, he would of course seek return on his investment and sweet profit once elected President. He is, after all, a shrewd businessman.

SIXTH, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy is clueless because Noynoy believes that EDSA is his birthright. Correction, Noynoy Aquino does not believe EDSA is his birthright. He has not made any such claim or assertion. On the contrary, Noynoy realizes that People Power is a collective effort– free, voluntary, and unpaid.

Reality check:

It is not the fault of Noynoy Aquino if he is the son of the national hero Ninoy Aquino and the mother of Philippine democracy, the late former President Cory Aquino. To quote Noynoy Aquino himself,

Ang nais nila ay talikuran ko— at talikuran natin —ang ehemplo at prinsipyo ng aking mga magulang at ang magandang halimbawa na ibinigay (nila) hindi lang sa kanilang mga anak, kundi sa buong sambayanan.

To further quote from his speech during this year’s commemoration of the People Power,

Ngayon, kumikilos na ang sambayanang nangangarap muli, at natatanaw na natin ang maliwanag at maaliwalas na kinabukasan kung saan ang pangarap ay magkakatotoo din.

Minsan, may isang Ninoy Aquino, nag-iisa sa kanyang bartolina. Nangahas siyang mangarap. At nang lumaon, tumugon sa kanyang hamon ang milyun-milyong Pilipino — at nakamit natin ang kalayaan.

Ngayon, wala na tayong dapat pang ikatakot. Tayo ay gising na. Tayo ay mulat na. Tayo ay kikilos na upang makamit ang tagumpay. Taas-noo muli ang Pilipino sa mundo.

He never claimed that he is People Power. On the other hand, being one who has the required moral integrity to rid the government of corruption, Noynoy Aquino has responded to the call of people to whom real power belongs. The very essence of People Power is the collective desire of the Filipino people towards change, towards a clean and honest government once and for all. Noynoy represents that collective aspiration. Surely, being the son of Ninoy and Cory does not require him to turn his back on this challenge. He had no plans of running for president, but that does not disqualify him to run for the said office.

Contreras claims that Noynoy stole the EDSA spirit for himself and his campaign. “He is using the Laban sign, the color yellow (this is not the color of the Liberal Party), the songs, the slogans, even what his parents had done. What a blatant theft of what belongs to us!” Contreras whimpers. Why, Manny Villar is free to use the Laban sign. He is free to use the color yellow, the songs, the slogans, and even what Ninoy and Cory had done! In fact, he has likened himself to Ninoy, who refused to face a staged and well-scripted court martial under a Marcos-controlled tribunal, when Villar himself tried to evade accountability over ethics complaints against him before a free and independent Senate of a democratic republic. But then, defiance of an abusive dictatorship is a spectrum apart from evasion of an ethics complaint. Instead, Villar has adulterated the Laban sign, bent it to suit him, and turn it into a check. Villar turned the yellow color of sunrise to the orange color of sunset, and foreshadowed his own downfall.

Contreras further claims that Noynoy is clueless in thinking that because his parents are revered, he now deserves to be President. Perhaps Contreras is suggesting that because Noynoy had such good parents, he should not run for president? Noynoy had no plans of running for President, clueless Contreras must be reminded of that. If Noynoy thought that because his parents are revered, he deserves to be President, Noynoy would have made plans for it early on, just as Manny Villar has started appearing for publicity over his purported assistance to OFWs long before Gibo Teodor had the inkling that he would be annointed as the administration standard bearer. But no, Noynoy did not because he had no plans of running. He was not even contemplating the vice presidency! However, Noynoy Aquino, son of national hero Ninoy Aquino and mother of Philippine democracy Cory Aquino, is not one to turn his back to the call of the times– he is not one to turn his back to the Filipino people, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

SEVENTH, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy Aquino is clueless because Noynoy thinks his good intentions are enough to govern the country. Contreras is probably clueless if he thinks that bad intentions would be a better alternative?

