Category: Past Speeches [before the 17th Congress]

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Symposium on the Prevention of Drug Addiction through Responsible Parenthood and Youth Leadership

Speech at Sacred Heart Academy

Mrs. Maxima DR. Castillo, Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs; Ms. Yolanda Villanueva, Assistant Principal for Student Affairs; PSupt. Rodolfo Hernandez, Atty Marian Jo Mercado, students, parents, guests, ladies and gentlemen:

Let me start with a sad quote and two tragic stories of today:

Somebody said not too long ago and I quote: “Sometimes a parent grieves for the loss of a child that is still alive.”  Continue reading “Symposium on the Prevention of Drug Addiction through Responsible Parenthood and Youth Leadership”

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Pork Barrel 101

Speech delivered before Philconsa at Manila Golf Club, Makati City

Greetings.

The great Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”

The country has enough funds to sustain government operations year after year, but always ends up short and resorts to borrowings. There are two reasons for it – greed and corruption.  Continue reading “Pork Barrel 101”

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Speech at the PNP Police Community Relations

Camp Crame, Quezon City

Thank you for having me for the second time this year. As always, I am honored to be given the podium and share my insights with you.

As I entered the gate of this historic and once hallowed ground, I couldn’t help but remember the years I spent working with three young Philippine Constabulary lieutenants who I had very little doubt in my mind even at that time, would someday be part of a rich law enforcement history. Well, they did and still do. 2LT Jesus Verzosa, 2LT Magtanggol Gatdula and of course, 2LT Raul Bacalzo – sila ‘yung kung tawagin namin nung mga panahon na iyun ay mga TIG – tig operate, tig huli ng mga suspek, tig gawa ng mga spot reports, tig-imbestiga, at tig etchetera, etcetera.  Continue reading “Speech at the PNP Police Community Relations”

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Truth and Courage

Speech at the Commencement Exercises of the Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City

Four decades ago in 1964 I enrolled and studied in the Lyceum of the Philippines. That’s how we called the university at the time. Straight from high school I wanted to become a lawyer so I could apply as an NBI agent because law enforcement has always been my passion.

In 1967 when I was in my third year, a high school friend who was studying then in Mapua Institute of Technology, requested me to accompany him to take the entrance examination in the Philippine Military Academy. He failed and I passed. The rest, as they say, is history.

Were I to present myself, it would be as a country bumpkin born and raised in a little known town in Cavite.  Continue reading “Truth and Courage”

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Speech at the Commencement Exercises of Wesleyan University Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija

All of us may have come from different backgrounds, but I believe we were brought together by a dream. The Wesleyan University Philippines came about because of a dream to build people and make a difference.

Having been elevated to autonomous status just a week ago from being the only educational institution in the province of Nueva Ecija that used to enjoy a deregulated status granted by the Commission on Higher Education makes that dream even more meaningful.

I, on the other hand, was brought here because of a much simpler but nevertheless important dream.  Continue reading “Speech at the Commencement Exercises of Wesleyan University Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija”