THERE'S NO TURNING BACK

Thursday, November 12, 2009

THERE'S NO TURNING BACK, HE SAYS

by Carla Gomez
Visayan Daily Star

Bro. Eddie Villanueva yesterday said he is determined to run for president in 2010, and “there is no turning back because the nation is deteriorating fast.”

Villanueva also said his Bangon Pilipinas party will field a vice presidential candidate and full senate slate, which will be revealed at the right time.

Villanueva and former Securities and Exchange Commission chief Perfecto Yasay, Bangon Pilipinas spokesman, were in Bacolod to meet with various youth groups, which they are tapping to boost their campaign.

He would not say if Yasay would run for vice president or senator. They have chosen a vice president, they will reveal their slate shortly before their filing of certificates of candidacy between Nov. 20 and Dec. 1, he said.

Asked if he would stand a chance against numerous presidential aspirants with big political parties behind them, Villanueva said “to me this is beneficial to the Filipino people, they will be given a wider choice.”

“The Filipino people will be able to see clearly the great difference between the reformist presidential candidate among the traditional presidential candidates,” Villanueva added.

“What is important is that we have clean, honest and credible elections,” he said.

Unlike in the 2004 presidential election when Bangon Pilipinas did not have enough time to prepare, Villanueva said this time they have a nationwide network down to the barangay level.

“We are assured of the support of right thinking Filipinos who have passionate love for the country, especially for the future, who will really vote for genuine change,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva met with youth groups at the University of St. La Salle , Mayfair Plaza , West Negros University , and the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod yesterday.

“The youth should be given a chance to craft the future of this country because the youth is the franchise holder of the future…this is the reason why we are fighting not for ourselves but for the future generations. We are non-politicians,” Villanueva said.

Yasay said they are going around the country to make sure they do not repeat the same mistake in 2004, when they did nothing to strengthen their party.

This time, he said, their party is confident to “launch a meaningful, credible and hopefully victorious campaign.”

“Victory is not our personal objective, our objective is the victory of the people,” he said.

Yasay said the problem that the country is beset with is systemic.

The first step in changing that system legally is in the process by which leaders are elected, he said.

“What we are trying to show the people is that the traditional parties have been part of the problem in choosing leaders,” he said.

While leaders are voted into office based on popularity, “we feel political parties have a meaningful participation in the pre-qualification of leaders; so when the people chose them even on the basis of popularity, the people are already assured the bets put up are qualified for the job, unfortunately this is not happening now,” he said.

This is the kind of pre-systemic change Bangon Pilipinas is making, Yasay said.

“We would like the people to understand and feel that the only way for them to win this election is to make sure they choose candidates on the basis of their qualifications and competence,” he added.

Villanueva said should he win the presidency, the choice of the members of his Cabinet will be done by a selection committee on the basis of merits and not political patronage.

They will be chosen on the basis of character, competence courage and compassion for the suffering Filipinos, Villanueva said, adding that even those who worked in previous administrations will be considered as long as they fit that criteria.*CPG