Sunday, September 6, 2009

My Type of Politician: Statesman Who is Fully Human

Who is my type of politician? My type of politician is one who envisions the Philippines as a country where citizens have the power whether directly, through their organizations or their representatives who genuinely represent them, And one who asserts that when they don’t, they can be recalled and they’re not omnipotent. That they are not passing down their power like an ancestral domain to their children.

My type of politician is one who would like to see Politics as a profession. And who views governance not out of the goodness of the hearts of politicians, but seen by everyone as their duty. That’s what politicians are paid for. It’s their job. It’s their contract with people. People should expect it from politicians not because these persons are magnanimous, but because the people put them there. It’s not a forever thing. Like in life.

My type of politician is one who really wants an economy where people have a chance, waiting for a chance to work, good, decent work from which they can adequately provide for their respective families. So the people can feel their honor, so their dignity as humans would be fully recognized and respected. They are no mere recipients of charity. They are not just captive voters. They are human.

My type of politician is one who dreams of a Philippines where we celebrate our history, we honor our ancestors, especially our heroes and heroines. One who values all the ordinary people and never forgets, who remembers those who went before us. A Philippines where our arts are preserved and enriched and lived, and so beautiful because they are. One who is saddened as we have been neglecting, even degrading it.

One who holds that we are a country like other countries, that we are not to be superior to other countries, but a country where if you choose to and if you put a reasonable amount of effort to it, you can be happy, in whatever way you can define, you can be happy. One who wants us to be a happy person that can be loved by other people, and can love those he or she wants to love, and that will make a difference. One who sees that we’ll be happy because of that.

My type of politician is one who firmly believes that even as our systems will never be perfect because we’re always a human enterprise, we can do a lot, lot more to create that kind of environment, that people don’t have to be miserable even if they work so damn hard. My type of politician is one who really wants us to have a chance to be happy and lead happy lives.

My type of politician is a statesman or “stateswoman” who describes her vision of a future Philippines in these terms. One that I can have firm reasons to publicly declare to people who value my judgments: I’ve known (her) for about two decades now. She is a combination of firmness and humility, compassion and rationality, openness and flexibility. Very sincerely human, very sincerely and "fiercely" patriotic and lover of the people's interests.

Well, the one I had publicly described thus is one and the same person, who had actually said everything i quoted indirectly but almost absolutely verbatim for the first six of the paragraphs above. Knowing well her actual character of honesty and integrity behind my descriptions, I am confident that she’ll continue using whatever opportunities that God and the people give her to turn her vision for our beloved Inang Bayan fully into a happy reality.

Her name is Ana Theresia Hontiveros, known more popularly as “Risa.” And I am glad that she is running for a seat in the Senate. Beginning the middle of next year may that body be blessed with her conspicuous presence.

I have therefore recently joined the Facebook ‘Cause’ “Rep. Risa Hontiveros, ang type kong pulitiko” And you, my friends who are reading this now, can join it by clicking at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/205122?m=3f1cca43 I hope you really would. I really have big reasons for trusting Risa and campaigning for her to win that Senate seat next year.

--ding reyes
subic, zambales
september 6, 2009

Note: the first six paragraphs were almost lifted verbatim from Rep. Risa's responses in the interview conducted by Students and Campuses Bulletin, as published by Manila Bulletin last March 21.

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