Why did I run?

University of Negros Occidental - Recoletos - News - Why did I run?
 
Many religious events had passed but were not recognized by many of us for either we are too busy campaigning or busy talking about politics. Holy Week, Divine Mercy inauguration, opening of Flores de Mayo and the like just passed without seeing the religious significance of these holidays.

 

Anyway, it is just six day more before we decide on the fate of our politicians. Six significant days more before we judge for the future of our country. These days will be the most crucial in our electoral process. These are the days, when we make our final decision for our future. I hope that the electorate has already grown beyond “suhol”, envelope, money, name-recall, political ads, and surveys. I hope we have grown to see-beyond what we traditionally made us our criteria in choosing a leader.

 

Let us have these questions before we choose the lesser evil. Am I choosing a real public servant? Am I assured of a better future by this candidate? How sure am I that my vote will really make a change? Is my choice pro-people, pro-life and nationalistic? Is my choice, a choice of my conscience? Have I chosen him/her freely? Does my choice have the true qualifications to steer the community for social transformation? Is my choice only a bucket of promises?

 

May I appeal to the electorate to look at the future and not how much the candidate could give them. Look at the future of our children, if we are already helpless of our own. Let your votes be heard and let your conscience work.

 

To my dear politicians, set aside your personal interests and work for the common interest of the country. Set-aside your party affiliation and move-up your national-affiliation.

 

Many of our beautiful and handsome candidates are full of promises. I always see a bucket of promises, once I see a politician promising heaven and hell to the electorate. I see a liar, once I hear a politician telling everyone he could do something for the country. I see a puppet, once I see and hear a deafening silence on top of provisional stages during a campaign sortie. I see an empty plastic, once I see an independent politician shouting all his promises.

 

Stop! I hope you quit and be silent, think of your real reason for running. Why did you run for office? What prompted you to run?

 

Here’s a little unsolicited suggestions for our future public servants:

 

  1. No salary on duration of your office. Our country is in an economic doom. I suggest that in the name of poverty alleviation, you should not receive any salary from the coffers of your administration.
  2. Break all chains with traditional “thieves” in government. Stop being “wind-up” servants of big businessmen. Be yourselves and decide fort he welfare of the community. Go away with “padrino” system.
  3. Stop just being “gwapo”. Beauty and pogi points will not bring us anywhere but in front of a mirror. Start working.
  4. Make Philippines your place and not other countries. Work here not there. We usually hear politicians working to strengthen foreign relations and farther making the lives of Filipinos miserable.

 

Lastly, make your promises workable and real. We hear of many promises before elections but were kept after elections. A real public servant should gather all comments, suggestions and solutions. These should be tested and applied for the welfare of everyone. His/her running mates should be given a chance to serve in his/her administration.

 

At this point also, I would like to request my dear readers to please avoid voting for candidates who cannot follow simple COMELEC policies. To mention a few, I would like to call for a non-vote for the congressional candidates of the fourth district for gross violation of the COMELEC campaign ad policy. When these people will be at Congress, what more violations shall they commit at the expense of the peoples’ money?

 

So, I wish that the May 14 elections will not be a choice of useless leaders but a day of choosing a leaders who can steer the country to a brighter and better future.

 

My congratulations to the UNO-R College of Engineering for getting a 100% passing percentage in the Mechanical Engineering Board examinations and also for topping the Board exams. Engr. Ildefonso D. Ortega, Jr for ranking 1st in the Mechanical Board examinations.

 

Belated Birthday greetings to Rev. Fr. Demetrio Peñascoza,OAR.

 

For comments, send email to ecaloy1@yahoo.com.

 

Pope John Paul the Great and St. Ezekiel Moreno, pray for us.

 

by: Mr. Carlos Legaspi Jr.

     May 7, 2007