Jojo Robles: Why Luisita matters

In the coming days, expect to hear more about Hacienda Luisita, the giant, undistributed Tarlac agricultural estate owned by the family of leading presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino. That's because, whether he likes it or not, Aquino's flagging political fortunes may hinge on what he does or does not do about this festering issue.

But first, it can be argued that the last thing Aquino needs right now, when his survey rankings are on the verge of a free fall, is one of his own camp followers breaking ranks. But that's apparently already happening, with no less than one of his own Liberal Party senatorial candidates going public with a demand that Aquino's family distribute the lands in Hacienda Luisita to the farmers there.

The supposed token leftist in Aquino's senatorial lineup, Akabayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, could not have come out with the statement on the ticklish issue that the leading presidential bet has repeatedly sought to dodge at a worse time. But Hontiveros, according to one news report, explained that her being a guest candidate in the LP senatorial slate did not mean that she had abandoned her quest for justice for the victims of the so-called Hacienda Luisita and Mendiola massacres.

"Healing and reconciliation can only happen if justice is served for the victims of the Hacienda Luisita and Mendiola massacres. But there's no justice yet for the victims," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros' demand came even as farmers' groups allied with their fellow tillers in the Cojuangco-Aquino sugar plantation stepped up the pressure on Aquino to act to distribute the land to the tenants, who were given shares of stocks in the family corporation instead of land titles under a controversial exception made in the late President Cory Aquino's land reform program. And now, Aquino's rivals are also digging up the circumstances of the sale of a portion of the hacienda land to the government to make way for a new highway—a sale that allegedly did not benefit the farmer-stockholders, who control a third of the corporation on paper, at all.

Cavite Rep. Crispin Remulla, who is closely identified with Aquino's chief opponent Manny Villar, castigated Aquino for not lifting a finger to help the Luisita farmers, despite alleged profits made by his family on the sale of 80 hectares of Luisita land. The government paid the amount to Aquino's family so that the new Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway may pass through the sprawling 6,453-hectare agricultural estate.

Remulla said Aquino's family never intended to distribute the land to the tenants there since his grandfather Jose Cojuangco Sr. bought the plantation more than 50 years ago with a loan from the Government Service Insurance System. The government guaranteed a $2.1-million foreign loan taken out by the Cojuangco family to buy Luisita from its Spanish owners in 1957, apart from extending a P5.9 million facility that allowed the elder Cojuangco to purchase the property on the condition that all of the land would eventually be distributed to the farmers and residents there.

The government sued the Cojuangcos during the Marcos regime over the refusal of the family to distribute the land. But the suit was uncharacteristically withdrawn upon Cory Aquino's assumption to the presidency in 1986, upon the lobbying of officials of the new administration, Remulla said.

Then the so-called Mendiola Massacre took place in early 1987; 13 farmers were killed and 39 others were wounded in a clash with policemen and soldiers who were guarding Malacañang Palace that day. The massacre spooked the new President into fast-tracking the "genuine" land reform program that she had promised during her campaign against Marcos a year earlier.

Cory's land reform program met stiff opposition from plantation owners throughout the country who protested what they called the government's seizure of their property. Still, the program allowed the family of the President to keep their land through a stock distribution option, wherein their tenants were given shares of the family corporation instead of titles to the land they were tilling.

* * *

During the abbreviated term of President Joseph Estrada, the Aquino-Cojuangco clan lobbied hard for the extension of the North Luzon Expressway to Tarlac, to connect the economic zones in Central Luzon, according to Remulla. The project, which was implemented by the current Arroyo administration through the Bases Conversion Development Authority, eventually connected Clark and Subic to Tarlac through Luisita.

The Cavite congressman said the farmland was overpriced 10 times when it was sold to the BCDA at P100 per square meter. On top of that, the family also got an interchange worth P170 million for free, which boosted the hacienda's value from P600 million to P60 billion, he said.

Remulla said part of the payments made by the Arroyo administration to the Aquino-Cojuangco family were used to bankroll the congressional bid of Noynoy Aquino in 2001. The release of the payments were also expedited because of the lobbying of the late President, Remulla alleged, because Mrs. Aquino and President Arroyo were political allies at the time, having both worked for the ouster of Estrada.

During this time, the Aquino-Cojuangco family also started drawing up plans to convert their agricultural estate into a giant mixed-used development project, something that would effectively end the land claims of the farmers. During this period, Noynoy Aquino also worked as an executive of the family-controlled corporation, which meant that he had intimate knowledge of the SCTEX land purchase and the conversion plans, Remulla added.

But the Luisita farmers still wanted their land, and in 2004, when construction of the SCTEX was already being started, the Luisita Massacre took place. This time, seven plantation workers were killed when soldiers broke up a picket line put up by farmers demanding that the Aquino-Cojuangco family give the land to them.

Then, only last year, upon the expiration of the Cory Aquino land reform law, Congress passed CARPer, which extended the land-distribution program. The passage of CARPer into law was significant, because it removed the exemption that allowed landowners to distribute stock options to farmers in agricultural landholdings, like the Aquino-Cojuangco family did at Luisita.

Ever since he became a Tarlac congressman, according to Remulla, Noynoy Aquino never said anything about the Luisita controversy. And when he became a senator, Noynoy did not vote to extend the land reform program, which abolished the stock-distribution scheme.

Now that he is a presidential candidate, Noynoy has repeatedly said that he own only a small fraction of Luisita personally. But even the sizable holdings of the farmers are dwarfed by the shares of the Aquino-Cojuangco companies that control Luisita.

As the campaign heats up in the coming days, Noynoy Aquino will continue to be hounded by questions about Hacienda Luisita—questions that have remained unanswered in decades. As his own fitness for the presidency comes increasingly under scrutiny, expect Noynoy's huge family plantation to loom large in the background.

Fel V. Maragay: Villar ally: Aquinos in league with Palace

The Nacionalista Party yesterday turned the tables on Senator Benigno Aquino III and branded as an act of desperation his charge that Senator Manuel Villar Jr. has struck an unholy alliance with Malacañang.

Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico said it was Aquino, Liberal Party candidate for president, who was apparently in league with the Palace, citing as proof the fact that many of his close relatives continue to occupy positions in the government.

"Senator Noynoy Aquino and the Liberal Party should be the ones to explain their closeness with Malacañang. He has close relatives in the Arroyo administration. If there is any candidate who should be suspected of being in cahoots with Malacañang, it should be Senator Aquino," he said.

Suplico, who is running for congressman under the Nacionalista, said Aquino's relatives who are close to President Arroyo include his aunts, former Senator Teresita Aquino Oreta, who is head of the Early Childhood Care and Development Council under the Office of the President, former Tarlac Gov. Margarita Cojuangco who is president of the Philippine Public Safety College under the Department of  Interior and Local Government, and Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, President Arroyo's image consultant.

Aquino's uncle, Paul Aquino, is the president and chief executive officer of the Energy Development Corp. under the state-owned Philippine National Oil Company, Suplico said. He said the newly-designated environment and natural secretary, Eleazar Quinto, is married to Kashiwahara's daughter.

"So tell me, who has an unholy alliance with whom?" Suplico said. "These people are not distant relatives, these are people who are very close to Noynoy. Senator Oreta's husband is said to be practically Noynoy's surrogate father. Paul Aquino is Noynoy's political strategist."

