Ang Kahulugan ng Patas na Laban Para sa Lahat

(Speech delivered by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson March 31, 2009, at the Commencement Exercises of the University of Manila)

Let me begin with a true story.

Once upon a time there was a poor couple who had eight children and making both ends meet was a constant struggle.   

The father was a jeepney driver.  And so the wife had to augment the family income by selling dried goods in their town’s public market. There were many times when the couple had to forego their share of the day’s meals because the brood of eight always came first. Even their schooling came ahead of the couple’s basic needs. 

Tanging pagpapawis at pagbabanat ng buto at higit sa lahat, taimtim na panalangin sa Diyos ang naging patnubay ng mag-asawang dukha. Mabuti na lamang at sa mga panahon na iyon, ang pamahalaan ay nakaagapay sa mga mamamayan - mayaman o mahirap.

The children have since become professionals, gainfully employed or self-employed, and have raised their own families under better circumstances.  

The fourth child soon became a soldier, a policeman, even served as the country’s top cop, and eventually became a Senator. He is speaking before you today.

Dahil sa munting pangarap ng aming mga dakilang magulang, nakapag-aral kaming walong magkakapatid at di lang nakaraos ngunit lumaki pa ng maayos.

But such were the good old days of my youth where the government served as the great social equalizer.

Maayos na mga paaralan, malusog na mamamayan – these were not just campaign slogans during the days of my youth.

It was a reality for millions of people in my generation.

Noong araw ng aking kabataan, patas ang laban para sa lahat!

Over time, the dedication to public service has all but disappeared in government.

Words like accountability, transparency and good leadership are just catchphrases rehashed every election but clearly forgotten once these officials are elected to their positions.

Fifty years later, we see a government that is not transparent, a government that does not deliver the necessary social services to our people, a government that steals, a government that abuses. 

Ngayon, hindi na patas ang laban. Kapag ikaw ay mahirap, walang maaasahang tulong sa pamahalaan upang magbigay ng mga payak na serbisyong sosyal tulad ng pang-edukasyon at pang-kalusugan man lang.

Bakit ba sa ibang bansa, tulad ng Autralia, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong at marami pang iba, kapag nagkakasakit ang kanilang mamamayan, wala silang inaalalang gastos, bagkus gobyerno nila ang nangangalaga? Bakit sa ibang mga bansa, libre ang pampublikong aral at iba pang gastusin ng kanilang mag-aaral?

The answer to that is corruption in our government. Instead of providing for our citizens the basic social services that they rightfully deserve, government through its officials, from the highest to the lowest steal and steal more and more the resources that otherwise can be shared with the poor and the downtrodden. 

We hear and see instances of corruption, both large and small scale, but nothing happens after they are initially investigated, if at all.

Take for example the fertilizer scam that was the subject of a Senate investigation.

Out of the total project cost of P728 million in government funds, P645 million went to the greedy pockets of a few while only less than a hundred million actually went to benefit our farmers. As a son of a jeepney driver, you can understand both my frustration and anger towards these corrupt officials.

Whenever I am asked about the country’s top problem, I always single out corruption.

It is corruption that is killing our country, it is corruption that will continue to kill us unless you and I, graduates of the University of Manila, concerned citizens of this country, join hands and be united in fighting against corruption.

The school is the perfect training ground for the real world.

Within these walls, we are taught about truth and consequences.

We know that if we don’t study, tiyak bagsak tayo sa mga pagsusulit. 

Inversely, if we perform well, we are justly rewarded.

Yan sana ang dapat mangyari sa totoong buhay – kung hindi mo kayang gampanan ang iyong tungkulin bilang halal na opisyal ng pamahalaan, dapat kang ipatalsik o di kaya’y huwag ng iboto sa susunod na halalan.

Pero hanggang patuloy na nakapikit ang mga mata ng nakakarami at patuloy tayong nagiging bingi sa nangyayaring katiwalian sa ating bansa at patuloy nating iboboto ang mga tiwali sa pamahalaan, wala akong nakikitang pag-unlad para sa ating lahat.

Through hardships and under constant threat of political ostracism, I expose the scams and abuses perpetrated by our so-called leaders, but I am only one voice.

If you can join me in exposing corruption, it will go a long way in cleaning up our bureaucracy.

This is the time to show our people in the government that it is us who put them in office and we could easily take their power away once they stop representing the will of the people.

This is the time, not later, not tomorrow, but now.

I do not wish to detract from the importance of this moment.

From this day onward, you are part of this university’s illustrious history. You are what the three de los Santos siblings and their friends envisioned with the motto Patria Scientia et Virtus - indeed, you deserve the accolades of your peers, teachers and guests that are gathered here today. 

Nguni’t sa kabila ng lahat ng ito ay huwag nating kalimutan na bigyang papuri ang ating mga magulang naririto man sa ating piling o wala, dahil kung hindi sa kanila, hindi kayo magtatapos sa araw na ito.  Palakpakan po natin sila bilang mga nilalang na minsa’y nangarap at nagsilbing gabay sa ating pag-aaral. Kung tutuusin hindi biro ang magpaaral, then and most especially now, and we salute them.

But let us not forget those who cannot be here with us today.

Iyong karamihan sa ating mga kabataang napilitang huminto sa pag-aaral dahil salat sa yaman at ngayo’y nagiging biktima ng ganid sa iilan sa ating pamahalaan. 

These people will never experience what all of you are experiencing right now, a fair play at life’s opportunities.

A diploma is more than just a passport to success; rather, it is an instrument that we can use to do good, to build a better world not only for ourselves but for those less privileged.

There is only one accident in this world, and that is the accident of being born rich or poor. 

Everything else in life is a conscious choice.

I assure you that it is a struggle to become the person that you want to be.

It’s harder than you want, it’s longer than you want and it will take more out of you than you expect that it should.

But it will be worth it – to be able to stand proud knowing you are in service of country and virtue.

I would like to close this speech not by offering any advice but a plea – help.

Help fight against corruption.

Help build this country.

But most especially, help by electing better leaders.

Thank you very much and Godspeed!

*****

The Nature of Service

(Speech delivered by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson March 28, 2009, at the Kabagis Congress)

Good evening.

This is the first time that I will be speaking in front of this audience and I thank former councilor and your Secretary-General Abet Quilala for the opportunity.

Kabagis has always been synonymous with service.

In a way, I feel a shared kinship with all of you, especially with your vision of man as an agent of change.

To me, this represents service beyond oneself; not the public service that politicians have often used and abused to get themselves elected.

True service means that those in a position of power or wealth or influence are responsible for creating opportunities for others.

Service means helping create a society of equal opportunity. 

Sa madaling salita, PATAS NA LABAN, PARA SA LAHAT.

I may have been known as a crusader against all forms of corruption but recently, I have defined this lonely crusade as an advocacy to reflect its applicability in our daily lives – fighting corruption is about restoring fair play for all.

For it is corruption, more than anything else, that distorts the systems enshrined in a democratic order. If those of us who have a stake in the system want it to prevail against alien ideologies, we must make certain that it affords equal opportunity and fair play.

I came from very humble origins. My parents never finished school. Hence, their obsession to see all of their eight children through college. They would often forego their share of the day’s meal in pursuit of their dream to make all their children finish school.

I learned from my parents that poverty is a mere accident of birth and success is dependent on your will and abilities.

But my youth in Cavite was indicative of better times.

