Guingona not running for any post next year

DAGUPAN CITY — Vice President Teofisto Guingona said here yesterday he is not running for any post in next year’s elections.

Guingona told students visiting the Dagupan City Museum yesterday that instead, he would lead the campaign against convening Congress into a constituent assembly to propose amendments to the Constitution.

Guingona said a constituent assembly would make it easier to remove the constitutional provision on national patrimony to allow foreigners to take over the heritage of Filipinos.

"What do the European Union, the Americans, the Japanese want?" he asked.

"They want that we open up our national patrimony to them so they can come here and operate and then they say you are poor, you do not have money, you do not have technology, therefore you will remain poor, but open up the national patrimony and they will make us rich," he said.

Guingona said national patrimony refers to the country’s land, minerals, air space, seas and marine resources, among other things.

"But this is wrong as they will be the ones to become rich," he said. "The people will remain poor, people will become servants, people will become service-oriented to them."

Guingona said he will fight any move to give away the national patrimony to foreigners because it belongs to the Filipino nation, and such cannot be subject to barter.

During the same forum, Guingona told the students a man must possess a sterling character for him to be voted president.

"A man who has character should have vision, a dream, a plan and then pursue that plan and vision with vigor and vitality to the very end," he said.

"Interest for the nation above self, that is character that would make a good leader and a good president."

Guingona was the guest of honor and speaker at the National Day of Youth Lights for Peace and Nationalism in Dagupan City.

He recently resigned as president of the pro-administration Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, and was replaced by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. — Eva Visperas, Cesar Ramirez