In case you missed watching the Presidential Forum dubbed “Choices and Voices for 2010, SkyCable informed me that they have done replays since Monday up to Friday at 8:00AM and 4:00PM respectively on channel 2.
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The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has issued its first poll guidelines urging Filipinos to follow their conscience, and not the results of pre-election surveys. The CBCP stated clearly “Do not be swayed by survey results or political advertisements and follow the dictates of your conscience after a prayerful and collective period of discernment. Winnability is not all the criterion for voting!”
This Pastoral letter was issued by Tandag Bishop Nerio Ochimar the newly elected President of the CBCP and issued at the 100th General Assembly at the Pius XII Center last weekend in time for the Second National Congress of the Clergy this week where some 5,000 priests will be having a retreat. He further pointed out, “Automated elections will not give us good public officials. Ultimately the leaders that our country shall have will depend on our wise choice of candidates.”
There is no doubt that the CBCP statement is targeting the Presidential candidates who support the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III is the co-author because he (and many other people especially those economists seem to agree with him) believes that the Philippines has become overpopulated. But that’s no longer the reality today.
Take it from my good friend, Fr. Gregory D. Gaston, who wrote a treatise entitled, “Population Trends: Lessons for RP” published last Jan.3, 2010:”The United Nations Population Division (UNDP) figures indicate that it is not an exaggeration to say that as early as now, the Philippine Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is already dangerously low. Whereas in early 1970s the average Filipina had six children, today she has around three, and in another 20 years only two. Shortly after 2020, the Philippine TFR will sink below its specific replacement level of around 2.29 and it will be too late.”
I would have wanted to ask this question to Sen. Noynoy during the Presidential Forum, but then the audience had limited time to ask questions. However, a question was asked about street children. The Presidentiables gave varied answers, mostly giving more emphasis to educating these children. But only Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. gave specific answers saying, “We should not only look at the street children, but their parents whether or not they have a job that would pay their kids to go to school.”
So the bottom line is, whether we would truly vote for our conscience and vote for the best candidate to be the next President of this country. As Sen. Richard Gordon said during his final statement during the Halalan forum a few weeks ago on nationwide tv: “You cannot inherit the Presidency, you have to earn it!”
To the supporters and handlers of Noynoy Aquino, it’s about time that he change tactics and stop using statements like, “During my mother’s time…we did this or my father said…” Noynoy should be smart and confident enough to say what he can do for this country because if you vote for him because he comes from good breeding, then the questions about the morality or the immorality of his sister Kris Aquino comes into the question; after all, she too is the daughter of Ninoy and Cory.
Still about the Noynoy campaign, I was surprised to hear that the business groups that sponsored the Presidential Forum last Saturday had to issue a joint statement assuring the public that there was no bias or preferential treatment for a single candidate.
It turned out that the sour grapes that didn’t win in the mock elections alleged that more tickets where given to the supporters of Gibo Teodoro as it was held at the Cebu International Convention Center. That had nothing to do with it. In fact, I really thought that Noynoy would win. I saw many yellow-shirted groups huddled in one area and I know who brought them there. So if there was any hakot at all, it came from Noynoy’s supporters!
I found myself back at the CICC for a presscon for Pilmico, an Aboitiz Company. I know they provide high-nutrition for piglets, a very sturdy business especially in Cebu, which is a lechon country. But Pilmico launched a completely new product, for gamecocks! Fighting cocks need to have a high-performance diet that Pilmico calls “Salto” ranging from amino acids, Vitamin K, B-Complex and Coccida inhibitors. Indeed, Aboitiz knows that the game fowl industry is big business, that’s why they venture into it and where they enter a business, they will succeed!