While my poor parents provided for us through backbreaking jobs and unselfish sacrifices, government provided basic social services that were accessible to all, rich and poor.

Medical care was available through the public health system, where hospitals had medicines and doctors attended to indigents.

I was educated in public schools but during these times we had enough books, enough classrooms and our teachers were as good as those in the private schools. 

The poor could compete with the rich. 

We had equal opportunity, thanks to the government.

From school or from work, one could walk to the comforts of home safe and sound. The policeman was a person of real authority, respected by all, more importantly, trusted by the people.

I grew up with an image of that policeman in my sleepy hometown in Imus, Cavite.

It was that image that inspired me to really work hard to bring back the old glory of the police then.

When people in government know how to selflessly serve well, basic services like health, education, peace and order can be taken for granted by even those who have less in life.

That is what social justice means. And social justice is what the institutions of democracy are all about and what democratic leaders are elected for, in pursuit of their sworn ideals of service above self.

Whatever happened to the ideals of social justice, promised to our people as far back as the days of President Manuel Quezon? 

Whatever happened to the Magsaysay dictum that those who have less in life must have more in law?

It cannot be denied that corruption has sucked the lifeblood of our economy and distorts the principle of equal opportunity.

We know it, everyone is aware of it, even if most refuse to talk about it.

We keep asking ourselves – what must be done?

The solution does not lie in new laws or new rules or a new government system.

The answer lies in what the Kabagis exhorts us all to do – to view man as an agent of change thereby encouraging him to serve not one’s self interest but those of others who have less in life and not even known to him.

When we expect ourselves to have a moral responsibility towards our fellowmen, then that is the same standard to which we must hold our duly elected officials accountable for.

And that is the first step in a long list of change for this country – we must first choose among us those who can lead by the power of selfless example and bring back service above self as the cornerstone of democratic governance.

Nang sa ganun, muling maging patas ang laban para sa lahat; mayaman man o mahirap. 

Tulad noong araw ng ating murang kabataan, na kung saan ang pamahalaan ay kaagapay ng mamamayan sa kanyang pag-unlad at kung saan, patas ang laban para sa lahat.

Let me end this speech with a bookmarked message from my desk calendar. 

“People can’t live with change if there’s not a changeless core inside them. The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value.”

Thank you for listening.

*****

Ping to Detractors: Are You Saying US Justice System is as Corrupt as RP System?

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on Tuesday cautioned the Department of Justice against making insinuations that the US justice system is being manipulated to delay the return of former Senior Superintendents Cezar Mancao II and Glenn Dumlao.

“Are they saying the US justice system is as corrupt as ours?” Lacson said as he criticized anew allegations that he is behind the delay in the extradition of the two former police officers. He reiterated he, too, wants Mancao and Dumlao to return to the country soonest to shed light on the Dacer-Corbito case.

Lacson made the observation following repeated innuendoes made by the Department of Justice and other quarters that he is trying to delay the return of Mancao and Dumlao..

“Does it also mean I, an individual senator, carry more influence than the entire Philippine government, as far as the US justice system is concerned?” he asked.

He said that in the US, the government respects the rights of people - including non-US citizens - to seek redress and assert their rights.

Lacson’s lawyer Alex Avisado said the letter-complaint lodged by Dacer’s family last week, which was based on Mancao’s affidavit, has no legal weight.  “It is uncorroborated and therefore mere hearsay,” he said.

“No formal complaint has been filed against me, yet Justice Secretary Gonzalez is making it appear I am already charged,” Lacson added.

Avisado said they had planned on filing perjury charges against the Dacer sisters for making the allegations, but Lacson shot down the idea, because he said the Dacers, like him, are also victims of the circumstances.

o0o

Admin's Persecution Spree Gone Berserk

The government’s persecution spree has gone into berserk mode, throwing all legal procedures out the window just to pin him on the Dacer-Corbito case, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson lamented Saturday.

Lacson said even the daughters of PR man Salvador Dacer and former Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II were made victims of this spree, as their rights are being twisted.

“This administration has gone berserk. They should at least give due respect and regard to the legal procedure. The Dacer daughters and Mancao are not here to personally swear and attest to the truthfulness of their affidavits before the prosecutor, and yet they have prematurely announced a formal filing of a criminal complaint against me,” he said.

“It has therefore become obvious that they are engaged in persecution rather than prosecution under the rule of law,” he added.

Lacson noted that while Mancao is still in the United States, his so-called affidavit had already been published and used as basis for another round of smear drives against him.

Earlier, Lacson said that while he respects the right of the Dacer family to find justice, they may be committing a more serious injustice with their latest action.

But he maintained he remains confident the truth and evidence will prove his innocence.

“As long as truth and evidence will be the basis in resolving this case, I have nothing to fear,” he said.

o0o

Ipaglaban ang Patas na Laban Para sa Lahat

(Speech delivered by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, March 26, 2009, during the induction of officers of the GSIS Retirees’ Association)

Atty. Alfredo Pineda, EVP Leonarda Perez, newly inducted officers, members of the Board of Directors, ladies and gentlemen:

No ifs, no buts. We live in a time of increasing insecurity.

The greatest challenge facing us today is how to guarantee a society that is just, fair and treats each other with respect, rich or poor, influential or not.

Pantay pantay sa paningin ng batas. 

Pantay pantay sa oportunidad.

Patas na laban para sa lahat.

I came from very humble beginnings. Neither of my parents finished school. Lacking anything of substance to pass on to their eight children, they were fanatical in ensuring we all finished our studies. 

Sukdulang hindi sila kumain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, higit pa doon ang ginawa nila, makaraos lang kami sa aming pag-aaral. 

But despite our poverty or probably because of it, my parents believed in the goodness of God and, most of all, they kept faith with government.

And with good reason.

I think most of you in this room can still remember a time when government willingly provided basic social services, accessible to all, rich or poor.

Our public schools had enough books, enough classrooms, and our teachers were as good as those in the private schools.

The poor can compete with the rich. We had equal opportunity, thanks to government.

From school or from work, one could walk to the comforts of home safe and sound. The policeman was a person of real authority, respected and more importantly trusted by all.

When our politicians govern above self-interests, don’t steal, act like real public servants and serve well, basic services like health, education, peace and order become givens that can be taken for granted, especially by the lowest in society.

That is what social justice means.  And social justice is what the institutions of democracy are all about, and what democratic leaders are elected for, in pursuit of their sworn ideals of service above self.

Unfortunately, the face of public service has changed from the better times of my youth.

Whereas government used to cater to our needs equally, rich or poor, our present government is likened to a family corporation run by thieves and opportunists.

Today, we have gone from a nation that adhered to the time honored principle that all men are created equal to a country where some are more equal than the others.

Our so-called social equalizers – education and health – are now a constant reminder of what sets the privileged few apart from the poor and the downtrodden.

Our public hospitals are understaffed, under-equipped and lack the proper medicines to attend to indigent patients. Our public schools are often in constant states of disrepair while a great number of our teachers are going overseas in search of greener pastures.

We now rank among the poorest of the poor. Public trust on our so-called democratically elected government has eroded due to years of too little efficiency, too little effectiveness but too much corruption.

Ngayon, kung ipinanganak kang mahirap, lalo kang maghihirap. Hindi na pwedeng umasa sa pag-aaral ng mga anak, sa sariling pagsisikap at pagtitiis upang balang araw ay makamit ang mabuting buhay. 

Even our lives as retirees are in peril.

