“Dear Ms. Pedrosa,
Like you, I am unhappy with the imbalance that
exists in our country, with the very few super rich outweighing the majority of
the population who are poor.
In this regard, I would like to reassure you that
in the ‘conflict’ between the rich and the poor that you envision, I am on the
side of the latter. But, as I have proven in Makati, there need not be a
confrontation between the two sides. It is possible to work with the rich to
benefit the poor.
The Makati story is about the revenues of the
country’s financial center being wisely used to provide unmatched services and
benefits to the residents of the city. Where else can you find a city that
provides free education (including shoes, uniforms and books and
state-of-the-art facilities) to elementary and high school children; subsidized
college courses at the University of Makati, including a dualized system that
matches the curriculum with personnel requirements of Makati businesses; a
socialized health care system that United Nations-Habitat considers the best in
the country; and a host of other benefits that other local governments have now
begun to emulate?
Can you imagine how the 90% poor and the 9%
middle class that you have described could benefit if the revenues of our country
were to be used, not on senseless pork barrel and DAP largesse? We did it in
Makati. To a large extent, it can be done nationwide.
Concerning the AMLC allegations about my ‘assets
and hidden wealth,’ as a knowledgeable journalist, you must surely be aware
that this is part of the demolition campaign being mounted against me is
because of my declared intention to run for president. I can only turn to the
Supreme Court for a fair and just interpretation of the law.
I am firm in my contention that the AMLC report
is biased, unfair and even the arithmetic is faulty. I just wish that
responsible journalists like you, who have a history of fighting for what is
right, will resist the temptation to condemn before fully knowing the facts.
Thank you for your attention.
Very truly yours,
JEJOMAR C. BINAY”
*
* *
Here is my reply:
“Dear Mr. Vice President,
I am pleased to hear of the efforts you have made
as mayor of Makati to improve the lives of the poor and the need to change the
imbalance between rich and poor. I totally agree this need not be a
confrontation between the two and that it is possible to work with the rich to
benefit the poor.
How you intend to do this as president is not
clear from the program you described when launching UNA the other day. The
program falls short of details. As it stands, it is a litany of motherhood
statements that most politicians are prone to make.
Makati is only a microcosm of the whole
country. The problems of the nation are wider in scope and much more
complex. What works for Makati may not necessarily work for the nation.
Chief among our national problems is the rotten
political system. Many of the other problems can be traced to the system. It is
because of this that Bayanko and its partners in the marginalized sector favor
constitutional change to a parliamentary federal form of government. For too
long, the oligarchs and family dynasties in this country have dominated the
political system to the exclusion of the marginalized sector. Your own family,
sad to say, forms part of the established order that resists change. Nancy has
been quoted as saying she favors political dynasties. Why? Are they the only
ones out of 100 million Filipinos who can govern the nation?
It is not surprising therefore that your program remains
silent on this issue. It is not by handing out birthday cakes to the
marginalized that we can lift the majority of our people out of poverty and
close the widening gap between rich and poor.
The allegations of plunder by your political
enemies may be part of a demolition campaign. But your good friend Grace Poe
saw it fit to sign the Senate committee report recommending that you be charged
with plunder. You were given a chance to appear before the Senate to face your
accusers and cross-examine them. You were given a chance to provide evidence to
refute the accusations like in any court of law. But instead you refused to
appear, hiding behind the cloak of the vice-presidency, denying all the
allegations because you say so. Now anybody watching this drama would have
said, ‘If he is innocent, why won’t he appear? Is he hiding something?
’
Mr. Vice President, I am afraid you brought these
troubles upon yourself.
Your daughter was quoted by the press denying you
had billions of pesos. She said your family only had P600 million in their bank
accounts and that these were the fruits of your hard work. Mayor Rodrigo
Duterte of Davao has less than P4 million in his bank account, the fruits of
his hard work.
I can understand that Makati pays its mayor
better wages than Davao. I can also understand that being creative and
innovative can augment a mayor’s income. Why not show proof how you augmented
your income? Why not open your bank accounts to public scrutiny? You owe this
to the people whom you expect to vote for you as president.
As a responsible journalist with a history of
fighting for what is right as you correctly pointed out, I go by facts, I go by
documents. I carefully analyze them, as I did when doing research on my books
about Imelda Marcos. I don’t go simply by what the accused says in his defense.
The accused has to provide proof to demonstrate his innocence. Now when the
accused has irrefutably demonstrated his innocence, I would be the first to
support and praise him.
I have nothing personal against the people I
criticize in my columns and in the social media. I criticize those leaders whom
I believe deserve to be criticized. If I did not, I would be failing in my
duties as a journalist.
Finally, with the PCOS machines, I was wondering
why you are still running for president. Isn’t it obvious who the next
president will be?
Yours sincerely,
CARMEN N. PEDROSA”
Source : Philstar
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