A prayer for friends --
Dearest Father,

This prayer is for all the true friends I have, some are near, some are far. But Lord, no matter where they are, watch and keep them safely through each day and night. I pray that you bless them abundantly for they are very special to me.”
 
From Chito Bertol, Manila Environmental Center

An enigma. A Cheshire Cat in Wonderland. 

That is young, brash, and intriguing Senator Chiz Escudero who dropped a political bombshell recently that shook even his closest advisers, allies and friends. In what was expected to be an announcement of his run for the presidency under the NPC party of which he has been a member for the past eleven years, he declared his resignation from the party instead!

For pure shock effect, that announcement takes top prize. But after he did it, Chiz slept peacefully for the first time in many months.

As he told us media girls over a yummy Chinese lunch at the Mabuhay Palace of the Manila Hotel, he had been mulling it over for some time and the typhoons gave him more time and “direction” to have his “Epiphany.”

His supporters are still standing by him, but of course his critics have been feasting on what they see as the end of his presidential ambitions. Ahhhh, but he is not consumed by the desire to be president, if, he argues, he will be bound by party and financiers.

There lies the crux of Chiz’ Rubicon in bolting from the NPC. Remember, he reminded us, he did not declare his future plans yet. Neither did he categorically say he wasn’t running for president anymore. Eh, what’s that again?

Chiz is an intellectual maze. And we are sure he will continue to mesmerize as he looks for answers to his quest for how best to serve in the way he wants to serve.

* * *
   
On another presidentiable….

“Genuine, experienced, ready. No father or mother at my back.”

Or in Tagalog, “Totoo, subok na, handa. Walang magulang na inaasahan.” This sums up why Senator Manny B. Villar believes that he will be the best man to be president of the country. Having been born poor and later became a billionaire through hard work and perseverance, he stresses that he truly understands how it is to be mired in poverty and more importantly, how to get out it!

Manny was the guest recently at the Manila Overseas Press Club “Presidents’ Night” and he made an impassioned presentation as a leading presidentiable. He laid bare his poverty in the early years of his life, declaring that he was not at all embarrassed by his situation in life — 741then.

Some quotes from Manny’s speech;

“The message of Ondoy and of other weather   disturbances is simple: In times of crisis one cannot afford to be inexperienced or unprepared. Every second counts. Any hesitation on the part of Government and on the part of leadership can be fatal for so many.

Our country faces a far bigger problem than preparing for annual weather disturbances. That bigger problem is the continuing poverty of millions of countrymen, a level of poverty that remains unaddressed year after year after year.”

Manny blames the situation to a long line of leaders who did not genuinely understand the plight of the poor man because they were never genuinely poor themselves.

“If a leader does not know how it feels to worry about food for tomorrow; if a leader does not understand the stress of having to live under a roof that could be carried away by the next typhoon; if a leader cannot genuinely say that he has felt the pain and even the indignity of being poor in this country — then how can he genuinely work for the interests of the majority of our people?”

* * *

Manny’s premise is “only those who lived as a poor boy can truly grasp the full burden of poverty.” This is of course debatable among those who were born with the proverbial silver spoons in their mouths, as most of the other presidentiables and vice-presidentiables are!

The empowerment of a college education was the “great leveler” for Manny and this was in the tree-lined campus of UP, literally, a “whole new world” for him.

Growing poor taught Manny good values from his parents who never lost the opportunity to pass them on to their children. His passion now is to put the lessons of his life to good use as the Chief Executive of the land, putting to greater use all the skills and experiences he has had in his business, and  in public service for the country.   

How will he lead? From what he articulated, he will be a facilitator, not a dictator.

“I have seen how Government at its best can match resources with needs as it provides the minimum conditions for individuals to achieve their potential and I have continued to dream of a National Government that facilitates rather than hinders, that creates opportunities rather than stumbling blocs, that encourages rather than discourages, that acts rather than speaks, and that is focused less on what is and more on what could be.”

And when that day comes, Manny is confident that “Government will be an entity that is respected, not cursed, and the description 'public servant' will be an honorific to be sought by many.”