Patas ba ang laban ng maliliit kung mismong ang pamahalaan at mga matataas na opisyal nito ay kakampi ng malaki at makapangyarihan? Patas ba ang laban kung ang karapatang mamuhay ng marangal at walang takot ay ipinagkakait sa mga kapus palad?

Hindi. Hindi patas ang laban.

I believe, as all of you believe, that Filipinos are tired of a political process that is only open to those with the cash and the right connections. 

We are also tired of being used to enrich the few hence I understand your recent proposal to execute a genuine separation of powers between the three branches of government.

But let me tell you of my first few days of office as Chief of the PNP.

By tradition, the position of Chief was a plum position for those who were willing to exchange virtue for a quick buck at the office. 

Before I took over, hardworking pedestrians, motorists, jeepney drivers lived in constant fear of kotong cops. Whereas other cops were involved in protection rackets for jueteng lords and in bid rigging when it came to agency contracts and transactions.

When I left the agency, the PNP was enjoying its highest public approval rating to date.

I achieved that not by instituting new policies but by leadership by example.

I disciplined our police officers because I also disciplined myself.

I stopped kotong in the streets and highways because I, their Director-General, never stole and pocketed their funds, never accepted bribe money from jueteng and other illegal activities and never received bribes or commissions from suppliers and contractors doing business with the police force.

I entered the Senate with the same discipline and the same no-nonsense approach to leadership, as my poor parents had consistently taught us while we were growing up in my then sleepy hometown of Imus, Cavite – “What is right must be kept right; what is wrong must be set right.”

To be honest, it is my work in the Senate that has opened my eyes to the problems of this country on a grander scale.

We keep thinking of new laws and new rules in an effort to revive a crusade of change.

But change must begin with our leaders.

And the first step is in choosing among those who can lead by the power of good and selfless example, with unwavering determination to reform government, discard the politics of compromise and unseemly transaction, and instead enshrine service beyond reproach at the cornerstone of democratic governance.

Nang sa ganun, muling maging patas ang laban para sa lahat; mayaman man o mahirap, nasa serbisyo man o retirado. Tulad noong araw ng ating murang kabataan.

As I was about to finish writing this speech, I came across a beautiful passage on my desk calendar that I thought I should share with you. It is about change. Thus, “People can’t live with change if there’s not a changeless core inside them. The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value.”

Thank you and good day.

*****

Don’t Compromise on the Future

(Speech delivered by Sen. Panfilo M.  Lacson March 24, 2009, during the commencement exercises of Masbate Colleges)

Were I to present myself, it would be as a country bumpkin born and raised in a little known town in Cavite.   

In my work as a representative of the people, I have gone around the countryside many times and talked to a great number of people of different social, political and economic backgrounds – none of the blessings that I and my seven siblings are enjoying now are possible if not for a dream.

Minsan, nangarap ang dalawang magulang na mapag-aral ang kanilang mga anak.

Dahil sa isang munting pangarap, at sa tulong ng pagsisikap at pagdarasal ng aming mga magulang ay nakapag-aral kaming walong magkakapatid. Ang bukang bibig ng aking mga magulang ay ito – “May awa ang Diyos mga anak, makaraos din tayo.” Sukdulang hindi kami kumain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, makatapos lang kayong lahat sa inyong pag-aaral. Hindi lamang kami nakaraos, ngunit lumaki pa ng maayos.

But such were the good old days of my youth when the government served as the great social equalizer.

Maayos ang mga paaralan, malusog na mamamayan – these were the realities during those good, old days.

It was a reality for millions of people like me who grew up in the shadows of World War II.

Noong araw, walang Internet, walang cell phone,

Pero kahit simple ang buhay, ang pamahalaan ay nakaagapay sa mga mamamayan, lalo na sa mga mahihirap. Wala kaming pangamba sa aming kaligtasan kahit disoras ng gabi. Nag-iisa lang ang pulis sa aming barangay pero siya ay tinitingala at iginagalang at higit sa lahat pinagkakatiwalaan ng mga mamamayan.

When public officials govern above self-interest, basic services like health, education, peace and order can be taken for granted even by the lowest in society, the poor are assured of the basic tools needed to improve their own lives, not by dole-outs, but by equal opportunity to all. Sa madaling sabi, noong araw, patas ang laban ng mga mamamayan, patas ang laban ng mga mahihirap sa mga mamamayan. Kaya ang isang tulad kong anak-mahirap, nagkaroon ng pagkakataong umasenso at umangat, kahit sino, basta’t may angking talino at marunong magsikap upang umunlad.

This is what I want to illustrate as social justice. The same social justice that our democratic institution is founded on and what we elect our officials for.

Over time, this dedication to public service has all but disappeared in government.

Unlike during those times, what we now see is a government that is not transparent, that is insensitive to the needs of the people, a government that does not deliver the necessary social services to our people, a government that steals and a government that abuses. 

Almost every other month, we have grown used to the reported instances of corruption, both large and small scale.

Kagaya ng fertilizer scam na isa lamang sa maraming anumalyang inimbestigahan namin sa Senado kamakailan lang.

Out of the total project cost of P728 million in government funds, less than a hundred million went to the true beneficiaries, our farmers, while P645 million went to the greedy pockets of a few.

Tuwing ako ay tinatanong kung ano ang pinakamalaking problema ng ating Inang Bayan, ang aking tuwirang sagot ay maikli at simple lang: korapsyon sa gobyerno, korapsyon ng mga namumuno ang siyang kumikitil sa ating mga mamamayan.

Dahil sa walang habas na kurakot, nawalan na ng saysay ang Patas na Laban, Para sa Lahat na dapat ay karapatan lalo na ng mga kapus-palad.

Bakit ba sa ibang bansa, kapag may nagkasakit sa kanilang pamilya, gobyerno na ang sumasagot sa lahat ng gastusin sa pagpapagamot sa mga ospital?

Bakit sa ibang bansa, ang kanilang mga mamamayan ay napag-aaral ng libre ng kanilang gobyerno, hindi kailangang matigil sa pag-aaral dahil sa hindi makayanang gastos sa pangmatrikula at libro?

Dito sa atin, kapag nagkasakit ka at ikaw ay mahirap, malamang mamamatay kang hindi man lamang nakakita ng duktor o nakatikim ng gamot. At kung ikaw naman ay may kaunting naipon, siguradong ubos ito at mababaon ka pa sa utang.

Dito sa atin, kahit nakasaad sa ating Konstitusyon na libre ang pampublikong edukasyon, ito ay hindi nadarama ng mga mahihirap kaya maraming lumalaking mangmang dahil hindi maidaos ang pag-aaral.

In school, we are taught about truth and consequences.

We know that if we don’t study, tiyak bagsak tayo sa mga pagsusulit. Inversely, if we perform well, we are justly rewarded.

Yan sana ang dapat mangyari sa totoong buhay – kung hindi mo kayang gampanan ang iyong tungkulin bilang elected official, dapat kang ipatalsik o di kaya’y huwag ng iboto sa susunod na halalan.

Pero hanggang patuloy na nakapikit ang mga mata ng nakararami sa nangyayaring katiwalian sa ating bansa at patuloy nating iboboto ang mga tiwali sa pamahalaan, wala akong nakikitang pag-asa sa ating bayan at patuloy pa tayong maghihirap.

Through hardships and under constant threat of political ostracism and black propaganda, I expose the excesses and abuses of our leaders, no matter how high and mighty they are.

