Erap to Pinoys: Heed Aquino's appeal

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada yesterday called on the Filipino people to help President Aquino in his work in nation building and bring back the “bayanihan” spirit to improve the country’s situation.

“On our part as citizens, let us just help P-Noy. Let that be our way of honoring the memory of President Cory (Aquino). Like what I’ve always said, no one will help the Filipino but his fellow Filipino,” Estrada said in a press statement.

He added that Aquino needs time to restore faith in government “because of the immeasurable and insurmountable acts of corruption of the past administration.”

“In fact, the last decade can be called the lost decade or the stolen decade in Philippine history because reports are glaring that not only the presidency was stolen, even the votes of the Filipino masses were stolen in 2004. The fertilizer fund was stolen. If it wasn’t stopped by the Supreme Court, Mindanao could have also been stolen,” he said.

The former president, who was ousted in 2001, accused former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of being “responsible for the stolen decade,” along with “all those who joined in the grand conspiracy to rob the nation and suppress the will of the Filipino people.”

But while the nation lauds Aquino’s anti-corruption programs, Estrada also believes that nation building must be simultaneous with eliminating corruption.

“I hope that in his second year we see more results in the fields of peace and order, food security and social services, especially education,” he said.

Estrada also congratulated Aquino on his first year as president, saying his administration is on the right path “because it is focused on restoring faith in government.”

“I also congratulate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales on her appointment as ombudsman. I hope she will be instrumental in our quest to correct history,” he added.

Just like in the movies

Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez, meanwhile, said that if President Aquino is bent on implementing transformation in government, then he should try to adopt the traits of Optimus Prime, the noble leader of the Autobots from the hit movie “Transformers.”

“I think the way the speech was crafted and delivered, that was the Optimus Prime approach because he wants to address the ills of society,” Golez said.

He said Aquino should also have an “adamant commitment to leadership” and avoid hypocrisy in his command because “this is what our country needs.”

Golez said he is hoping that the Chief Executive would be inspired by the traits projected by the Autobots leader.

As for the “Megatrons” or enemies of the Aquino administration, he urged the Filipino people to look for them and destroy them.

Golez said the “no wang wang policy” of the Aquino administration was a transformational signal and when he stopped using sirens in his presidential convoy, everybody followed.

The veteran legislator was not alone in his observation.

Political leaders from various parts of Mindanao agreed that the President delivered a much better SONA last Monday compared to his first address last year.

“I liked the positive tone of his speech compared to fault-finding last year,” said North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, whose husband, Raymund, is a party-list representative of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

Mendoza said she also liked the President’s commitment to pursue and file charges against tax evaders as well as corrupt officials.

“Honestly, we are enjoying some respect from the international community because of his anti-corruption drive,” she added.

Mayor Michelle Rabat of Mati City, Davao Oriental, said Aquino’s SONA showed him as a reformist.

Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez said that Aquino, from all indications, just might be the first president to ever break the vicious cycle of corruption in the country.

CBCP: Listen to us

Meanwhile, members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the President to listen to their advice.

The bishops came out with a statement after Aquino mentioned in his SONA that he met with Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and emeritus Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. The President also expressed hope for better coordination with the prelates under the leadership of incoming CBCP president Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

“He is a very good President if he is open really to listen, seriously listen, to the frame of mind of our bishops. He should be really serious about it… because we, bishops, are very, very serious in thinking for the good of our country. I would expect that he would listen to our prelate,” said CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Cannon Law Bishop Leonardo Medroso.

CBCP-Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez supported Medroso’s statement and expressed hope that the President would listen to the advise of the Church leaders.

Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos said there should be cooperation between the government and the Catholic Church for the good of the Filipino people, but “the cooperation must be critical, no strings attached and cooperative to promote common good to the people. Above all, we must be critical and aware.” – Evelyn Macairan, Edith Regalado