Reality check:

“To be an effective President, one needs experience, political will, intelligence. One cannot just have good intentions. One cannot just be uncorrupt. One must be prepared, with a working platform of governance. One must hit the ground running on Day One, and not have to learn the ropes while in office. One must not just rely on subordinates and hangers on, but must have a clear vision and know what to do,” wrote Contreras. It should be clear to all, especially to Contreras, that to be an effective President, one should above anything else first be uncorrupt. His candidate miserably fails that criterion, and the rest would be moot and academic.

While Noynoy may have entered the race for presidency reluctantly at first, he is not unprepared. He has been a member of the House of Representatives and he is an incumbent Senator of the Republic. Noynoy Aquino has a solid platform of government, his covenant to the Filipino people. His action plan expresses his clear vision and how to achieve such vision. Contreras seems clueless and unmindful of these all.

“He is a non-performer,” Contreras wrote referring to Noynoy. Lest Contreras forgets, Cory Aquino was a housewife. Marcos never imagined that same housewife will oust him, break down his dictatorial regime, and lead the country to an era of democracy.

EIGHTH, CONTRERAS CLAIMS that Noynoy Aquino is clueless because Noynoy does not understand that to be effective as President, he has to work with other powers-that-be, and so he should show respect. Contreras seems to suggest that Noynoy should be like Manny Villar, a transactional politician.

Reality check:

“Noynoy belittled the Church when Cardinal Vidal took him to ask for being pro-RH bill,” claimed Contreras. To set the records straight, Noynoy did not belittle the Church. Noynoy simply respects the separation of Church and State just as Noynoy refused to be hostage of the Church over his views on reproductive health. (Besides, Contreras might be clueless that, with all due respect to, Cardinal Vidal appears to have a double-standard morality). Instead of taking it against Noynoy for standing his ground before Cardinal Vidal, Contreras should applaud Noynoy for being uncompromising, not like Manny Villar who is transactional.

Contreras also takes issue that Noynoy “attacks President Arroyo even if she is not a candidate for President (blatantly claims that he is the only real opposition).” What is wrong with a blatant claim of being the only real opposition if such claim is true? Despite his “Opo” political ad, Manny Villar does not appear to be on the opposition. His transactional politics, on the other hand, resulted to his being tagged as “Villaroyo,” a monicker that comes with the perceived secret pact between Villar and Arroyo. (Satirically, the “Opo” ad could be easily converted to the “Opo” which means “Yes” or adherence– to the will of the incumbent). If only Noynoy Aquino has the guts to voice out opposition to Gloria Arroyo, that makes him the only true opposition. There is nothing blatant therefore in the claim of being the only real opposition when the claim is true. More importantly, the clueless Contreras seems to suggest that if Arroyo is a candidate for President, it would be perfectly alright to attack her. This reveals the kind of political campaign that is very much part of Contreras’ Manny Villar’s strategy– dirty, riddled with black propaganda and false claims. In fact, Villar has twice attempted to smear up Noynoy Aquino with the issue of psychiatric illness– which has twice backfired on Villar as being bogus.

Contreras made a lot more allegations which boils down to his conclusion: that Noynoy is a divisive person. How can a person be divisive when he is able to unite people from all walks of life to rally behind him unpaid? Unlike Contreras’ patron Manny Villar who has the money, who spends for a vast political machinery, and who pays people to campaign for him, Noynoy Aquino banks on volunteers who sacrifice personal time, money and effort for a patriotic cause, that is, national renewal and transformation. “He is disrespectful, of good people and important institutions. In a political system as we have in the Philippines, that is a sure way to division and disunity,” Contreras writes about Noynoy. He is clueless that time has come to end transactional politics. Contreras is clueless that patronizing these so-called important people and powers-that-be is old politics and has never been good for the country. Gloria Arroyo is a transactional politician as Manny Villar is, look at how she ravaged the country with impunity.

[To be continued]

But despite further spending already in scandalous amounts and campaign sorties full of kings and stars, Villaroyo’s rating continued to slide down. When the Taylor Nelson Sofres (TSN) survey results came out showing Noynoy’s lead at a safe distance from another claim of a statistical tie, Villaroyo puppy Gilbert Remulla dismissed it as unreliable simply because the survey was commissioned by an LP ally. He was quoted to have said, “hihintayin na lamang namin ang magiging resulta ng survey ng SWS at Pulse Asia” [Read the ABS-CBN report online].

