Hoping for a Beacon

Perhaps one of the most complicated words in the English language is this: politics. Though the textbook definition may be simple, the true meaning is not.

I am no authority when it comes to political matters. As a matter of fact, "Apathe-politic" was once my middle name. But now, in my mid-twenties, I'm beginning to see that politics may not a failed attempt at civilization after all. Despite our terrible track record of electing incompetent officials to run our government - our cause, I believe, is not all lost. The reason for my 180 reaction to local politics can be attributed to one man: Gibo Teodoro.

I would like to preempt this with a warning. If you're reading this, and have already decided on a candidate besides Gilbert Teodoro, you can stop reading now. If, like me, you have decided that he is the best man for the job, please continue. And if you have yet to decide who to vote for in the upcoming May 2010 elections, then please allow me to shed a little insight.

You may now know that he is the former Secretary of Defense, a former Congressman, a licensed commercial pilot, a bar top-notcher and a Harvard graduate, among others. But last year, when he was chosen by a majority involved to be the Standard Bearer for Lakas-Kampi-CMD, most people responded with: "Who?"

So, let the shedding begin.

Where he's been.

First off, a background. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is the only child of Gilberto Sr., the late Social Security Administrator under the Marcos regime and Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro, former member of Batasang Pambansa. Yes, his father was a Marcos man, and yes, his mother is a Cojuangco. In true Cojuangco-Teodoro form, he followed in his parents' footsteps when he was barely out of high school, first as President of the Kabataang Barangay for Tarlac and as a long-time member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Tarlac.

In case you were wondering, he did belong to that other side of the political fence during the People's Power Revolution; mainly, not his cousin's.

He studied in Xavier School for elementary and high school, finished with a degree in BA-Commerce from De La Salle University, finished with a degree in Law Studies at UP Diliman (with the Dean's medal for academic excellence), topped the Bar Exams in the same year, worked for the Estelito Mendoza Law Firm, finished his Master of Laws in Harvard Law School and was admitted to the State Bar of New York.

Impressive, yes. But many of our aspiring candidates are also well educated. Maybe not as extensively as he was, but I think education should not be the primary basis for electing a future President. Which leads me to my next point.

What he's done.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, he had a promisingly enriching career ahead of him as a top-notch lawyer, whether in the Philippines or in the United States. But what did he do? 2 words: Public Service.

By his own merits, he was elected into Congress as the Representative for the 1st District of Tarlac, the very same province he began his early political years in. After 3 consecutive terms in office - the maximum number allowed by the Philippine constitutution, mind you - he turned over the baton to his lovely wife, Rep. Monica Prieto-Teodoro.

During his stint in Congress, he, along with now Senators Chiz Escudero and Allan Cayetano, were dubbed "The Bright Boys of Congress" of which he was the unofficial leader.

In 2007, after 9 productive years in Congress, he assumed the position of Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, under the PGMA administration. He is the youngest official in Philippine history to take that seat, being only 42 years old at the time.

That is the main reason why he will not renounce his ties with PGMA, saying that she gave a 42-year old "kid" his big break. It's called gratitude, and should not be confused with servitude.

In this position, he was faced with a "helluvalot" of disasters, crises and criticisms; the more recent being the Ketsana/Ondoy and Ampatuan nightmares. Yes, I agree that the inadequate response to these devastating events took place under his leadership as head of the National Defense and Disaster Coordinating Council. I agree that he should have been ahead, that he should have seen it coming and that he should have forewarned us all. But do you agree with me then, when I say he's only human?

Yes, he knew there were private armies being raised up in Maguindanao, but did he have the resources to send large troops over there to ensure peace and order?

Yes, he knew we needed the famous rubber boats and approved the request to purchase these, but did anyone expect a whole month's worth of rainfall to beat down on us in less than 24 hours?

To be clear, I am not justifying that he did nothing wrong. These tragic events took place while he was in office, and I agree that he then, should be responsible. However, I do not believe that a nation's response to disasters of this calibre should rest solely on one man. Yes, he was the head, therefore, he was in charge. But a nation is not comprised of a few people in office. A nation is comprised of its citizens first, and its elected people in office, next. In times of extreme crisis, the country as a whole should act upon it, and not rely solely on those "in charge". These people are there to lead, not to save. We have only one Savior, and he did his job 2000 years ago.

Going back, after a little under 3 years into the position wherein, once again, he was faced with a "helluvalot" of disasters, crises and criticisms; he prematurely resigned from the post, announced his intention to run for President and was chosen by a majority involved to be the Standard Bearer for Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

And now, my last point.

Where he's going.

I am fortunate to have been able to witness several times a first-hand account of Gibo's platform and vision for the Philippines. While I agree with people who might say that is probably why I may be biased, that is also the reason why he has changed my point of view towards national politics.

To me, the summary of his platform is this: to make the Philippines a more globally competitive country. But apart from the "what", his focus is mainly directed towards the "how".

It really is a shame that we have fallen so drastically behind other countries, specifically, South East Asian countries. We are the only fully democratic country in our region and yet we are one of the, if not the, least innovative and progressive countries as of today. This is something he has stressed over and over in many talks and forums.

His proposals, solutions and strategies can be summed up in one word: doable. Watch any of the numerous debates and Presidential forums aired (or hogged) on ANC and you will see that his answers are the clearest and most concise by far.

The basis of his platform is the establishment of long term infrastructure plans and reforms for existing policies and programs; especially in the areas of education, agriculture, public health, national defense and tourism. But apart from these areas of government that desperately need improvement, he has also touched on other pressing issues that we as citizens are personally concerned with. Even with the age-old controversial topic of Graft and Corruption, his solution is plain and simple: reward good behavior.

It's no secret that a large majority of his volunteers and supporters are found in the Youth Demographic, which is between the ages of 18-35. In addition, an estimated 53% of registered voters in the upcoming May elections are members of this demographic, a lot of which are first-time voters.

So, why is the youth so fired up for him to take on the Presidency? A number of reasons have been given. Several students in the campus tours he had attended say that it's because they believe in his platform, some say that it's because he is "matalino" and "magaling", some say that it's because of his integrity while some are impressed with his answers in the forums they've attended, or watched on TV. While all of these are valid, I think there is an underlying reason behind all these reasons and that is because the youth vote is a thinking vote, and not an emotional vote.

Though I greatly respect and deeply admire what the Aquinos have done for the country and for us, the people, we (the youth) weren't there during the People's Power Revolution in 1986, so we didn't feel the blood, sweat and tears our parents and grandparents had shed to overthrow a tyrant. We were not yet of voting age when the current administration was elected and therefore, were not entirely aware of the shortcomings and abuse of power that went on.

And because of that, we generally do not have a bias towards him, nor against him. As the youth of the nation, we have chosen to focus our attention not on what had happened in the past, but on what can happen in the future.

I believe it's time for a new breed of politics.

And I believe it's time for a new breed of voters to make it happen.