“No person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.”
It was almost six years ago when I first exercised my right to suffrage having voted in the 2010 national elections. Not so long that I forgot whom I have voted for the presidential seat. Well, he didn’t win… as expected by then.
Few months from now, we are again bound to select our new set of leaders- a pool of people to whom we rely on the future of our beloved country and for the poor and marginalized, the future of their lives.
Few months back, I am not really on track on politics, on the presidential elections to be specific. Until I came to know about her declaration of candidacy who, I believe, deserves to be the next President. Along with the other big names who aspire for presidency, they are all capable for the highest seat. But I would surely vote for Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. I have faith that she will do best among the rest. And if you ask me why, the three things I consider the most are education, experience, and recognition. Santiago tops all of these qualifications.
Santiago has been consistent in the realm of education having gained and attended a lot of short courses, seminars and conferences both locally and abroad. She was fifty-two when she attended the Summer Program in Law at Oxford University. Her classroom education which ended in her mid-life shows her commitment to excellence.
Along with the consistency to pursue excellence is her notable performance in the three great branches of the government- judiciary, executive and legislative. She has been the presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, immigration commissioner and a cabinet member as agrarian reform secretary. She is now in her third term as a senator where she rose to fame on its highest during the pork barrel scam and PDAF controversy.
Lastly, Santiago is internationally recognized being the first Filipino and the first Asian from a developing country to be elected in the United Nations as judge of the International Criminal Court. How great is that?
The Constitution does not provide for education, experience, and recognition as qualifications. The law is clear. But how does the Philippine government differ from the big companies which require their CEOs to have the highest levels of education, experience and recognition? The Presidency is also a job. He gets paid. I am not against the authors of our Constitution as it was crafted in view of equality. But as to what our nation needs, I believe that it is for us to figure out. That is why we have our rights.
Our nation needs a president who is intellectually equipped to make decisions, well-experienced to handle a wide array of people, and globally competitive to uplift the morale of the Filipino people. No doubt, Miriam Defensor-Santiago has it all. She tops the needed qualifications.
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