Letter to Miriam

Dear Honorable Senator Santiago,

It is grand honor and pleasure that this follower of yours experiences upon writing this open letter to you. I am certain that even if you could not find the time to read this humble missive, your brilliant office staff and researchers would report this to you and render me justice by paraphrasing and summarizing everything accurately.

To be sure, the so-called ‘superstar senator of the online world’ should know about this.

Your recent pronouncements of aspiring to seek the presidency by 2016 have sparked our interest and passion. We are here to support you all the way. Please believe the esteemed professor and legal luminary Fr. Joaquin Bernas when he advised President Aquino not to extend his term and that you should be given the chance to win and reform this country. Please make President Aquino realize that it is impossible for just one leader to reform this country. It takes the entire population to do that in due time. Please make people in government understand that character change is required from them before they can initiate any charter change.

Your courage to face a military general some 2 decades ago signaled the Filipino people that you are never scared to square off with someone with the upper hand. Your audacity and stamina against cancer tell us of your indestructible fighting spirit. Please be our inspiration to fight the ills of society. Please be our hope to transform this country.

Your length and quality of service in the government cannot be questioned. Your character and competence are unparalleled. Please lead us to the road of recovery and towards prosperity.

Please be our next president!

Your supporters here and abroad will not only guarantee to buy you Tarceva or Erlotinib if you still need it. We will promise to Drs. Natale, Lorenzo and Cabral that our future campaigns will not be very stressful in order not to weaken your immune system. Only that there is one thing we cannot promise: your excuse from delivering speeches during campaigns. You very well know how much people love it when you speak to them.

Your wit and humor can never be equaled. No other public servant and public speaker can match your skills in delivering speeches that do not only teach the mind and tickle the bones but also touch the heart. You are a national treasure and a priceless pride of the Philippines.

In fact, we appreciate your decision to let go of that seat in the International Criminal Court because you recognize your relevance here in the Philippines than anywhere in the world. Although, you are a world-class worker, you know that you have more work to do here with us.

There’s more work to do, certainly, towards the road to presidency. This is something that will really work our neurons out, even if you are already a sure winner to the younger segment of the voting population, election strategies should also be devised that would effectively work for you.

So that what happened in 1992 will not recur in 2016, let’s be more proactive in our campaigns and be more alert during the polling and counting. We have a great deal of lessons learned from the 1992 experience. Can you get rid of those past mistakes of leniency and affiliation with dim-witted, incompetent and perhaps crooked people? You know your personal history so well.

This leads me to raise another question that is rather not rhetorical: are you sure of your forthcoming coalition with the Nacionalista Party and former senator Manny Villar? We acknowledge the need for funds to win an election, but it is a fundamental lesson in Political Science that association with people can make or break one’s power.

This, we don’t intend to outshine your brilliance. Only that your supporters truly care and don’t want to waste this golden opportunity to remind our dear leader.

Of course, we are not scared of VP Jejomar Binay, are we? We are only scared of how people would respond to his appeals to emotions and to his enticements to material goods. We are neither terrified of Mar Roxas nor Chiz Escudero. We are only terrified at the fact that they can exhaust their clout in the political and showbiz world, we have studied the Psychology of Filipino masa and understood their scores of flaws.

We are confident, though, that you have so much to offer than these people. We are so bullish of your multifaceted competitive advantage over them. Intelligence, communication skills, proven track record in both private and public service, integrity? Name them all because you have them all! What else could people ask from you, Miriam? You are the perfect choice! We can never go wrong if we choose you!

Money and machinery? Gold and goons? Forget them! We are still hopeful of the Filipino voter.

We know that even if they need cash and canned goods, they will never be swayed. They know how to vote using their conscience.

Madame Senator, what are you waiting for? Just let us know what you require from us, your loyal soldiers! We are prepared for battle.

We will not let you down. Just give us the signal and we are ready to attack!

Can we hear your positive feedback soon in the news? Thank you for sharing your time. Take your much needed rest now because when 2016 comes, strictly you can no longer sleep by then. Was it not you who quoted once M. E. Frye’s “I am not there; I do not sleep?”

If you make the declaration today or tomorrow, then we could no longer sleep tonight and would only pray that it will be May 2016 already. If elections were held today, you will surely win the presidency!

Your forever fervent follower,
Gianne