Gov. Grace Padaca in Mindanao

The courageous former Bombo Radyo Cauayan anchor, polio survivor and now turned Isabela governor swept an international conference of women leaders on conflict transformation and good governance in Davao City with a typhoon-level inspirational message.Wanted: More women in governance is a story about the conference.

Here’s here piece: Reclaiming and asserting the transformative female leadership.

“RECLAIMING AND ASSERTING TRANSFORMATIVE FEMALE LEADERSHIP”

DAVAO CITY, NOVEMBER 24, 2007

GOVERNOR GRACE PADACA

PROVINCE OF ISABELA

PHILIPPINES

 

GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.  I AM SO GLAD TO COME ALL THE WAY FROM  THE NORTHERN MOST PART OF LUZON TO  BE WITH YOU ALL OF YOU TODAY HERE IN THE BEAUTIFUL AND FAMOUS CITY OF DAVAO.

 

EVEN IF SUPER TYPHOON MINA HAS CHANGED COURSE FROM THE BICOL AREA TO MY PROVINCE ISABELA IT WILL NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT I AM HAPPY FOR THE HONOR AND PLEASURE OF BEING WITH ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY   RIGHT HERE IN MINDANAO – WITH  WOMEN FROM ALL OVER OUR COUNTRY AND OUR FRIENDS FROM THAILAND, MYANMAR, CAMBODIA, INDONESIA,  WHO HAVE CONTINUOUSLY BEEN FIGHTING FOR GENUINE PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT.  IT IS AN HONOR ….  YET ANOTHER  OF THE INCREDIBLE DREAMLIKE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO ME SINCE I SUDDENLY BECAME GOVERNOR FOUR YEARS AGO. 

 

PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE LIKE ME USUALLY LIMIT OUR DREAMS  TO WHAT WE THINK WE CAN AT LEAST ACHIEVE AND THERE ARE NOT MANY OF THEM, SPECIALLY NOT BEING GOVERNOR OF ONE OF THE LARGEST PROVINCES IN THE COUNTRY.  I WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD WHEN I WAS AFFLICTED WITH POLIO. WHETHER I LIKED IT OR NOT, THIS CLEARLY LIMITED MY WORLD AND THE THINGS THAT I COULD DO. 

 

IN THE YEAR 2001, THE PEOPLE OF  MY PROVINCE ISABELA WERE SHOCKED WHEN I DARED RUN FOR THE ELECTIONS. WELL, I DID RUN FOR THE ELECTIONS EVEN IF I CAN HARDLY WALK.  AND WORSE, I WAS RUNNING TO FIGHT THE ONE FAMILY THAT   RULED OUR PROVINCE FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS – THEY WHO HAD ALMOST UNLIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND SEEMINGLY INVINCIBLE  POLITICAL MACHINERY. WHO WAS I COMPARED TO THEM?

 

 I COME FROM AN ORDINARY FILIPINO FAMILY. MY PARENTS WERE BOTH PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO TAUGHT US, THEIR SIX CHILDREN, TO LIVE SIMPLY SO THAT WE COULD  MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET.   WHEN I WAS  SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD, MY FATHER SUDDENLY DIED, LEAVING OUR MOTHER ALONE TO PUT US ALL TO SCHOOL.

 

I STUDIED HARD, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY THING I COULD DO. I COULD NOT GO OUT AND PLAY WITH OTHER KIDS ANYWAY. WHEN I BECAME OLDER, I ALWAYS STRIVED TO HAVE EXCELLENT MARKS IN SCHOOL SO THAT I COULD OBTAIN SCHOLARSHIPS THAT WOULD AT LEAST  EASE THE BURDEN OF MY POOR PARENTS WHO HAD TO WORK HARDER TO PROVIDE FOR MY  SPECIAL NEEDS.  

