Press Release
October 7, 2008

Next president should have competence, integrity and reliability--Gordon

The next president should be able to offer to the Filipino electorate a proven track record of competence, enjoy integrity and can be relied upon during times of national crisis, Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today said.

More than having the money and the political party's machinery, Gordon said a presidential candidate, or any candidate for national or local post, should possess the right qualities of a strong leader to improve the country and the citizenry.

"The next president of this nation should possess the traits of a strong and competent leader to be able to put to the front burner the need to uplift our people from their suffering and to provide them with the dignity that they deserve," he said.

"The people should choose a leader that has the right qualifications, an unsullied track record of performance, a national vision, and someone who is least tainted by corruption or by the influence of the powerful," he added.

Gordon has remained open to clamor for him by some sectors to seek the presidency come the May 2010 elections. He, however, has yet to make his decision final as he prefers to focus his efforts on his works in the Senate.

He has been strongly pushing for the rehabilitation and acceleration of the country's education and health care system, the promotion of tourism that would create jobs in the countryside, and the institution of political reforms, foremost of which is the full automation of the country's electoral exercise.

Concurrently, Gordon is the chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), which he had led to modernization, transforming it into an institution that is not only limited to providing blood and responding to disaster-related incidents, but also offering volunteer, social, community health and nursing, and safety services.

Recently, the PNRC has acquired new equipment such as ambulances, rubber boats and fire trucks, which allow Red Cross volunteers to respond quickly to more victims of disasters and calamities.

Gordon said it is unfortunate that most people look up to politicians who have money and political power when what they really have to focus on are the good and productive things that a candidate has done to improve the country.

He explained that the Filipino voters should now be smarter in choosing the country's next president by looking deeper into the track record of the candidates and see what they have consistently done in their communities that has made a real difference in the lives of ordinary people that they serve.

"We should not be talking about party and money. Those are foolish things that we should not even debate on. What we should debate on is the issue of who is the most qualified to be the next president of this nation," Gordon said.

"Our country needs a leader and not just a political figure. We need a president who knows not only what the country needs, but also what should be prioritized among those needs and how each necessity should be addressed," he added.

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