Sunday, April 7, 2013

Mitos Magsaysay: Views and Ideals


"The joke in some circles is that, since Sen Miriam Defensor Santiago is ending her term this year, somebody as feisty as she should be elected to keep the Senate debates interesting, if not colorful. And so Mitos Magsaysay should be there." - Rappler


On Democracy and Opposition
- "For democracy to thrive in this country, you have to have a very vibrant opposition."
- "Kung lahat po kami tikom ang bibig, kung lahat po kami takot sa administrasyon, ano po ang mangyayari sa ating lahat dito kung wala pong magpoprovide ng necessary check and balance?"
- "Being in the opposition doesn't mean kalaban ka ng administrasiyon. Being in the opposition means that you will give the alternative voice that the administration has to hear so that they will be able to correct whatever wrong policies and programs that are being implemented para lalong maging maganda ang mga programa at serbisyong binibigay namin sa taong bayan."
- Fighting for her constituents, she said with a loud voice, "My constituents have every right to have that pork barrel (Priority Development Assistance Fund) because they are also paying taxes just like you here in Manila. And they deserve to have that kind of service coming from the government."

On the Sabah issue
- "Sino ba ang dapat kampihan ng Aquino administration? Ang mga Malaysians po ba o ang mga Pilipino? Bakit hinayaan nilang mamatay 'yung sampung Pilipino noong isang araw? Habang nangangampanya po sa Pampanga ang Team PNoy, nandoon 'yung pangulo natin, kasama sila! Mamili siya: campaign manager ba siya o Presidente ng Pilipinas?"
- "Aren't we suppose to protect our own citizenry? Hindi po ba nakasaad iyan sa Konstitusiyon na kapag ikaw ay nakaupo sa gobyerno, the first thing that you are supposed to do and you are obligated to do is to protect the citizens of your own country? Whether they are right or wrong, you still have to protect those people?" 

On becoming free from corruption
- After three years of this administration, they perceive me as their number 1 political opponent because I'm the most vocal! And they penalized me with no PDAF. Pero bakit hanggang ngayon, wala silang mabatong issue ng graft and corruption kay Mitos Magsaysay? Because I have kept my nose clean since Day 1 when I sat as legislator of the 1st District of Zambales!
- And that is the reason why I have been voted as the MOST OUTSTANDING CONGRESSMAN FOR 6 YEARS, and I already got the highest award given to a legislator: Emeritus Hall of Fame Awardee!

On becoming a courageous Representative and legislator
- "Am I suppose to protect, by keeping quiet, this administration? Or am I suppose to speak out so that the people and Malacanan will know how the people really feel?"
- "My job as a legislator is to be your voice in Congress! But if I don't exercise that voice, what's the point of running? If I will just follow, like a lapdog, what the administration and Malacanan wants, what's the point?"
- "They have no right to marginalize us (legislators) by keeping us below them, by keeping us quiet
- "Kung ako lang po ang mayroong choice, I do not want anyone in the legislative branch to have their pork barrel. Why? Para ho iyong tatakbo na lang sa legislation ay iyong mga matatalino na may interest para gumawa ng mga batas, mag-amiyenda ng batas, at mag-repeal ng batas. Dahil iyong iba pong mga tumatakbo, ang interest lang nila ay iyong pork barrel. Wala silang pakialam sa legislation kaya palagi silang absent sa Kongreso."
- "Yan po ang mahirap kapag half-baked ang mga programa. Yan ang mahirap kapag ang policy implementation ay hindi tama! Kaya po nagkakaproblema ang bansang Pilipinas, hindi po dahil kulang ang batas natin, it's because of the government's failure to implement and enforce the law. We have so many laws in this country, except that the Executive Department is not implementing the law properly."
- "They like to point fingers at everybody, except they forgot to point finger, or the blame, to themselves.


see full video from the Logodef-UE-Rappler Senatorial Forum here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IKL8YrmtLg&list=PLxIGRNqt1BBiSZ5I--JmXVsqrusbUVVMI

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