My classmates found it queer that I spent my vacant periods listening to Senators Gerry Roxas, Arturo Tolentino, and Jose W. Diokno in the Senate's gallery. I was a great fan of the Philippine Senate. My respect for the upper chamber of Congress continued until I worked for government. The Senate represented our hope for a more intelligent and fairer version of bills introduced in the Lower House. Many of the bills that congressmen introduced were parochial and colored by vested interests.
I continuously hope that people will elect senators who are not only honorable but competent. We vest senators with the power to determine who would pay taxes and who would be exempt. The senators are responsible for allocating government revenues to sectors that would be helped the most. They are even responsible for legislating policies on the length of time children spend in school and the areas they need to master. Their judgment needs to be informed, unbiased, and fair.
Hope springs eternal. We need to continue using a scorecard to determine who among the candidates are "mahusay, marangal at nagbibigay dangal sa mamamayan" (effective, honorable, and empowering). I list my "fearful forecast."
I have always been intrigued by the "can do" stance of Senator Richard Gordon. This guy has guts, and did he prove it during the Pharmally investigation! It was his redemption for his seeming bias toward the Duterte administration.
I remember how he physically "pushed" us aside during FVR's Cabinet meetings to catch the President's attention. He rose above all our objections to the tax incentives he proposed for businesses in Subic.
My second candidate is Senator Win Gatchalian. We do not see eye to eye with respect to his political preferences. But his accomplishments both as a Mayor and a Senator are his redeeming factors. He is considered the most industrious in the Senate—being the earliest and the last Senator to leave the building every day. He consults extensively, drafts his proposals religiously, and even attends technical working group meetings to ensure that every provision is consistent with the proposal's goals. He championed the cause of out-of-school youth, a sector that has been marginalized, by putting resources and systems for their greater access to education. We saw his fury and courage when he demanded the resignation of Energy Secretary Cusi over a shady deal in the sale of Malampaya field.
And my vote goes for Senator Leila de Lima, not only because she deserves justice and recompense for being jailed and stripped of her responsibility to participate in Senate deliberations. But she is a feisty woman who has always fought for human rights.
I will cast my vote for former congressman Neri Colmenares and Atty. Chel Diokno. By using his brilliance as a lawyer to serve the poor, Atty. Chel will bring luster and humanity to Senate’s debates. Atty. Colmenares is of the same breed. I was struck by his humility during a chance meeting at the airport. Never did he mention his brilliant record in fighting for a more equitable land reform program and justice for victims of the drug war.
And despite being controversial, former senator Sonny Trillanes gets my vote. He is our "Devil's Advocate." We need someone who causes a stir in public opinion by introducing cases and evidence of abuses and indiscretions of public officials.
My last two choices are Senator Rizza Hontiveros and former Secretary Gibo Teodoro. Senator Hontiveros gives a voice to women and LGBT+ in the Senate. She fearlessly exposed corruption in the entry of illegal aliens in the country. Secretary Gibo was the choice of President Arroyo as her successor--which did not augur well with many Filipinos. But on his own, Secretary Teodoro is a brilliant lawyer, a seasoned legislator, and a non-nonsense secretary of defense who systematized planning and operations in the defense department.
I am lucky to have a choice of 8. The number 8 is a symbol of new beginnings and a new order.
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