Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change
Press Statement
September 9, 2009
Reference: Fr. Joe Dizon, Spokesperson
Sen. Noynoy Aquino declared today his intention to run for President in the 2010 elections amid rising hopes that he could present an alternative not only to GMA and the administration candidate but be the harbinger of hope for real change in the way politics is conducted and the way government will be run in this country.
Senator Aquino has taken up the challenge fully realizing that there is a long way to go before he can muster the same magnitude and quality of support brought about by his father’s martyrdom and his mother’s candidacy against the dictator Marcos. We have yet to see the sea of yellow ribbons and the 1 million signatures which he repeatedly said would convince him that he has overwhelming support for his candidacy.
Those who seek genuine change will, at the very least, take his candidacy seriously. Some have already thrown their full support behind it.
Others would still like to see if indeed Noynoy could unite the opposition and the people behind him. Not a few have raised questions about his less than outstanding record as a legislator and his pro-landlord position on land reform.
All await his platform for genuine change, which he promised would be forthcoming.
Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change agrees with Noynoy Aquino when he says that he needs the people’s support not just to win the elections but to carry out the program for change during his presidency. In the final analysis, it will be Sen. Aquino’s success in uniting the people behind him that will determine whether he can unite the political opposition, win the Presidency and succeed in bringing about meaningful change.
Pagbabago! calls on Sen. Noynoy Aquino to clearly present his platform on the burning issues of the day: land reform, self-reliant economy, employment, good government, national sovereignty and patrimony, resolution of the armed conflicts, human rights, etc. Beyond motherhood statements and the rhetoric of “reform”, the people demand comprehensive policy changes and concrete measures to address these issues.
For its part, Pagbabago! pledges to fight for genuine change by pushing an agenda that advances the people’s basic demands and deeply-held aspirations — for economic progress and social justice; democratic rights not just for the elite but more so for the powerless and downtrodden; and genuine national independence and dignity as a sovereign people.