LP national campaign manager Florencio Abad does not deny that Paul Aquino is involved in Noynoy's campaign. But he said Paul is just a consultant and gives advice to Noynoy only occasionally.

Suplico said political realities contradict Aquino's agenda of change. The same people will be in power. It would be difficult to say that there will be change if Noynoy will occupy the seat of power. I think the electorate should think long and hard about how Noynoy Aquino will deal with his relatives."

He recalled when the late President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino was in power, her close relatives, pejoratively called Kamag-anak Inc., meddled in government affairs and some of them were implicated in some questionable business deals. "Their latest fairy tale, that the NP standard bearer is in cahoots with Malacañang, only shows the extent of their desperation." They fabricated this lie because they have seen how Aquino's survey lead has been wiped out."

Emil Jurado: Why Villar is up and Noynoy is down

Why Villar is up and Noynoy is down

As the presidential race enters its last laps, and poll surveys notwithstanding, I maintain that it's going to be a five-way fight among the candidates: Senators Manuel Villar and Benigno Aquino III, former President Joseph Estrada, former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Senator Richard Gordon. I've been a journalist for over half a century. I know that in our kind of politics, one day makes a lot of difference. After all, politics is the art of the possible. There are just too many imponderables. The reckoning day will likely be towards the end of March, when we can see some real trends. That's when those presidential candidates who cannot improve on their single-digit ratings should realize they may just be doing wishful thinking. *** So Villar and Aquino are in a statistical tie. This says a lot. We now know that the Cory magic is waning. Soon enough, that will be history. There's also the fact that Aquino is not running as his own man. He runs, instead, under the shadow of his popular parents. Now people are beginning to see through the standard bearer of the Liberal Party—shallow, with no track record, no competence and experience we can believe in. Noynoy has also launched a hate campaign. His pledge hindi ako magnanakaw (I will not steal) makes it seem like all the rest of us are thieves. The campaign, anchored on the supposed honesty and integrity of Aquino, only reminds us of the "sins" of the Cory administration—the Kamaganak Inc. and the Luisita and Mendiola massacres, among them. Indeed Noynoy's negative campaigning, being only "against" something instead of "for" anything, only tells us that he really has nothing to show aside from his parentage. And there's another thing that turns people off: the faces behind Aquino. All of them are salivating for a return to power. They have vindictiveness in their minds, reminiscent of the do-nothing administration of Noynoy's mother. In all these, the beneficiary has been Villar, who because of the C-5 controversy has become some sort of an underdog. *** Noynoy has offered some excuses for his declining ratings. He claims that his opponent Villar has been outspending everybody in the presidential race, to the tune of 10 to one. Well, yes, Villar has been campaigning for years. As what I have been saying all along, he who has the gold rules. That is the Golden Rule of Philippine elections. This is why one must be practical when it comes to running for any elective post—from councilor to president . If you don't have the gold, forget it! Popularity is not enough, believe me. It all translates to money. A presidential candidate should not solely rely on contributions and funding from the usual benefactors. At this point, or until these people know for sure who will win, money can only come in trickles. The real funds will come later, with the certainty of victory. And that's the problem with candidates relying on the usual funders. These people just don't dole out funds because they love the face of a candidate. They expect a return on investments. This is why political patronage breeds corruption. Noynoy also cites an alleged "unholy alliance between Villar and President Arroyo, relying on rumors and gossips peddled by anti-Villar sectors that President Arroyo will end up having an alliance with Villar because Gibo's chances are slim. This alliance is supposed to ensure that Villar will not go after the President when he wins. My gulay, how hollow can Noynoy get? This copout (palusot) is both illogical and contradictory coming out from sheer desperation. In effect, Noynoy is saying that after all, support of the President for a candidate is crucial, not a "kiss of death" as they have previously been claiming. Once again, Noynoy is mouthing populist allegations, not facts, thinking perhaps that the people who dislike the President will go for him. If this indicates anything, it's the fact that Noynoy is getting desperate. Santa Banana, how pathetic! If there's anything going for Villar, it's his image as a billionaire willing to help the poor, the needy and those who want to improve their lives. Obviously, this has gotten into the consciousness of people when they are reminded of his poor and humble beginnings. The message is that like Villar, they can also succeed. Of course, this takes a lot of doing. That's what Villar's infomercials and other means of propaganda are for. Clearly, Villar is getting his message through. If the C-5 controversy hasn't made a dent on Villar's ratings, there's the undeniable fact that it's all politics behind it. How can it be a mere quest for the truth when Villar's accusers are also the judges? ***

Christina Mendez: Villar denies secret meeting with First Gentleman, GMA

Villar denies secret meeting with First Gentleman, GMA  By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) Updated February 07, 2010 12:00 AM

HACIENDA LUISITA, Tarlac City , Philippines  - Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. yesterday vehemently deniedtext messages alleging that he met with First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo or President Arroyo in a secret meeting in a bid to ally himself with the administration.

"I have never seen nor met with the First Gentleman and President Arroyo since I was ousted as Senate President. There are even reports that I met them in a side trip in Syria, but I have never been in the country," said Villar in an interview prior to his speech at the 9th National Convention of the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc. (PGBI), where he was introduced by its Grand Supremo, Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

Text messages circulated yesterday alleging that Villar struck an agreement with Mr. Arroyo to make the President, who is running for a congressional seat in Pampanga, Speaker, supposedly in exchange for poll fraud operations in the coming May elections.

The Nacionalista Party (NP) described the proliferation of the text messages as desperate moves from the camp of his main rival, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

NP senatorial candidate and spokesman Rep. Gilbert Remulla turned the tables on the Liberal Party (LP), saying the opposing party has pushed the panic button after Villar tied Aquino in the latest poll surveys.

"The Liberal Party is too desperate. We know that they were responsible for the proliferation of the text messages. We have our inside information that this came from their special operations team. There is absolutely no truth to it," Remulla said.

The NP complained of the "text blast" coming from anonymous sources which claimed that the First Gentleman met with Villar at the house of former Rep. Mike Defensor last Jan. 7 to talk about an alliance between Villar and the administration. 

Remulla denied the meeting, saying that the NP standard bearer and Mr. Arroyo have not been on good terms since the Senate consented to the investigation of the fertilizer scam and the national broadband network (NBN) deal with ZTE Corp. of China.

" How could MBV (Villar) have a meeting with FG? First of all, they are not on speaking terms because they have grudge towards each other. Second, Mike Defensor arrived on Jan. 8 from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There is really no truth to their accusations, they just want to smear the name of the good senator," Remulla said.

He said the NP received information that the LP has resorted to dirty tactics as it has created a special operations team for purposes of disseminating nasty text messages.

Remulla said the LP's campaign of good versus evil has waned, that is why they are shifting to another strategy, linking Villar to the Arroyo administration, in a bid to bring down the NP standard bearer's ratings.

Villar's presidential bid got a boost from the 2.5-million strong PGBI after Honasan's endorsement.

Speaking before a crowd of about 5,000 members from all over the country, Honasan introduced Villar as a son of the masses that sympathizes with the Guardians.

