You can also watch Nick on GMANews webcast Examine here:
http://blogs.gmanews.tv/yourvox/nicanor-perlas-on-examine/
Here is the link to the online version http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091101-233350/New-politics-by-irritation-according-to-Perlas
New politics by ‘irritation,’ according to Perlas
By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:45:00 11/01/2009
Close this A NUMBER OF PRESIDENTIAL ASPIrants with a mind-set on reforms and new politics are now backing Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III—but Nicanor Perlas is not one of them.
His campaign slogan, composed by his supporters, is a play on his surname: “Perlas Tayong Lahat (We are all pearls).”
“Perlas” is the Filipino word for “pearl,” which is formed when a shell gets irritated, the man observed. Thus, his slogan represents “the millions of Filipinos getting irritated” by current problems.
It also speaks of the Philippines’ ongoing “inner process of transformation” to be able to “rise up again amidst the challenges,” he said.
Speaking with Inquirer editors last week, the 59-year-old activist-environmentalist said that as he had declared in June, he would seek the highest elective post in the country and nothing else.
And no, Perlas said, he was not considering running for a lower post, such as senator. He pointed out that the Philippines already had good laws, and that the challenge was to implement them properly.
Malacañang is the problem
“The disease of our system is in the presidential level. The executive branch is the source of all our problems,” he said.
Perlas also said that while he was not as well-known or as moneyed as the other presidential aspirants, he was not quitting the race.
He said the “yellow fever” triggered by the death on Aug. 1 of former President Corazon Aquino and now centered on her only son was ignoring “the discernment process that is needed at this time.”
Perlas said that while he had worked closely with then President Aquino, he met her son only once, and recently: It was Noynoy who, in a ceremony in August, handed to him the Manuel L. Quezon award for Exemplary Governance for his environment work.
New politics
Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, who declared he would run for president a week before Perlas’ own declaration in June, has expressed support for Noynoy Aquino.
Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, who was being pushed by her supporters to also seek the presidency, is now also backing Aquino, being a member of the Liberal Party.
But Perlas said: “It is not clear where Noynoy will lead us. There is no discussion of any platform.”
In reiterating his intention to run for president, he said there was a need for “new politics” to replace the “personality-driven” traditional system.
“The most popular person may not always be the best,” he said.
Perlas does not count among the presidential aspirants ranking impressively in the surveys, like Aquino. But the presidential election is still six months away and “a lot of things can happen,” he pointed out.
“If people will hear me personally, I believe support will be overwhelming,” Perlas said.
He said voters should study his platform, which is based on six pillars—eradicating poverty, minimizing corruption and promoting moral governance, stopping environmental destruction, introducing participatory governance, promoting creative education, and encouraging innovation and other good practices.
Green candidacy
Perlas’ presidential campaign color will be green. But it will be a broader vision of a “green candidacy,” he said, adding:
“Green is not just about the environment. It is also about economic, political, societal, human and spiritual issues. Climate change is a green issue, but preparing for disaster is also important.”
Perlas’ name may not be familiar to most Filipinos, but he has extensive experience in government service, as well as involvement in the peace process in Mindanao.
He was active in the opposition to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant that was built through fraudulent means during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. His stance earned him death threats that forced him to flee to the United States and stay there for about a decade.
Perlas returned to the Philippines after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship and served as consultant of the Presidential Committee on the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant and of the Philippine Council of Sustainable Development under Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, respectively.
He was also part of the umbrella groups that helped oust President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and that called for the resignation of President Macapagal-Arroyo at the height of the “Hello Garci” election fraud scandal in 2005.
Internet power
But for all his accomplishments, Perlas is not keen on airing advertisements of himself on television.
“I don’t believe in infomercials,” he declared.
While infomercials may be legal, “these violate the spirit of the law,” and those who have been spending on TV ads “display their propensity to bend the law,” he said.
Instead, Perlas is banking on the reach of the Internet.
He maintains a website, www.nicanorperlas.com, where his articles, credentials and updated write-ups on current issues are posted. He is also on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Fighting corruption
Perlas said that although he comes from a well-to-do family, he chose to study agriculture at the Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro because he wanted to work closely with the poor.
His father, Jesus Perlas, was general manager of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (Nawasa) during the Marcos regime.
Marcos tried to corrupt his father, and when the latter resisted, the dictator slapped him with a trumped-up corruption case, according to Perlas.
It “radicalized” him and introduced him to student activism, he said, adding that it was also why fighting corruption would be one of his priorities if he gets elected as president.
Perlas said he would make the Office of the President as transparent as possible in terms of budget and expenses. He said he would also appoint an anticorruption czar.
The advocacy will begin in his presidential campaign: He will only shell out a maximum of P2 million from his own pocket for his campaign.
The bulk of the funds will come from people who believe in him and in his platform.