 

EARLY IN LIFE, I HAD TO LEARN TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND NOT TO LOSE HOPE.  I ALWAYS FILLED MY  MIND WITH THE THOUGHT THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO BE A WORTHLESS PERSON JUST BECAUSE I AM CRIPPLED.  IT IS MY LEGS THAT  THE POLIO DISEASE HIT,  NOT MY BRAINS,  THAT’S WHY I COULD STILL THINK CLEARLY AND YES, WISELY.   IT IS NOT MY HEART EITHER  THAT POLIO HIT  THAT’S WHY I COULD STILL FEEL CONCERN NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF BUT ALSO  COMPASSION FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

 

I FINISHED SCHOOL AND  BECAME A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT BUT  MY FIRST  MAJOR JOB WAS AS A BROADCASTER IN THE LOCAL RADIO STATION IN OUR PROVINCE, BOMBO RADIO CAUAYAN. IN A WAY, IT WAS A FULFILLMENT OF A SECRET  WISH   THAT I HAD. /////  AS A CHILD,    MY    EXPERIENCES  OF BEING TAUNTED BY OTHER KIDS FOR MY PHYSICAL DEFORMITIES WERE TOO PAINFUL AND TRAUMATIC THAT      I WISHED  WHEN I’D GROW UP, I WOULD  HAVE A JOB WHERE I COULD BE HEARD BUT NOT SEEN.  BEING JUST A VOICE  BEHIND THE MICROPHONE  WAS PERFECT FOR ME.

 

FOR FOURTEEN YEARS AS A BROADCAST JOURNALIST,  ANCHORING  A  RADIO PROGRAM THAT WENT ON THE AIR FOR THREE HOURS EVERY SINGLE DAY,   NEWS AND ISSUES CAME

THROUGH ME – GIVING ME OFTEN A CLOSE UP  VIEW ABOUT  THE ABUSIVE WAY BY WHICH THE MEAGER RESOURCES OF OUR GOVERNMENT WERE BEING SQUANDERED WHILE OUR POOR PEOPLE KEPT GETTING POORER BY THE DAY. 

 

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SAID THAT POWER CORRUPTS AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY.     OUR PEOPLE IN ISABELA SAW THIS PROVEN MANY TIMES OVER WITH THE   POLITICAL DYNASTY  THAT BEGAN ITS  RULE IN OUR PROVINCE AS EARLY AS THE YEAR 1963, FROM THE FATHER, TO THE SONS AND,  MIND YOU, HE HAD MANY SONS  BECAUSE HE HAD MORE THAN ONE WIFE. AND THEN, THE GENERATION OF THE EVEN MORE NUMEROUS GRANDSONS WAS  AUTOMATICALLY WAITING NEXT IN LINE. 

 

I  TOLD MYSELF,  I CANNOT JUST SIT HERE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS HAPPENING. I SAID THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT DEMOCRACY SHOULD BE.  HENCE,  IN THE ELECTIONS IN THE YEAR 2001,  I  FILED MY CANDIDACY TO FIGHT THE POWERFUL MEN, MEN WHO HAD LITTLE RESPECT FOR WOMEN, EVIDENCED BY THE FACT OF HOW THEY PARADED THEIR MISTRESSES AROUND. THEIR LIFESTYLES WERE BECOMING A NORM EVEN AMONG THEIR FOLLOWERS AND I FEARED THE  KIND OF EXAMPLES THEY, OUR LEADERS, WERE GIVING TO OUR PEOPLE, SPECIALLY THE YOUNG?

 

I SAID,   EVEN IF I AM POOR, EVEN IF  I AM PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, EVEN IF I DO NOT KNOW WHERE I WOULD GET THE MONEY  FOR THE CAMPAIGN,   I WILL FILE MY CANDIDACY. MY CHANCES OF WINNING WAS ALMOST NIL BUT I SAID, AT LEAST, EVEN IF I LOSE, I WILL HAVE PEACE OF MIND.  I  WILL NOT BE ONE OF THOSE  BEATING THEIR BREASTS, COMPLAINING  WHY EVIL THINGS WERE BEING DONE TO US AS A PEOPLE, BUT  NOT LIFTING A FINGER ANYWAY TO STOP THEM.

 

AGAIN, AS A CANDIDATE,  I WAS TAUNTED. THEY SAID I  WAS CRAZY, FOOLISH . THE POWERFUL MEN OF  THE DYNASTY LAUGHED ME OFF.  THEY CALLED ME NAMES. THEY DISMISSED ME AS NUISANCE.  THEY DID NOT TAKE ME SERIOUSLY, WELL,  UNTIL IT WAS  TIME TO COUNT THE VOTES.