Throughout all of these, I stand proud and I won’t be threatened or intimidated.

Dahil kahit anong hirap ng aking mga magulang para itaguyod ang pag-aaral naming walong magkakapatid, ni minsan hindi sila nanlamang o nagnakaw sa kapwa.

There are a few things that money can’t buy – integrity and a clear conscience.

And I will continue to honor my parents’ sacrifices by living with their example. I will always adhere to the principle that they taught us to live by – “What is right must be kept right; what is wrong must be set right.”

As concerned citizens of this country, bilang mamamayang may malasakit sa ating bansa, lalong lalo na sa mga mahihirap, there are three things we simply cannot do: be victims, abusers or bystanders. 

This is the time that we show people in the government that it is us who put them in office and we could easily take their power away once they stop representing the will of the people.

You know, I do not wish to detract from the importance of this moment.

As graduates, you deserve the accolades of your fellow classmates, teachers and guests that are gathered here today. 

Palakpakan po rin natin ang mga magulang na minsan nangarap at nagsilbing gabay sa ating pag-aaral. Kung tutuusin hindi biro ang magpaaral, then and most especially now, and we salute them.

But let us not forget those who cannot be here with us today.

Iyong karamihan sa ating mga kabataang napilitang huminto sa pag-aaral dahil salat sa yaman at ngayo’y nagiging biktima ng ganid ng iilan sa ating pamahalaan. These people will never experience what all of you are experiencing right now, a fair play at life’s opportunities.

A diploma is more than just a passport to success; rather, it is an instrument that we can use to do good; to build a better world not only for ourselves but for those less privileged.

I believe there is only one accident in this world, and that is the accident of being born rich or poor. 

Everything else in life is a conscious choice.

Naniniwala ako sa angking kagalingan ng mga taong nasa pagtitipon natin ngayon. Nguni’t nawawalang saysay ang kagalingang ito kung hindi naibabahagi upang magbigay saysay sa buhay ng ibang tao.

Today marks your entry into adulthood and with that the responsibility to make choices that will have a profound effect on others.

I would like to break tradition and close this speech not by offering any advice but a plea – help.

Help fight against corruption.

Help build this country.

But most especially, choose to help by electing better leaders.

Thank you very much and Godspeed!

*****

Show No Compromise

(Speech delivered by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on March 21, 2009, during the 16th Grand Alumni Homecoming, Ilagan National High School Class of 1984)

Were I to present myself, it would bas a country bumpkin born and raised in a little known town in Cavite.

I have gone around the country a few times and talked to a great number of people of different social, political and economic backgrounds – none of these are possible if not for a dream.

Minsan, nangarap ang dalawang magulang na mapag-aral ang kanilang walong anak.

Dahil sa isang munting pangarap, nakapagaral kaming walong magkakapatid at hindi lang nakaraos nguni’t lumaki pa nang maayos.

But such were the good old days of my youth where the government served as the great social equalizer.

Maayos na mga paaralan, malusog ang mga mamamayan, these were not just campaign slogans.

It was a reality for millions of people like me who grew up in the shadows of World War II.

Over time, the dedication to public service has all but disappeared in government.

Words like accountability, transparency and leadership are just catch phrases rehashed every election but clearly forgotten once these officials are elected to their positions.

Almost 50 years later, we see a government that is not transparent, that is insensitive to the needs of the people, a government that does not deliver the necessary social services to our people, a government that steals, a government that abuses.

Almost every other month, like clockwork, we hear instances of corruption, both large and small scale, but nothing happens after they are initially investigated, if at all.

For example, we investigated in the Senate the fertilizer scam.

Out of the total project cost of P728 million in government funds, P645 million went to the greedy pockets of a few while only less than a hundred million actually went to benefit our farmers – I think most of you here can relate to the frustration since Isabela is agriculture-based municipality.

Whenever I am asked about the country’s top problem, I always single out corruption.

For it is corruption that drains resources that should go to proper irrigation system and better roads for our farmers and proper equipment and training for our doctors and teachers, for example.

The main headquarters of IRRI is in the Philippines but our farmers have not  benefited from its expertise and years of research.  It is ironic and embarrassing that we have to import rice and suffer through food shortages.

Kung nasa top 5 tayo sa buong Asia noon, ngayon nangangamote tayo.

It is corruption that is killing our country, it is corruption that will continue to killus unless you and I, alumni of Ilagan National High School, citizens of this country, join hands and be united in fighting against corruption.

The school is the perfect training ground for the real world.

Within these walls we are taught about truth and consequences.

We know that if we don’t study, tiyak bagsak tayo sa mga pagsusulit, bagsak tayo sa exams.  Inversely, if we perform well, we are justly rewarded.

Yan sana ang dapat mangyari sa totoong buhay – kung hindi mo kayang gampanan ang iyong tungkulin bilang elected official, dapat kang ipatalsik o di kaya’y huwag nang iboto sa susunod na halalan.

Pero hanggang patuloy na nakapikit ang mga mata ng nakararami sa nangyayaring katiwalian sa ating bansa at patuloy nating iboboto ang mga tiwali sa pamahalaan, wala akong nakikitang pag-unlad para sa ating lahat.

Through hardships and under constant threat of political ostracism, I expose the excesses and abuses of our leaders, but I am only one voice.

There is strength in numbers and if you can join me in exposing corruption, it will go a long way in cleaning up our bureaucracy.

As concerned citizens of this country, bilang mamamayang may malasakit sa ating bansa, lalong lalo na sa mga mahihirap, there are three things we simply cannot do: one, be victims; two, be abusers; or three, bystanders.

This is the time that we show people in government that it is us who put them in office and we could easily take their power away once they stop representing the will of the people.

This is the time, not later, not tomorrow, but now.

You know, I do not wish to detract from the importance of this moment. 

As alumni, you have been a part of this high school’s illustrious history – indeed, you deserve the accolades of your fellow peers, teachers and guests that are gathered here today.

Papurihan po rin natin ang mga magulang na minsan nangarap at nagsilbing gabay sa ating pag-aaral.  Kung tutuusin hindi biro ang magpaaral, then and most especially now, and we salute them.

But let us not forget those who cannot be here with us today.

Iyong karamihan sa ating mga kabataang napilitang huminto sa pag-aaral dahil salat sa yaman ngayo’y nagiging biktima ng ganid sa iilan sa ating pamahalaan.  These people will never experience what all of you are experiencing right now, a fair play at life’s opportunities.

A diploma is more than just a passport to success; rather, it is an instrument that we can use to do good, to build a better world not only for ourselves but for those less privileged.

There is only one accident in this world, and that is the accident of being born rich or poor.

Everything else in life is a conscious choice.

Naniniwala ako sa angking kagalingan ng mga taong nasa pagtipon natin ngayon. Nguni’t nawawalang saysay ang kagalingang ito kung hindi naibabahagi upang magbigay saysay sa buhay ng ibang tao.

You have officially become adults in your years and with that the responsibility to make choices that will have a profound effect on others.

I would like to close this speech not by offering any advice but a plea – help.

Continue to fight against corruption.

Help build this country.

But most especially, choose to help by electing better leaders.

Thank you very much and Godspeed!

*****

PingLacson.net: Join the Fight Against Corruption

We invite you to join the struggle against corruption which is eroding the moral fabric of our nation. Together, we can work for moral reforms and equal opportunities for all.

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Log on to:

www.pinglacson.net

Or text us at:

0917-510-PING (0917-5107464)

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TOGETHER, we can bring back HOPE to a people desperate for change and a better life!

