My Madapaka Sheet

Photo by Dems Demecillo (The Negros Chronicle)

Yesterday, I got a copy of President Estrada’s Speech given in front of the city officials, school administrators, students and faculty of Silliman University held at the Luce Auditorium last September 25, 2008. A copy of the speech can be downloaded here.

While I was never a supporter of Erap and some of his programs (including the all-out war against the insurgents in the South), I agree to most of his claims in his speech (assuming he made it himself). Let me quote some of the text and give my opinion about what he said.

Part I. The Government and the Youth

Before he got to the meat of his speech, he greeted the audience with all the formalities and gave advices if ever one of audience will become the next president of this country. One of his advices was and I quote:

“…do not lie and steal because if you do so, like the present tenant of Malacanang, you will have to barricade yourself in Malacanang with electric fences and containerized vans, afraid to face your own people.”

Now, here’s someone who’s tarnished with graft and corruption and was convicted with plunder giving an advice to the intelligent audience about not stealing and not lying. Ironic. But, I just laughed my hearts out when I read this. Forgive me, Mr. Ex-President, but weren’t you the one who was convicted stealing money from the Filipinos?

Erap also said that we are living in a corrupt country where different institutions, from the national government down to the local government, from the executive department to the congress, from the judiciary department to the electoral institution, and from the military institution down to the police and law enforcement agencies, are tarnished with corruption. Perhaps it is true that only the academic institution is saved from corruption.

Even the church, who should serve as the moral watchdog of our country, is also tarnished with corruption.

Erap quoted Rizal and said,

“The youth is the hope of the motherland….The idealism of the youth can rectify the excesses and perversities of this and past generations. They can redeem this nation and restore it to its once pre-eminent and respected position in the community of nations.”

True enough. The youth is the hope of the motherland. We can change this nation. But change should not be left to the youth. Like a father who teaches a son, the father must set an example. The ones who are sitting in power should set GOOD example to the youth. Otherwise, we will always live in an endless cycle of graft and corruption, immorality, and dishonesty and the youth will unconsciously become what they do not want to be.

Part 2. Poverty and Education in the Philippines (to follow)

Part 3. Insurgency in Mindanao (to follow)