Dear Mr. Secretary, 
I am writing this second letter to tell you about a creeping conviction that you are, indeed, perhaps the best qualified to be our next President.
I was just listening to your interview on DZMM radio and reviewing the account of her talk before the pro-Aquino Makati Business Club.
As witten platforms go, I have little argument with yours.
You are reported to have said that your business agenda is focused on
• Providing financial assistance farmers who will be affected by El Niño (extreme heat and little rain), mechanizing farming processes, and efficiently implementing land reform
• rewarding business-friendly, environmentally-friendly and managerially-advanced national and local government agencies; and, reforming the civil service process to include non-degree expertise
• institutionalizing the independence of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, simplifying the tax process and improving tax collection
• using 100 days of goodwill to attract investors; and building a logical network of long-term infrastructure.
My inclination to vote for you is, however, sadly dampened or even canceled out by your inability to say exactly what type of governance we will have with this scenario: you as President and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Speaker.
A government anchored on debt of personal gratitude (utang na loob) and a House of Representatives rubber-stamping actions by a majority beholden to not one but two birds of the same feather?
Finally, if only to educate us about where you sincerely stand, perhaps you share your thoughts on these:
• National security as it relates to the insurgencies, and RP-US relations;
• Reproductive health;
• Social justice as it relates to agrarian reform;
• The state of public education and the academic skills of our youth compared with our neighbour countries;
• The business climate and foreign investments as these relate to the national patrimony; and
• The fight against corruption as it relates to the civil service and local governments.
Salamat po.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Why bother asking? He’s not going to win anyway.
He’s so faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar.
They both hold a higher but distinct duty, so together they are expected to work as a team for the common good. The job description will separate that connection. Precisely, the role of public and the media- to be on the lookout. I’m sure Gibo is very well-informed of his liability.
On ” utang na loob” It’s a rule of thumb to never, ever talk badly about your past bosses or give a laundry list of reasons like what Noynoy is whining about. A bad president can become a useful teacher precisely because her conduct tends to be so consistently bad. An intelligent new presidential candidate GIBO can be open-mindedly sure of GMA motives and intentions, which allows GIBO to weigh the cause (what she did and probably why she did it ) with effect (how it turned out). Of course, it is smart for anyone or for Gibo to act profesionally.
Majority of our leaders in the past were quite ignorant of their failings and the impact they have on their subordinates and to the public . Not only do they recognize no need to change, they frequently make their overbearing behavior a source of pride. I’m sure we can think of many more situations where a bad presidency has taught us a valuable lesson. Observing and learning from these mistakes is as important as learning from your own — and a good deal less painful.
Go Gibo GO….It’s time!!!
Thanks, leytenian.
Didn’t know till now that you were for Mr. Teodoro.
But till he cuts cleanly from GMA, he’s better off wishing for the ghosts of the Maguindanao 57 not to haunt him.
If you’ll permit me a bit of levity, I’d even pick you over him.
i will vote for you Ding over Noynoy..
I think the math will then say that Gibo is better than NoyNoy.
And I still can not get over the fact that 9 months ago, not a single soul (not even Kris, not Cory, not even Noynoy himself)… not a single soul thought that Noynoy has the leadership, the ideas and the mettle to be the next president of Pilipinas.
Accidental candidate, all triggered by the death of Cory.
UP n,
Fate, the mother of Chaos, rules all, so what’s the point? If Villar had driven home a different way in 2010 on the third Friday evening in October, he might have run into a tree and not been a candidate. Had Barak Obama not been selected to give the keynote address back, ummm, whenever, he might not be president. Or if he had been Asian, a race that has not really broken the highest power rank in America, rather like women.
He rather looks legitimate right now.
Joe
erratum: 2006. And if I had a better brain, my keyboard would function more precisely. Still, I’m glad my mom outraced my dad from the dance hall to the car, in the rain, in Denver, in 1940, thereby impressing my old man enough that he proposed.
J
” An intelligent new presidential candidate GIBO can be open-mindedly sure of GMA motives and intentions, which allows GIBO to weigh the cause (what she did and probably why she did it ) with effect (how it turned out). ”
really? i wish that were true — he doesnt want to talk about PGMA. this president is one of the most important figures in our country today. he is totally silent about her, about her regime.
shouldnt we know what he really thinks of her? that should matter, right?
if he knows her intentions are good, then why not explain that?
at this point, i’d welcome anything he’d like to say.please say something!
the fact that he chooses silence speaks volumes.
gabbyd,
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt” Abraham Lincoln
When an individual has nothing surprising, interesting, functional or useful to say, he should say nothing. Quality of participation should matter more than quantity. That is, silence is a virtue in itself.
