First of I want to thank you for doing a lot for our country and our future generation.
I also have nothing against filipinos going out of the country. If you feel that you’ve done a lot for our country in such that you believe you cannot do anything else then you have my blessing.
after reading your letter i would like to share my stand and perhaps share some of my frustrations.
Even when i was a student i’ve been active in politics and ive been actively seeking for reforms in the country.
even after graduating i worked for an NGO handling the debts by former tyrant Marcos, in cebu.
After coming back to manila i worked for an NGO for human rights, and the picture one could paint after on the sanctity of human life could be no more than a youth tortured and buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the mountains.
come edsa 1 and edsa 2 and edsa 3, come election 2004 and now 2007. I have more than enough grudges to say that we have every right to leave our country.
but i realized that the reason our country do not prosper is when filipinos don’t do anything about it and let these “leaders” handle their lives.
we were given our freedom but we don’t know what to do with it.
we were given our laws but we don’t even know about it.
we were given our brains but we don’t think for our country.
people say the only way evil can triumph is for good people to do nothing.
perhaps it should’ve been “evil in our country triumphs because good people would rather leave it.”
a call for a better life has always been a great temptation.
only a few would regret not to embrace such endeavors.
but that few are like you and me who knows what is the problem and are willing to sacrifice for it.
if people think that the answer to their problems is voting a candidate then so be it.
if people think that the only way to save our democracy is keep GMA in power then so be it.
But we have to face the consequences, be more responsible for our actions. By keeping GMA in power we keep a monolithic icon of cheat and more extra judicial killings.
By supporting an election under her we give her more reason to cheat and take away our votes.
I think that the problem lies, when we give up on our country.
when we rather run away from the challenges presented to us by God.
perhaps we should never choose the right leaders.
perhaps we should choose the right actions first.
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Dear Fellow Filipino,
Good day to all of you! Before I begin my letter… just a disclaimer, for people who know me they know that I love the Philippines very much and I am not really one who rants and complaints to high heavens about what is happening to our country and does nothing about it, in fact, I feel that at my relatively young age of 27, I have done much service to the Philippines by setting up Pathways to Higher Education which has sent more than 500 poor but deserving students to college and AHON Foundation which has already built two public elementary school libraries that have benefitted more than 3,500 students. Yet, after seeing how events in our nation have transpired the past few weeks and talking with some friends, I feel the urge to share with you my own thoughts and feelings.
Over the weekend, we saw the completion of two major political alliances for this coming Senate Elections that has just began here in the Philippines. Now we have two political forces with familiar faces nonetheless on opposite sides of the fences. On one end, you have Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta who were two major stalwarts of the opposition and the FPJ Campaign in 2004 hobnobbing with the woman (Pres. GMA) whom they claimed to have cheated FPJ in the last Presidential Elections.On the other side of the fence, you see Manny Villar, the former house speaker who was actually responsible for impeaching Erap now part of the United Opposition who is led by no less than… Erap himself. Now if you don’t see anything wrong with this picture then you must be one of the many Filipinos who have accepted this very sad reality that there is indeed no permanent ideals that our government leaders stand up for but rather they just go where there self-interests can best be served. It is this kind of politics why I no longer wonder why good people like Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City or outstanding Bulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz will find it hard or worse, never be elected to national positions.
It is with these in mind that I’d like to share with you what are events this coming May elections that will make me consider leaving the Philippines:
1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of Hello Garci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman of Bukidnon…seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbent Cong. Neric Acosta… We would really be the laughing stock of the whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garci to be one of our so called “Honorable Gentlemen”.
2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at the Senate… I hope that all of us would still remember that dance that she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after they voted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide… let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senate again.
3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator… what does he know about making laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would be reason enough not to elect another actor who has no prior experience in government to the distinguished halls of the Senate.
4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again…. have we not learned our lesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismatic then we will just elect him to become one of our senators despite the fact that he has time and again caused so much instability in our country… if we want a military junta similar to that of Thailand … then lets all vote for this guy….
5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General Santos City… everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny the Lawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but I think it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire to serve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help uplift the lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.
6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City… I don’t like Jojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country’s finance and business center?!?! And do you really think he is from Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos asking someone like him to run just goes to show you how much love and concern this government has for our country.
7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling = Chavit… enough said.
Now if all of these 7 things happen during this coming elections then don’t be surprised if I decide to leave this country that I love dearly. Like I said during the first part of my letter, I feel that I have done much for this country but I think its time that Filipinos become more vigilant and critical in selecting our leaders for the sake of our future and the generations that will go beyond us. So I appeal to every Filipino who asks what can I actually do for my country… Choose and vote for the right people this coming elections, huwag na tayong magpaloko sa mga kandidatong maganda lang ang jingle o gwapo lang sa mga poster. Let us choose leaders who have a good track record for service and who are genuinely committed towards serving our country.
Manindigan naman tayong lahat para sa ating Kinabukasan at para sa Kapakanan ng ating Bayan!
Thank you very much for your time in reading this letter.
Sincerely,
Harvey S. Keh
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THE SEVEN SINS IN OUR WORLD
1. WEALTH WITHOUT WORK.
2. PLEASURE WITHOUT CONSCIENCE.
3. KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT CHARACTER.
4. COMMERCE WITHOUT MORALITY.
5. SCIENCE WITHOUT HUMANITY.
6. WORSHIP WITHOUT SACRIFICE.
7. POLITICS WITHOUT PRINCIPLES.
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