MANILA, Philippines – Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan believes a “reform coalition” could defeat traditional politics in the 2010 elections.
He said former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani’s message that Filipinos must choose a leader they could trust shows that there is a “vacuum of political leadership” in the country.
“I say this because simple leadership tenets that most of us know to be true and exist in any leadership manual had to be spelled out for us not by our very own but by a foreign political leader,” he said.
“Why? Because nearly all of the key players among the political elite, those who should be exercising leadership in the country, aren’t doing so.”
Pangilinan said instead of genuine leadership, the country sees “incredulous political gimmicky.”
“Instead of courage we have timidity,” he said.
“Instead of risk takers, we have those that play safe on every issue. It is failed political leadership that has brought us to where we are today – far, far behind in the ASEAN region and it is leadership with vision, with courage, relentlessness in its commitment to reforms that will lead us out of the mess we are in.”
Pangilinan said the search for genuine alternatives to traditional politics that would inspire the people to purposeful action must be pursued relentlessly. — Aurea Calica