Another politically tumultuous year has closed.
Leaders of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership are optimistic that 2010 will be a better year for our country.
The movement which was initially convened by the Ateneo School of Government is co-founded by well-recognized local government leaders, Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio, Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo. Padaca and Robredo are both recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, widely considered to be the equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize in Asia.
Besides the three, there are 13 other Kaya Natin! Champions of Good Governance. Two of whom are currently running for national posts under the People’s coalition of the Liberal Party: Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona and former Bukidnon Rep. Neric Acosta.
According to Panlilio, the upcoming national and local elections will be the main highlight of the upcoming year, this being an opportunity for Filipinos to once again elect the right kind of leaders for our country.
“I am confident that Filipinos all over our country are now ready to elect effective and ethical government leaders in 2010. What happened in Pampanga, Isabela and Naga can now happen as well all over the country if the people are united for good governance” added Panlilio.
The former priest turned governor also advised the Filipino people to remain vigilant especially as the elections draw near since he believes that the situation is still very volatile given that the administration candidate continues to lag behind in all surveys.
“We cannot allow certain groups with vested interests to hijack our democratic right of choosing the kind of leaders in 2010 thus, we hope many Filipinos especially the youth will continue to volunteer for election watch groups such as PPCRV and Namfrel to ensure that an honest and credible election will take place next year” said Panlilio.
Robredo expressed the same optimism saying that majority of Filipinos now are longing for reforms and genuine change in our country as evidenced by the plummeting popularity of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the increasing support being garnered by Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd.
“After experiencing several years of this present administration, ordinary Filipinos are now becoming more politically aware and they are starting to realize that they need to be more active in ensuring that we will be able to elect morally upright government leaders in 2010. Another six years of a bad President may lead us to a point of no return” said Robredo.
Robredo also added that he hopes that democratic institutions such as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will remain independent in 2010 and that the leaders of these institutions will not allow themselves to be used by self-serving political leaders. “I continue to believe that many people who work in Comelec remain being ethical and upright but sadly, the few leaders who perpetuate graft and corruption continue to drag down the good name of the institution,” he added.
Acosta and Guingona for their part said that 2010 will be the year that the true might of the people will be measured not in the streets but in the polls.
“I’ve been going around the country for the past year and I have seen that if only given the right choices, Filipinos will actually choose to elect good leaders. Sadly, many good and well-meaning Filipino leaders are afraid of joining the government because they are afraid that they may eventually be swallowed by the corrupt system,” said Acosta.
“People are now looking at moral and ethical leadership as the most important criterion in selecting the candidate that they will vote for, this I think is a clear manifestation of their disgust at the way this present administration has run our government,” Guingona said.
Harvey Keh is the chief convenor of Kaya Natin!
Source Link: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/8766-good-governance-champions-remain-hopeful-in-2010