The PGBI endorsement made clear the ties that bind between Villar and Honasan, who supported Villar in the recent controversy at the Senate in connection with the C5 Road extensioncontroversy.       – With Charlie Lagasca

SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT - Mannyvillar.com.ph

OPENING. 

Mr. President: 

I stand before the Senate and the People of the Philippines in defense of my name, my honor, and dignity against my accusers in the so-called C5 controversy. To set the records straight and to prove to the Senator who called me coward na hindi ako duwag.  

Wala pong DUWAG na taga-Tondo! 

May kasabihan tayo na ang mga Pilipino ay may crab mentality. Sa aking kabataan ay kasama ko ang aking ina sa pagbenta ng pagkaing dagat sa palengke. Nakita ko na totoong ganun nga ang asal ng mga talangka -- hinahatak pababa ang kanyang kapwa. 

Ang hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit sa dami-dami nang pagmamanahan ng ugali, sa talangka pa nagmana ang iba sa atin. 

Ako'y dating mahirap; di ko ikinahihiya ang aking pinagmulan. Sa murang edad, nalaman ko agad na di ako kakain kung di ko ito pagpapawisan. Mula sa aking mga magulang – isang tindera at isang karaniwang empleyado – natutunan kong mabuhay nang marangal. Siyam kaming magkakapatid na itinaguyod sa malinis na pamamaraan. 

Ngunit taas-noong kong masasabi sa inyo na kahit ng anong hirap ang dinanas namin, wala kaming inagawan, wala kaming inagrabyado. Wala sa dugo namin ang manloko o mandaya ng kapwa. Ang mga nakamit ko sa buhay ay aking pinagpaguran. Mula pa nung skwater ako sa Tondo, ang kinagisnan ko na ay ang magtrabaho. Kaya sa tulong ng maykapal, ng pagsusumikap at ng sipag at tiyaga ay naiahon ko ang sarili ko sa kahirapan. 

Wala akong minanang yaman bukod sa kabutihang asal; ang lumingon sa pinanggalingan at tumulong sa nangangailangan. 

Nung gumanda ang aking kapalaran, ninais kong suklian ang tadhana sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulong sa mga kapuspalad at manilbihan sa mga nangangailangan. Natanto ko na iyon ang aking misyon sa buhay kung kayat ako'y nabiyayaan. 

Ngayon, bagamat nais kong ipagpatuloy ang serbisyo publiko, pilit akong hinihila pababa ng aking mga katunggali sa pulitika. Sila'y nagmimistulang mga talangka. 

Sabi nila'y ako ay masyado daw mayaman. San daw galing ang yaman ko? Pilit nilang nilalagyan ng malisya ang pag-ahon ko mula sa kahirapan. Magpapayaman pa daw ako pag nanalo. Babawiin ko daw ang ginagastos ko sa kampanya. 

I can explain my wealth. I am the principal shareholder in  a public company that I founded.. From a small gravel and sand enterprise 30 years ago with but an old beaten up truck as its main asset, I have been able to grow it into a trustworthy, viable, and solid real estate company. It is a matter of public record. 

Mahigit 250,000 na pong mga bahay ang naitatayo namin sa buong Pilipinas – karamihan para sa mga middle at lower income nating mga kababayan masipag at masinop.  

In business circles, I have been known as the brown taipan. 

Hindi ko kailangan ang 200 million pesos na sinasabi nilang nakimkim ko sa proyekto ng C5 extension. Di pa sila nakuntento ay pinalaki pa ito. Pagkatapos ng so-called investigation nila ay 6 billion pesos na daw ang napunta sa akin. 

Pano po mampupunta sa akin ang 200 million pesos, Mr. President, kung: 

Una, di pa nare-release ang nasabing 200 million pesos

Pangalawa, kung na-release man ito ay di dadaan sa kamay ko ang pondo dahil ang DPWH ang implementing agency.

Pano ko maibubulsa ang wala pa at ang hindi dumaan at dadaan sa kamay ko? 

Uulitin ko po. Pulitika na naman ito. 

Dalawang taon na po ang isyung ito. Hindi ko ubos-maisip kung bakit naggugugol po ang Senado ng ganito karaming oras upang ipilit sa taumbayan na ako ay magnanakaw. 

Pilit na sisinira ang aking pangalan. Tinalakay nang napakaraming ulit na itong C5. Nadinig ko na ang mga akusasyon. Inihayag ko na ang aking saloobin at depensa nang napakaraming beses na din. 

Walang makapagsasabi na hindi ako sumagot sa mga paratang sa senado. Nandito kayong lahat noong ako ay nagsalita dito. Nagsalita na din akong nang mahigit na isandaang ulit para sa media. Lahat ng pertinenteng dokumento ay kinalap at kinolekta namin sa aming official website na MannyVillar.com.ph. We printed informational pamphlets and even advertised. I personally brought journalists to the location. Wala akong nilihim tungkol sa aking partisipasyon sa marangal na proyektong ito. 

Ako'y nananawagan na sana'y maging patas naman ang aking mga kasamahan sa senado. Noon ko pang sinabi at pinatunayang wala akong kasalanan at walang anomalya at katiwalian sa C5. Wag po nating hayaang maging kasangkapan ng pulitika ang napakagandang proyektong ito. 

Subalit pano makakakita ang nagbubulagbulagan? Pano makakarinig ang nagbibingibingihan? At ika nga, ang pinakamahirap gisingin ay ang nagtutulug-tulugan. At higit sa lahat, pano magkakaroon ng hustisya at katotohanan sa isang kasong may hatol na bago pa man litisin? 

Mr. President, I was condemned without the benefit of a fair trial.  

Alam ko namang hindi ako titigilan. Yan ang dahilan, Mr. President, kaya ayaw kong sumali sa sarswelang ito na ikinubli sa tawag na imbestigasyon. Ang isang boxer ba ay lalaban pa kung may decision na ang mga hurado? 

Sa kagustuhan nilang sirain ako sa mata ng bayan, ang isang marangal at napakandang proyekto pa ang babaluktutin at gagamitin laban sa akin. 

This is precisely what's wrong in our country, Mr. President.  

Ang mga gumagawa ng tama at kabutihan ay ang siya pang kinakastigo. Kung ganyan ang ipagpapatuloy natin, wala nang mangangahas mangarap at gumawa ng mabuti. Only those with vision, capability, and are strong-willed can be part of something like the C5 project – a project that shows the country is moving forward. While many of us who want to get elected promise progress for our country, C5 is that promise realized. It is there for everyone to benefit from and take advantage of.   

I am proud to be part of this project. 

The construction of the road which is meant to serve the people is far from complete. A day lost in the development of the C5 extension project is a day taken away from the people we committed to serve. They need the road. They need our help. But some of the senators here have other needs – such as a need to embarrass me in public. They want to weaken my candidacy. They want me out of their way. 

Nalulungkot ako na ito ay nagpapalayo sa atin mula sa sinumpaan nating trabaho sa Senado. Habang nagbabangayan ang mga senador ay may mga tao sa labas ng dating marangal na institusyon na ito na naghihirap. I am here today for the people who aren't here in this room today. Kahit na magdamag tayong magdebate, sigurado tayong may kakainin sa ating pag-uwi ng bahay. Ngunit ang karamihan sa ating mahihirap na kababayan ay di pwedeng umupo lamang at maghintay matapos tayo. Kung di sila kakayod, wala silang kakainin. 