A tip in management tip, one must learn when to close his/her mouth. Silence is Golden, gabbyd.
but leytenian…
continuing ur corporate analogy, being silent about GMA is like being silent about one of the most important issues in the company.
is that a wise thing for a corporate leader to do?
furthermore, the fact that you say he has nothing “quality” worth saying, is already a stunning indictment.
i hope u dont mean he’s stupid or ignorant — hence he’s got nothing to say.
he seems smart enough, so he SHOULD have something interesting to say. right?
it depends on what type of questions, gabbyd. Gibo is a lawyer. I am sure that he can easily spot and analyze the issue then apply the rule of law.
what do you mean, what type of questions?
what type of questions about GMA and her administration shouldnt be asked and discussed?
why are we setting bounds on the discussion?
he should be free to talk about her administration. he should, but HE WONT.
another political example: the republicans had to discuss bush’s administration, sometimes, they had to defend what bush did.
i can respect that — the had the BALLS to have an opinion. thats an important attribute 2 being president.
but gibo? wala.
gabbyd,
i clearly stated above the rules of “not to talk about the bad boss” and the rule of silence.
If this is just about, there is no body of power that could “convict” except for the court system. The power to charge, hear and remove belongs to Congress. They can impeach her again for breaking the law and being corrupt, but getting her out of office without her resignation is nearly impossible. It is also very difficult to convict a president even when she is out of office. Legally we can but it’s not practical in terms of productivity and saving resources.
the majority view is that a president can pardon herself, assuming she does prior to impeachment. In the US, the Constitution states, in part, that the president “shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” The purpose of this clause was to insure the separation of powers by preventing the courts from using the law as a legal blackmail against the president. I think the law is the same in Philippines?
correction: if this is just about GMA
precisely leytenian — why set strange rules like: “not to talk about the bad boss”?
this rule makes sense when the boss isnt one of the biggest problems in the country/company. when you are leaving a company, its not a good idea to badmouth your former boss IF your former boss isnt a major problem. that is, if you bad mouth a boss, its likely that YOU are the problem, and thats why you had to leave.
but when the former boss IS a huge/the huge problem, then, if you want to become the boss, you HAVE to face it. you HAVE to share your opinion about her administration.
di ba?
he should have an opinion about GMA’s administration. very important.
i am NOT talking about conviction in a court of law.
i am talking about having an opinion about governance — he’s all about governance right? good governance?
why is he being silent about the biggest elephant in the room?
It’s not a strange rule gabbyd, it’s one of those principled and appropriate behaviour. Maybe majority of Pinas don’t have it?
On to make an opinion on GMA’s administration? Its political suicide for GIBO to repeat what Noynoy is whining about. GMA remains very capable and probably the strongest woman to deliver plenty of votes for GIBO.
When majority is disturbingly uneducated, they cannot trust, respect and recognize the positive aspect. The consequence is high expectation that is no longer appropriately acceptable. The cycle will continue and some may even use the spirit of the dead to stop the cycle. hmmmnnnnn
huh?
how can it be principled? WHAT is the principle? what is the principle behind not talking about one of the most important problems in the country?
ang labo, leytenian.
you’ve already conceeded the point: IF he believes that his boss has NO redeeming qualities, THEN he is committing political suicide by sharing his thoughts
so its OK to keep silent? is this the president we want? REALLY?
his silence speaks VOLUMES about gibo then.
i have no idea what u mean here: “When majority is disturbingly uneducated, they cannot trust, respect and recognize the positive aspect. The consequence is high expectation that is no longer appropriately acceptable.”
positive aspect of GMA? why not? i have no idea if this is true. personally, i think if there is a genuine effort to explain, some people will get it, some wont. thats life.
BUT you HAVE to try anyways…
the point is, gibo is NOT even trying to explain anything.
thats a tragedy.
Well-said, GabbyD! I almost don’t want to intrude on this ongoing dialogue between u two but will just add that I recently read in the paper (Inquirer?) that Gibo thinks Marcos should be given a hero’s burial. If that’s not enough to convince u (since you’re clearly not a hack) that there’s a moral compass missing in the man, leytenian, I really don’t know what will. Perhaps we should just agree that our value systems r different.
gabbyd,
You didn’t agree with the corporate analogy, the legal analysis and the ethics application.
I also repeatedly emphasized to you that there are valuable lessons we can learn from a bad presidency. You may not like it but there are still many supporters of Gloria. I’m not anti nor pro. Try to weigh your options to clear your doubts about GIBO. I am not in the position to serve you satisfaction. Try answering it yourself maybe? or write to GIBO directly if until now it bothers you. I’m not and I respect his silence.
And Lila, who cares if your values and mine don’t coincide? As long as both of us can contribute to the common good then that should matter the most. wow you are getting personal girl…. happy sunday!!!
and gabbyd, good to talk to you and I do understand your frustrations. If you were closer, I can probably buy you a cup of coffee. let go of it gabbyd…
the funny thing is, i totally accept the corporate analogy!
but you havent explained the ethics of the position at all.
your explanation boils down to:
1) dont talk ill of your boss
2) its based on a principle
3) its a rule of thumb
meanwhile, ive said, that doesnt apply when one of the most important things that went wrong in the company IS the boss!
when a CEO makes huge decisions, and you want to replace her, you have to explain whether or not the CEO did the right things or the wrong things.
di ba?
c’mon, leytenian. please, explain a little bit more, coz it makes zero sense.
but maybe your making a bigger point about corporate culture — lack of accountability? we shouldnt have honest opinions about our boses coz its gonna bite us in the ass in the future?
is this the principle you are fighting for?
let’s put it this way gabbyd, if i happen to be at GIBO’s position then become president, I have more power to advance and penetrate what I believe best for the people and my country. In the process of getting there, I don’t want to burn bridges at the wrong time or at anytime unless it becomes personal. And in reality, Gloria may not be directly awful to GIBO. Only the anti Gloria perceived GIBO to function like Gloria in a premature manner but lacking evidence before the fact. No two people are the same, gabbyd. It’s common sense for GIBO to maintain that rapport. And for GIBO to talk about governance during Gloria’s term will only implicate that the whole house is very weak which we already know. At this time, GIBO is doing the right thing to focus on what he can offer to the country , his capabilities and skills instead of complaining.
