KIKO PANGILINAN ON SP RACE: LET'S TALK ABOUT WHO'S GOT THE VISION, NOT JUST NUMBERS

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan today says that the SP race should not just be about who can get the numbers, saying "more importantly, we must raise the level of the contest to a vision for the nation and solutions to the decades old ills of the country."

"While numbers are essential in a democracy where majority rules, and is thus necessary in the race for the Senate Presidency, it should not simply be about who can get the numbers, but more so about the brand of leadership necessary to bring our nation towards a new direction."

"Our leaders must be bold and daring for us to be able to provide real reforms for the nation. We cannot hope to solve the country's decades old problems by using the old tired formulas and worn out solutions. We need to do things differently. Insanity, it has been said, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting result each time. We cannot hope to see the change we seek by employing the old ways. Our leaders must be willing to experiment and to take risks. We need creativity, energy, and dynamism in our approach to ensuring reforms are initiated and completed."

Pangilinan, who was student leader and activist in the early 80's, says the same issues he marched against then continue to hound the nation today. "As we read the papers today, the issues by and large remain the same: Poverty, corruption, economic backwardness. Clearly our leaders collectively have failed to lift the quality of life of our people. What they did was not enough, and so our leaders need to strive in earnest to find the ways that will work."

"Our nation cannot afford another six years of bad governance. Unless we change the direction of the nation, we will fall off the cliff, so to speak, and descend into anarchy and chaos. We do not have the luxury of time."

"To achieve economic prosperity, we must begin to hit 8 percent GDP growth annually for at least a decade or so. To do this, we must focus initially on the following economic engine drivers with relentlessness and zeal: agricultural and fisheries modernization, rapid infrastructure development, tourism and education. We must find a way to end armed conflict. We must reshape our nation through effective public leadership and active citizenship."

"These are the challenges to the next Senate and the next Senate President."

TAGALOG:

"Bagaman numero o dami ng boto ng senador and kinakailangan upang maging Senate President, ang humahangad dito ay dapat dalhin din ang nasabing usapin sa kung paano ba lalagpasan ng mga lider ng bansa ang malulubhang problema tulad ng katiwalian, kahirapan at hanapbuhay at trabaho. Ano ba ang dapat maging prioridad ng mga namumuno? Saan ba natin nais dalhin ang Pilipinas. Ito ang dapat din talakayin sa napipintong eleksyon ng susunod na Senate President.

"Paano natin susugpuin ang katiwalian at kriminalidad? Paano pasisiglahin ang ekonomiya? Paano natin patataasin ang kita ng mga magsasaka? Paano dadami ang trabaho dito sa bansa? Paano palalakasin pa ang industriya ng agrikultura at turismo? Ito ang dapat natin bigyang halaga para guminhawa na ang buhay ng mas nakararami sa ating bansa. Dito lamang magkakaroon ng saysay ang eleksyon ng susunod na Senate President."