 

THIS WOMAN WHO COULD NOT WALK,    RAN !  FOR  THE ELECTIONS AND TROUNCED THE MACHOS IN ISABELA.

 

I WAS TOLD THAT  THEY TOOK THEIR DEFEAT WITH ALL THE MORE PAIN AND SHAME  BECAUSE IT TOOK ONLY SOMEONE LIKE ME TO DISLODGE THEM FROM THEIR WELL-ENTRENCHED POSITIONS IN GOVERNMENT.  WELL, IT IS THEIR FAULT THAT THEY UNDERSTIMATED ME. I AM NOT WEAK, I HAVE BEEN MADE STRONG BY THE MANY OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES THAT I HAD TO GO  THROUGH.  I AM NOT A COWARD. I   DID WHAT NONE OF THE SO-CALLED MACHOS  IN THE PROVINCE DARED  DO, RUN HEAD ON AGAINST THE  POLITICAL GOLIATHS OF OUR PROVINCE,   I WAS NOT ALONE. I HAD ALL OUR PEOPLE  WHO WANTED CHANGE ROOTING AND WORKING FOR  ME .  ABOVE ALL, I WAS NOT WITHOUT STRENGTH.  FROM DAY ONE, I KNEW THAT I HAD THE BACKING OF OUR ALMIGHTY GOD, BECAUSE WHAT I HAD SET OUT TO DO WAS NOT FOR MYSELF,  BUT FOR OUR PEOPLE, HIS CHILDREN.  I ALSO KNEW ALL ALONG THAT THE LORD HAS A KNACK FOR USING THE WEAK TO CONFOUND THE STRONG, BECAUSE THIS WAY, HIS POWER AND LOVE  IS SHOWN EVER MORE CLEARLY.

 

DURING THE CAMPAIGN, I WOULD ALWAYS TELL OUR  PEOPLE, WHEN YOU SEE ME  LIKE THIS, LIMPING, STRUGGLING TO WALK, BUT STILL FIGHTING, DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR ME.  DO NOT TAKE PITY ON ME.  I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.  INSTEAD THINK ABOUT  YOURSELVES. YOU,  WHO, AFTER 40 YEARS OF THE DYNASTY, HAVE NOT  HAD THE CHANCE TO HAVE BETTER LIVES, BUT INSTEAD HAVE SUNKED DEEPER INTO POVERTY.  HAVE PITY ON YOUR CHILDREN WHO YOU CANNOT PROVIDE A BETTER FUTURE FOR.   I TOLD OUR POOR  PEOPLE  “I AM  OFFERING MYSELF TO YOU TO GIVE OUR PROVINCE A CHANCE. I  HAVE TO BE BRAVE TO DO THE FIGHTING  AND I HOPE MY COURAGE WILL RUB OFF ON YOU.   I ASK YOU TO BE BRAVE TOO.”    LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ,   I AM PROUD TO TELL YOU THAT MY PEOPLE SET ASIDE THEIR FEARS AND AT LAST BECAME BRAVE TOO.  I AM HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT  IT WAS MY COURAGE, NOT MY POLIO DISEASE, THAT CONTAMINATED THEM.

 

NOW THAT I AM GOVERNOR, I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY TELL  OUR  PEOPLE THAT THE BATTLE IS NOT YET OVER. WE MAY HAVE DEFEATED THE DYNASTY BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT. FOR EXAMPLE, WE ALSO HAVE TO  FREE OURSELVES FROM OUR OWN  WRONG ATTITUDES, FROM OUR MISPLACED  VALUES, OUR BAD HABITS.  I ALWAYS TELL THEM THAT DISABILITY IS NOT ONLY PHYSICAL.  THERE IS ALSO THE DISABILITY OF BEING ALWAYS AFRAID, OF NOT  HAVING THE COURAGE TO GO OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES … TO DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF OUR EXTRAORDINARY DIFFICULTIES.  THERE IS  THE DISABILITY OF  BEING  SELFISH, OF THINKING ONLY OF ONE’S  SELF WITHOUT REGARD FOR OTHER  PEOPLE. THEN THERE IS  THE DISABILITY OF  BEING LAZY, OF  JUST RELYING ON OTHERS TO DO THE FIGHTING, TO DO THE WORKING FOR US ALL TO HAVE A BETTER SOCIETY. WHY, MY PHYSICAL DISABILITY  MAY BE THE EASIEST KIND OF DISABILITY AFTER ALL. 

