BY DUCKY PAREDES
MALAYA
‘A return to the ways of governance that we had in the last nine years would be tragic!’
THE President’s New Year message shows a PNoy who has gained a lot of confidence. He has taken steps with great risks attached and has pulled them off, with the support of most of the people. Clearly, he has gained from this support. Clearly, too, we appreciate a President who will never steal and will never use his position for personal gain.
Clearly, if the adverse Supreme Court decision on Hacienda Luisita was supposed to test him, the President has passed all the tests strewn in his path with flying colors. As he says, the people’s support, has emboldened him and will make him work harder for his people. Here is his New Year’s Message:
“Sa mahigit isa’t kalahating taon nang pagbagtas natin sa tuwid na landas, nakikita na natin ang pagbangon ng bansa, mula sa malubhang katiwalian at kahirapan. Unti-unti na po tayong nagtatagumpay laban sa mga problemang ating dinatnan.
“Ikumpara po natin ang kasalukuyan sa mga panahong lumipas.
“Gaano man po katindi ang pagpipilit na magtanim ng agam-agam sa ating isipan, wala naman po sigurong makakapag-dudang nagbago na talaga ang Pilipinas.
“Ngayon po, ibinabalik na natin ang piring ng katarungan. Ang kaunlaran ay natatamasa hindi lamang ng mayaman at makapangyarihan, ramdam na rin ng mas nakakarami nating kababayan.
“Nakikita naman po natin ang bunga ng ating ipinunlang mga reporma: may maalab na sigla at pag-asa, mataas na kumpiyansa, at malawak at mas maraming mga oportunidad sa bansa. Ang taon na papasok ay hindi lamang pagpapatuloy ng ating naumpisahang mga reporma, ngunit ng mas mabilis pang pagbabago.
“Salamat po sa patuloy ninyong pagsuporta at pagtitiwala. Manalig po kayong hindi kailanman kukupas ang matingkad nating hangarin na umasenso ang Pilipinas at ang mga Pilipino.
“Hindi tayo patitisod sa nais pa ring umagrabyado sa mga Pilipino. Sa bayanihan ng ating pamahalaan at mamamayan, wala pong makakahadlang sa ating pag-angat at sa tuloy-tuloy na katuparan ng ating mga pangarap. Magpasalamat at bigyang-halaga po sana natin ang mga grasya ng Panginoon ngayong taon.
“Hangad ko pong makatamasa pa ng maraming biyaya at tagumpay ang mas nakakaraming pamilyang Pilipino.
“Isang masaganang Bagong Taon po sa ating lahat.”
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What I see in PNoy is a president who genuinely wants to reform his country, not for any personal agenda but because he realizes that going the way that we have been going is a continuing injustice for the majority of our citizens. This is also why he continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of majority of his citizens.
In a few more short years, Noynoy Aquino’s term will be over. To make sure that he will be leaving a true legacy for his country, he has to make sure that the next president (and the next one after) will be as straight and still committed to staying on the Daang Matuwid.
A return to the ways of governance that we had in the last nine years would be tragic!
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The expose by Maritess Dangilan-Vitug on the top honors and doctoral degree (with honors) given to Chief Justice Renato Corona during ceremonies commemorating the University of Santo Tomas’ quadricentennial is a story of moral corruption.
As with his acceptance of the post of Chief Justice given him by a President during a time when the Constitution prohibited a president from doing so, what this clearly shows is a moral lack: He seems to have no concept of “delicadeza.”
Corona even said on receiving his undeserved PhD, relishing the moment: “This great educational institution … the oldest existing university in Asia … has made it possible for me to realize my dream of appending the hard-earned degree of Doctor of Civil Law to my name.”
But, where is the honor, when what a position to which a lawyer is posted is done clearly in violation of the constitution? Where is the honor when the PhD degree is not supported by a dissertation that counts for 15 units of the total required for the doctorate, which is supposed to be done over a period of just two years, not the ten years of unfinished schooling that Corona took to do so (and never actually finished because he actually lacked 15 units which he could have only if he had finished a formal dissertation)?
Contrast this to President Erap who turned down an honorary degree from another university when he was president because President Estrada reasoned, at that time, he had not yet done anything to deserve the honor!
That shows “delicadeza.”
On the other hand, Maritess Danguilan-Vitug, in her book, on the Supreme Court entitled “Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court,” found that Renato Corona’s claim that he graduated with honors from his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ateneo University “is not recorded in the university’s archives.”
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“Just want to let you know Filipino-Americans in Hawaii, Nevada and Seattle, Washington support the reform program of Pnoy… they believe that he is the only president that has the guts to charge and have arrested government officials for ripping off the country… No other president has done what he has achieved.” – Lucho Singh from Seattle, Washington
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Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com
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