18 August 2010

The Yellow Ribbon Movement in cooperation with the spirit of Edsa Foundation and People Power Commission will honor the memory of Ninoy Aquino's martyrdom 27 yrs ago. Sat,Aug 21 at the People Power Monument. Flag Raising at 7:45AM , wreath laying at 8:15AM, mass at 8:30AM. Distribution of Kasama Ako sa Pagbabago stickers, leaflets and Medical / Dental / Pharmaceutical mission to follow.

27 July 2010

State of the Nation Address of His Excellency
Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
to the Congress of the Philippines
Session Hall of the House of Representatives

July 26, 2010,
Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City

Note: To read the original transcript in Filipino, click here.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay, Chief Justice Renato Corona, Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps;

My beloved countrymen:

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant’s sworn oath to serve the country honestly.

This is the straight path.

On the other side, personal interest is the priority, and where one becomes a slave to political considerations to the detriment of our nation.

This is the crooked path.

For a long time, our country lost its way in the crooked path. As days go by (since I became President), the massive scope of the problems we have inherited becomes much clearer. I could almost feel the weight of my responsibilities.

19 July 2010

From Jesus P. Estanislao
Chairman,
THE INSTITUTE FOR SOLIDARITY IN ASIA
(A Public Governance Advocacy)

Note: I am attaching a two-pager along with a descriptive text for those who wish to read through the content of what is summarized in the two-page “Governance Agenda for 2010-2016.

The first summary page is the Governance Platform, which is taken entirely from the Inaugural Address of P.Noy Aquino.  It follows the traditional governance framework, but its content is fully drawn from the President’s address.

The second summary page is the Governance Scorecard, which is purely illustrative and suggestive. It follows also the traditional governance framework, but in this case it simply suggests a way of putting more concrete initiatives, measures and targets to the President’s Governance Platform. This is fully consistent with the content of the President’s Inaugural Address. We recommend that the President decides on the initiatives, measures and targets that should enter into his Governance Scorecard.

A long text is also attached. It contains the major argument (and basis) for the Governance Platform, as presented. It also illustrates how the President may fill in the blanks for his Performance Governance Scorecard.

I now entrust this to the better spirits of FSGO and other groups of responsible citizens who are happy about the governance agenda of the President and eager help to ensure that such agenda be executed properly and effectively.

[Sgd] Jesus P. Estanislao, ISA Chairman
July 16, 2010

 

12 June 2010

I am happy that the highest office in the land has already been decided with a clear and overwhelming mandate. Binabati ko po ang aking standard-bearer, si President-elect Noynoy Aquino. Wala na pong duda sa kanyang tagumpay. From day one, the success of his campaign has been as important to me as the success of my own. Karangalan ko po ang maging bahagi ng isang matagumpay, tapat, at malinis na kampanya. Karangalan ko po ang patuloy na pagtulong sa tagumpay ng sambayanang Pilipino sa pamumuno ng administrasyong Aquino.

Taos-puso po akong nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng matiyagang pumila na nabilang na ang mga boto; sa humigit-kumulang 14 na milyong sumuporta sa aking kandidatura; pati na rin sa humigit-kumulang tatlong milyong Pilipinong hindi nabilang ang boto sa Congressional Canvass. Kahit kailan ay hindi ko po tatalikuran ang aking sagradong obligasyon sa inyo.

Utang ng loob ko po sa inyo na ipaglaban ang isang matapat at kumpletong bilangan, kasama na ang pag-usisa sa napakalaking bilang ng null votes sa eleksyon sa pagka-Bise Presidente. I have instructed my lawyers to gather records and evidence, and to study and prepare towards the possibility of filing an electoral protest. We have 30 days to do this. I owe it to our people to ensure that the electoral process will truly be an instrument of their will. Nananatili pong bukas ang pinto sa anumang pagkilos na hihilingin sa akin ng humigit-kumulang sa labing-apat na milyong Pilipinong sumuporta sa ating kilusan para sa makabuluhang pagbabago.

Beyond anything else, the Filipino people may rest assured that I stand firmly on the principle that has guided my entire political career: Country above self.

Bayan bago sarili. Para sa akin, hindi po ito campaign slogan lamang. Ito po ay isang batayang paninindigan. This principle will be my bedrock as I work to ensure that that the agenda for reform that President-Elect Noynoy Aquino and I painstakingly laid out will push through.

Let us all rally behind the leadership of President-elect Noynoy Aquino. It is my sincere prayer that the change our candidates swore to bring about in the campaign will be fulfilled. It is my pledge to continue to do everything within my power to support the people’s agenda under an Aquino administration.

28 May 2010

Let us momentarily and uncritically embrace the results of the May 10, 2010 elections as the authentic voice of the Filipino people. Let us for now set aside any grave doubts about the authenticity of that voice despite the millions of voters who were disenfranchised, many more votes of others unduly influenced by various precinct-level problems and possibilities of alleged system-wide fraud that remain. If we look at the numbers and take them at face value, what do they say about our people’s collective instructions to the leaders they elected and rejected about the kind of government they want?

This analysis does not pretend to be non-partisan or uninterested. On the contrary, this analysis comes from the perspective of an older segment of the urban educated middle class that: (a) opposed the Marcos dictatorship and supported Cory’s democratic restoration in the 1986 snap elections; (b) got divided among Ramos and Defensor-Santiago in the 1992 elections that Ramos narrowly won; (c) got divided further among De Venecia, Roco, and De Villa in the 1998 elections that Estrada convincingly won; (d) supported the ouster of Estrada and the succession of GMA; (e) got divided among GMA, Roco and others in 2004 which had GMA cheating to beat FPJ; (f) turned against GMA after Garci was revealed in 2005; and (g) got unified behind Noynoy Aquino in 2010. Through this almost 25-year political history of presidential contests this urban educated middle class has been seeking good, honest, and competent government led by a good, honest and competent duly elected president. Most of us just could not easily agree who this should be at any given election until this last one.