Lacson Pushes Vigilance over Public Funds at Isabela Forum

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson (in yellow) discusses the need for vigilance over the country's finances, during a forum with officials of Cabatuan town in Isabela province.  With him are Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Greg Navarro; SB member Dr. Sid Dayrit, and Vice Mayor Hermogenes Asuncion.

Serving Others by Creating Equal Opportunity

PHOTO CAPTION: Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is mobbed by city and municipal treasurers and

assessors after his speech at the national conference and seminar of the Philippine Association of Local Treasurers and Assessors (Phaltra) at The Manila Hotel last March 18.

(Speech delivered by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, March 18, 2009, during the Phaltra National Conference and Seminar, at The Manila Hotel)

If I am not mistaken, this is the third time that I am speaking before this audience.

Not only that. I am sure I have met many of you either in Naga City or Cebu Provincial Capitol Building during the public hearings on the Land Valuation Reform Bill, as well as the discussions on the RESA bill, where a group of officers of the Philippine Association of Municipal Assessors, the Philippine Association of Provincial and City Assessors, and the Association of Treasurers and Assessors of Metro Manila visited my office last year.

The combined intrepidity of Ching Agcaoili, Pearl Segovia, Lina Isorena and Nino Alvina among others, not to mention the strong endorsements coming from PHALTRA, ASTRAMM, PAPCA and PAMAS will certainly leave the 14th Congress no choice but to pass these two important bills, hopefully before Congress goes on sine die adjournment on June 6.

The RESA bill was passed by the Senate on third reading last month, after I sponsored the same on the floor in my capacity as Acting Chairman of the Civil Service and Government Reorganization Committee. The VRA bill on the other hand is undergoing discussions around the country to gather inputs from local treasurers and assessors and other stakeholders.

Once again, I thank you for your invitation.

Let me now deliver my speech.

For the past eight years, since this government came to power, I have been the subject of unrelenting vilification.  I have been persecuted no end and all sorts of lies have been thrown my way. All of these have been proven false, including alleged money laundering, illegal drugs, kidnapping, and even being gay.

Why is this?  It is because I have been consistent and unflinching in my crusade against corruption in all forms and at all instances.  Whether it’s about jueteng, IMPSA deal, Telecoms scam, Jose Pidal controversy, Hello Garci election cheating scandal, the ZTE-NBN broadband deal, the Joc-Joc Bolante fertilizer scam, and the latest, the World Bank bid-rigging scandal. The whole government bureaucracy has been infected by the cancer of corruption, and Filipinos are suffering because of it.

But none of these lies or black propaganda will stop me. I will fight corruption without end as I did when I was Chief of the Philippine National Police about 10 years ago, whether in the smallest forms of “kotong” which victimized lowly drivers and vegetable dealers, or crime syndicates including illegal drugs and illegal gambling.

Kaya ako palaging sinisiraan at kung anu-anong kasinungalingan ang ibinabato sa akin ay dahil hindi nila ako kayang pakiusapan o bilhin para manahimik at makisama sa kanilang masasamang gawain sa taumbayan. Ang pinakahuli nga ay itong pilit akong idinadawit sa Dacer-Corbito case.

Pardon my asking – how does one respond to innuendoes?  But should I choose to remain quiet, people might perceive the lies as truth.

I will repeat what I have said time and again – I had nothing to do with the Dacer-Corbito case.

And I will not be deterred. I will continue to inform our people of the corruption and shenanigans in this government whenever there is corruption to be told to the people because they have the right to be informed where their hard-earned tax money should not have gone.

Ours is supposed to be a democratic system where protection is promised to all citizens, where justice is for all.  But what good is democracy where justice is denied to many, while twisted for some?

Hindi patas ang laban. Bakit pa kailangang ang hustisya ay namimili ng aapihin at kikilingan?

Recently, I have defined my advocacy on fighting corruption to reveal its applicability in our daily lives – fighting corruption is about restoring fair play for all. For it is corruption, more than anything else, that distorts the systems enshrined in a democratic order. If those of us who have a stake in the system want it to prevail against alien ideologies, we must make certain that it affords equal opportunity and fair play.

Sa payak at madaling pananalita, patas na laban para sa lahat.

Bakit ba sa ibang bansa, kapag nagkasakit ang kanilang mamamayan, hindi nila kailangang mangutang para sa pagpapagamot? Bakit sila ay pinag-aaral ng kanilang pamahalaan ng libre at maayos?

Dito sa ating bayan, kapag mahirap ka at magkasakit, bibilang ka lamang ng araw bago mamatay; at kapag may kaunti kang naipon para ilaan sa hindi inaasahang pagpapaospital, ay malamang mabaon ka pa sa utang.

Ang kasagutan ay korapsyon, katiwalian, at katakawan ng mga ganid na namumuno na tila mga palaging gising na buwayang walang kabusugan sa perang pag-aari ng mga mamamayang Pilipino na dapat sana ay maibalik sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng serbisyong sosyal tulad ng libreng edukasyon at kalusugan man lang.

I was born of humble origins. My parents never finished school. Hence their obsession to see all eight of their children finish school.  They would often forego their share of the day’s meal in pursuit of that dream.

But despite our poverty, my parents kept faith with government, and most of all, they believed in the goodness of God.  To us, they would often say: “May awa ang Diyos, makakaraos din tayo, mga anak.”

I learned from my parents that poverty is a mere accident of birth, and success is dependent on your will and abilities.

But my youth in Cavite went through better times.

Government provided basic social services, accessible to all, rich or poor.

Medical care through the public health system, where hospitals had medicines and doctors attended to all.

From primary school in my hometown in Imus, Cavite to the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City, it was the public school system that brought me where I am now; where we had enough books, enough classrooms, and our teachers were as good as those in the private schools.

We could compete.  We had equal opportunity, thanks to government.

From school or from work, one could walk to the comforts of home safe and sound. Rare were cases of rape, or killings, or robberies in band. The policeman was a person of real authority, respected by all, and feared by transgressors.

Modesty aside, when I was Chief of the PNP, I sought to return that old glory of the police that I saw and felt as I grew up, that respect and that fear of the law, and in a short 14 months that I served as the country’s police chief, we in the institution achieved that.

When basic services like health, education, peace and order can be taken for granted, for certain, by even the lowest in society, then the governors serve above self.  And that is what we ought to recapture.

Government has to weigh in, so that the poor are assured of the basic tools needed to improve their own lives, not by dole-outs, but by equal opportunity.

That is what social justice means.  And social justice is what the institutions of democracy are all about, and what democratic leaders are elected for, in pursuit of their sworn ideals of service above self.

Presidents, senators, congressmen, governors and mayors have come and gone.  Elections have only succeeded in creating great expectations, dashed by greater disappointments.  Disillusionment with the system has set in, dangerously – into a sense of hopelessness.

Public service on the part of those who were elected to serve has become a sick joke for those at the receiving end of service most selfish and governance most bad.

In its stead, we have corruption most gross – worse with each passing leadership. For public servants, elected or appointed, it has become a way of life, but for an exceptional few.  The higher the position, the bigger the cost of corruption, while those in lower positions justify their own take because their superiors have become immoderately greedy.

From kotong paid by lowly workers to policemen and traffic aides, to outright bribes given to generals and prosecutors, judges and justices to perpetuate impunity, to commissions and kickbacks given to legislators for their pork barrel, all the way to the top, for huge contracts and monopoly privileges – corruption sucks the lifeblood of our economy, and distorts the principle of equal opportunity.

