Oras Na! #RoxasNa! Tara Na!

SUCH a catchy title posted on Facebook by my dear friend from Manila, Dr. Vivian Sarabia, a staunch supporter of President Noynoy Aquino and now of the Liberal Party’s official nominee, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.
Aquino’s anointment of Roxas could not have happened at a better place, as Club Filipino in the Greenhills area in San Juan had been a silent witness to Mar’s message, as depicted in two important historic moments that happened in this venue.
As ABS-CBN News reported, it was at Club Filipino that the late President Corazon Aquino took her oath as President of the Philippines after she took on the challenge of running against Ferdinand Marcos in a snap election in 1986,  to help liberate the Filipino people from his dictatorship and usher in a new era of true democracy trampled during the Marcos regime.
After Philippine democratic icon Ninoy Aquino sacrificed his own life to fight against the Marcos dictatorship, his widow Cory left the comfort and safety of her life as a private citizen to continue the cause that her husband fought and died for. “Bayan bago sarili” was the underlying message of the sacrifices made by both Ninoy and Cory.
In 2010, Club Filipino also witnessed how “Bayan bago sarili” came alive, when Roxas — the then-Liberal Party presumptive nominee — gave way to the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino following the death of President Cory Aquino. Cognizant of Noynoy’s singular capability to unify the Filipino people clamoring for an end to corruption and abuse of power in government, Mar supported Noynoy as the Liberal Party’s standard bearer. Without Aquino, deposed President Erap Estrada, who placed second in the 2010 elections, would have been President (again).
And finally on July 31, 2015, which coincidentally was a “blue moon”, Mar’s time came to run for President, after having been endorsed by PNoy to be his successor. Aquino said he knows and believes it is Mar who will and can continue and build on what his administration has started in reforming the government toward “daang matuwid”, attesting to Mar’s integrity and self-sacrifice for the good of the country.
Aquino also trumpeted Roxas’ proven track record in governance, citing that Mar is the “father” of the multibillion-peso business process outsourcing industry in the country.
PNoy also defended Roxas against criticism over his performance in the Yolanda (Haiyan) operations, and the Zamboanga siege, and said Roxas did his best in both instances.
Mar Roxas became emotional, and spoke from his heart about how humbled and honored he is to accept President Aquino’s endorsement. He shared the profound meaning of this moment to him, as it relates to his own family’s mission.
“Maraming ginigising na alaala itong Club Filipino. Dito nanumpa si Pangulong Cory noong 1986. Nabanggit na rin ni PNoy kanina, dito niya tinanggap ang panawagang mamuno; at dito niya unang sinabing puwede na muli tayong mangarap. Dito ko unang sinabi ang mga salitang “Bayan bago ang sarili.”
Pamilyar sa akin ang dinaanan ni PNoy; nauunawaan ko nang buo ang pagninilay na kinailangan niyang gawin noong 2009. Labas sa mga kilala talaga ako, kakaunti ang nakakaalam na hindi ko rin binalak pumasok sa gobyerno. May kapatid ako, si Dinggoy; namatay siya noong 1993. Siya sana ang ambag ng aming henerasyon sa prinsipyong pamana ng aking lolo: “Bayan bago ang sarili.” Kakambal na ng dugo namin ang kaisipang ito. Ito ang idiniin sa akin ng ama kong si Gerry at ito rin ang idinidiin ko sa anak at sa aking mga pamangkin: May obligasyon kang magsilbi; unahin mo ang kolektibo kaysa personal; palagi kang mag-ulikid sa mga kababayan mo.”
Roxas became tearful as he shared the significance of PNoy’s endorsement for him to be his successor:
“Mr. President, kung maaalala po ninyo, noong 2009, nag-usap po tayo, bago po ninyo tinanggap na tatakbo po kayo. Nagkasundo tayong isantabi ang personal na interes, at isipin kung para saan ba talaga tayo nagsisilbi. Sabi mo sa akin noon, “Hindi mo puwedeng talikuran ang panawagang ipagpatuloy ang laban ng iyong mga magulang…Sa pag-endorsong ito, ang pakiramdam ko, ipinapasa mo sa akin ngayon ang mga ipinaglaban nila.”
Vice President Jejomar Binay, however, remains unfazed by Aquino’s anointment of Roxas, touting that he has defeated Mar in the 2010 Vice Presidential race.
In polls leading up to Aquino’s endorsement of Roxas, Mar has been placing third in Presidential polls, lagging behind Sen. Grace Poe and VP Binay.
PNoy explained: “Kung mapapansin ninyo, laging ‘tayo’ ang tuon namin at hindi katulad ng iba na panay ako ang gumawa nito at ako ang gumawa niyan. Marahil hindi rin mulat ang mga tao sa nagawa at tunay na pagkatao ni Mar. Sadyang ganyan ang kapalaran ng mga nakatuon sa tunay na pagbabago imbes na sa mga photo opp at doon sa paglalagay ng mukha sa novelty items.”
The President also said that there had been an orchestrated and tactical effort from Mar’s detractors to pull him down because they knew Mar was totally committed to “Daang Matuwid”, but affirmed that they just could not put a good man down.  PNoy said it is time for the people to really know who the real Mar Roxas is.
“Kung mababa man ang kanyang mga numero sa ngayon, ibig sabihin kailangan pa nating paghusayan ang pagpapakilala sa kanya (If his current numbers are low, this only means we have to work harder on making him more well-known),” President Aquino said.
Who is the real Mar Roxas? The Filipino people would like to know. He has about nine months to bare his soul, lay down his vision and programs for the country, and win the hearts of the Filipino people.

* * *

Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos