Transit sits down with three of the foremost advocates of good governance—Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio, and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo learns why some people arecalling them the “hopes of our country”
Text and photos by Cristyl Senajon and Kai Pastores
How did you get involved with politics? Did you plan or expect it?
GOV. GRACE:I was a broadcaster for 14 years. Every morning, I would discuss the issues, both national and local. I got a close up view of the things happening in the province under the Dy family.
Nobody wanted to run against them. Throughout those 14 years I covered three elections. Nung una meron pa namang gustong lumaban, pero na-realize siguro nila kahit anong gawin nila matatalo’t matatalo din sila. In the 2001 elections they ran almost unopposed in all positions in our province. [I thought], when I go to the polling place on election day, what will I do? Isusulat ko na lang ba pangalan nila? Parang, ano ako, uto-uto? I felt that the candidates who are unopposed are unopposed because they are already the best, not because those who want to run against them are being made to back down. So I filed my candidacy, para hindi ako katulad ng iba na nilulunok lang kung ano yung nandiyan. I didn’t even have the capacity to campaign. But when I announced my candidacy, donations started pouring in.
GOV. ED: Wala akong intensyon sa pulitika. I was enjoying—I loved—my priestly ministry. One and a half months before the filing of candidacy, I was invited to attend a meeting of some people who were looking for a candidate. So I attended. Magaling yung nag-“analyze” sa kasamaan. In the last elections, the 2004 elections, sabi niya may 36% na voters—intelligent voters—in Pampanga. Sabi ko, “Ang baba naman!” And yet, it’s enough for a candidate to win.
So we looked for someone. We listed down the qualities we were looking for, and then a few names sprang up. We wanted these qualities: moral uprightness, fear of God, competence, love of others, of the poor. Then there were the nominations, and I was nominated. Nung una naisip namin if we have to look for a candidate dapat mayroon siyang 400 million [pesos], kasi yun yung narinig naming gagastusin ni Lilia Pineda. So sabi namin para tapatan siya dapat kami rin may 400 million. But then we realized that we just have to campaign based on a higher moral ground. Doon lumilitaw na yung pangalang good governance, responsible governance, sa amin.
MAYOR JESSE:I come from a family of politicians - the Villafuertes were my relatives. A little after EDSA I, after former President Marcos left the country, then Camarines Sur Acting Governor Luis Villafuerte invited me to go back home and work for the government. Ginawa niya akong Director ng Bicol River Basin Development Program Office, basically parang NEDA project planning office. Isa sa mga ginawa namin yong plano ng Metro Naga. Doon ako nagkaroon ng better appreciation of the problems of the city at kung ano yung mga posibleng pwedeng gawin.
I held that position for nine months before I decided to quit my job in San Miguel Corporation; I was then on leave from the company. I decided to stay in Naga because the Governor asked my father to let me run for Mayor of Naga.
I think during that time his direction was to maintain control. May isang peculiarity yung city, hindi kami under ng province. Hindi kami bumuboto sa gobernador, hindi kami sakop ng gobernador. Kaya kailangan niya, kung siya gobernador, ang city mayor kanya rin. Kaya sinabihan niya yung nakaupo, “Hindi ka na tatakbo, ang tatakbo na yung pamangkin ko.” Eh lahat good soldiers. Pumayag naman yung nakaupo na hindi na tumakbo, yung asawa na lang niya ginawang konsehal.
Para sa akin hindi ko planong pumasok sa gobyerno. Nasa San Miguel ako for six years, I was preparing for a private job. Pero mahirap pala iwanan ang pinanggalingan. Nung binigay sa akin yung tungkulin na ito, pinaghusayan ko talaga.
What do you think are the greatest hindrances to the progress of our country?
GOV. GRACE:Having been in this position for three years, nakikita ko yung power that people in government have. The power that can be used to either help people or to enrich people, or to make themselves more powerful and more wealthy than ever.
I think the problem lies in the fact that there are so many people in government who should not be there in the first place. Parang iba yung kanilang motive. Yun ang nakakalungkot sa electoral system natin. Who gets elected to public offices in the Philippines ? The wealthy, the powerful, the ones that have always been there, the ones who get voted because of jueteng money, the ones who are there because of cheating in the elections.
So sana makatulong tayong lumikha ng isang sitwasiyon kung saan mas magiging madali sana ang pagpasok sa gobyerno ng mga taong karapat-dapat.