Little wonder that our infrastructure is substandard, because the tong-pats corrupt the quality of materials and design.  Worse, ghost projects and ghost deliveries have spooked almost every agency of this government, or fake fertilizers with thousand-percent commissions, courtesy of Joc-joc and his bosses.

Since 2002, I have consistently declined to avail of my pork barrel allocation and have seen to it that the same P200 million is deducted from the national budget, year in, year out.

Since 2002, I have also been actively campaigning against its misuse, even encouraging my fellow legislators to do the same.

I do so for a simple reason – I choose to uphold the principles, discipline and leadership that my poor parents taught me and my siblings when we were in our formative years in my hometown in Imus, Cavite, which I observed and followed when I was in the military and police service and will continue to uphold no matter what the cost.  As my parents would often tell us, “What is right must be kept right; what is wrong must be set right.”

Transparency International ranks our country among the most corrupt. Not only is that a crying shame; it makes us a pariah in the international community. Investors are wary; capital becomes even more scarce. And the recent World Bank report blacklisting contractors due to collusion among themselves and with the powerful, is likely the last nail on the coffin of our moribund economy.

We keep asking ourselves – what must be done?

We keep thinking of new laws and new rules, new systems even, in our desire to fight corruption.

We keep thinking of new ways to entice investments, to make our economy produce more, and create more jobs for an ever-increasing population.

We keep calling for moral revolution, exhorting all in a crusade for change, forgetting that change must begin with the leaders, that good example is the most powerful agent of change.

And the first step is in choosing among us those who can lead by the power of good and selfless example, with unwavering determination to reform government, discard the politics of compromise and unseemly transaction, and instead enshrine service beyond ourselves at the cornerstone of democratic governance.

Nothing less will suffice.

Nang sa ganun, muling maging patas ang laban para sa lahat; mayaman man o mahirap. Tulad noong araw ng aking murang kabataan.

As I was about to finish writing this speech, I came across a beautiful passage on my desk calendar which I thought I should share with you. It is about change. Thus, “People can’t live with change if there’s not a changeless core inside them. The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about,  and what you value.”

Thank you and good day.

*****

Don't Hide Dumlao, Mancao from Media Upon Arrival

Concerned they may suffer the near-fate of ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., Sen. Panfilo Lacson called on authorities Wednesday not to hide former police officers Glenn Dumlao and Cezar Mancao II upon their arrival in the Philippines.

Lacson said Dumlao and Mancao, who had been linked to the Dacer-Corbito case, will be more secure with media around to cover their return to the country.

“Former Senior Superintendents Dumlao and Mancao should not be hidden from media upon arrival. I need not call to mind what nearly happened to Jun Lozada,” he said.

He was referring to Lozada’s “abduction” upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong in February last year.

Upon his arrival, a group of officials fetched Lozada and took him on a long car ride.  It was only upon media’s coverage of the disappearance that Lozada was brought to La Salle Greenhills.

Lozada would eventually go on to bare details of the $329.48-million broadband deal mess involving ZTE Corp. of China.

As for Dumlao and Mancao, Lacson voiced concern on reports that airport authorities will clamp down on media trying to cover the arrival of the two former police officers.

“I for one will want them to face the court and tell the truth. As I have said, truth will be my greatest ally, if it will be allowed to prevail in this case,” he said.

o0o

Sen. Lacson's Statement on Dacer-Corbito Innuendoes

I will not respond to innuendoes. I simply reiterate my call to those concerned to make public Mancao’s affidavit to once and for all stop all speculations regarding my supposed involvement, which I categorically deny.

Since 2001 when this administration came to power, I have been the subject of an unrelenting vilification drive. All sorts of lies have been thrown my way –hidden wealth and illegal activities among them – and eventually proven baseless. The Dacer-Corbito case is just the latest innuendo thrown at me.

There is only one reason for this smear campaign: I have been consistent and unflinching in my crusade against corruption. In many cases, the crusade against jueteng, IMPSA, Pacific Telecoms, Jose Pidal, Hello Garci, the ZTE-NBN deal, the Bolante fertilizer scam, and the World Bank corruption scandal, led to Malacañang’s doorstep.

As I did when I headed the Philippine National Police, where I fought all forms of corruption, whether in the form of kotong that victimized lowly drivers, or crime syndicates involved in illegal drugs and gambling, I will continue to fight corruption without end.

I will repeat what I have said time and again.   I can look anybody straight in the eye and say that I am not involved in the Dacer-Corbito killings.  And I will not stop fighting corruption, which has doomed generations of Filipinos to poverty.

o0o

Patas na Laban, Para sa Lahat

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson stresses a point during an anti-corruption forum at the Silliman University in Dumaguete City March 10.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson (second from right, in barong) shares a light moment with Negros Oriental Governor Emilio Macias II (middle) and Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices (right) at a lunch meeting with local business and academic leaders in Dumaguete City.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson poses for pictures with students and teachers of Silliman University in Dumaguete City, after delivering a speech on the need to fight corruption to give Filipinos a fair chance (Patas na Laban) to live productive lives.

(Speech delivered by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, March 10, 2009, during the Convocation in Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental)

I wish to thank President Ben Malayang and the rest of the officials of the school administration for making me a part of today’s convocation here in Silliman University.

While advancements have been made in our country’s educational system in the field of modern information technology, with better techniques and better equipment, we cannot close our eyes to the reality that in these benighted parts, time has stood still for more than half of our population. Sadly, even the basic components of public education never reach millions of Filipinos.

Free public education as enshrined in our Constitution and the basic components of its support mechanisms have become a grave concern in this country whose citizens now belong to the world’s poorest. And this is where social responsibility should become part of our mission and our advocacy.

As you probably know, I am a vocal supporter of reforms in our governance.

There is an obvious moral bankruptcy in our leaders and policy makers that must be addressed.

We have leaders of our anti-corruption agencies like the Ombudsman who would rather wash their hands off the World Bank mess than use the powers of their office to ensure that graft is eliminated and restore investor confidence in our country.

Also, we are once again faced with loads of information that somehow, highly placed individuals in and out of government are involved in scandals like the P728M fertilizer scam, the US$329M botched ZTE deal and many other similar anomalies involving the taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

These are notwithstanding the ongoing corruption being perpetrated by many local and national leaders.

I have to tell you that the road towards sound leadership will be bumpy and protracted at best but it will not be impossible.

Let me share with you my personal experience.

When I became Chief of the PNP, I inherited an organized system where it was practically every man for his corrupt self.

From superiors down to their subordinates, almost everyone in the organization was either perceived or actually tainted with the stench of corruption.

So I cleaned up shop, so to speak, in the only manner I know how – by leading by example. Leading by example needs a lot of personal sacrifice and resoluteness. 

For me, it is second to none.

Nothing can substitute for it if a leader wants to succeed.

My men could not cheat on their funds because they knew I was not cheating on the PNP funds. Logistics, both financial and material, were appropriately downloaded and I was properly monitoring my field commanders’ logistical management. Even the notorious “kotong” cops stopped accepting and demanding bribes from motorists on the streets and highways because they knew their Chief was not accepting bribe money from jueteng and other illegal activities. They knew I was not accepting commissions from contractors and suppliers doing business with the PNP.

Recovered carnapped motor vehicles that were otherwise misappropriated for the personal use of some policemen were immediately returned to their rightful owners.

