On November 29, 2009, I accepted the nomination of Bangon Pilipinas Party as candidate for Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines. I will be the running mate of former evangelist, Brother Eddie C. Villanueva, who is the party’s nominee for President.
The nomination was a complete surprise for me, considering that I was also recommended by well-meaning friends to run under three other traditional political parties of the country that could enhance my chances of winning as Senator.
It is not easy for one who considers a government office as a public trust that requires competence, moral courage and a singular purpose of selflessly serving the people, to decide to seek public office. The standards for national leadership are high and must be taken very seriously by everyone.
To be in public service is to face formidable adversaries much bigger than one’s strength because it is dominated by many vested interests that every effort at reform is met with obtrusive defiance and calloused resistance. It is like being thrown into a den of ferocious beasts where one will never survive, unless he has the moral courage, and yet the humility to puts his trust in God.
As I see it, there are two fundamental problems that have perennially resulted in the long sufferings of our people. The first is systemic corruption and dishonesty in government that has stunted our economic growth and engendered widespread inequalities. The second is lawlessness and violence stemming from the failure of government to address the years of social injustices and oppression endured by our marginalized brothers and sisters. Sadly, their resort to desperate illegal measures have been encouraged and justified by the blatant acts of the highest officials who have clung to power through deceit and the disregard for the rule of law.
It took me several weeks of prayer, asking God for guidance and strength before I could accept the nomination. I feel strongly that he has led me to Bangon Pilipinas and this is affirmed by friends who also prayed for my deliverance and who were simply awed and blessed by what God revealed to them.
Being with Bangon Pilipinas is running under a non-traditional political party committed to make a difference for change in the belief that deserving candidates for public office will win because of the people’s trust and not through a fraudulent and devastating electoral tradition that has undermined our democratic institutions and has given our nation the image of being the “sick man of Asia” and the reputation of being one of the most corrupt in the world.
I will be competing with traditional politicians backed up by powerful political parties with the organization and machinery to launch campaigns under the rotten electoral process that must be changed. They come from rich and influential families or are have already become prominent and permanent names in the political arena. This gives them an awesome advantage and makes my successful bid extremely difficult. Some of them were my allies when I stood up for truth and righteousness during the presidential impeachment trial. But more than adherence to what was morally right I believe they only did what was politically expedient at the time, as shown by their words and actions.
However, I know I will be making a big difference because, unlike them, I come from a very modest family, my father being a pastor and my mother a public school teacher. Despite the fact that my parents were poor, they taught their children the value of honest and hard work. We were trained not merely to survive, but to live and serve with honor and dignity. I learned from them immutable lessons in life, and to make choices on the basis of what is right and not on what is advantageous or practical. Above all, from them I have learned that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom.
Coming from a poor family has made me understand the problems and needs of the underprivileged masses for whose hopes and burdens I share; as a product of our inadequately funded public school system I appreciate the urgent need to invest much more of the nation’s wealth and resources towards the education of our youth, rather than to waste them needlessly in election campaigns or divert them through the pockets of corrupt public officials. I also believe in the urgency of addressing the fundamental inequalities in our socio-economic and agrarian environment with the view of democratizing wealth and broadening the opportunities for wealth creation amongst our people.
I realize that the real change this country need, must start with the right foot. This means that all those who aspire for public office must, above all, be morally strong and upright. They must not be part or encourage a destructive electoral process that requires enormous and unreasonable sums of money for one to be elected; where if elected either by their own resources, or through the contributions of interest groups, will be forced to recover these amounts while in office and thus promote an endless system where the rich become richer and the poor, poorer.
It is for this reason that I feel God has led me to Bangon Pilipinas because it is the political party that offers the people the best alternative for real change that they can hope for in leaders who will be true to their words and commitment to serve than those provided by traditional politicians who have retained power through deception and empty promises.
Perfecto Jun Yasay Jr
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