Kopi talk - A bid for political maturity

Thanks Ernie for the article

To fully appreciate the impact of his endorsement of Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro as his chosen presidential candidate, we yield this space to the proclamation speech delivered by evangelist Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in a global worship service at the KJC Open Field, Davao City, May 2, 2010 attended by 50,000 of his followers.

"My fellow Kingdom citizens, Filipinos around the world: I stand here tonight, mindful of the great responsibility that rests upon my shoulder; humbled by the deep trust you have bestowed upon me to be your guide in making a very crucial decision that will chart the course of our nation.

Eight days from now, 50 million of us will be casting our votes. In the heart of every Filipino, we all have been asking for guidance in choosing the right leader to lead our nation.

The months that led to this very night have been with deep contemplation, even sleepless nights; fervent prayers and constant communication with the Father Almighty.

Being the Appointed Son of God, sent in these last days as the Father's Emissary, I am making it known that it is the Almighty Father's perfect Will that He intervene in the political affairs of this nation.

A country that He so loves, the nation that He has chosen to be His New Israel, where His New Jerusalem is established.

In the past years that we have gone through tumultuous transitions of government, yielding to two people power revolutions, I have seen that this country now badly needs healing from deep political wounds... What this country needs is genuine healing from political wounds caused by divisions. Change and healing must begin from the leaders, from the topmost to the lowest ranks of government.

But we have gone the other way around. Instead of bringing cure to the canker wrought by political conflict, the coming electoral process has inflicted fresh, new wounds - deeper lesions that have debilitated our condition as an ailing people...

TONIGHT, LET ME SOUND THE VOICE OF THE COMMON FILIPINOS:

WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH STRIFE! We have had enough hatred, we have had enough bitterness and disunity!

We can't afford the same old dirty political games, the same tactics that pit us against one another, that make us angry with each other. Despite our differences, in the sight of the Father Almighty, there is no opposition or administration; there are no rightists, leftists or centrists. After the elections, we remain as one people. We are all one nation. All of us are Filipinos. All of us sing the same anthem and salute the same flag.

There is a call for all of us to bring our Beloved Nation to a common purpose, to a higher ground of nobility and political maturity. This is where we need to be right now.

Embarking on political maturity, we must learn to winnow the chaff from the grain in scrutinizing a leader's platforms. We must learn to be issue-based, instead of being personality based.

I believe that this nation will be able to take off. This nation is going to be prosperous, given the right leadership at this crucial juncture in our history.

* * * * *

Tonight, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity over conflict and discord. We come to declare an end to grievances and hatred that for far too long have strangled our politics.

I stand before you, humbled by your trust. Encouraged by your clamor for guidance. The private messages thousands of Overseas Filipino Workers have been sending me in the past several months, asking for guidance, have been answered.

Filipino people, your cries and prayers have been heard by the heavens. The Father has given us a leader who will rise above personal issues - a leader who exudes political maturity and integrity.

He need not be as seasoned as the others. He need not be as popular as his opponents... Even as mudslinging was the norm of the day, this man had these to say, "I don't want to run a campaign based on negativity... I will run on a platform aimed towards healing past wounds. No more vengeance. No more political bickering."

This man stayed above the fray of the politics of negativity.

He stayed away from the politics of hate and animosity. He has kept himself on the platform of high-caliber campaigning.

He did not dive into the quagmire of traditional mudslinging.

He is the only candidate that based his campaign on positive change, reconciliation, competence and solutions.

His platform is clear cut, realistic and is centered on the Economy, Education and Health, Transparent Governance, and Political Reform.

We need this man to become our leader!

In his stint as the Secretary of National Defense, he resisted the temptation of turning his DND projects into big media blitzes.

We have seen the heart of the man.