Mr. President, 

For the record, Mr. President, 

I want to set the facts straight. The report of the committee of the whole – as submitted and read to the public last Monday – is most unfair to me. I believe it was so presented to deceive the people. It was meant to besmirch my reputation. 

Whatever the motives of my accusers, the report does not reflect the truth.  

Wala pong katotohanan dito. 

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Mula simula hanggang huli, ang sinasabing imbestigasyon ay punung puno ng pulitika. Lahat ng aking mga kalalaban sa election ay nagimbento.  

Sila'y nagluto ng isang kaso na kanilang pinalaki sa media. 

Nung binato nila ito sa Ethics Committee at nalamang hindi sakop ng ethics ito, nagluto ng special set of rules para lang sa akin at in-apply retroactively -- in clear violation of our Constitution. 

Sila mismo nag conduct ng hearings, at kung dati ay executive session dapat ay ginawa nilang publiko para lamang sa akin. An unprecedented 19 public hearings were staged to shame me. Napakaliwanag na pamumulitika lang. Gumawa sila ng kakaibang pamantayan para lamang sa akin. 

At nang lahat ng saksi ay nagsabi na wala akong kasalanan, nagluto na naman sila ng sariling desisyon.  

Lutong Macau lahat ito, Mr. President. Lutong Macau  mula simula hanggang katapusan. 

Nung una, double insertion ang paratang. Nung nakitang di naman totoo at para sa dalawang proyekto naman pala yun, realignment naman ang banat. Nung napakita namin na dalawang kalye ito – isang toll road at isang surface road, overpricing naman. Nung napakitang wala namang overpricing, conflict of interest ang sumunod. Napabulaanan ko yun at sa katunayan ay may ruling ang Department of Justice na walang conflict of. 

Simple lang naman ang paliwanag e. Napaliwanag ko na ng simple dati pero tila walang naririnig. Kumbinsido na sila sa kasinungalingan nila.  

Naluto na. 

C5 Project Details 

For the record, Mr. President, the C5 Road Project is not just my own personal project though it is one I am proud to be associated with – all these controversies notwithstanding. This is a project of the government implemented through the Department of Public Works and Highways. Renamed the President Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, the C5 Road was conceptualized as early as 1946, and runs from Manila Bay-Malolos-Caloocan-Quezon City-Taguig/Pateros-Paranaque-Las Piñas-Cavite. It is a 51-kilometer long thoroughfare starting from Manila Bay, and goes full circle to end likewise in Manila Bay.    

Of the entire stretch, 32.5 kilometers are fully developed, covering Malabon and Caloocan going all the way to Quezon City-Taguig/Pateros-Paranaque-Las Piñas. 

The Additional P200 Million Appropriation 

As I am an ardent supporter of development, I have been pushing for the completion of the project. 

I have emphasized in the past that the C5 Road Extension project would ease the worsening traffic problem common in the neighboring cities of Paranaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa, as well as the nearby towns of Cavite. Kita po natin ang grabeng trapik sa Coastal Road araw araw. And I have lived in Las Piñas for the most part of my life. I can attest to the severe traffic situation residents face there every day.   

Even on weekends, it is almost impossible to exit BF Homes via its two main gates, the Alabang and Lopez gates, without experiencing at least 30 minutes of traffic. The Lopez gate, being nearest to the C5 Extension, is under frequent gridlock due to a large number of vehicles passing through BF Homes, which itself straddles the cities of Paranaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa.   

May I also add that with the completion of the C5 road extension, as envisioned, travel time from northern areas to and from the industrial parks in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas will be shortened.  This translates to fuel savings for motorists. 

For this reason, I proposed an amendment in the form of additional budget amounting to 200 million pesos for a certain portion of C5 –the flyover to be constructed in the Cavite Coastal Road.  

May I enlighten you, fellow legislators, that this is an ADDITIONAL amount to the budget of the SAME project. Meaning, the total appropriation should have reflected 400 million pesos in the GAA, instead of 200 million pesos as earlier proposed. For your  information, the proposed aggregate budget for the C-5 is placed at 4.2 billion pesos.   

To this end, allow me to bring to your attention the declarations made by Atty. Yolanda Doblon, Director General of the Legislative Budget and Research Monitoring Office (LBRMO).  

In the hearing of October 6, 2009, Atty. Yolanda Doblon CATEGORICALLY SAID THAT THERE IS NO DOUBLE INSERTION IN THE C-5 ROAD PROJECT. 

Again, I would like to repeat, reference is the TSN of October 6, 2009 public hearing of the Committee of the Whole, pages 128-136. 

Of significance, let me bring to your attention too that I have no doubt that the DPWH knew and got the instruction correctly. In the public hearing of October 15, 2008, Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane was right in saying that the two 200 million pesos were allocated for two different sites, but they are still within the confines of the C5 road project.  Hence, I insist it is for the SAME project (C5), albeit on different locations – the first being the Sucat road flyover, and second, the Coastal road. 

The "double entry" or insertion of 200 million pesos is not irregular because it covers two different – let me repeat, TWO DIFFERENT and SEPARATE segments of the C5 project. 

"Insertion," per se, or amendment, which is the appropriate parliamentary lexicon, is not illegal as it is a right commonly observed within the realm of policymaking to allow lawmakers to adjust the proposed annual budget by introducing appropriate amendments, with the public's welfare in mind.  

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Pulitika lamang po. 

I Did Not Use Influence vis-à-vis the Project

According to the Committee Report, the Las Piñas-Paranaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C-5 Road Extension Project were made to pass through the properties of my corporations, instead of a straight alignment. It went further to say that the alignment of the C5 Road Extension segment of the Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP) of the Toll Regulatory Board has to be changed just to accommodate the alignments of the Las Piñas Paranaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C5 Road Extension Project. 

These are blatant lies, Mr. President.  

I did not direct, or influence, the DPWH to have the C5 Project pass through my properties. The fact is that the conceptualization, alignment, planning and execution of the said project were all done by the DPWH.   

If indeed there was any re-alignment of MCTEP, it only involved a "kilometer" of said alignment. Surely, such did not cause the MCTEP to be mothballed. There is no evidence that the supposed re-alignment resulted in MCTEP becoming unnecessary as to require its being discontinued. 

As to the alleged re-alignment of the C5 Road Extension Project, it was only a slight shifting of one bridge (Bridge No. 2) in the upstream direction in order not to create conflict with the proposed alignment of the LRT Line I South Extension Project. This slight shifting of Bridge No. 2 was at the request of LRTA; and it did not involve my intervention or even a request from me.  

As explained in the letter dated 15 October 2008, of DPWH Regional Director Roberto G. Lala, CESO III, to DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. (attached to the Affidavit submitted by Engr. Adriano to the Committee): 

"The segment of C5 Project that is described hereto is from Sucat Road to Pres. Quirino Ave. (also known as Paranaque-Las Piñas Link Road) 

The project was not re-routed as it followed the original route or alignment prepared by the DPWH-NCR except for the location of one bridge (Bridge No. 2) whose centerline was slightly shifted in the upstream direction in order not to create conflict with the proposed alignment of LRT Line I South Extension Project. This was made in attention to the request of LRTA to then NCR Regional Director Salvador A. Pleyto, per letter dated Feb. 23, 2001 copy attached marked as Annex I. But even with this slight change, the 30 meters road right-of-way was still maintained. Except for such shifting of the Bridge No. 2, no more modification was made from the original alignment up to its construction phases from Sucat Road to Pres. Quirino Avenue." (As cited in the Affidavit of Engineer Adriano, TSN, 8 September 2009, 11:06 a.m., pp. 2-3)  

It is noteworthy that at no time during the entire adjudicatory proceedings did the complainant and counsel ever present testimonial or documentary evidence to disprove the truth and veracity of this letter of DPWH Regional Director Lala.     

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. This was all politics. 

There is no corruption 

 They accused me of financially benefiting from the C5 transaction; that I made a pile of money out of it.    

There is nothing farther from the truth, Mr. President.    

It is common knowledge that the fund was impounded by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), upon directions from President Gloria Arroyo herself.  It means the fund has not been released by the DBM. So where is corruption there?   

As regards those deeds of sale and payments made by DPWH to companies my family owned - in legal terms, the payments made are called just compensation. Properties were taken and so corresponding payments should be made.   

I could not have possibly prevented the construction of the road.  That is the government's prerogative.  But I cannot, in my conscience, sacrifice the interest of the general public simply because some of my companies' properties will be affected. 

Let me stress that as developers of real estate properties, the Villar companies could have, by themselves, constructed the road and earmarked some portions as exclusive in which case, the properties could have had higher values. But public interest demands that we open the properties and allow motorists and the commuting public to utilize the roads. 

Besides, allow me to state that I am not a member of the Bicameral Conference that approved the 2008 budget. That is significant to prove that I did not dip my fingers or never exerted influence in the passage of said legislation. 

More importantly, not having anything to do with the final disposition of my proposed amendments to the 2008 GAA, I cannot be accused of proposing the amendments in order to benefit my real estate companies.  

The Senate's role in the enactment of the GAA starts and ends with its proposing and approving amendments thereto. Once approved and signed into law by the President of the Philippines, the Senate or the Senators no longer have anything to do with the disposition or implementation of the GAA, which belongs solely to the implementing agencies of the Executive Department.  

Above all, there is nothing from the evidence presented to even suggest that I ever intervened in the disposition or implementation of the 2008 GAA as to derive benefit for myself or my real estate companies to the detriment of the Filipino people.  

On the contrary, the records show that other land owners in the same area of Las Piñas and Parañaque whose lands were also taken by the DPWH as right of way for the C5 Project were long paid ahead for their lands, while some of my companies to this day remain unpaid and have not even filed the requisite documents with the DPWH to facilitate payment. (Testimony of Engineer Adriano, TSN, 8 September 2009, 12:06 pm, p. 4; 12:46 pm., pp. 4-5) 

No Overpricing  

The C5 issue brought with it otherwise irrelevant matters, but I am compelled to answer anyway for they mischievously depict this humble representation as a scheming man – which I definitely am not. 

There is an allegation that as a result of the undue advantage, the properties owned by the Villar companies are grossly overpriced.  Allow me to state, for the record: Zonal valuation is determined by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), not by Senators, not by me.  

There is absolutely no evidence that I ever interfered with the issuance by the BIR of the zonal valuation of the properties owned by my companies.  

SA MISMONG REPORT, SINABI NA "THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE DIRECT PARTICIPATION OF SENATOR VILLAR IN THE OVERPRICING OF SUCH PROPERTIES". 

ITO AY PAGE 83, PARAGRAPH 1, VERBATIM: 

"As to the valuation of the properties of Senator Villar's corporations that were acquired for roads-right-of-way for the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C-5 Road Extension Project, although there is no evidence to prove the direct participation of Senator Villar in the overpricing of such properties, it is fair and safe to assume that Senator Villar knew about the said overpricing as his corporation stood to gain from such transactions with the government and considering the closeness of Senator Villar to Engr. Adriano who was directly involved in these transactions." 

SAMAKATWID, ANG IBIG SABIHIN NITO - SA HINABA-HABA NG KANILANG MGA EBIDENSYA, HALOS 127 YATA, ANG KANILANG BASEHAN LANG AY "ASSUMPTION" O "YUNG KANILANG STATEMENT NA "IT IS FAIR AND SAFE TO ASSUME". 

ITO AY SOBRANG MALI.   

CONSISTENT ANG SUPREME COURT SA DECISION NITO NA HINDI BASEHAN ANG SIMPLENG "ASSUMPTIONS" PARA MAG-CONVICT, LALO NA KUNG ITO AY PATUNGKOL SA ETHICAL BEHAVIOR. 

Proof, not mere conjectures or assumptions, should be proffered to indicate that the accused had taken part in, to use the Court's words in Arias vs. Sandiganbayan, the "planning, preparation and perpetration of the alleged conspiracy to defraud the government" for, otherwise, any "careless use of the conspiracy theory (can) sweep into jail even innocent persons who may have (only) been made unwitting tools by the criminal minds" really responsible for that irregularity.   (for reference, ito ay kaso ng Sabiniano v. CA, GR 76558, October 6, 1995). 

SA MGA KASO SA AMERICA NA APPLICABLE SA PILIPINAS – AT GINAMIT ITO NI PANGULONG ESTRADA MISMO SA KANYANG MGA KASO, SINASABI RIN NA -

"Logical reasoning in the law does not work in this manner.  Courts are not allowed to supply missing evidence or to give a party the benefit of unreasonable speculation or forced inferences. Liability cannot rest upon guesswork, conjecture or speculation beyond inferences to be drawn from evidence."            

Ang sabi nga, inference must be the product of reason and logic and it must rest on evidence, i.e. on probability rather than on speculative possibility or conjecture, and must comport with physical laws and human experience.  

Certainly, my participation cannot simply be "safely assumed". It is never "safe" to assume malicious intent.     

Moreover, the supposed higher valuation given the Masaito property was duly explained by the very same BIR officer who issued the certificates of zonal valuation for it. Former BIR-Parañaque Revenue Officer Carmelita Bacod, whom complainant Senator had subpoenaed and who issued the certification on the zonal valuation of the Masaito lots, not only verified the P30,000.00 zonal valuation for the said lots but also the P4,500.00 per square meter zonal valuation for the other lots along Sucat Road.  

She explained that the other lots along Sucat Road are classified as "residential"; hence, they have a zonal valuation of only P4,500.00 per square meter.  She went on to explain further that the Masaito lots were classified as "commercial/regular," hence, they have a zonal valuation of P30,000.00 per square meter. (TSN of 22 September 2009, 12:23pm, pp. 7-8). 

In other words, the P30,000.00 per square meter valuation for the Masaito lots in question did not come from thin air. Former Parañaque Revenue District Officer Bacod got the figure from page 9 of the Revised Zonal Valuation of 1998 of the Department of Finance.    

Ms. Bacod was even adamant about the zonal valuation as she declared at the hearing on 22 September 2009 that if she were to issue another certification, she would use the same zonal valuation for the Masaito lots. (Ibid., p. 7). Thus:  

"MR. FRANCISCO: But if you are to make another certification and you were asked for the zonal valuation of San Dionisio, Sucat Road, what will you state? 

MS. BACOD: I will state the same facts as contained in the same certification. 

