What these elections are really all about

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Alibangbang
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What these elections are really all about

Unread post by Alibangbang »

What these elections are really all about
By Ted Laguatan

Election 2010 is not so much about the presidential candidates or the other 85,000 candidates running for some 17,000 positions—even if they are an important part of what’s happening. It’s all about something bigger than any one of them.

It’s about what’s happening to millions of Filipinos in the Philippines and to hundreds of thousands more living and working in other countries—now and in the future.

Emaciated little raggedy barefooted dirty looking boys and girls dig for scraps of food in smelly garbage cans. Millions subsist in slum shanties of rusted GI sheets, scrap wood and sawali panels without running water and electricity—living in daily desperation struggling to just survive.

Thousands of our young women work in bars and sell their bodies to feed themselves and their loved ones. Hundreds of thousands of unemployed seek honest work but none are available.

Thirty percent of Filipinos live in poverty. Millions go to bed hungry. More than 25 percent of children never go to high school. Fathers and mothers sob quietly at night keeping their pain to themselves because they cannot buy medicine for their sick children.
These are what these elections are all about.

Teachers go to Hong Kong or Singapore or Rome or Saudi Arabia or other foreign countries to work as domestic workers—leaving their children and spouses risking loneliness and family separation and possible abuse at the hands of their foreign employers. Our men and women work long hard hours in giant cruise ships, foreign hotels, and restaurants sending their meager salaries home to help their families.

In freezing Chicago, lonely Tito walks home in a rough neighborhood in the dead of winter coming from his swing shift factory job, expecting to be mugged at any time by some druggie. Long hours harvesting strawberries or grapes, Ilocano farm workers bear the furious California sun steaming the sweat inside their clothes. Nurse Linda works in a hospital in a small hick redneck town in the US. She misses her family in the Philippines and cries at night. Cebuano Bob guts salmon in Alaska while his legs are numb from hours of standing in the arctic cold.
These are what these elections are all about.

Millions of Filipinos suffer in the Philippines because of poverty and ignorance and lack of opportunities. Hundreds of thousands brave unknown risks in different societies and strange cold or desert lands because they see no hope for a better life in their homeland. Many live and work in fear because they have become illegal immigrants overseas often exploited by employers.

We have a dysfunctional government where plundering politicians engage in massive corruption raking in hundreds of millions from kickbacks or crony-fronted monopolies which cause so much suffering to so many millions of our fellowmen. Institutionalized corruption has been perfected on all levels of government, converting billions of citizens’ hard earned tax money into private foreign deposits, which could have been used for feeding hungry children, better health care, quality education, housing for the poor, environmental care, more roads, railways, bridges, improved prison conditions.

Our defective justice system often fails to punish the guilty; we often see the release or pardon of criminals and murderers allied with the politically powerful. Corrupt government officials are not prosecuted. Stolen hidden wealth in the billions which should have been returned to the people remains hidden and unreturned for lack of prosecution.

These elections are about correcting all these anomalies and reforming a broken government from top to bottom and providing effective solutions to really help solve the problems that plague our people.

It’s about electing really courageous moral leaders who will inspire followers to radically change the country’s directions and cleanse the political governmental system of corruption and inefficiency infestation, including amending the Constitution so that Comelec commissioners are not appointed by the president but selected through a long list of qualified candidates through a blind lotto pool administered by the Supreme Court en banc. Unless we do this, we will always have problematic elections because the commissioners are beholden to the partisan president who appoints them. The voting public will never trust the Comelec unless this is done.

It’s about believing that the martyred Ninoy’s impossible dream of a better life for all Filipinos—where all the talents and genius of our people can flower to their full potentials—can become a reality.

It’s about not being cheated of our great nation dreams by those who have betrayed us who control the electoral system and want to continue with their greedy plundering ways. The country belongs to the people and not to thieves in high places. We must sustain the fight to give it back to the people.

It’s about all of us hoping and praying that with these elections, we can change the direction of our country for the good of all.

Good versus evil; loving God and fellowmen; involvement in the politics of creating a better world—these are what these elections are really all about.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those that matter... don't mind and those that mind... don't matter." Dr. Suess

Insomada
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Re: What these elections are really all about

Unread post by Insomada »

Abbs,

The above has become a cliché every time there is a change of government. Hoping it would be a reality this time. For me, there is something promising with Noynoy’s persona and his desire to lead the country and its people. I hope all these would come to light as he and his cabinet start to introduce reforms. I pray to God that with Noynoy’s sincere and good governance, our country will finally be catapulted in equal bracket with the other developing countries in Asia. Lord please let it happen under the Aquino administration. And it needs concerted efforts from all sectors of society.