Communication has many strategies , I normally use the golden rule of silence to one person or several hundred at work but for me to be effective and get the outcome I want, harmonious relationship is essential.
I am for GIBO gabbyd. The spirit of the dead is dead.
and gabbyd, try to put yourself at gibo’s place. what would be your strategy to win this coming election? would you rather burn bridges along the process or gather support and build trust among your peers?
Lastly, once I become president, I will whip everybody’s ass. LOL
You look at the CHARACTER and COMPETENCE of a candidate. His RECORDS
are very important. How he/she performs under pressure is also
important. DONT BE TAKEN BY EMOTION. USE YOUR BRAIN and good decision
in choosing who to vote for.
Interesting how utang na loob applies only to GMA and not to Danding, who’s family and who has apparently supported him in the past. Did Danding originally prefer Chiz, which is why he bolted to Lakas? If so, why was there a vote of no-confidence from his uncle? Could it all really have been because of Nikki?
Makes u wonder.
Lila,
Rather reads like a soap opera to me. Such betrayals, such tears.
Joe
JoeAm,
Like a soap perhaps, with us becoming the mop to soak up theg rit… :(
It appears that up to the last minute he was hoping for the best of both worlds: Danding coming out in the open with the long rumored modus vivendi with GMA , while seeing the opposition fragmented and unable to rally behind one candidate (this part of the equation came true).
Instead what developed was Chiz withdrew as Noynoy emerged, making Danding decide not to back his own horse and unable to back Gibo given his inability to set aside utang na loob for blood ties and La Patria.
Well, I will vote for Gibo since he is the most qualified… I will make my decisions with facts not with what if’s… Also its non sequitor to corelate Gibo with gloria…
Well, if he never questioned her publicly even once, and never opposed any of her decisions, it’s kinda hard to believe that he has his own mind, right? It’s funny to hear u question Noynoy’s integrity, on the one hand, and then watch u turn around and choose Gibo (of all people), on the other. I gather integrity wasn’t a criterion in your case.
Oh, right: we’re all Machiavellian. I almost forgot.
actually, “what ifs” should be very important in our decisonmaking.
remember, these candidates aren’t president yet. out goal is: what would happen IF they became president.
thats a WHAT IFs…
Is it also non sequitor to corelate your vote for Gibo with that of your awe for Her Excellency?
and Bert,
what did noynoy do while at the Senate to progressively eliminate corruption? What initiative and actions from his part that may support his leadership skills. One senator can empower the rest of the team especially if one has earned respect from his peers. One don’t need to be president to stop corruption. A senator can actually initiate to strengthen our banking system thru proposal and suggestions with the other members. A senator can even propose to hire more people to assist the Ombudsman office to investigate corrupt activity. A senator can also strengthen the rule of law thru changes of a particular policies and procedures together with the Justice department . A senator can even increase employment to the region he is representing thru good governance in financial management or empowering the many Mang Juan and Pedro to get involve in small business venture. A senatorial website will even facilitate the change. ( that’s even basic)
A senator can easily gather support among governors, congressmen and the many mayors to help improve the health and well being of every person.
Leadership is a proven skill thru past performances.
I don’t know, leytegirl. But here, in our situation, we are being presented with two options: 1. whether to buy a clean linen, 2. whether to buy a dirty linen. To wipe our ass. It’s for us to choose which :).
Based from the debates, Gibo has the least satisfying answer on whether he will try to go for GMA. In UST, even Ted Failon was repeating the question over and over because his answer was not clear and direct like he was almost avoiding the question.
I’m glad we had those debates. If the platform is the resume, the debate could be the interview to test the candidate’s honesty on what he’s been putting on the resume.
That is called “to badger”. Ted Faillon repeatedly asked the same question because Failon was trying to extract specific phrases and sentences from Teodoro.
Politicians are good at giving non-answer answers. I think that he was really trying to avoid the question.
guys, just learn to accept it. Not verybody likes Noynoy. There are people like me who believes in Gibo. Win or lose.
rego,
Your position is admirable.
Let me solicit your view, however, on the prospect of a Pres. Teodoro-Speaker Arroyo ‘tandem’.
i dont see naything wrong with it. Both person has top do what they believes need to be done. I trust them.
As BongV would have said, “knowing it’s going to be the same process and the same ingredients but still expecting a different result”, or something to that effect.
What can I say? Nice and sound arguments we have here…
I hope majority of voters could read and understand this very interesting forum…