MR. FRANCISCO: Which is? 

MS. BACOD: That the zonal value of the property will still be 30,000 per square meter. 

MR. FRANCISCO: Even if that is not found in the Revised Zonal Valuation of 1998? 

MS. BACOD: Yes, because in this page 9 of San Dionisio, even if the zonal value of Don Antonio Avenue – the zonal value is 4,500, it is residential. But we have – on page 9, we have commercial/residential valuation of Php30,000.00. And for sure, my basis for classifying this property as commercial/regular is the tax declaration presented to us as issued by the Assessor's Office classifying the same property as commercial/residential as to its actual use, Your Honor." 

Interestingly, the said testimony of Ms. Bacod was conveniently ignored in the Report. 

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Pulitika po lamang ito. 

No Conflict of Interest 

While none of the witnesses they presented accused me of any wrongdoing – I was shocked, and still am in shock, that the conclusion they arrived at is completely the opposite. 

In the Report, they concluded that I violated the Constitution for my alleged financial interest in the C5 Project, which as senator placed me in a conflict of interest situation. 

First. I did not author the 2008 GAA as no senator can be its author since the GAA originates solely from the House of Representatives.  

Second. It is not true that I did not disclose my financial interest in the companies whose properties will be traversed by the MCTEP and the C5 Road Extension Project.  

The truth of the matter is that one of my companies even sought the opinion of the Department of Justice precisely to determine whether or not the validity of the proposed transaction will be affected by the fact that I am its principal stockholder and whether the proposed acquisition will be violating any law or regulation, particularly the Constitution.  

And, significantly, on November 9, 1999, the DOJ, through Justice Serafin R. Cuevas, rendered an Opinion holding that the acquisition by the Government of private property for right-of-way purposes does not fall within the Constitutional prohibition against Members of Congress having direct or indirect financial interest in any contract with the Government.  

As aptly put by then Secretary of Justice Cuevas:  

"In the instant case, there is no showing that the principal stockholder of the API took advantage of his position as a member of the House of Representatives to enable API to enter into a contract with the TRB involving the API's property. The transaction arose as a necessary consequence of the government's decision to implement the MCTEP and for which it became necessary for the TRB to acquire properties for right-of-way purposes. The API's property happens to be one of those that the TRB had identified as necessary for the implementation of the MCTEB. 

Clearly, the proposed acquisition by the TRB on a voluntary sale and purchase basis of the subject property of the API for right-of-way purposes does not fall within the subject constitutional prohibition. The said proposal is a mere consequence of the exercise by the TRB of is power to "condemn private property for public use subject to the provisions of existing law." In acquiring the API's property through negotiated sale, the TRB was acting pursuant to law. 

In sum, inasmuch as the proposed transaction was not sought by the API nor by any of its stockholders, but was initiated by the TRB in view of the importance and urgency on the part of the government to acquire the subject properties of the API to obviate delay in the continuous implementation and eventual completion of the MCTEP, this Department does not foresee in situations such as this, that a principal stockholder of a private corporation who happens to be a member of the House of Representatives would be cited as having violated Section 14, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution which expressly prohibits legislators from being directly or indirectly interested financially in any contract with the Government or any of its subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities." 

Again, said DOJ Opinion was conveniently ignored by the Committee.       

ON THE P6,226,070,427  

Worse, the Report recommends that I return the amount of P6Billion, which I allegedly made the people to suffer. 

This is totally ridiculous, Mr. President. 

Let me state categorically that no government money was wasted in the C5 Project – not a single centavo!  

To reiterate, there was no "re-alignment" of the C5 Road Extension Project or of the MCTEP.  

The MCTEP was not rendered useless by the construction of the C5 Road Extension Project. These 2 projects are entirely separate and distinct projects. The MCTEP is a toll road, which requires payment of toll fees; while the C5 Road Extension is a public road, which allows free passage to all commuters. In other words, the C5 Road Extension is an alternative route to commuters who cannot afford to pay toll fees.  The MCTEP has "limited access", meaning it has a single entry and exit point; while the C5 Road Extension has "open access", such that through said road commuters can access various cities and/or municipalities. Clearly, by their very nature, it is not difficult to comprehend that the 2 projects are not mutually exclusive of each other or that the C5 Road Extension is a duplicate of the MCTEP. The construction of the C5 Road Extension did NOT result in MCTEP becoming unnecessary as to require its being discontinued. The truth is both projects are necessary to decongest the worsening traffic condition in Paranaque, Las Piñas and Cavite.  

ROW payments on the MCTEP were not wasted. The roads acquired are still there and owned by the government. Once the TRB shall have found another joint venture partner, the expressway project can continue.  

Wala po akong ninakaw sa kaban ng bayan. 

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Napulitika po si Manny Villar. 

On the Unjust Process 

MAHIRAP GISINGIN ANG NAGTUTULUG-TULUGAN. NGUNIT MAS MAHIRAP PALANG GISINGIN ANG KALABAN SA PULITIKA.    

Kahit anong paliwanagan, hindi naniniwala ang mga ito sa akin. 

Binago ang proseso para yurakan ang aking dangal at sirain ang aking pagkatao. 

Umpisahan natin sa naka hilerang hearing na naka schedule sa Senado. Kahit hindi pa dapat, inuna ang C5 issue para matiyempuhan ang pagkampanya sa darating na eleksiyon. Ito ang inaasahan nilang lahat na makapagbaba ng aking ratings sa mga surveys.  

Pangalawa - Ang Ethics committee hearing ay karaniwang pribado at hindi pangmadla para maprotektahan ang kapakanan ng mga Senador o mga opisyal ng pamahalaan. Pero binukod nila ang kasong laban sa akin dahil sa hangaring pahiyain ako at sirain ang aking pagkatao. Hinayaan nilang magka dalawampung hearings at limang privilege speeches na mailadlad sa publiko. 

Pangatlo - Banggitin na rin natin ang lahat ng tumestigo para patunayang ako ay walang sala. Hindi ba't idiniklara akong wala kasalanan ng Ethics committee  lalo na sa Plunder at Estafa charges  sa akin noong Hulyo? Bakit ngayon merong mga bumabaligtad at binuhay na naman ang kaso? Ang ibig sabihin ba nun binabale-wala natin ang mga tumestigo? Wala pa namang nagsasabing may kasalanan ako maliban sa mga kalaban ko sa pagtakbo bilang Presidente. 

Pang-apat ang paulit-ulit kong kinekuwestiyon:  

Saan ka naman nakakita ng isang korte na naglilitis sa yo na binubuo ng mga kalaban mo sa pulitika? Apat na taga-Liberal Party, dalawang taga-Puwersa ng Masa at dalawang Presidentiables lumalaban sa akin? 

Gumawa na nga ng sariling patakaran sa paglilitis, pagkatapos ang "accusers" ay ang mga "judges" din? Other upright individuals would have inhibited themselves from the process. 

Samakatuwid, bakit ako lalahok sa di-makatarungang prosesong ito, kung alam kong niluto naman ang laban? 

Kung alam mong ikaw ang dehado, pagkakaisahan at na-desisyunang may sala, bago pa man magumpisa ang paglilitis, may punto pa bang puntahan ito? 

Nililinaw ko--ang aking pananahimik ay hindi pagkaduwag.  

