By Atty. Howie M. Calleja
As the blank canvass of the New Year opens a limitless possibility of what “picture” we want to see for our country, I personally appeal that we use this opportunity to usher in a new sense of hope through genuine change propelled by SPEAKING, STANDING and SELECTING.
We need to actively take part in making sure that 2022 would be the year that we bring about transformative change vis-à-vis the traditional politics of political dynasties and cronyism. We need to regain our misguided democracy which has plundered our poor country and reduced our compatriots into the “object” and not the “subject” of public governance and administration. We need to embark on a new beginning which empowers once again the majority of our population to reclaim a sense of hope and pride that we will bounce back from this Health Crisis and deeply entrenched corruption.
HOW CAN WE USHER IN THIS CHANGE? First, we need to SPEAK. We need our voices to be heard and we need to do it in the “spirit of truth”. Our silence will only help propagate the duplicity and lies; and our silence will “kill” the truth and freedom we hold dear. We should SPEAK even when the avalanche of “fake news” makes our voice unpopular. Truth is Truth, and through this, we will all be set free. Welcome to the world of “alternative facts”. It is a mystifying labyrinth of claim and counterclaim, where ruses spread with frightening speed on social media and spark angry repercussions from people who take what they read at face value. We need to join in this social dialogue lest we allow such lies to overshadow the truth.
Secondly, we STAND. The world definitely needs brave “gutsy advocates” — now more so than ever. It can be a tough and sometimes painful role to fill. Proudly wear and display our PINK Movement wherever you go. We know that staying in our convenient little shell doing our own thing is easy but you have the power to change things for the better when you allow yourself to break out of your comfort zone and stand up for what you believe in. You’ll build respect for yourself, gain confidence, and discover who you really are. Stand up and express your dreams for genuine beginnings and true governance. Stand up and embrace what is good and beneficial to all. Stand up and protect our motherland. We have a nation and our next generations to protect and fight for.
And finally, we SELECT. We need to vote for the candidate we know who can bring the genuine change we desire for. But let me add that we don’t just march to the polls and BE COUNTED. We need to create the MAGNITUDE for the vote we will cast by MULTIPLYING and GUARDING our votes. We need to create a “social pandemic” that would create a tipping point for our PINK Movement, and we must prepare to join in vigilance that our votes will be counted and tallied towards the victory we desire and deserve. When someone commits voter fraud, the process is no longer fair, everyone’s vote gets diluted, and in some cases, election results are changed. We need to make sure that those we SELECT gets properly elected.
All our anxieties and doubts for 2022 must be directed towards the positive prospect this New Year brings. Instead of fretting over the numerous political and economic predictions we can never fully control, we should start taking charge of own political and economic future by making sure that we elect worthy men and women in the 2022 Polls. Our nebulous foresight of this country’s future is only as vague as we would allow it to be. Unless we SPEAK, STAND, and SELECT we will never see the new Philippines we deserve. We will only allow the dark Cloud of Corruption to hover above our motherland. We need to SPEAK not for ourselves but for those whose voices are not heard. We STAND for those whose rights are not respected and seen. And we SELECT not for personal gain but for our children and the next generations of Filipinos to come.