 

 

I TELL MY PEOPLE:  USE ME AS YOUR  VISUAL AID. THIS IS  SO THAT I CAN  GIVE THEM HOPE,  I CAN   INSPIRE THEM TO WORK HARD,   TO PROVE THAT SUCCESS CAN BE ATTAINED NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE ODDS.

 

  MY FELLOW WOMEN, LET ME SHARE WITH YOU, TOO, ONE IMPORTANT THING: MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY  SAY I WON THE ELECTIONS BECAUSE I  HAD THE VOTE OF THE WOMEN, YES, THAT’S PARTLY TRUE, BECAUSE THE WOMEN IDENTIFIED WITH ME, THEY LISTENED TO THE ISSUES I DISCUSSED WHEN I WAS STILL IN RADIO. THE WOMEN ROOTED FOR ME, LIFTED MY SPIRITS…. BUT I  WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT I ALSO GOT THE SUPPORT OF THE MEN.  MANY TIMES DURING THE CAMPAIGN, I GOT APPROACHED BY MEN, SOME  TEARY EYED,  WHO SAID, “WE WHO ARE ABLE BODIED SHOULD BE THE ONES DOING THE FIGHTING. BUT YOU ARE DOING IT FOR US, GRACE. THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING FOR US.” 

 

ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE TALK ABOUT OTHER WOMAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BY NOW IT MUST BE CLEAR THAT SADLY, ABUSES IN GOVERNMENT DESPITE MY VERY CLEAR EXPERIENCE IN ISABELA IS  NOT THE MONOPOLY OR THE DOMAIN OF THE MALE SPECIE. WE HAVE SEEN  CLEAR CASES OF WOMEN HAVING THEIR OWN SHARE OF ANOMALIES IN GOVERNMENT, ANOMALIES IN ELECTIONS. I THINK THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GENDER. I THINK IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HOW A PERSON USES THE POWER THAT IN HIS HANDS, WHETHER HE IS MAN OR WOMAN.

 

 

 

 

WHEN I SET OUT TO FIGHT  JUETENG AND ILLEGAL LOGGING AND MULTIPLE KINDS OF CORRUPTION IN ISABELA WHICH THRIVED AND HOW! DURING THE LONG YEARS OF MY PREDECESSORS,  MANY  SAID THAT I WAS DIGGING EARLY MY POLITICAL GRAVE.    BUT   I DID NOT REALLY   CARE  ABOUT THE  REPERCUSSIONS TO MY
 POLITICAL FUTURE . I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH HOW TO MAKE MY OFTEN LONELY  CRUSADES PRODUCE RESULTS AMID ALL THE  DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES THAT I AM EXPERIENCING.  IF A GOVERNNMENT OFFICIAL  MAKES HIS RE-ELECTION AS THE FIRST AND ALWAYS  REASON FOR HIS ACTIONS THAN  WE MAY AS WELL  SAY GOODBYE TO TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP.  IN MY CASE, I ALWAYS PUT IN MIND THAT  IT IS VERY RARE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME TO  HAVE THE ENORMOUS  POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
 SO I SHOULD DO EVERYTHING I CAN NOW TO TRY TO DO THE THINGS THAT NOT ALL AMBITIOUS POLITICIANS ARE WILLING OR BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO.  I THINK IT IS MY ADVANTAGE  THAT  I HAVE NOT THE DESIRE OR THE NEED TO PERPETUATE MYSELF IN POWER SUCH THAT ALL MY ACTIONS AND DECISIONS ARE GEARED TOWARDS RE-ELECTION.  I AM SINGLE, I HAVE NO HUSBAND OR MANY CHILDREN SO THERE IS NO DANGER OF A NEW DYNASTY WITH ME. 

