The Case for Gibo Teodoro

OUR COUNTRY'S POLITICAL CHRONICLES ARE FILLED WITH DELUSION AND FRUSTRATION THAT WE TEND TO FAIL TO FULLY APPRECIATE A GENUINE VISION WHEN IT COMES ALONG.

We tend to disregard the real deal and consider it as just another one of them, a political wolf in sheep's clothing. Can we really blame ourselves? Probably not…

Decades of mistrust have resulted in the callousness of some and blindness of others. The indifferent has turned into a skeptic bystander, satisfied in simply watching the world go by. The blind, on the other hand, has turned to worship false prophets or even those who go as far as claiming themselves to be the messiah.

However, this time is different from any other era in our history. We are truly in a critical juncture.

Our country has been in a whirlwind ride for almost a quarter of a century since the dictatorship fell. We experienced darkness in the early 90s followed by a build up in our growth momentum in the mid 90s. We saw Asian markets tumble in the late 90s and we suffered a huge drop in investor confidence as we entered the new millennium. We looked at what most thought to be an inevitable national financial meltdown in early 2000s and barely escaped it through the sacrifices we have institutionalized. We had three impeachment complaints and several failed coup attempts in mid 2000s and yet we were able to squeeze out the highest GDP growth rate in the region in 2007. We have been widely considered as a Newly Industrialized Country and yet our people experience extreme hunger. We have pockets of modern urban landscapes but have a largely impoverished rural country side. If there is only one thing we can make out of all these, let it be that we are a nation in dire need of stability because unnecessary political noise weighs down on the upward force provided by a developing economy.

After a quarter of a century of mixed celebrations and mourning, we find ourselves again in a cross road, where we have to decide which of the several paths we will take. We cannot blindly walk towards just any path. We must not just follow a mere gut feel. We certainly cannot just tag along or simply swim with the current. Our move must be based on a carefully analyzed and reviewed decision because we can no longer prolong this tumultuous cycle. Doing so, would expunge whatever accomplishments we have achieved in the last 24 years and hurl us in an endless pit of degradation and stagnation. Now, more than ever, we need a captain to chart our course towards modernization and prosperity.

And hence, we must review the capabilities of each and every candidate aspiring to be President. And so, I humbly ask of you to take a good hard look at Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro.

His is a realistic vision:

He does not promise the heavens and the stars nor does he say he can move mountains and turn water into wine. He does not claim to be the political messiah because after all, do we really need one? And to whom do we really need salvation from? His vision is to simply be the lead instrument, among many, which would work towards genuine and sustainable economic development of the country.

If you think about it, when was the last time a candidate restrained himself from assuring the public that he will eradicate corruption and poverty? When was the last time a candidate refused to claim that his election would virtually mean an end to all our problems? I have never heard such a political animal exists in the Philippines prior to Gibo.

His is a positive vision:

While other candidates turn to insults to get the public’s attention, he focuses on his detailed platform of governance.

In our pseudo-democracy, it is a time-tested and proven technique that negativity can win one a seat in the government. As such, most candidates continue to use this tool despite the fact that it leaves the country more divided, more blood thirsty, and its citizens, more unwilling to cooperate with one another.

Gibo’s campaign, on the contrary, focuses on his positive vision. A vision founded on him being a statesman of the highest caliber. One who thrives on criticisms. One who is willing to sit down with his opponents. This characteristic of him leaves no doubt in my mind that his administration would be genuinely inclusive and approachable without undermining command responsibility and accountability.

In fact, Gibo has stated that the first thing he would do if elected president is to reach out to all his political opponents in an effort to unite the country and move it forward. At long last, we have a leader who sees and understands the urgent need to unite our deeply fragmented country. This goes to show that Gibo fully appreciates the fact that it is only in a stable society that genuine development can be reached.

His is the comprehensive vision:

His vision is a solid and detailed roadmap towards growth. He focuses in equipping our students with the skills needed to meet the demands of the global economy. The young population must be given incentives to veer towards what is in demand in order not to over-supply one or several sectors in the job market and hence causing salary prices to drop and leaving many unemployed.

He intends to continue the massive infrastructure projects of our country. A sudden halt to the pipeline of infrastructure projects would surely make potential investors look towards our more stable neighbors. It is not rocket science that Foreign Direct Investment is a key factor in solving the poverty problem. The spill over effect of FDIs would create a virtuous cycle which would grow bigger to effectively and positively impact the poor.

He knows that in our quest for sustainable growth, a leader must not simply have a dream. Rather, he must have a complete set of skills built upon his experience and competence to put his comprehensive plan into action and actually propel this country towards full economic development.

His is the genuine reformist vision:

He has declared his advocacies no matter how unpopular they may be. He has long announced his intention to push for charter change in order to introduce reforms in its economic restrictions. While most candidates use euphemisms in addressing the issue of taxation, Gibo never shirked from putting forward his thoughts on this sensitive and unpopular matter. And while others are neither here nor there on most issues, Gibo has provided his solid stand on all matters.

He knows that genuine reform can only be achieved through the leadership of men who do not fear flying against strong popular political winds.

While others choose to take the safest route to win an election, which is to say what everybody is thinking in the loudest voice, Gibo prefers to say what we need to hear and what we need to know.

It is up to us to listen. It is up to us to believe.

What you get from Gibo is real straight talk with clarity and conviction from a real man and not simply randomly selected populist political jargon any loud-mouth guy with a microphone can declare.

It is not very often that we have a chance to elect a leader who knows, understands, and prioritizes what we need now. It is actually very rare for us to have a leader who appreciates reality and who intends to build solutions by working with it, not by ignoring it and most certainly not by going against it. This is of prime importance because only those who see reality as clearly as possible have the ability to actually redress its wrongs and reform its ills.

This election is about our future and our future will not be secured by locking ourselves up within the sins of our past. Our future cannot be built by a leader who fails to fully grasp the reality of what we need now. Our future will certainly not be bright if we elect a leader who, intentionally or not, sows and promotes a culture of hate and vengeance.

On the contrary, what we need is a leader who intends to extend the hand of reconciliation. What we need is a leader who promotes stability as the foundation of genuine progress. What we need now is a real leader who can break down barriers, who can inspire, who can unite.

He is Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr.: a young, vibrant, firm, inclusive, real leader of men.