An Open Letter to Senatoriables Satur Ocampo, Liza Masa and Col. Ariel Querubin

Dear Satur, Lisa Masa and Col. Ariel Querubin:

Mabuhay!

A few entries ago, I included your names in my Magic twelve. For I believe that you are candidates of the highest integrity and with genuine love for the Filipino people.

Now, I am informing you that I am withdrawing my support for your candidacies. And I will enjoin others to do so.

Why?

I cannot support people who blindly follow a corrupt and degenerate man such as Senator Manny Villar who refuses to heed the call of the People for him to "come clean" and face his accusers in the chamber of the Senate.

I cannot support people who will just gloss over this mockery being inflicted by Villar upon our democratic institutions. I cannot support people who will just close their eyes to the very stark reality that they are sharing the same stage with someone who reportedly stole 6.2 billion pesos from our hard-earned taxes.

Call it politics. Call it whatever you like. But the fact remains--Villar refuses to heed the calls, the proddings of the Filipino People for him to say his piece and for him to present or rebut the strong pieces of evidence being heaped against him.

Villar is mocking not just his colleagues in the Senate, but the very people who pay their salaries with their hard-earned labor.

Ka Satur and Ka Liza Masa--I have known both of you to be of a different stock. You have struggled for years, fighting the Cause at the frontlines and even sacrificing your very lives for the People.

Are you now telling me that you are prepared to sacrifice your very integrity in support of a candidate who stole money from us?

Are you now saying that you are ready to close your very ears and ignore the growing shouts of the People against this pretender?

And are you now saying that you believe in your hearts that this C-5 senate probe is all about politics and not about evidence? That you are ready to ignore reading the report for the sake of organizational unity or solidarity with the Nacionalista?

We need people that really aspires for change.

We need people who will not compromise principles with party solidarity.

Thanks and good luck.

Respectfully yours,

Patricio Mangubat