YES, ONE OF MY REALIZATIONS AS GOVERNOR  IS THE ENORMOUS POWER THAT ONE HAS.

ONE YES OR NO – CAN AFFECT SO MANY PEOPLE

ONE SIGNATURE –  MILLIONS OF PESOS

 

 

IF YOU ARE NOT GROUNDED, IF YOU HAVE NOT THE RIGHT VALUES,  YOU WILL EASILY GET TEMPTED.  BUT IF YOU USE THIS POWER, NOT FOR YOUR SELFISH ENDS BUT  IN FULFILLMENT OF YOUR DUTY TO OTHERS, POWER CAN BE A GOOD THING .  IT CAN HELP YOU MAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY PEOPLE, SPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE  ALMOST  LOST ALL  HOPE IN GOVERNMENT.

 

 

WHEN MY OPPONENTS COULD NOT STOP  NOR EXPLAIN MY VICTORY ANYMORE, THEY SUDDENLY CAME UP WITH THE ACCUSATION THAT I AM AN NPA.  THAT WE TERRORIZED VOTERS INTO ELECTING ME.

 

 

THAT PROMPTED THE LATE SENATOR RAUL ROCO TO ASK “HOW CAN SOMEONE IN CRUTCHES TERRORIZE ANYONE?” 

 

POWERPOINT ( PEOPLE ASIA PHOTO)

 

 

      BUT MY ACCUSERS MUST HAVE FALLEN FROM THEIR SEATS WHEN WHO CAME TO VOLUNTEER AS MY 

      WITNESSES BUT NO LESS THAN TWO MILITARY GENERALS AND AN ARMY CAPTAIN. THEY ISSUED WRITTEN TESTIMONIES THAT I CANNOT BE AN NPA.

 

YOU SEE, THESE  THESE MILITARY OFFICIALS WERE ASSIGNED IN OUR PROVINCE ISABELA WHEN I WAS STILL A BROADCASTER  AND AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER I INTERVIEWED THEM IN THE SAME WAY THAT I ALSO INTERVIEWED MEMBERS OF THE NPA WHENEVER I COULD. 

 

 BECAUSE OF MY PHYSICAL HANDICAP,  I  ALWAYS WISHED  THAT I COULD BE LIKE OTHER REPORTERS WHO COULD GO UP THE  MOUNTAINS OR WHEREVER THE REBELS WERE IN ORDER TO HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.  I JUST HAD TO CONTENT MYSELF WITH THE LETTERS THAT THE NPA’S  WOULD SEND ME WHICH I WOULD READ TO MY LISTENERS OVER THE AIR OR THE TIMES WHEN  THEYD CALL ME OVER TWO WAY RADIO – THERE WERE NO CELLPHONES YET IN THE EARLY 90’S.   WHENEVER THEY’D AIR ANY STATEMENT OVER OUR  MY RADIO PROGRAM, I’D ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT THE SIDE OF THE MILITARY WAS ALSO HEARD.  I THINK THAT’S WHY EVEN THE MILITARY OFFICIALS IN CAGAYAN VALLEY DID NOT ACCUSE ME OF BEING AN NPA MYSELF. I ALWAYS TOOK PAINS TO BE  FAIR AND OBJECTIVE IN ALL MY  DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIR, IN ALL MATTERS, NOT JUST THAT OF THE NPA AND THE SOLDIERS. 

 

 

 

