It is appalling to note that while they frequented Mindanao and made grand promises to its people during the presidential campaign, none of the presidential candidates in the 2010 elections, including President Aquino himself, urgently responded to the need for help in Mindanao.
Most notable among the absent, aside from P-Noy, is former President Erap Estrada who always claims, when he raises the issue of all-out war against Muslim separatists, that Mindanao has a special place in his heart. But where is his heart now? What has he done for Mindanao now that the people of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan need him most? And if he says that he is now a private citizen, where is Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is a national public servant?
While lesser officials are donating millions of pesos, where is Erap? Enjoying cases of Petrus wine, while expressing mere words of sympathy for the people?
The presidential candidates will probably go there in January, after they have partied to their hearts’ content, distributing gift bags with their faces on each bag, bought with taxpayers’ money. These politicians just prove time and again that their hearts are not truly for the poor but only for themselves. Shame!
—G. REYES,
Lieutenant Artiaga Street,
Barangay Corazon de Jesus,
San Juan City