Change means changing ourselves first

Reading the previous accounts of many netizens supporting the candidacy of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte, one can immediately decipher that since Mayor Duterte did not belong to a major political party, especially the ruling Liberal Party, therefore he could never boast of any political machinery unlike his political rival, Manuel "Mar" Roxas. From the way things started, it seems that Mayor Duterte's journey on the road to Malacañang was an uphill battle.

But then thankfully, the millions of supporters of Mayor Duterte became his machinery and many of them vowed to support him, not because they expected a return in political favors, but out of a genuine love for our country, which needs the change that a Duterte presidency has promised to the nation. I just wish that the attitude of Mayor Duterte's supporters hadn't changed now that he has become the presumptive President.

Thus when I read in my email (apparently, this report was headlined in The Freeman last Sunday) that a group of pro-Duterte volunteers led by lawyer Rex Fernandez had issued a rejection on the appointment of Mr. Michael Lloyd Dino. It gave me the impression that this group of volunteers had an ulterior motive in supporting Mayor Duterte, that they wanted someone from their group to be given a political appointment, while rejecting the appointment of Michael Dino.                

In my book, they are no different from those "yellowtards" who have backed the candidacy of Mar Roxas because they know that they can get something in return for their support. Unfortunately for these people, despite their massive propaganda campaign, Mar Roxas lost his presidential bid. Again, let me point out clearly that a great number of those who supported Mayor Duterte's presidential bid did it out of their frustration for someone to change this nation into a better one. They placed their bets on Mayor Digong Duterte and won for him the biggest margin of any presidential race!

Mind you, we spent or should I say, we wasted six-long year under the presidency of President Benigno "PNoy" Aquino III, who scoffed at any attempts to change the constitution. In the end, the majority of the Filipino voter chose Davao City Mayor Duterte as our next president because he promised to bring a real and genuine change especially in our system of governance and from the way things are going for our country, this change is happening to us very soon! But we have forgotten that this change should start from within ourselves. We cannot hope to change this nation if we refuse to change ourselves!

So in the end, this feeble attempt by pro-Duterte volunteers to derail the appointment of Michel Dino only reveals their true character. If they really want to be appointed by Mayor Digong Duterte, I suggest that come June 4, they fly to Davao City and attend that huge thanksgiving party that will be held there by the supporters of Mayor Duterte. My motorcycle group that supported Mayor Duterte is riding to Davao for this occasion, but nope, I'm not riding to Davao City because I'm happy where I am today and I am not lining up for any positions in the Duterte government.

If indeed they are really what they call themselves as volunteers, then let them volunteer to help Mayor Digong in his quest to bring change to this country instead of showing to the world their kind of crab mentality, which is the ugliest trait of Filipinos.

May I further suggest that they take the advice of Mayor Duterte's running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who is seeking unity and cooperation from all sectors in this country and I expect that all those who supported Mayor Duterte's presidential bid should be the first to forge this unity instead of issuing stupid manifesto's in order to block the appointment of Michael Dino.

Incidentally, today, former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. will be speaking on the concept of Federalism at 9:00AM at the Casino Español. This is hosted by my good friend, Cordova Vice Mayor Adelino Sitoy and Antonio Veloso. From a news report that I read from the front page of The Philippine Star last Sunday, the target date for a plebiscite on Federalism will be 2019. That's three years from now, and thankfully, Senator Nene Pimentel has not wasted his time and is here in Cebu in order to educate our people about the benefits of a federal form of government.

I have personally committed airtime (at no cost to anyone) for MyTV channel 30 to help educate our people on Federalism by having a Federalism Hour, where people espousing a federal form of government can use as their vehicle to forge this change from our present unitary form of government and into a federal form of government. I dare say that the election of Mayor Duterte has given the Philippine nation a rare opportunity to fix our country 30-years after the Edsa Revolt and the time for federalism has come for us.

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