Ito ay ang hindi pagkilala sa korteng ito.  

Kung tinikom ko ang aking bibig nitong mga nakaraang linggo, ito ay dahil di ako madaldal na tao.  Mahilig ako sa gawa, at di sa salita. Nasagot ko na lahat ng isyu noon pa sa lahat ng uri ng komunikasyon. I've done hundreds of interviews for TV, radio, at print. Sinagot ko na sa aming website na MannyVillar.com.ph, nagpalimbag ako ng mga pamphlets, nagpa-advertise din ako. Dinala ko na din ang napakaraming peryodista sa lokasyon upang mapaliwanag ang katotohanan. 

My Conscience is Clear 

I have been publicly condemned and maligned by some of my colleagues by simply presenting statements of my alleged indiscretions and without proof that I pocketed the funds for the road project.  I have been pilloried with a lot of charges as a result of my declaration as a presidential candidate.   

As I have stated on September 15, 2008, the first time that this issue was presented on the floor by a colleague and thus, I am saying it again: I have not stolen money from the public coffers and I do not intend to steal.   Whatever station in life I am in right now, whatever I am earning now, is a product of hard work, sweat and industry. 

Simple lang ang pamilya ko. We do not need more than what we already have. Ganid ang mga ganun, at magagalit ang Diyos sa ganung mga tao. 

Mr. President, 

Sa aking mundong kinagisnan, sa Moriones Tondo, sa paggising ko nang hatinggabi para sumama sa aking Nanay sa bulungan sa Navotas… sa pagidlip sa makitid na bangko sa Divisoria pagkatapos magtinda ng hipon hanggang alas sais ng umaga. Nakita ko kung paano magtiis, magsikhay at magsikap ang mga katulad kong mahihirap.

Ganun pa man, hindi nirerespeto ng ilang mayayaman ang mga katulad namin. Langit at lupang agwat ng aming kabuhayan.   

Mahirap bang isipin at sikmurain na ang isang dating mahirap ay nangangahad mangarap sa pagkapangulo? Di ba pwedeng umahon at mangarap ang tulad namin? Mahirap lang ba ako kaya ako'y hinuhusgahan?  

Mula sa pagkamusmos, marami akong karanasan nagpamulat sa kin sa katotohanan that life an be unfair. A child of privilege always gets the benefit of the doubt.  A child of poverty hardly does.  

Bigyan natin ng katahimikan ang Senado.  Gawin natin ang dapat gawin para sa mahihirap.  Para sa mga taong naghihintay.  

Simula nang pumutok ang isyung ito, hanggang sa ngayon, natanggap ko na yata lahat ng masasakit na salita na pwedeng matanggap ng isang tao sa kanyang buhay. Tinawag ako ng maraming masakit na pangalan. Tinawag akong magnanakaw, duwag, oportunista, mahina, at marami pang iba. 

Nagdaramdam ako. Masakit para sa kin na marinig ito, at maging sa aking pamilya, lalo pa't nanggaling ito sa ilan kong kapwa mga mambabatas—ang mga kasama ko sa kamara, na pinagsilbihan ko rin bilang Senate president at tinuring kong pamilya at kaibigan. 

Salungat sa iniisip ng ilan, hindi ko kailanman naging hangarin na bastusin, hatiin, at higit sa lahat sirain ang integridad ng institusyon ng senado.   

Pero uulitin ko na tila ang kasalanan ko sa mata ng ilan ay di ako pinanganak na mayaman. Wala akong kilalang apelyido o tanyag na kamaganak. Sa pagtuligsa sa akin, isa ang malinaw: ang opinion na porket nanggaling sa mahirap ang isang tao ay di pwedeng yumaman sa mabuti at marangal na paraan. 

No one is above the law. Yan ang paniwala ko. Ngunit dito sa Senado, anong batas ang pinapairal? Kaninong kapakanan kundi sa mga katunggali sa pulitika? 

I shall repeat what I've said so many times. I will be repeating this for the last time. Wala akong kasalan. Walang anomalya sa C5 project.hindi ako nakinabang lahat ito ay pulitika lamang. Ito ay kathang isip ng mga ilan na ginagamit ang senado para ako'y siraan.  

Nakamtan ko na ang marami sa aking pangarap sa buhay. Ang tanging huling nais ko ay maiahon ang karamihan sa ating kababayan mula sa kahirapan. Matagal na silang naghintay sa makakatulong sa kanila.  

I seek the presidency now because I have a dream for our people – a dream of rescuing them from poverty and giving them a better future such as the future I have realized for myself and my family. Natapos ko na ang aking kahirapan bago pa ako naging pulitiko. Ngayon, sapat na ang napundar ko para sa kinabukasan ng aking pamilya. We have more than enough. Kung gusto kong yumaman pa, mananatili na lang ako sa negosyo. 

I do not want the majority of the Filipino people to always keep hoping and waiting for the next presidential candidate to save them. I seek the presidency as the culmination – not the beginning – of my life in public service. I have always strived to help as many people as I can. Panata kong ibalik sa mahihirap ang mga biyayang aking natanggap.  Alam ko ang pakiramdam ng maging maliit at walang wala. 

Alam ko kung paano tapusin ang kahirapan. Nagawa ko ito sa aking sarili, nagawa ko para sa iba na akin nang natulungan at hangarin ko na gawin pa ito para sa mas nakakarami. 

Ang pangarap kong ito ay di matutumbasan ng pera. 

Maraming salamat sa inyo, aking mga kababayan, na tuloy na nagtitiwala sa akin sa gitna ng mga paratang ng kasinungalingan. Bagamat ganito ang nangyari, ako'y nananalig pa rin na mananaig ang katotohanan dito sa Senado at sa mahal nating bayan. 

Nakikiisa ako sa lahat ng nangangarap at tuloy na nananalangin at nagsusumikap upang muling ngumiti ang langit sa Pilipinas.

New Pinoy Politics: jose “butch” dalisay endorse dick gordon for president

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Tags: butch dalisay, Dick Gordon, Philippine Elections 2010, Philippines, Presidential Candidate

Jose "Butch" Dalisay endorses Dick Gordon for President

(Multi-awarded author Jose Butch Dalisay endorses Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon for President.)

My Endorsement

Posted by Jose Dalisay on 1/05/10

http://www.filipinas.inquirer.net/?p=3275

The official candidacies are in, so now we know that 99 Filipinos—at least nine of them serious contenders—are

dreaming of becoming their country's next president. The serious ones—in their intentions if not in their machinery—include Sen. Noynoy Aquino, former Defense chief Gibo Teodoro, Sen. Manny Villar, former President Erap Estrada, Sen. Dick Gordon, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, environmentalist Nicky Perlas, Bro. Eddie Villanueva and young reformer JC de los Reyes.

I've never done this before, but I'm going out on a limb to make an endorsement. And I'm going to do that because the

stakes are just too high, the situation too dire, for someone in my position—who might yet persuade the uninformed or the uncertain—to sit idly by as the most important presidential election of the post-Marcos era takes place.