AT ONE POINT, I  LET THE HEAD OF THE ARMY AND THE HEAD OF THE NPA IN OUR AREA TALK TO EACH OTHER ON MY RADIO SHOW.  IT WAS SUCH A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO EXPRESS THEIR POINTS OF VIEW WHILE OUR PEOPLE LISTENED. THEY  ENDED UP  EXPRESSING RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER.   FOUR MONTHS AGO, THEY WERE FINALLY ABLE TO SEE EACH OTHER FACE TO FACE RIGHT IN THE PLACE WHERE I RESIDE IN ISABELA.  THE MILITARY GENERAL NOW RETIRED IS SERVING AS ONE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY IN NUEVA ECIJA. THEY CAME TO ISABELA TO INVITE ME AS COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER FOR THE GRADUATION OF THEIR SUMMER COLLEGE GRADUATES.  I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL THE  FORMER NPA LEADER WHO HAPPENS TO BE ALREADY WORKING IN THE PROVINCIAL CAPITOL. NO, IT WAS NOT ME WHO RECRUITED HIM BUT MY PREDECESSOR, THE ONE I DEFEATED FOR GOVERNOR JUST LAST MAY. A MOVE WHICH I BELIEVE IS A GOOD ONE.  I SENT THEM BOTH A COPY OF THIS OUR PICTURE TOGETHER TELLING THEM THAT THIS IS A DREAM MOMENT FOR ME.  IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAT I HEARD THEM TELL EACH OTHER THAT EVEN IF THEY WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FENCE, THEY RESPECTED OR APPRECIATED THE WAY EACH CONDUCTED HIMSELF IN BATTLE.

(PHOTO W KA ILIAN AND CAPULONG)

 

 

 

 

I’D LIKE TO THINK THAT EVEN BEFORE I BECAME GOVERNOR, I WAS ALREADY CONTRIBUTING IN SOME WAY TOWARDS PEACE AMONG PEOPLES IN SOCIETY SIMPLY BY DOING MY JOB THE BEST WAY I CAN –  BY BEING FAIR, BEING TRUE. JUST DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASON WILL ALWAYS HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT IN SOCIETY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AS A MEDIA PERSON,  I WAS TRAINED TO BE ALWAYS FAIR AND TRUE

 

SO WHEN I BECAME GOVERNOR,  MY ORIENTATION AS A MEDIA PERSON HAS HELPED ME A LOT IN DEALING WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO OFTEN HAVE CONFLICTING INTERESTS. I AM THANKFUL FOR THE TRAINING I GOT OF BEING ALWAYS OBJECTIVE AND NOT BIASED,  DISPASSIONATE IN THE THINGS THAT  HAVE TO BE HANDLED  AND GENUINELY CONCERNED WITH THE ISSUES AT HAND

 

 

THIS HAS SERVED ME WELL BECAUSE I  BEAR NO BURDEN OR DIFFICULTY IN  DEALING  WITH  MANY KINDS OF GROUPS

 

 

IT IS USUAL FOR ME TO BE WITH GROUPS OF

 SOLDIERS

 

AND POLICEMEN

 

AS IT IS WITH ME TO BE WITH CAUSE ORIENTED ORGANIZATIONS, DIFFERENT NGO’S, EVEN THE SO-CALLED MILITANT OR PROGRESSIVE  GROUPS  

 

 

SO NO MATTER WHAT POLITICAL OPPONENTS SAY ABOUT ME, EVEN IF THEY BRAND ME AN NPA OR WHATEVER, I DO NOT WASTE MY ENERGY BEING BOTHERED BY THEM

 

I WILL NOT LET  THEM   LIMIT MY TERRITORY, SO TO SPEAK,

IF ONE GROUP INVITES ME, I GO. IF THE OPPOSITE SIDE CALLS ME, I GO

I WILL NOT ALLOW THE NAME CALLING OF MY OPPONENTS  LIMIT MY WORLD AND THE THINGS THAT I CAN DO WHEN I CAN EVEN USE MY SITUATION AS A BLESSING, AS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO BOTH

 

 

WHY, I  HAVE EVEN REACHED OUT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE POLITICAL DYNASTY IN OUR PROVINCE

AGAIN,  THANK YOU TO MY ORIENTATION OF  HANDLING ISSUES DISPASSIONATELY AND OBJECTIVELY, ISYU LANG, WALANG PERSONALAN

 

LETS GO BACK TO THE PHOTO OF THE MEMBERS OF THE DYNASTY – WITH ALL THE CONTROVERSIES RESULTING FROM THE ELECTIONS IN 2004 WHEN THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT HIT THEM WHEN I BEAT THEM,

 

 

 

 

THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WHEN I WAS WITH MANY OF THEM, AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER,

 

LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS OF MINE WITH THE MEN OF THE DYNASTY

SWEET DIN NAMAN KAMI DI BA?