The latest SWS Survey, conducted March 19-22, 2010, reveals that Noynoy now leads 9 points over Villaroyo at 37-28. This has been confirmed by the latest Pulse Asia Survey, conducted March 21-28, which shows a Noynoy lead of 12 points! Villaroyo is showing a steady decline, while Noynoy maintains his rating, gaining a point or two along the way.

Perhaps aware of the sliding trend, Villaroyo handlers seem to be using mock polls and local surveys to manipulate perception. An article in Manila Bulletin claims that Villaroyo topped the survey in the country’s premier state university. In fact, it was reported in most dailies and television networks. (Never mind that in the same report, Noynoy topped the 7-11 Gulp Elections with 87,959 votes as against Villaroyo’s 32,727 and Gibo’s 37,226. The reporter probably thought that a UP Diliman survey with 8,468 respondents, to which she devoted almost 80% of her article, was more news worthy than the 7-11 survey of more than 213,834 respondents). Reading online fora, though, I came across a post which alleges that the survey was conducted in UP Diliman only, that it was conducted by a fraternity, and a third of the respondents were not voters. The same poster claimed that in a UP system-wide survey, the lead was taken by Dick Gordon, with Villaroyo a mere third. Indeed, a press statement from the Senate of the Philippines affirmed that Gordon topped the UP system survey. Administration bet Gibo Teodoro, on the other hand, relied on a survey conducted at the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) which showed him as the top choice. Unfortunately for Gibo, PSHS students are not of voting age yet.

Oh well, it seems that if survey results from reputable firms are not favorable to someone, he can resort to other surveys that could project a better image. It’s a battle of perception, political handlers say.

Sino kaya ang niloloko nila?

Those who are campaigning against me have repeatedly asserted that leadership is earned, not inherited. I agree with them and I wish they would do more than mouth these words.

My friend Dick Gordon has repeatedly stated these words in every presidential debate. Yet sadly, in his native town in Olongapo, every Gordon was replaced by another Gordon. Thus, he may not have inherited his position, but he surely is passing it on to his heirs.

Manny Villar has said the same thing about me. But in his home town in Las Pinas, his wife is the current representative in Congress and will soon be replaced by their son. His brother in law is the Mayor and every other public official in that town is one way or the other related to them.

Truth is, every serious contender in this race, myself included, is a part of a political dynasty. And that is a national tragedy. I cannot and do not believe that with 80 million Filipinos, there are but a few families who could produce genuine leaders. Instead, I believe that our economic and political system has marginalized the majority of our people. It has so far prevented the true leaders from coming out. Precisely because our election processes are money driven, only those who control the economic system are allowed to become candidates. The true leaders, the nameless cooperative leaders who have selflessly promoted self help and genuine people power have no space in these elections. The same is true for leaders of farmers associations, of government workers’ unions leaders, of outstanding students and professionals, of true leaders who work with, and for the people.

But I am offering myself to you now, not as Ninoy’s son. I am offering myself to you now, not as Cory’s heir. I am offering myself to you now, because I have come to appreciate and understand the historical opportunity that you now see in my person.

People who assert that the Cory magic is gone have so far failed to understand what it is really all about. Hence, they claim, it has faded, or worse, that it will continue to fade. The Cory magic is not about Cory. It is about hope. It is not about Ninoy. It is about belief in our collective capacity to dream, and to do something about that dream. We did not stand up against tanks of the most feared dictator to save the person of Cory. We did so, and we did so bravely because we wanted to save the dream and the hope that Cory represented. And our hopes and dreams will never fade. We will never allow it to fade.

My mother, our dearest Cory, came at a historical moment when everything that happened to our family became a reminder of everything that each one of us experienced in the hands of a dictator.

