CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—The presidency is not “a personality contest” and the country needs a “real leader,” presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said on Sunday.
“We are here looking for a real leader of the Philippines who will implement all the valuable suggestions that were made this evening,” she said in her closing statement at the first Commissions on Elections debate for the upcoming national polls in 2016.
“This is not a personality contest. This is not a show for entertainment this is a show to educate the Filipino voter on what is responsibilities are those are being assumed by presidential candidates,” she added.
Santiago, a known public speaker, urged the public to vote for someone who has academic, professional and moral excellence.
“Dapat naging head of class or at least naging honor student. Kung hindi marunong anong ibibigay niyang dunong satin?” she said.
(The president must be a previous head of class or at least was an honor student. If next leader is not smart, what intelligence could he or she possibly give us?)
“Dapat may award ng kapwa professional dahil hanga sila sa kanya but most [importantly] dapat may moral excellence. Dapat ang binoboto walang bahid sa record kung may inimbento di kapani-paniwala,” she said.
(The president must have an award from fellow professional because he or she is admired by them but most importantly, the next leader must have moral excellence. People must vote for someone whose record has not been tarnished and not fabricating matters.)
In the end, she wished everyone and her opponents good luck.
“Good luck to you, to all of us. I hope this country will deserve to be what God meant it to be—a happy, prosperous nation.” RAM
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