Big businesses are welcome to support him financially, but they will be reminded that they will be supporting “not an individual, but a vision.”
Perlas made it clear: “If I am elected, there will be no favors.”
By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:45:00 11/01/2009
Close this A NUMBER OF PRESIDENTIAL ASPIrants with a mind-set on reforms and new politics are now backing Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III—but Nicanor Perlas is not one of them.
His campaign slogan, composed by his supporters, is a play on his surname: “Perlas Tayong Lahat (We are all pearls).”
“Perlas” is the Filipino word for “pearl,” which is formed when a shell gets irritated, the man observed. Thus, his slogan represents “the millions of Filipinos getting irritated” by current problems.
It also speaks of the Philippines’ ongoing “inner process of transformation” to be able to “rise up again amidst the challenges,” he said.
Speaking with Inquirer editors last week, the 59-year-old activist-environmentalist said that as he had declared in June, he would seek the highest elective post in the country and nothing else.
And no, Perlas said, he was not considering running for a lower post, such as senator. He pointed out that the Philippines already had good laws, and that the challenge was to implement them properly.
Malacañang is the problem
“The disease of our system is in the presidential level. The executive branch is the source of all our problems,” he said.
Perlas also said that while he was not as well-known or as moneyed as the other presidential aspirants, he was not quitting the race.
He said the “yellow fever” triggered by the death on Aug. 1 of former President Corazon Aquino and now centered on her only son was ignoring “the discernment process that is needed at this time.”
Perlas said that while he had worked closely with then President Aquino, he met her son only once, and recently: It was Noynoy who, in a ceremony in August, handed to him the Manuel L. Quezon award for Exemplary Governance for his environment work.
New politics
Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, who declared he would run for president a week before Perlas’ own declaration in June, has expressed support for Noynoy Aquino.
Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, who was being pushed by her supporters to also seek the presidency, is now also backing Aquino, being a member of the Liberal Party.
But Perlas said: “It is not clear where Noynoy will lead us. There is no discussion of any platform.”
In reiterating his intention to run for president, he said there was a need for “new politics” to replace the “personality-driven” traditional system.
“The most popular person may not always be the best,” he said.
Perlas does not count among the presidential aspirants ranking impressively in the surveys, like Aquino. But the presidential election is still six months away and “a lot of things can happen,” he pointed out.
“If people will hear me personally, I believe support will be overwhelming,” Perlas said.
He said voters should study his platform, which is based on six pillars—eradicating poverty, minimizing corruption and promoting moral governance, stopping environmental destruction, introducing participatory governance, promoting creative education, and encouraging innovation and other good practices.
Green candidacy
Perlas’ presidential campaign color will be green. But it will be a broader vision of a “green candidacy,” he said, adding:
“Green is not just about the environment. It is also about economic, political, societal, human and spiritual issues. Climate change is a green issue, but preparing for disaster is also important.”
Perlas’ name may not be familiar to most Filipinos, but he has extensive experience in government service, as well as involvement in the peace process in Mindanao.
He was active in the opposition to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant that was built through fraudulent means during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. His stance earned him death threats that forced him to flee to the United States and stay there for about a decade.
Perlas returned to the Philippines after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship and served as consultant of the Presidential Committee on the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant and of the Philippine Council of Sustainable Development under Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, respectively.
He was also part of the umbrella groups that helped oust President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and that called for the resignation of President Macapagal-Arroyo at the height of the “Hello Garci” election fraud scandal in 2005.
Internet power
But for all his accomplishments, Perlas is not keen on airing advertisements of himself on television.
“I don’t believe in infomercials,” he declared.
While infomercials may be legal, “these violate the spirit of the law,” and those who have been spending on TV ads “display their propensity to bend the law,” he said.
Instead, Perlas is banking on the reach of the Internet.
He maintains a website, www.nicanorperlas.com, where his articles, credentials and updated write-ups on current issues are posted. He is also on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Fighting corruption
Perlas said that although he comes from a well-to-do family, he chose to study agriculture at the Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro because he wanted to work closely with the poor.
His father, Jesus Perlas, was general manager of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (Nawasa) during the Marcos regime.
Marcos tried to corrupt his father, and when the latter resisted, the dictator slapped him with a trumped-up corruption case, according to Perlas.
It “radicalized” him and introduced him to student activism, he said, adding that it was also why fighting corruption would be one of his priorities if he gets elected as president.
Perlas said he would make the Office of the President as transparent as possible in terms of budget and expenses. He said he would also appoint an anticorruption czar.
The advocacy will begin in his presidential campaign: He will only shell out a maximum of P2 million from his own pocket for his campaign.
The bulk of the funds will come from people who believe in him and in his platform.
Big businesses are welcome to support him financially, but they will be reminded that they will be supporting “not an individual, but a vision.”
Perlas made it clear: “If I am elected, there will be no favors.”
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