Like most of the Filipinos, my father Ninoy, lost his freedom when martial law was declared. True, not all of us were incarcerated. But each one of us had our basic democratic rights stripped from us. We could no longer speak about what was in our hearts and minds. We were no longer allowed to think and analyze on our own. We could no longer go where we want, and when we want. We were not allowed to choose what we wanted to read, what we wanted to watch. We were not even allowed to watch VOLTES V! And so while the majority of our people were not behind bars, they too were like my father, stripped of their freedom.

When my father left for the States, he had to kowtow to the dictator and begged him to be allowed to go. Again, by historical accident, he came to represent a part of what the people were feeling. The Filipinos were willing to kowtow to the dictator, for a little freedom, for a little progress. We were all willing to take scraps from him for as long as we can maintain a little of our humanity. And so my father took some and he gained some freedom. But the dictator pressed on. And though he gave my father a little freedom, he showed his desire to strip him of his humanity. So pushed against the wall, my father decided to fight back. Unwittingly, he came to represent every Filipino who felt that they were slowly being stripped of their humanity. Unwittingly, Ninoy did what every other Filipino wanted to do — fight back.

And so when he came back and was killed, the tragic incident showed us all that there was no hope under a dictatorship. In exchange for a little freedom, the dictator demanded complete submission. In exchange for little privileges, he wanted us to surrender our humanity. And to retain the very little that we had, we must fight back.

My mother became the symbol of our collective desire to fight back, not because of who she was, but because of where she found herself. Because of what the dictator did to my father, my mother found herself in a situation where she would either fade into oblivion or fight back. When she chose to fight, she reminded each and every one of us of our dreams, of our hope. And so we refused to let the dictator kill our dreams. He may have killed Ninoy, but Ninoy lived in our hearts, in our minds. And Cory became a symbol of that – the Filipinos refusal to let anyone kill our dreams.

Tragically, my mother failed to fully appreciate what she symbolized during her term. Probably because she was too busy fighting back the threats to her person, she unwittingly allowed the threats to our dreams grow and regain its strength.

Political opportunism began to re-appear and dynasties, old and new ones, re-emerged. Human rights violators became politicians, and politicians became human rights violators. And slowly, my mother’s administration became what it swore to oppose. And by the time her term ended, her so-called magic became a cover for corrupt politicians to regain their lost power.

To be candid, I only started to realize what she symbolized upon her death. When she died, the Filipino community remembered not what my mother did. They remembered what we, as a people, fought against. The words of the songs of her times came back to mind –

“Di na ako papayag, mawala kang muli.

Di na ako papayag, na muling mabawi.

Ating kalayaan kay tagal na minimithi…

Magkakapit bisig, libo libong tao

Kay sarap pala maging, Pilipino….”

Her death and the memories of our struggle made us look at our current reality. Amidst us are all the signs that all that we fought against are now back to rule us. Corruption, human rights violations, political dynasties, political opportunism, bureaucrat capitalism.

This was the historical accident I found myself in. Amidst the rampant corruption and human rights violation, our people were reminded of our struggle. At a time when all efforts to remove a fake, lying, cheating President have failed, our people were reminded of what we can do together. And because the Filipino people will never let their dreams die, they refused to let my mother Cory, die with her body.

I may have faltered as I began this campaign. I admit, I became more of them. I allowed political opportunism to dictate my choices. I failed to draw the line between good and evil. But the people will not let me forget. They have reminded me that once I stop being the symbol of good, I too will be condemned as evil.

And so I say, “Hindi ako magnanakaw” not as a promise, but as a commitment. But more importantly, I will add:

“ibabasura ko ang mga trapo!” All political opportunists, old and new, will find no room in my administration. Traditional political opportunists, even those integral to my campaign will never be a part of my administration. So, to those of you who are helping me in the hope that you will find a position in my cabinet I say now, go to Manny. Be one with your kin. Because the moment I gain the trust and confidence of the people, is the day I abandon all the trapo that is in me.

“Ipakukulong ko lahat ng nagkasala!” Sins have been committed against our nation. And as I stand here before you now, I can hear the hearts of the people shouting, “reconciliation based on justice!” So while I will exert every effort to reach out and unite all the sectors of society, unification will be based on principle, not political survival. I will prosecute every criminal, especially those who committed crimes under the cloak of official action.