Hoping too same would happen to our very own Tago and province of Surigao del Sur.

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES.

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Re: What these elections are really all about

Unread post by Alibangbang »

Insomada wrote:Abbs,

I pray to God that with Noynoy’s sincere and good governance, our country will finally be catapulted in equal bracket with the other developing countries in Asia. Lord please let it happen under the Aquino administration. And it needs concerted efforts from all sectors of society.

Hoping too same would happen to our very own Tago and province of Surigao del Sur.

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES.
Insom,

I think it’s safe to say that the entire nation is praying WITH you... gurl. :-D

I'll take a conservative stance; not overly ambitious by saying, I’d be perfectly happy and satisfied if he takes BABY STEPS because it’s taken with caution, calculated risk, good balance and much focus versus SPRINT where he most likely will stumble and fall. 8-[

So,as a nation, with widen eyes we await with pockets full of their promises! :-)

YES! God we beseech thee… bless the Philippines and all Tagon-ons. :wink
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those that matter... don't mind and those that mind... don't matter." Dr. Suess

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kampanaryo_spy
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Re: What these elections are really all about

Unread post by kampanaryo_spy »

Alibangbang wrote:What these elections are really all about
By Ted Laguatan


It’s about all of us hoping and praying that with these elections, we can change the direction of our country for the good of all.
to ted (whoever and wherever you are!),

enough of these tired and copied litanies. praying and whining are not enough! get involved, run for public office. that's the only way you can get the change you so badly need.

let's hear it from Plato: "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up governed by your inferiors."
"Most claims of originality are testimony to ignorance and most claims of magic are testimony to hubris." -James March-

Alibangbang
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Re: What these elections are really all about

Unread post by Alibangbang »

K-Spy,

Sorry for being the devil's advocate :-D Ted Laguatan came under my radar when he represented Philip Belarmino, a gay 43-year-old filipino English professor in a precedent-setting case, a gay filipino was granted political asylum where experts generally believe that applications for asylum based on gender are nearly impossible to win. After successfully defending him, the next day’s headlines screamed: “Gay Filipino Wins Asylum case in Historic Decision!" The consensus was, Belarmino's case was a lost cause. But Laguatan told him to hold on... that what was involved was very important – they were fighting for human rights.

Laguatan is an immigration lawyer (I've heard rated top 5% of the best top lawyers. I don’t follow lawyers magazine so this is purely hear-say on my part) providing services to pinoys and knows quite a thing or two about the sad plight of the mother load of undocumented Filipinos here and there forced to leave the Philippines in order to help support and feed immediate and extended families.

As far as Plato, :-D :-D Dr. Martin Bautista, a man of goodwill, hubby’s 2nd kawsin, heeded that call… he joined the cause so he can help not only reform but transform the future of our country.

He said it was intense, bruising, bewildering hundred-twenty days, marked by hours of confusion, stress, frustration, and also by special moments of excitement, passion, kinship, hope and inexplicable joy.

He said, he did not lack energy or enthusiasm. He immersed himself completely in the campaign, fully involved in town meetings, debates, media engagements. He spoke, attacked, parried, promoted, persuaded, and in the end, “I placed 35th in the senate race”

He’s back in Oklahoma. “Looking back now" he says, "I have a simple answer: I helped”. Just like his mother, Auntie Lita, always ready to extend a helping hand. Pero laong ni Lu malisod gayud if you're not ready to go all the way risking all including the possibility of sending yourself to the poor house 8-[ because what people see is not charisma and integrity. What they see is the color of money (STARBUCKS, TER SAKTO KAW GAYUD 101%) :-) kay kon baga amoda kitan --- hubby's words, not mine: 8-[ “sumosontok sa buwan!” Yup! ](*,)

Well, my dear… as Father Galino says: stick a fork in me, I’m done! :-D
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those that matter... don't mind and those that mind... don't matter." Dr. Suess

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Re: What these elections are really all about

Unread post by cordapya »

Alibangbang wrote:What these elections are really all about
By Ted Laguatan

Election 2010 is not so much about the presidential candidates


The country belongs to the people and not to thieves in high places. We must sustain the fight to give it back to the people.It’s about all of us hoping and praying that with these elections, we can change the direction of our country for the good of all.

Good versus evil; loving God and fellowmen; involvement in the politics of creating a better world—these are what these elections are really all about
.


LORD UNTO THY HANDS.......... :wink :wink :wink :wink :wink :wink :wink :wink :wink :wink :wink
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Alibangbang
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Re: What these elections are really all about

Unread post by Alibangbang »

Mana C,

I say, AMEN!!!!!
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those that matter... don't mind and those that mind... don't matter." Dr. Suess

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