By: Granville Ampong
Maharlikan Times
June 11, 2009

GLENDALE, CA, June 9, 2009– In the forefront of  a rather-engaged political plan, the most important challenge of a likely candidate for higher office revolves around choosing what will keep the voters and the potential ones’ attention. Francis Pangilinan is never short of one, two and even more.   

Pangilinan’s political stand is as much an art as science.     

At first blush just when this writer shakes his right hand, his countenance tells the story of one with compelling stuff.    

“Being the father of three and seeing where our country is heading from this moment of our history, I cannot just sit and watch our country fail once more,” Pangilinan says. “I want to be part of the solution, not of the problem. I stand for change. I stand for principle and I will not accommodate compromise of principles.”     

 “It’s not about winning the elections. It’s about mission, bringing our country to a new direction,” he adds.

In a two-hour press conference today, facilitated by MANILA-U.S. TIMES’ publisher and editor-in-chief Johnny Pecayo at the Max’s of Manila Restaurant in Glendale, Pangilinan invokes his tasks being a dynamic grassroots-activist: gearing up for an aggressive push for reacquisition of Filipino-Americans for dual citizenship and urging the same to register to vote at the strategic locations of the Philippine Consulate here in the U.S. for the coming 2010 National Elections in the Philippines.     

Responding to the pulse of urgency, Pangilinan rather finds these concerted moves in tapping over a million potential voters here in the U.S. as the formidable game plan to effect solution to the problems the Philippines is facing.    

“I intend to be part of the solution,” Pangilinan exudes in confidence as he addresses his case on how “to build a reform constituency for change and to establish a stronger network of volunteers.”     

As for the entire Philippine electorates, over nine millions new voters are expected to register before the October 31 deadline.      

Meanwhile, Pangilinan regards these potential registrants as “idealistic (do not want to sell votes) and  likely to vote for reforms  and change.”     

“Let us organize a vocal, reform constituency,” he adds. “We need it to effect change.”     

“The earlier you start your groundwork, the better chance you have,” he says. “Organization comes before effecting change.”     

Pangilinan refers to volunteers from different segments of society, especially from different churches, youth, overseas-workers, middle-class and less fortunate, as requisites to effect “change” in the Philippine government.     

“They are the catalysts for change,” said Pangilinan who intimates his campaign for “change” which, he says, he has been campaigning since 2001 even before Barrack Obama popularized this brand of politics.    

As noted in the annals of history, Pangilinan indeed asked for the resignation of former President Joseph Estrada and in 2005 when he stood, in a matter of principle, asking  President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign from presidency even before “Hello, Garci” surfaced to media bearing public outburst.      

A pragmatic technocrat in his own right, Pangilinan never hesitates to begin mounting a bid for the Vice Presidency.    

“Yes, my intention is to run for Vice Presidency, but I will make my official announcement in due time,” Pangilinan says.      

“But, I could not compromise my principle and join one or the other.  I am looking for VP position as independent.”      

Even though Philippine National Elections Day is one summer season away, he stressed the need for early action determines our ability to be victorious as his campaign to convince new voters bolters in warmth intensity from one province and cities to another, to launch social and political reform in matters of advancing for better ascendancy of new government…

 

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