“Ang tao ang tanging kapamilya ko!” Political dynasties must end. I admit, that would be a long and winding road. Laws preventing their emergence must be studied before they are passed. But I will begin the process now. No relative of mine will have a position in government. None of them will do business with the government. This will be without exemption. And no other relative of mine will run for public office. Not even if there are 20 million signatures supporting them.

I know doing all these will not solve our problems. But I am sure it will provide the space for people power to once again emerge and rule our land.

I have now come to realize that this campaign is not about me. This campaign is about our hopes and dreams. My victory is only incidental. And so I will lead this fight not so that I will become President. I will lead this fight so that you, my people, will finally become victorious. And I know now that this cannot end with the campaign period.

Let us instead use this campaign period to strengthen the people’s ranks. Let us give no space for politicians to deceive us. This is no ordinary campaign. It is an extra ordinary opportunity to call a spade a spade. Let us condemn all lying, cheating, and stealing politicians. Whether they are with me or against me, let us condemn them together. And let us ensure their defeat.

I am a mere symbol, and therefore your servant. I call on you not only to follow me, but rather to lead me. A large part of me is as trapo as Manny Villar or Gibo Teodoro and I can only rely on your steadfast commitment to reject all trapos, even those hidden within me.

Lead! And I will follow. Act, and I will be amongst you. Win, and hold on to the genuine people’s power.”

—

Written by Atty. Roel Pulido.

“The evidence that Sen. Noynoy is abnormal – and therefore should not be voted president – seemed all there.

And Business Mirror columnist Butch del Castillo recounted it in excruciating detail using unnamed sources who had seen Noynoy acting autistic.”

Ms. Robles was referring to an article written by purported Business Mirror columnist Butch del Castillo, who on 16 November 2009, wrote a piece entitled “What, pray tell, is autism?” which he closed with the following paragraph:

“I firmly believe that Filipino voters have become wiser over the years. They will not be taken in by the glitter and glitz of their showbiz supporters. They will not be fooled by the empty Mona Lisa smiles of the Liberal Party candidates who really have nothing between the ears. These candidates can only pretend to be mysterious when they actually have nothing of moment or sensible to say. We need a president with the intellect, administrative savvy and moral courage to lead this nation out of its current political and economic mess.”

Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Manuel L. Quezon III, on 19 November 2009, commented on the del Castillo article, part of which I will quote here,

“The tone of one such campaign was set by Ernesto Maceda (so old and still so much the same as when he was young) when he put forward the idea that Noynoy Aquino is autistic, which was gleefully picked up by a minor broadsheet, and then embroidered further by columnist Butch del Castillo. Unfortunately the campaign fell apart when Raissa Robles decided to do an internal consistency check on Del Castillo’s column. The results were hilarious.

Among other things, Del Castillo painted a picture of a hyperactive Noynoy literally on a leash in his toddler days, because he’d had a near-fatal run in with a Doberman on the loose, adding the only reason he wasn’t mangled was due to the timely and courageous intervention of an even younger Kris Aquino. Robles pointed out that the problem with the Super Kris story is that it supposedly took place when Noynoy was three. Since Noynoy is 11 years older, for Kris to have saved her supposedly hapless brother, she would have had to have traveled back in time to eight years before she was even born!

And it gets better: Del Castillo wrote darkly of Noynoy being put in a “special school” when he was five or six, implying it was a specialized institution for autistic kids. But it turns out, after Robles consulted the official record, that the school in which the young Aquino was placed at that time was the Ateneo de Manila.

There were other problems with the Del Castillo attempt at fiction, revolving around internal inconsistencies in his tall tales. In one paragraph, the baby Noynoy is portrayed as catatonic and drooling, in another, he’s hyperactive. Robles tartly wondered if Del Castillo had a stint working for Marcos propaganda czar Greg Cendana (perhaps she should ask Juan Ponce Enrile).”

