Magic 12 for the Senate

It’s January, a few months before May 10, a time, which, many say, is an opportunity to change things.





As part of my responsibility as a journalist, let me recommend some names for you to consider.

The main worry of Filipinos today is the local economy. Most worry about job stability.


What best to at least enrich our government’s capabilities to address this problem by electing into the Senate, a young entrepreneur by the name of Joey de Venecia III.


Joey de Venecia III represents the young generation. He is an idealist and a no-nonsense fighter for the Truth and for good governance. He will definitely be a very good addition to the luminaries occupying the Senate.


And what more to complement him than seeing the name of Susan “Toots” Ople among the winners of this year’s Lucky Twelve.


Susan Ople has been fighting for the protection of OFW and local workers’ rights. She will definitely complement Joey there.


Of course, we need to have an expert in maintaining equilibrium in our accounts. What best than elect Teofisto Guingona III as your senator? TG, as many friends call him, is an expert in fiscal matters. His expertise would surely enrich the Senate.


Alex Lacson is a name not entirely familiar with most of us. For those who read his book, Alex Lacson is one bundle of inspiration. He is a lawyer by profession, and a political scientist. He has been giving inspiration to the Youth since 2001. His youthfulness and his ideals would surely be a fresh addition to the age-ing generation there at the Senate.


I met Ruffy Biazon once but I was impressed by his views about the economy, the security of this country and the general direction of this Nation. Ruffy deserves to replace his father, the Nationalist, Senator Pong Biazon.


And who would back Ruffy Biazon up particularly regarding the dream of professionalizing and modernizing the AFP than Col. Ariel Querubin and General Danny Lim? These fine gentlemen deserve our support because of their sacrifice to the Nation.


And I told myself, how about electing Senators who will truly work for the protection of the rights of the common tao, those oppressed and down-trodded? Satur Ocampo, Liza Masa and Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel are some of those who will definitely enrich the halls of the Senate with their eloquent defense of the people’s rights.


Not to mention also, Atty. JV Bautista, whose knowledge about the laws would definitely help us fortify our legal systems more. JV is one who will fight for our rights even if it means exchanging his life. He was once the Sanlakas-PM representative.


Don’t forget to vote for Yasmin Lao, a long-time advocate of Bangsamoro civil rights. She deserves to be the voice of our Filipino Muslim brothers and sisters in the Senate.

I am also considering Bongbong Marcos. Marcos deserves to be a Senator. He is intelligent, with a solid ideological grounding.

I know, I know, most of those named here are not as rich as others, not as exposed as some but let's help them so that the likes of Jinggoy Estrada or Bong Revilla or Juan Ponce-Enrile or those comebacking ones like Frank Drilon. Serge Osmena, despite being at the senate for twice already, deserves also support since Serge is the most nationalistic among the Osmena clan members.

So, there...remember

If you worry about job security, remind yourself that Joey de Venecia III can help us hammer out solutions to the job security problems. JDVIII stands for Jobs, Democracy and Values times three. :-)

If you worry about the condition of your relatives working abroad and how best to further protect the rights of both overseas and locally based workers, vote Susan "Toots" Ople to the Senate. Ople means Overseas Pinoy Laborers Empowerment (OPLE).

If you worry where the Filipino Youth is getting into and how to strengthen the Filipino Family, vote Alex Lacson. Lacson knows what he is talking about. AL means (Alternative Leadership)

If you worry about how to balance our national budget and maximize our resources without overstraining our finances, vote for Teofisto "TG" Guingona III. TG means Transformative Governance. :-)

If you worry about our AFP, trust Col. Ariel Querubin and Gen. Danny Lim to lead in the creation of laws that will professionalize the ranks and modernize our military to contain threats of the 21st century. Ariel Querubin means " Altruism Quotient ;-), while DL means Dugong Laya.

If you worry about how government actually handles the overall security strategy, including food security, vote Ruffy Biazon to the Senate. He deserves his father's place. RB means Repormang Bayan.

If you worry about how to protect the environment, how to maximize resources, how to infuse vision and mission to this country, vote for Bongbong Marcos. Marcos means New Hope.

If you worry about the continuing violations of human rights, especially the people's and women's rights, trust Satur Ocampo, Liza Masa and Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel to do the right thing. These people know the real score and they have the right solutions. Masa and Hontiveros are genuine women's rights fighters, not some cyclist out there to perpetuate their family's dominance in Philippine politics.

Ocampo-Masa means Onward Masses (OM). Riza H means Rise Hope.

If you worry about protecting Bangsamoro rights, particularly the rights of Muslim women, trust Yasmin Lao. Lao has been fighting for the protection and recognition of the invaluable role of Muslim women in Philippine society. YL means Youth & Love (Salam)

If you worry about how to strengthen our vital legal systems, remember Atty. JV Bautista. JV means just JV. Wala na akong maisip pa eh. :-)

Happy New Year!