Poe: Mandate of people should decide country’s leader
Senator Grace Poe and President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
President Benigno Aquino III was right in saying that nobody just wakes up to a better future, “especially not someone who does not have the people’s mandate,” Senator Grace Poe said on Friday.
Poe was reacting to Aquino’s apparent attack against political opponents of his presidential candidate, former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
Aquino mentioned a candidate who promised to exceed what his administration had accomplished by making promises but without mentioning how this candidate would do it.
“Akala po yata niya, ‘pag nahalal siya, gigising siya kinabukasan sa isang bagong umaga ng may solusyon na sa lahat ng mga binanggit niyang problema,” the President was quoted as saying.
(Perhaps he/she thought that if he/she would be elected, he/she would wake up one morning with a solution to all the problems he/she had mentioned.)
Poe, who felt alluded to by Aquino’s statement, agreed.
“Tama ang ating Pangulo na hindi madali ang proseso na ito. Sama-sama tayo dito. Kaya nga po importante na ang isang lider na ihahalal natin ay totoong pinili ng taumbayan,” she said.
(Our President is correct in saying that this is not an easy process. We are in this together. This is why it is important for the leader whom we will elect is the one truly chosen by the people.)
READ: LP stalwart: Aquino’s support for Mar Roxas only
The senator reiterated that the country needed someone who can build and lead a government that is open, transparent and accountable, so that it would have the people’s support in its pursuit of genuine inclusive growth and global competitiveness.
“Nakikita naman natin na si Pangulong Noynoy ay may mandato. Marami siyang nagawa pero hindi pa rin ganoon kadali. Lalo na siguro ang isang tao na wala namang tunay na pagpili ng taumbayan,” she said.
(We can see that President [Aquino] has a mandate. He has done a lot, but it still has not been easy. All the more for a person who was not truly chosen by the people.)
Poe made the remarks in Surigao where she and running mate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero presented their platform of government to various groups, despite a recent ruling by the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) Second Division cancelling Poe’s certificate of candidacy for president.
She earlier said that she would appeal the decision before the Comelec en banc and if necessary, she would take her battle to the Supreme Court “because she is fighting for the people’s right to choose their leader.”
“Ang masasabi ko lamang, ako po ay mapapagkatiwalaan ninyong hindi kayo nanakawan, at ako ay mapapagkatiwalaan ninyo na hindi ko kikilingan ang sino man kung ito ay hindi nararapat at kung ito ay hindi makakatulong sa ating bayan.”
“Makakaasa kayo na kami ay mabilis magtatrabaho,” she added.
(All I can say is you can trust that I will not steal from the country, and you can trust that I will not take the side of someone/something knowing that it is not right and will not benefit the county.)
Poe said the Philippines, with its problems in agriculture, employment and corruption, could not afford to have a leader that does not have enough will to deliver results. She has often pointed to the country’s mass transport system as proof of some officials’ incompetence and neglect.
“Kaya rin po importante na kung sino man ang uupo, unang-una ay may integridad at tapat. Ikalawa po ay mabilis kumilos sapagkat ang suliranin ay lalala lamang kung hindi natin aaksyunan agad,” she said.
(This is why it is also important that whoever takes the seat, first and foremost, must have integrity and is sincere. Secondly, [he or she] must move swiftly because a problem will only worsen if not acted upon immediately.)
Despite Aquino’s criticisms, Poe said she would continue to hold the President “in high regard even as the political discussions heat up leading to the 2016 elections.”
“Para sa akin naman, pareho kaming nagmamahal sa ating bansa, at pareho rin kaming nangangarap na matapos na rin ang aming suliranin,” said the senator.
(For me, we both love the country and we are both hoping that the country’s problems will come to an end.) CDG
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