[Read the Philippine Daily Inquirer article here]

Ms. Robles has written a blog which points out how malicious and misinformed del Castillo was. I particularly liked her “full disclosure” where she directly addressed del Castillo and said, “I knew your wife Julie when she and I were working in Business Day newspaper. I don’t know if I ever meet you. I heard then you were spinning in behalf of then dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ very best spinmeister – Gregorio Cendana.”

A comment posted at Ms. Robles’ blog on 19 November 2009 said, “I’m from Business Mirror, and I don’t even read Butch del Castillo’s column. So I don’t know why you people even bother. He lives in an old world where he thinks he’s still the best journalist in town w/c he probably was in his youth, until he started prostituting his profession. When he was still business editor of a two-bit newspaper he was on every payroll of every major PR firm, receiving monthly stipends from them. I don’t even know what he’s doing in our newspaper, considering the caliber of our editorial team. Unfortunately, he’s been a longtime lapdog of the owner along w/ the other nearly dead columnists who are nothing but paid hacks. They all belong to what our profession calls AC-DC. He and his ilk taint the good name and reputation of our paper and the other professionals that work there. Imagine passing off gossip in a column for an otherwise respectable newspaper? Only in Business Mirror, only Butch del Castillo.”

[Read the Raisa Robles blog here]

Del Castillo, in turn, wrote on 19 November 2009 that,

“If Ms. Robles or Quezon carefully read my column, they would find that I was merely passing on what I heard from my sources for whatever they were worth. I even ended the piece with the question—is it true (?)—and said the public would like to know, because there’s so much talk about Noynoy’s alleged neurological disorder. Is it true that he is autistic? I ask again. The Aquino family should answer this blunt question bluntly and vehemently deny it if there is absolutely no basis to the charge.”

Huli na, palusot pa.

A responsible journalist should not just pass on what he hears from his sources for whatever they were worth, without verifying things. Otherwise, it is plain and simple rumor and disgraces the profession.

What’s with del Castillo’s apparent obsession with autism?

Reacting to the news articles and anonymous text messages that ridicule people with autism to undermine front-running presidential candidate Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the Autism Hearts Philippines, through its executive director Christine Roa, issued a statement which read in part,

“We at Autism Hearts Philippines denounce the use of ‘autistic’ or ‘autism’ in a demeaning way. People suffering from the autism spectrum disorder, a lifelong developmental disability, deserve respect just like any other human being.”

“It is ignorant, insensitive, inhumane and yes, politically incorrect, to offend people with autism and their families with such brass use of the disorder to undermine the capabilities of a political opponent or for such similar intention.”

“We hope everyone will exercise appropriate decorum to allow the less fortunate among us to live with dignity as members of one civil and compassionate society.”

[Read the article at Philippine Daily Inquirer]

These, and his writings, sum up the kind of person del Castillo is. I wonder how many people he can fool with his words, specially that it appears he also hosts a radio show with a certain Marou Pahati Sarne. I can’t help but wonder why responsible members of the press suffer the carnage that was the  Maguindanao Massacre, and lowlife writers like Del Castillo gets to continue blabbering falsehood. Maybe because the brave and the real journalists are out there looking for the truth, while the coward listens to gossip and prostitutes his profession.

Finally, in an open letter of Pinky Ong-Cuaycong published at NoyPi originally published at herword.com, the mother of an autistic child wrote,

“If being autistic means not being able to lie, then by all means, I should be proud to say I am autistic. If being autistic means not being able to cheat and rig elections, then call me autistic. It being autistic means not being able to steal, to use public funds for personal gain while the country wallows in poverty, then I am staunchly autistic. If being autistic means satisfaction with what one has, if it means a characteristic lack of greed and materialism, then I count myself autistic. If it means not being envious and not judging people based on looks, money, connections, or pogi points, then, yes, I am autistic.”

Addressing Noynoy, she asked, “if you were one, what is absolutely wrong with it?”

Read the articles from the following links:

The Irresponsible Del Castillo Article

Raisa Robles Exposes Del Castillo

Del Castillo Takes a Second Shot

The Manuel L. Quezon III Article

The Autism Hearts Philippines Reaction

Open Letter of the Mother of an Autistic Child