AN OPEN LETTER TO AGA MUHLACH AND LENI ROBREDO

Dear Mr. Aga and Atty. Leni,

Congratulations!

It has not been an easy feat but you can relax for now and marvel at how the people you will soon be representing have supported you.

I write for two reasons:

1. I am a voter of the 4th District of Camarines Sur while my parents are registered electors of the 3rd.

2. I am no fan of the two of you as politicians. Let me qualify this second reason. Sure, Aga, I am your fan when it comes to your showbiz career. I have grown up watching your movies and my favorite is the one you starred with Vilma Santos. Is that “Nagiisang Bituin”? Sorry if I forgot the title as of this writing. To Atty. Leni, I am not your fan maybe because I really did not grow up in Naga so I have few memories of the late Sec. Jesse. The first time I saw you in person (“napersonal,” as we say) was in Starbucks-Naga. You were having a meeting then. You are a simple and beautiful woman.  I should salute you for how you handled the death of Sec. Jesse. But, overall, I’m no fan of Sec. Jesse too. I know his good works but I’m no fan. My apologies.

I may not be a fan but my sister and I voted for you, Aga, and my parents voted for you, Atty. Leni.  Our family voted for the two of you for the simple reason: We want change.

Cong. Aga, I voted for you not because you are a famous actor, a matinee idol of our time. Surely Wimpy is as good looking as you are. In fact, I doubt if you have the abilities to do the job whereas Wimpy has the experience of doing it well. However, we are willing to take a chance with you. We no longer want the 100 years of Fuentebella dynasty to be perpetuated for another century. This is not to discredit in any way any good thing that the Fuentebellas have done to our district. We believe however that we need a breather. A century of leadership should have given the Fuentebellas enough as much as we have enough of them already. And this how we see you. Dear Aga: Give us something new!

My vote for you was more of giving a chance for change. Wimpy is a good man. He is intelligent, experienced and generous. But I still wanted to wage on something new for our district. You greeted us always, “Maray na Aga,” and didn’t you realize how big that greeting is? It means two things for me: That you are good and that our mornings will also be good. Prove it to us, Aga.  Prove that you can do your best in representing our district.

To Cong. Leni, my family transferred to Naga five years ago. We grew up with Partido politics that is why we don’t have enough memory of the Robredos. In fact, my first real encounter of Robredo politics was during those “difficult years with the Ateneo,” as you described them in your commencement address. Given that, however, I have lots of memories of the Villafuerte politics. We also grew up with them as much as we grew up with the Fuentebellas. Again, Luis Villafuerte is a seasoned politician in his own right and Nely Villafuerte is highly qualified for the post. In fact, I sometimes think she is more qualified than you given her credentials.

Yet, my parents’ votes for you  were no fan votes. We just wanted someone new in our provincial politics in general. Thus, we voted for you. And that was what you promised us: New politics.

And to this platform, we want to gamble.

Dear Cong. Aga and Cong. Leni: We want change. Change is a lifetime project, for sure, but at least we want to start with changing the names of our leaders. We have given them so many chances already; we are giving it to you for now.

Three years to go. Three years of palpable change—this is what our votes mean.

Aga, you have won a difficult fight with a formidable political family. I hope you can stand your ground in the coming difficult years. Atty. Leni, many people say you are just there because of fortuitous event, a mere luck, which is something I also want to believe, but I really pray you will deliver what you promise.

To Aga and Atty. Leni: Prove us wrong and right. Wrong in doubting you and right in gambling with you. This is the hope that goes with our votes.

As for myself, I will do whatever I can to help in initiating that change. I gambled this much with you, then I’ll do my work in fulfilling that hope.

Thank you for your time and pardon the presumptuousness of this letter.

God bless the two of you always! God bless the people, your bosses!

Sincerely,

Adrian