Having gone through martial law, two EDSAs, and the interminably long night of GMA's hold on power (something she might yet extend with her run for Congress, and presumably the Speakership and Prime Ministership, if the chips fall her way again), I'm convinced that we Pinoys have punished ourselves enough with bad and corrupt leadership. If we elect another lemon to the Palace again, we'll have no one to blame but ourselves.
My vote will go to that person who I think has the experience, the integrity, the intelligence, the vision, the compassion and the discipline to best serve as our next president. After reviewing the options, I conclude that that person can only be Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon. He's running along with former Marikina mayor and Metro Manila chief Bayani

"BF" Fernando—whose teaming up with Gordon was something of a masterstroke, focusing attention on the reputations of both men as proven, no-nonsense performers (or, the way Gordon puts it "transformers"—people who change society).

First of all, full disclosure: I've just finished writing the biography of Senator Gordon, a commissioned project that took three years to finish. Within that time, I got to know the man and his story better than most people, beyond the official press releases and the front page stories. I've kept a formal distance—I still call him "Mr. Senator, never "Dick" to his face—and I'm not a part of, nor have I been asked to join, his campaign organization.

My heart tells me to vote for Noynoy and Mar, which will most strongly express my outrage over the way GMA has gutted our most cherished values and institutions. But my head tells me to vote for Dick and BF, who will need no on-the-job training in good governance, and whose track records as strong-willed, visionary executives are unmatched.

I frankly don't know Noynoy well enough—and neither, I suspect, do most Filipinos, beyond what they've seen of him on TV after President Aquino's death. I have no reason to doubt that he'll make an honest, upright President—maybe even a capable one. I've worked for Mar, and have nothing but appreciation for the seriousness and high purpose with which he takes his job as a senator. But much as I admire the late President Cory Aquino and the legacy she left behind—a legacy the Liberals will seek to sustain—I believe the Presidency can't and shouldn't be inherited, but earned.

One just has to look at what Gordon has done in Subic and Olongapo, and what Fernando did to Marikina, to see how they have delivered on their word. Both places provide working demonstrations of what inspired leadership and political will can achieve.

True, both men have big egos, and can come across to Filipinos accustomed to being wooed and massaged as being brusque or even abrasive when they need to get things done. But that's nothing compared to the smiling impunity with which GMA and her crew weakened, rather than strengthened, our people's faith in government.

They've faced their share of lawsuits, but, to the best of my knowledge, no charge of corruption against either man has ever stuck or prospered. Gordon lives with his wife Kate in a comfortable condominium in Fort Bonifacio—in the same building where artists, expats, and successful professionals live—and stays in the same old, modest house in crowded downtown Olongapo when he's there.

In a country plagued by disasters of every kind, Dick's 40 years of hands-on experience with the Red Cross should be invaluable. At a time when Philippine-American relations need to be managed with both firmness and finesse, Gordon trumps all his fellow aspirants in experience in dealing with the Americans, knowing when to stand up to them and when to seek their cooperation.

It was, I must admit, the small personal touches that convinced me that this was a man of character. As one of his former assistants put it: "When he was in Honolulu, I PA'ed for him, and the consulate people were amazed, because they hadn't seen anyone work so hard. He was a block away from Waikiki and never saw the beach. He wanted to get a souvenir for his mom, and so at 1 a.m. we crossed the street to get a box of chocolates from a souvenir shop."

Did Dick Gordon pay me to write his biography? He most certainly did, and I wouldn't have done it otherwise; writing books is my livelihood, and I didn't know him from Adam then. Knowing him as I do now, this endorsement comes gratis and unbidden.

Can Dick Gordon win? The surveys don't look too good at the moment, but it's up to us to decide whether to let the surveys—or we ourselves—choose our best next President.

GetRealPhilippines: Attack of the Noynoy Taliban!

MONDAY, 04 JANUARY 2010 16:44 BENIGN0

The Noynoy Aquino Taliban recently struck a blow to the forces of free inquiry as Pinoy Buzz personality Paul Farol was removed from the roll of bloggers in emerging online e-zine Asian Correspondent where he once held a blogger post also as Pinoy Buzz. The editors of Asian Correspondent (AC) reportedly cited risks to their "reputation" as a reason for the decision to boot out Farol from their blog roll. According to AC editors, they have been receiving many complaints from pro-Noynoy supporters about Farol's writing. Blogger BetterPhilippines re-published Farol's final blog entry on AC in his post "Yellow Censorship". In his farewell entry in AC Farol concedes to the forces of primitivism for now.

Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is a presidential candidate that enjoys cult status. His supporters are drawn to him on the basis of a largely (if not entirely) emotional appeal. As such, like mostcult figures Noynoy commands a following of exceptional virulence. His followers act in an emotionally charged manner and are quick to judge those who are seen to be not "one of them". One of them. Sounds a bit ominous, doesn't it?

What then does it mean to be "one of them"?

Ironically, this is the question that most infuriates Aquino's supporters. Because when one attempts to answer this question, one finds that there is nothing to work with. As a matter of fact, local social networking czar Carlo Ople beat everyone to the conclusion that Aquino has in fact become a high priest of vacuous substance in his recent article "The cult of Noynoy Aquino" where he makes the following observation:

I wrote an article recently about how Noynoy Aquino has to answer the questions being raised against him, especially with the surfacing of old news clips of him defending the dispersement of the farmers in Hacienda Luisita, which eventually resulted into a bloody massacre.  Some people screamed that it was black propaganda. They put more weight on the blogger writing negatively about Noynoy than the content of the actual post.

Indeed, one can almost picture long-bearded Aquino supporters riding around in Toyota Hi-Lux pickup trucks wielding Kalashnikovs rifles patrolling the Philippine political blogosphere. The almost Taliban-like zealotry of Aquino supporters is disturbing to say the least. This kind of zealotry for a future president of the Republic can only lead to two outcomes:

• A further polarisation of society into those who are "one of them" and those who beg to think, possibly resulting in further inbreeding in an already inbred Philippine Media; or,

• Mass disillusionment and a reversion back to wholesale fragmentation of our society if Aquino fails to deliver anything during his administration (in essence, a return the Square One that, ironically, was the state that Aquino's supporters claim we will be delivered from under their man).

In either case, we will be seeing a further degeneration of the quality and dignity of Philippine politics and its partner in crime Filipino journalism.

If even now we are already seeing the kind of inclination towards suppression of free inquiry amongst the supporters of The Popular One, it becomes quite easy to imagine what actual political power conferred upon Aquino will turn his supporters into.

As a friend of mine quipped recently in light of Farol's plight:

Even GMA who's been thought to be dictatorial never censors the press as they continue to bad-mouth and demonize her, yet these noynoyistas at this stage already silence those who are against noynoy. I guess we can agree that, here, GMA and Noynoy are indeed opposites.

Carlo Ople for his part issues a challenge to supporters of whoever candidate that remains and will remain relevant particularly in these times when a cult candidate dominates the polls:

To end, let me just say that if you really want to help this country, then don't be stupid and defend your candidate like a faithful guard dog. Ask questions, challenge the campaign staff, and push him/her to take action. Don't forget that more than a supporter of Noynoy, you are also a Filipino and I don't think nationalism entails blind whole-hearted trust to your candidate of choice. Put that passion and energy into actual things that can help the country and maybe then you can make a real difference.

The rise of a politician of nil substance who commands a cult following is a dangerous development. Without substance, followers of such figures are prone to exercise extreme liberties in their efforts to support their choice.