My policemen’s waistlines stopped bulging at 34 inches.

Police generals and colonels stopped playing golf during office hours.

What the newspapers eventually reported was how corruption was at its lowest and discipline was at its highest during my term as director-general of the country’s police force.

These are success stories, but stories like these do not happen overnight.

They need principles, discipline and leadership to make them happen.

When I became Senator eight years ago, the need to uphold principles, discipline and leadership was equally clear in my mind.

There is the yearly P200M pork barrel fund, which to me is just another fancy name for corruption that once again, favors the few and victimizes millions of Filipinos who have to suffer with half-baked, even ghost projects.

Since 2002, I have consistently declined to avail of my pork barrel allocation by simply deducting P200M from the national budget. Somehow, it helps, albeit in a very insignificant way, to alleviate the huge budget deficit that has become a permanent concern in our country’s fiscal management.

Since 2002, I have also been actively campaigning against its misuse, even encouraging my fellow legislators to do the same.

Up till now, I am trying to lead by example, by demonstrating that public service is an immutable value that cannot be bought and sold like a common commodity.

And this is because I still remember the lessons from my childhood.

I once came from a family of humble means and I have experienced what it means to be poor. Yet I do not recall that said poverty stood in the way of getting an education from competent public school teachers or effective services from competent health professionals.

I am a proud product of the public school system, from grade school and high school in Imus, Cavite, to a public institution called the Philippine Military Academy, all the way to a masters degree in government management from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, again, another public school.

During those days, throughout my young, formative years, patas na laban ng mahihirap sa mayayaman sa larangan ng edukasyon at kalusugan at iba pang serbisyong publiko na ipinagkakaloob ng pamahalaan sa mga mamamayang Pilipino. Kahit mahirap ka, kapag may angking talino, kakayahan at may kasipagan, tiyak na may magandang kinabukasan na maaring asahan at tuluyang marating.

May mga doktor at dentista ang gobyerno na nagbibigay ng libreng serbisyo sa mga malalayong lugar sa kanayunan.

Wala kang madidinig na milyong pisong nakawan at katiwalian. Limang-libong pisong halaga ng kama na binili para higaan ng pangulo sa Malakanyang, katakut-takot na iskandalo na ang sinapit ni Pangulong Elpidio Quirino.

Noong araw, sa panahon ng aking murang kabataan, patas ang laban para sa lahat.

What went wrong? Bakit ngayon, sadyang napakahirap para sa mahihirap ang mabigyan ng mga payak at simpleng serbisyo ng pamahalaan?

For it is corruption, more than anything else, that distorts the idea of equal opportunity and fair play. Instead of the government’s so-called public servants providing services to the people they swear to serve each time they get elected or appointed to public office, they act and behave like masters who abuse the citizens who put them there in the first place.

Dahil sa kurakot, nawalan na ng saysay ang Patas na Laban, Para sa Lahat na dapat ay karapatan lalo na ng mga kapus-palad.

Sa panahong ito, hindi tulad noong araw, kapag ipinanganak kang mahirap, halos pangarap na lamang ang pag-angat sa antas ng pamumuhay.

Sa panahong ito, kapag naratay ka sa banig ng karamdaman, madali kang mamamatay kapag ikaw ay mahirap. At kapag ikaw ay may kaunting naitabing yaman, mabilis itong mauubos, at malamang ikaw ay mabaon pa sa utang.

Sa ibang bansa, ang lahat ng pangangailangan para sa kalusugan at edukasyon ng lahat ng kanilang mamamayan ay gobyerno ang nangangasiwa para tustusan.

Why is it so unfair to Filipinos like you and me?

Through the years, we have seen how the awesome powers of the Philippine presidency have been abused for personal interests, be it for power or influence, or wealth.

And because bad government is the root of our problems, then the solution must be found in good government.

A leader who cannot correct government has no business leading this country.

A leader who cannot correct himself has no business being called a leader.

And good government means focusing on the right priorities.

Para maging patas ang laban ng mahihirap sa mga mayayaman at makapangyarihan sa lipunan, kailangang gamitin ang kapangyarihan ng pangulo sa pagpapagalaw ng pondo ng bayan para sa wastong mga pangangailangan.

And while there are certain goals that may take time in realizing, given our scarcity of resources, there are two basic services that cannot be neglected, ever or at all – good health and good education. For all and not just for the few.

It would be criminal for a government that spends 1.415 trillion pesos a year not to be able to provide these to every single child or person.

Maibalik man lang sana sa ating mga mamamayan ang pagkakataong ibinigay sa aming walong magkakapatid na bagama’t anak-mahirap ay naiangat sa pamamagitan ng wastong kalusugan at pag-aaral na galing mismo sa pamahalaan, at nang sa gayon maging patas ang laban para sa lahat.

I may or may not become the next leader of this country. But if destiny gives me another opportunity to lead in yet another capacity, I swear to stand behind what my parents taught me – “What is right must be kept right; what is wrong must be set right.”

For now, I am making this simple call to all of you, school officials, teachers, student leaders even ordinary students participating in this convocation - Magsama-sama po tayo sa pangangalaga ng karapatan ng ating mga mamamayan laban sa ganid at mga buwayang tila walang kabusugan na naghahari sa ating pamahalaan.

As simple and ordinary citizens of this country, you may not be our masters, but definitely, we are your servants. Please bear that in mind.

In whatever capacity, let us all be leaders by example and, at the same time, let us choose leaders who will show the right example, and will therefore lead by the power of good example.

It is the only way we can build a better future for the poor and for ourselves.

Let me end my speech with an invitation to watch a short audio-visual presentation, an MTV, if you will, that depicts the essence of Patas na Laban, Para sa Lahat.

Again, thank you for listening and good morning.

*****

In Support of Equal Opportunities for All

PHOTO: Senator Panfilo M. Lacson speaks before members and officers of the Philippine Dental Association in its 2009 mid-year session held at Supreme Hotel, Baguio City last March 7. Lacson authored the Philippine Dental Act, which seeks to professionalize the industry. During the event, Lacson presented for the first time his anti-corruption advocacy music video.

(Speech by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson during the Midyear Session of the Philippine Dental Association, delivered March 7, 2009 in Baguio City)

It has been a privilege to be working with you for the passage of the Philippine Dental Act. Not only have our interactions been most pleasant; it is always nice to see so many smiling faces with pearly white teeth.

In the same breath, let me add the observation that proper dental care has become a luxury for most Filipinos, particularly the poor. But what of course is even more pathetic is that proper health care has become a luxury as well, inaccessible and unaffordable to most.

Our interaction for the passage of the Philippine Dental Act showed how cooperation between lawmakers and civil society can result in responsible legislation that benefits all.

I hope you never get tired of partnering with my office in professionalizing the industry and bringing positive change to our country.

Yet we cannot close our eyes to the reality that in these benighted parts, time has stood still for more than half of our population. While there have been extraordinary medical advancements with better techniques and better equipment, most of these advancements never reach millions of Filipinos.

Affordable health services have become a life-and-death concern in this country whose citizens now belong to the world’s poorest. And this is where social responsibility should become part of our mission and our advocacy.

As you know, I am a vocal supporter of reforms in our governance.

There is an obvious moral bankruptcy in our leaders and policy makers that must be addressed.

We have leaders of our anti-corruption agencies like the Ombudsman who would rather wash their hands off the World Bank mess than use the powers of their office to ensure that graft is eliminated and restore investor confidence in our country.