 

      DURING THOSE TIMES,  I MADE SURE TO MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE. IT MUST BE VERY DIFFICULT HAVING TO ADDRESS ME GOVERNOR WHEN FOR 40 YEARS, THEY EXCLUSIVELY OWNED THE TITLE. WHEN THEYD CALL ME MAAM. ID CALL THEM SIR. IT IS NOT GOOD TO RUB IT IN.

 

 

I THINK ONE OF THE THE KEYS TO PEACE  TO LISTEN TO THE OTHER SIDE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND. NO ONE HAS THE MONOPOLY OF TRUTH AND GOOD INTENTIONS. WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR MINDS TO WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE. THERE MUST BE A REASON WHY THEY DO THE THINGS THEY DO.

 

 

I KNOW THAT YOU, MY DEAR LADIES,  MUST HAVE MANY MORE EXPERIENCES, MUCH MORE DIFFICULT EVEN THAN I HAVE, IN DEALING WITH CONFLICTS . THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO OUR FILIPINO AND ASIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS. LET US CONTINUE TO BE IN TOUCH. LET US CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER. IT IS DIFFICULT BUT IT IS WORTH IT

 

 

ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS THAT IVE LEARNED THROUGH ALL THESE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IS THAT  NOTHING IS EVER USELESS.  WE MAY NOT WIN ALL THE BATTLES THAT WE WAGE BUT  LET US REMEMBER THAT NO GOOD THING IS EVER LEFT UNREWARDED. 

 

YES, I ADMIT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I ALSO GOT FRUSTRATED, WHEN I FELT THAT WHATEVER GOOD I WAS DOING WAS USELESS  BUT I KNOW NOW, THAT NOTHING IS EVER USELESS. IN MY PROVINCE ISABELA,  I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THE SIMPLE LITTLE THINGS THAT I WAS DOING, DAY BY DAY,  IN MY 14 YEARS IN RADIO  WOULD HAVE AN  IMPACT ON PEOPLE, NOT ONLY IN ISABELA BUT LATER,  IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.  IMAGINE! I AM IN DAVAO NOW SHARING MY STORY.  IN MY VERY LIMITED WORLD BEFORE, I  JUST  CONTINUED TO QUIETLY DO THINGS ON MY OWN BECAUSE I FELT THEY WERE THE RIGHT THINGS.

 

 

WHEN I GOT THE  SUPPORT OF FORMER  MILITARY OFFICERS ASSIGNED IN ISABELA TO DEFEND ME AGAINST THE ACCUSATION THAT I AM A  REBEL … I  DID NOT EXPECT IT. . BUT  TRULY, I MUST HAVE PLANTED SOMETHING GOOD TEN, FOURTEEN YEARS AGO, NOW ITS GIVING ME SOME FRUITS/HARVEST THAT I DID NOT EVEN EXPECT. I WAS NOT EVEN CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE EFFORT. WHAT MORE IF WE ARE GATHERED LIKE THIS TO DO OUR SHARE IN TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP THAT WILL BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE IN OUR SOCIETY.  AS WOMEN, THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE CAPABILITY IS IN US. LET US NOT SHIRK AWAY FROM IT. BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT DO WHAT WE KNOW WE SHOULD // AND WHAT WE KNOW WE CAN//  TO BRING ABOUT PEACE AROUND US, THEN WE WILL ALWAYS BE BOTHERED AND HAVE NEVER PEACE WITHIN US.

 

I THANK ALL OF YOU TODAY, WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OVER AND FROM ALL NOBLE CAUSES FOR ALL THE ADMIRABLE  THINGS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING FOR PEACE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN OUR COUNTRY …. YOU WHO HAVE BEEN DOING IT  SELF-EFFACINGLY , CONSTANTLY,  CONSISTENTLY.   MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU NEED COMMENSURATE TO YOUR  HEROIC GOALS ,  EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE .

 

 

IT IS PEOPLE LIKE YOU // WHO PEOPLE LIKE ME IN GOVERNMENT// HOLD ON TO // FOR US TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT A USELESS FIGHT FOR RIGHT.

 

MABUHAY PO KAYONG LAHAT! MABUHAY PO ANG KALAYAAN AT KAPAYAPAAN!

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Freedom, Governance, Mindanao, Women