Why Run for Senate?

As a human rights lawyer who has practiced for more than 30 years, both here in the Philippines and in America, I have seen many cases where grave injustices were done to people because they could not afford to ‘buy’ justice.

I say ‘buy’ because in this corrupt system, kahit na ba ikaw ay nasa tama, pwede ka pa ring matalo, o mas malala’y mamultahan o makasuhan. Yung mga may kaya kung kaya’t nabibili nila ang ‘hustisya’ ay nakalalaya o nababawasan ang kanilang nararapat na parusa at/o multa.  Tingnan mo lang ang mga balita sa mga pahayagan at TV, hindi ba’t lantaran na ang ganitong huwad na hustisya?

Isa siguro sa mga pinakamalalang ehemplo ng pagkukulang nating ng sapat na hustisya ay kung gaano kaliit ng halaga ng buhay ng tao ayon sa ating mga batas. Ang minimum value ng wrongful death damages sa ating bansa ay PhP 50,000 (Fifty thousand pesos) lamang, sosobra lang ng isang libong dolyar . (Ang iba nga dyan ay gumagastos ng mas higit pa doon para sa mga party at kung anu-ano pang panlibang.)

What does it say about our laws when, say for example, a bus driver accidentally hits a pedestrian on the road and then goes back to make sure they don’t survive? The gross and morbid thought behind this action is: Mas mura pang magbayad ng ‘wrongful death damages’ kaysa bayaran ang pang-ospital, gamot at iba pang danyos sa biktima.

And when human life is seen with so little value, it becomes much easier for wrongdoers to commit acts that will endanger the lives of others.

When did we start regarding human life so cheaply?

A great thing about our culture is that regardless of where you come from, everyone is a valued guest. Our worldwide fame for tourism and hospitality attests to that. Why is it then, when it comes to giving value to a human life, our laws do not reflect the same?

I run – not out of ambition – but out of conviction. Binigyan ako ng pagkakataon na tumakbo para sa senado upang makagawa ng positibong pagbabago sa ating mga batas at sa pamamaraan na kung paano ang mga batas na ito’y magpapalakad sa ating lipunan.

My extensive experience as a lawyer defending human rights (my most prominently public case being in the NBN-ZTE case as lead counsel for whistleblower Rofolfo ‘Jun’ Lozada), has allowed me to see where our laws and legislation fall short in protecting human rights and ensuring quality of life for the common Filipino.

I understand the legislative process and the political exercises behind them. Dadalhin ko ang kaalaman na ito, iwan ang ugaling ‘trapo’. Maglalathala tayo ng mga batas na may saysay at silbi; batas na paniniguruhin na kahit ang pinakamahirap sa ati’y di mangangailangan maglabas ni isang kusing para bumili ng hustisya.

On my own, I would not be able to run for the Senate. I am in this race with the support of my party, Bangon Pilipinas (with our standard bearer Bro. Eddie Villanueva, VP candidate Jun “Kidlat” Yasay and my 6 senatorial co-candidates ).

All of us in Bangon Pilipinas have committed to run a clean campaign free of political favors and back scratching. Should the Lord see fit to have me elected, I can assure you I will have no political favors to return that may cause me to forget my commitments I’ve made in this campaign.

In this campaign, I commit to 5 items as my legislative agenda. I will explain each one in greater detail in the posts I will make in this blog.

Anim na Taong Walang Kurapsyon –

Pilipinas ay Muling Babangon.