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Emmanuel Maala
First of all, if ever you will read this, please do not fire your guns to me for the reason
that I hated you so much due to your unrefined character and personality—to which I
think made you unfit to run the highest position in the Philippines.
#ChangeIsComing
Probably, the Filipinos are already too desperate to have a radical change in this
someone (and they saw it on you) will break the chains of our oppressed citizens due to
But true to say, with all the blemishes that you showed off to the Filipinos, including
the issue of the rape, catcalling, numerous cussing that you are not afraid to utter even
on cameras, and many others, I did not know why Filipinos were still blinded with that
belief that you were capable of changing the Philippines—if this change, I think, will just
Yes, I admitted. My vote was not really for you. But, I had my multiple second
thoughts so I always asked those who supported you. And this always boiled down to
one answer, “Kailangan na natin ng pagbabago”. But every time I had my follow-up
how are you going to rule this country with the right implementation of the law and not
with the few men only. I also did not understand why other presidential candidates are
less preferred despite their merits and capabilities of holding the government.
But despite all of these, there you have it. You had already sworn into office as the
16th President of the Philippines. And upon hearing your inaugural address, there was
this light in me, and with the Filipinos for sure, that you are bringing a new hope,
significance unless he has the support and cooperation of the people he is tasked to
This hit me right through the core. I realized that we should be united in any form to
achieve the real change. And I remember that saying of the elders that when a broom
starts to unravel its sticks, it will eventually fall into pieces and will not function well. Just
like the Filipinos, if we will still be disunited in any form, nothing will happen.
And in fairness to you honorable president, even though you are just on your first
week on the seat, never did you disappoint those who voted you because you are really
serious of eliminating drugs, executing laws and orders, and many others.
Good thing is that many of the drug pushers are already surrendering since they are
afraid of the consequences that you might hand down together with PNP Director
General Ronald dela Rosa—depicting a rising land from the sludge of yesterday.
A new administration is also coming as you appointed Honorable Vice President Leni
Robredo as the chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
(HUDCC)—showing that there are no more division between the two of the highest
Passing your first Executive Order (EO) entitled “Reengineering the Office of the
Information Law (FoI) as an executive order is something historical—as this will restore
I hope that you continue your goal of sweeping the Philippines. I also hope that you
will never give up in leading the revolution in the Philippines despite our hard headed
Who would have thought that from a humble congresswoman of the city of Naga and
the one who has the slimmest experience among the Vice Presidential candidates in the
2016 election, a simple housewife of the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, a mother
to three children, a woman, claimed the victory as the 14th Vice President of the
You proved it, Vice President Leni Robredo. Despite your low rankings and
percentages in the early release of the survey for the Vice Presidential candidates, the
only candidate who was not a senator and the only woman, your hardwork and your
And although you had a small margin with your closest challenger Senator
Bongbong Marcos and all the issues and accusations that they threw at you, never were
you disheartened even if you were just a second choice of the Liberal Party—you swiftly
swept all of those adversities attesting that the last man standing is a woman.
Frankly, before, you were not part of my choices in the Vice Presidentiables thinking
“Who are you?” to run the VP race if your name just came up after Sec. Jesse died in a
plane crash. But being a graduate of the School of Economics in University of the
Philippines-Diliman in 1986, a lawyer for 20 years, and a social activist, maybe it was
not appalling for you to assume the VP seat since you met the qualifications of the
Also, after watching your story in a drama anthology of ABS-CBN, seeing the people
of Naga pleading you to run as a representative of the third district of Camarines Sur, I
somewhat realized that maybe the Robredos are really an exemplar in public service,
good governance and modesty. In fact, seeing your humbleness when you are just
riding a train and a public utility bus from Manila to CamSur after Congress is an
And Nagueṅos were never disappointed since you became the vice chairman of the
and member of 11 other house panels. Your priority as a congresswoman also focused
on economics and poverty reduction paving way for Full Disclosure Policy Bill (House
Bill 19) and People Empowerment Bill (HB 4911), sponsoring the Open Door Policy Act
(HB 6286), having your own version of the Freedom of Information Bill (HB 3237) and
many others that did not benefitted only the citizens of Naga but as well as to the whle
country.
Probably, you won the hearts of the Filipinos because you shared your stories—
humbling yourself, down to earth, and telling how you became a mother and at the
Although at first, you were not appointed by Digong to any position, but upon
assigning you as the chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating
Council (HUDCC), I just hope that you will do your full responsibility with your
Since you are also keen in empowering the poor and civil society groups, opening
spaces of the government for citizens’ participation like the farmers, pushing zero
hunger and ‘no to contractualization’ policy, I am looking forward that you can do all of
the Filipinos.
But of course, I know that you will pour down all of your strengths and abilities to
show to the Filipinos that you are worth voting and electing for, still, please do not tire
yourself too much and I hope that you make your schedule having quality bonding and
Yes, the Filipinos need you but your children also need a motherly care and love.