Also, we are once again faced with loads of information that somehow highly placed individuals are involved in scandals like the P728-million fertilizer scam and the ZTE deal.

These are notwithstanding the ongoing corruption being perpetrated by many local and national leaders.

I have to tell you that the road towards sound leadership will be bumpy and protracted at best but it will not be impossible.

Let me share with you my personal experience.

When I became Chief of the PNP, I inherited an organized system where it was practically every man for his corrupt self.

From superiors down to their subordinates, almost everyone in the organization was either perceived or actually tainted with the stench of corruption.

So I cleaned up shop, so to speak, in the only manner I know how – by leading by example. Leading by example needs a lot of personal sacrifice and resoluteness. It is second to none. Nothing can substitute for it if a leader wants to succeed.

My men could not cheat on their funds because they knew I was not cheating on them. Their funds were appropriately downloaded and I was properly monitoring their fund management. Even the notorious kotong cops stopped accepting or demanding bribes in the streets and highways because they knew I was not accepting bribe money from jueteng and other illegal activities. They knew I was not accepting commissions from contractors and suppliers doing business with the PNP.

Recovered carnapped motor vehicles otherwise misappropriated for the personal use of some policemen were immediately returned to their rightful owners.

My policemen’s waistlines stopped bulging at 34 inches.

Police generals and colonels stopped playing golf during office hours.

What the newspapers eventually reported was how corruption was at its lowest and discipline was at its highest during my term as Director General of the country’s police force.

These are success stores, but stories like these do not happen overnight.

They need principles, discipline and leadership to make them happen.

When I became senator eight years ago, the need to uphold principles, discipline and leadership was equally clear in my mind.

There was the pork barrel fund, just another fancy name for corruption that once again favored the few, and victimized millions of Filipinos who have to suffer with half-baked, even ghost projects.

Since 2002, I have consistently refused my pork barrel allocation and have been actively campaigning against its misuse, even encouraging my fellow legislators to do the same.

Up till now, I am trying to lead by example, by demonstrating that public service is an immutable value that cannot be bought and sold like a common commodity.

And this is because I still remember the lessons from my childhood.

I once came from a family of humble means and I have experienced what it means to be poor. Yet I do not recall that said poverty stood in the way of getting an education from competent public school teachers or effective services from competent health professionals. I am the product of the public school system, from grade school and high school in Imus, Cavite, to a public institution called the Philippine Military Academy, all the way to a masteral degree in government management from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, again another public school.

Noong araw, during my young formative years, patas ang laban ng mahihirap sa mayayaman sa larangan ng edukasyon at kalusugan. Kahit mahirap ka, kapag may angking talino, may kasipagan, tiyak na may magandang kinabukasan na maaring asahan.

May mga duktor at dentista ang gobyerno na nagbibigay ng libreng serbisyo sa mga bayan-bayan at mga baryo.

Bihirang marinig ang milyong pisong nakawan at katiwalian. Limang libong pisong kama na binili para higaan ng pangulo, katakut-takot na iskandalo na ang sinapit ni Pangulong Elpidio Quirino.

Noong araw, sa panahon ng aking kabataan, patas ang laban para sa lahat.

What went wrong? Bakit ngayon, napakahirap na para sa mahihirap ang mabigyan ng mga basic services ng pamahalaan?

In many speeches and messages, I have singled out government corruption as the main obstacle in restoring fair play to all.

For it is corruption, more than anything else, that distorts the idea of equal opportunity and fair play.

Dahil sa kurakot, nawalan na ng saysay ang Patas na Laban, Para sa Lahat na dapat ay karapatan lalo na ng kapus-palad.

Sa panahong ito, kapag ipinanganak kang mahirap, halos pangarap na lamang ang pag-angat sa antas ng pamumuhay.

Through the years we have seen how the awesome powers of the Philippine presidency have been abused for personal interests, be it for power or influence.

And because bad government is the root of our problems, then the solution must be found in good government.

And good government means focusing on the right priorities.

Para maging patas ang laban ng mahihirap nararapat lamang gamitin ang kapangyarihan ng pangulo sa pagpapagalaw ng pondo ng bayan para sa wastong mga pangangailangan.

And while there are certain goals that may take time in realizing, given our scarcity of resources, there are two basic services that cannot be neglected, ever or at all. Good health and good education. For all, and not for a few.

It would be criminal for a government that spends P1.415 trillion a year not to be able to provide these to every single child or person.

Maibalik man lang sana sa ating mga mamamayan ang pagkakataong ibinigay sa aming walong magkakapatid na bagama’t anak mahirap ay naiangat sa pamamagitan ng wastong kalusugan at pag-aaral na galing mismo sa pamahalaan, at nang sa gayon maging patas ang laban para sa lahat.

I may or may not become the leader of this country. But if destiny gives me another opportunity to lead in yet another capacity, I swear to stand behind what my parents taught me: What is right must be kept right, what is wrong must be set right.

For now, I am making this simple call to all of you. Magsama-sama na tayo sa pangangalanga ng karapatan ng ating mga mamamayan laban sa ganid ng illan sa pamahalaan.

Let us be leaders by example. And let us choose leaders who have shown the right example, and will therefore lead by the power of good example.

It is the only way we can build a better future for our poor and for ourselves.

Again, thank you for listening and good afternoon.

I would like to end this keynote speech with an invitation to watch an audio-visual presentation that portrays the essence of Patas na Laban Para sa Lahat.

*****

Senator Lacson at Work in Cebu

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia share a light moment during the senator's visit to Cebu last February. In Cebu, Lacson presided over a consultative hearing of the Senate Ways and Means Committee on the proposed Valuation Reform Act, attended by representatives of local government units.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson presided over a consultative hearing of the Senate Ways and Means Committee on the proposed Valuation Reform Act last February. Representatives of local government units and government agencies concerned attended the hearing.

Lacson: Accusers Barking Up Wrong Tree

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson scored Thursday insinuations of “command responsibility” and “obstruction of justice” in supposedly helping former Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II hide from authorities in connection with the Dacer-Corbito case.

Lacson took exception to claims that he is responsible for Mancao and the other accused who were linked to the case because he was their commanding officer at the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.

“It is wrong to claim that I am liable because of command responsibility. In the first place, I resigned from the PNP and the PAOCTF was dissolved shortly after EDSA-2 in January 2001, while these officers were still in the service when they left the country,” he said.

He also brushed aside allusions of obstruction of justice, supposedly because he knew of Mancao’s whereabouts in September last year but did not do anything.

Lacson said that as early as 2005, the United States government Federal Bureau of Investigation already knew where Mancao was because of a material witness warrant served on him, in connection with the charges filed against Michael Ray Aquino.

As such, he said the Philippine government through the Department of Justice was also aware of Mancao’s whereabouts.

“At the time I talked to him (Mancao), he was a free man and he was telling me about the pressure he faced. So what obstruction of justice are they talking about?  If he fled from the Philippines, it is because he lost trust in the Philippine justice system.  We have a double-standard justice system.  If you are close to Malacañang, you can get away with billions.  If you are seen as a threat, you face trumped-up charges,” he added.

On the other hand, Lacson branded as baseless claims that Mancao’s so-called affidavit would point to him as the mastermind of the Dacer-Corbito case.

“If that is indeed the case, they might as well make the document public so we will know who was really behind the disappearance of Dacer and Corbito,” he said.

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