Villar: Choose president based on competence, managerial ability

In an obvious snipe at his prospective rivals, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. on Friday urged Filipinos to choose their next president based not just on popularity but on competence and managerial ability. Speaking at the national convention of public attorneys at the Manila Hotel, he said having good intentions alone is not enough qualification to lead a country that has plenty of problems to deal with. “Karanasan sa pamamahala, hindi lang malinis na intensyon ang kailangan natin (Experience in governance, not just good intentions, is what this nation needs)" he said. Asked who he was alluding to, Villar begged off from naming names, but added that those claiming to pursue change in the country should ask themselves whether they have “done anything radical" in their lives. Villar says he’s the most qualified among presidential aspirants, both as an administrator and a legislator. “Nasubukan ko na ang lahat. Naging Speaker na ako sa House (of Representatives), naging Senate President na ako, naging leader na ako ng mga pribadong kumpanya (I’ve tried everything. I have been a Speaker of the House of Representatives, a Senate President and a leader of a private company)," he said. He said he learned to run a business from childhood. Learning the tricks of the trade as a helper at the small shop of his parents in Divisoria, Manila, he went on to become a successful real estate developer and one of the richest Filipinos. “Pag naman hindi mo pa gusto ang liderato ko hindi ko na naabot ang standard mo, masyadong mataas ang standard nyo. Wala na akong pwedeng pamahalaan pa kasi (If, despite my experience, you still don’t like my leadership, then your standard is too high)," he said. Villar has said he is ready to run for the presidency in the May 2010 polls under the banner of the Nacionalista Party, the country’s oldest but moribund party, that he had been quietly rebuilding. Among his sure rivals is Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III, who was named last month by the Liberal Party (LP) as its standard bearer after Sen. Manuel “Mar"Roxas, the party president, abandoned his bid apparently due to his unimpressive survey ratings. Roxas has agreed to be the running mate of Aquino, who is currently benefitting from the popularity of his parents, the martyred former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon C. Aquino, who died on August 1 after more than a year of battling colon cancer. Another sure candidate is Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who was overwhelming chosen as standard bearer of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Although the choice has yet to be affirmed by a national convention, his selection is said to be as good as “done." Another presidential aspirant is Sen. Francis Escudero, who is reportedly being eyed by the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) of business tycoon Eduardo “Danding" Cojuangco as its standard bearer. As chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Teodoro is currently having his “on-the-job-training" in dealing with the disaster brought by storm “Ondoy" recently on Metro Manila and nearby provinces. But to Villar, solving the country's problems such as the huge budget deficit, debts, overpopulation, massive unemployment, among others, is a big challenge that only those with enough experience can tackle. “Hindi dapat on-the-job training (The presidency is not an on-the-job-training affair). We have no time to lose," he asaid. Creative solutions Villar said managerial expertise is a better basis for choosing the next leader of the country. "A good leader must not simply tell people what is wrong, but must understand the needs of the people," he said. “There is a difference between empathy and pity — most people cannot even determine one from the other. Creative but efficient measures must be executed to alleviate poverty in the Philippines," he said. Villar said he is no stranger to extreme poverty, having seen and experienced it first hand as a boy who grew up in Tondo. “Poverty affects people differently. Many take it as a challenge to do better in life. Others, mired in extreme poverty, are pushed to commit crimes in order to survive or fall prey to bad elements who manipulate them because they are poor," he said. “Unfortunately, many of our poor people languish in jail simply because they are poor, unable to afford the service of lawyers. This is an injustice that any society cannot possibly allow to persist," he said. He cited statistic about rampant poverty in the country. According to the National Statistical and Coordination Board, poverty increased to 33% of the population in 2006 or equivalent to over 29 million Filipinos who live below the poverty line. A survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) in July 2009, also found that 50% of Filipino families (or more than 9 million Filipinos) have experienced hunger. He acknowledged the "heroic work" public attorneys perform for the country particularly in strengthening the people’s faith in the justice system, despite being saddled with myriad problems such as meager budgetary allocation, fast turnover of lawyers, heavy workload, and lack of attractive retirement benefits. “Providing competent, free legal assistance to our poor people you are helping in efforts to reform our justice system by making it accessible to our poor people," Villar said in his speech. - GMANews.TV