GOV. ED: Just to add to what Gov. Grace said, hindi lang yung ihahalal natin and dapat na marunong, pati tayo, yung critical mass who will influence the majority, the country. Yung pagkaroon ng malalim na pagmamahal sa Diyos, na ang pagsalin nito’y pagmamahal sa atin bansa.
Ang Pilipino may sobrang pagmamahal sa pamilya. Pero yung mas malaking pamilya ng sambayanan ng bansa, yun ang nawawala.Kaya yung mga nasa pulitika…ok lang sa kanya na mangurakot eh, kasi para naman daw sa pamilya. Maraming ganyan, hindi na nage-expand ang pagmamahal sa motherland. Kailangan natin ng mga taong may malaking pagmamahal sa bayan. Hindi yung individualistic. Ang Pilipino mahusay when it to comes to individual leadership, but when it comes to collective leadership…
MAYOR JESSE: Palagay ko yung Pilipinas bikitma siya ng bad governance and bad institutions. Pagmasdan mo yung sistema ng pamamahala. Iba yung sinasabi sa ginagawa. A month ago ang sabi meron austerity measures sa lahat ng pamahalaan: tipirin mo gasolina, tipirin mo kuryente, tipirin mo lahat ng bagay, pero yung utos na yan, sa inyo yan, hindi sa amin.
May problema din yung mahihirap, tapos ano yung pakikitungo ng namumuno?Imbes na gumawa ng mas malalim na engagement—na paano ba natin mabibigyan ng solusyon ang problemang ito, bibigyan lang ng tig-lilimang daan.
This is an input-driven system. Ang pinaguusapan ay kung ano yung mga resources na ipinapasok, hindi pinaguusapan kung ano yung outcomes. At walang nananagot sa outcomes. The process is really not working. Bakit hindi? Kasi distorted yung outcome tsaka yung input. Tingnan dapat yung outcome. Halimbawa, kung titingnan mo ang tamang programa sa kalusugan, (dapat ang pagsumikapan ang mabawasan ang nagkakasakit) dapat walang nagkakasakit. Hindi yung marami kang nagagamot o marami kang PhilHealth na naipamimigay.
What would you like to say to the people, most especially to the youth?
MAYOR JESSE: For all our problems, dapat huwag tayong mawalan ng pag-asa. Lalo na yung mga kabataan. Ang problema lang talaga hindi sila nagiging engaged. Hindi pwedeng sabihin, “Pagdating na lang ng aking panahon.” Kasi pagdating ng panahon niya, wala na ‘to. At the rate things are going, palagay ko pahirap nang pahirap ang sitwasyon.
GOV. ED: Mag-enjoy sila sa buhay nila, pero yung hindi mababaw. Para sa akin enjoyment is living for others. Para kasing hindi ka nagugutom pag tumutulong ka sa iba. Pagkatapos mo manood ng sine, gutom ka. Pero kapag nag-tututor ka sa mga bata, hindi ka nagugutom. There’s a certain kind of happiness when you’re giving yourself to others.
GOV. GRACE: For the youth, you are the power! Sana yung mga batang nagtatapos hindi sila masyado makakita ng pagkakaiba dun sa itinuturo sa kanila sa school at sa nakikita nila sa so-called “totoong buhay”. Parang, why should it be different? You are taught all these very good values at school, and then when you out in the real world, bakit iba? Ang daming kabataan. Sabi ko nga tungkol sa pagbabantay sa elections, sana mas marami pa ang role ng youth. Sabi ko nga bakit sa Namfrel, mga church volunteers lang ata ang na-tatap, yung mga knights of Columbus … nasaan na yung kabataan? Summertime pa naman ‘pag elections, ‘pag campaign. Nasaan na yung mga bored young people? Nasasayangan ako na walang nagta-tap sa mga kabataan. Hindi lang dapat pagusapan ang young people as a big chunk of the voters of the Philippines . Hindi lang yung pagboto, dapat pati yung pagkakaroon ng papel for clean and good elections. As has been said once, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” Definitely, change can never be underestimated with people determined to create such. And with more people moving towards the same direction, it is without a doubt the most possible dream to be achieved. Through the examples of these people we gain inspiration to do our share in making our homeland a better place.
TRANSIT.Com
December 23rd 2017, 4:01 pm by James307
Subject: A Few Good Men 
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