What people must know during these elections

Only last month, Transparency International, an international anti-corruption organizatiion, came out with a list of the most corrupt leaders in the world. The Philippines has two presidents in the list. Ferdinand E. Marcos who ranked as the second most corrupt in the list and Joseph E. Estrada who was number 10. Now, as pointed out by independent senatorial candidate Herherson T. Alvarez, their heirs are supporting the candidacy of Fernand Poe, Jr. In Ilocos. Poe paid his respects to the remains of Ferdinand Marcos who was refused burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, Representative Imee Marcos and Ilocos Gov. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged their support for his candidacy. Alvarez also pointed out that Poe’s senatorial ticket includes Joseph Estrada‘s son Jingoy. It’s very clear that Poe’s Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino is a continuation of our two most corrupt leaders. We hope that voters take these facts into consideration when they cast their ballots on May 10.

Most important of all, we hope that former senator Heherson T. Alvarez will be on top of their list of candidates that they will vote for the Senate. He needs special attention because he is running for the Senate as an independent candidate. It is a reflection of our times that actors and entertainers can easily become official party candidates, but there is no room for statesmen like Heherson T. Alvarez in what passes for political parties today. This is because present political parties have no platforms. In our opinion, Heherson T. Alvarez is our leading statesman today.

Here is what Jovito R. Salonga has to say about him: "He was working for his M.A. in the Kennedy School of Public Administration in Cambridge, Mass. When Ninoy arrived there in the latter part of 1981, after his heart by-pass surgery in Texas. Sonny Alvarez and Ninoy – who took special courses in the same school – became close friends.

"After the assassination of Ninoy at the MIA on August 21, 1983, Sonny Alvarez became the head of the Ninoy Aquino Movement (NAM) in the US, Canada and Europe.

"After the EDSA Revolution of 1986, Alvarez was appointed Minister of Agrarian Reform by President Cory. He ran for the Senate in May 1987 and after his election, he became Chairman of the Committee on Agrarian Reform. It was he who led the approval by the Senate of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law.

"As Congressmman during the Estrada Administration, he was the first in the LAKAS-NUCD (the main opposition party) to sign and file the Impeachment Complaint against Erap. He was among the key leaders of EDSA II and became its co-chair and principal spokesman.

"His singular virtue: his consistency in his opposition to dictatorship, graft and corruption, and violations of basic human rights; and his loyalty to the cause of freedom and democracy, whether here or abroad. Not a political turncoat, he is running as an Independent."