Part II of “Lolo Bobby's Apocalisto” Series

C hief Justice Reynato Puno has already sought the advice of “his ‘consultants,’ his grandchildren, aged 4, 5, and 7, who he calls his ‘moral force,’ and that after retiring from the Supreme Court, he would spend his time bringing them to and fetching them from school.” This was how he answered some community leaders and the Filipino press after they asked him to become a candidate for the Philippine presidency in the May 2010 elections.

Chief Justice Puno reportedly endorsed the concept of the "’Apocalisto,” which is an offered street-smart solution to end “all the quarrels and in-fighting in the Filipino-American community, the Filipino homeland and even in distant places where there is war.” To read Part I of the series, please click on this link, Lolo Bobby's Apocalisto

“Apocalisto” is a term that this writer coined by combining two words: “Apo” (grandchild) and “listo” (street-smart). It can be the ultimate solution in ridding the Philippines of its social cancers, aside from “all the quarrels and in-fighting” among Filipino national-and-local politicians. It can also end the Muslim-and-communist rebellions, as this author proposed in the first installment of this series of articles.

This led Cesar Torres, a former professor of the University of the Philippines (UP), to urge this writer to run for a national position in the May 2010 elections. Professor Torres heads the overseas arm of the “Pulajanes Political Party (PPP) of Samar,” which will soon be registered with the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

Professor Torres is also one of the campaign managers of Ted Aquino, who is also a San Francisco, California-based community advocate and a potential candidate for the Philippine Senate in the 2010 elections. Mr. Aquino is a former president of the UP Alumni Association of Northern California and is the nephew of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino, Jr., of Tarlac Province. Mr. Torres was one of those responsible for coining Mr. Aquino’s political sobriquet, “Kuya Ted.” Kuya is the Tagalog word for an older brother.

Then Mr. Torres collaborated with Poet-pundit Fred Burce Bunao, also a UP alumnus, in brainstorming a suggested political moniker that Filipino voters can identify with this writer. Mr. Bunao is also the founding chairman of the BangsaBicol, an advocacy for more political-and-economic autonomy for the Bicol Region of the Philippines. The duo came with “Lolo Bobby.” After all, Mr. Bunao, who is this writer’s literary mentor, said that “LOLO” could be the slogan of the Overseas-Filipino political alliance. It can be the acronym for “Law and Order, Less government and Opportunities equally given to all.”

Messrs. Bunao and Torres say that Kuya Ted and Lolo Bobby can lead the Overseas-Filipino national slate in the 2010 national elections. With such terms of endearment as in the candidates’ sobriquets, the duo said that many older brothers and their siblings, nieces and nephews, grandparents and grandchildren can back up the OF-led political alliance’s candidates.

Professor Torres says that Chief Justice Puno was absolutely right in hinting that the May 2010 elections would be about grandchildren and their future. Imagine, a Puno candidacy anchored on a “Lolo Reynato” slogan. Poet-pundit Bunao could merely say, “Amen,” to what Mr. Torres pronounced.

H ere is the latest news about Chief Justice Puno and his “political consultants:”

QUOTE.

No political plans, says Puno

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:54:00 01/19/2009

-- Amid calls for him to run for president in 2010, Chief Justice Reynato Puno reiterated he has no plans of entering politics.

"Leaving the judiciary [to] enter the political scene will not do the judiciary any good," Puno said in a chance interview.

The political party "Ang Kapatiran" (Alliance for the Common Good) said it has been receiving calls from supporters urging it to begin serious talks with Puno on the possibility of running for president next year.

Puno said he has already consulted his “consultants,” his grandchildren, aged 4, 5, and 7, who he calls his "moral force," and that after retiring from the Supreme Court, he would spend his time bringing them to and fetching them from school.

At the same time, Puno again thanked those who supported the high court after a controversy broke out in connection with the leak of an unpromulgated decision on a citizenship case against a member of the House of Representatives.

There were also reports that Puno, who allegedly sat on the case, would be facing an impeachment complaint. Amid the controversy, which Puno’s supporters saw as an attack on the judiciary, the chief justice urged the creation of a moral force.
"We have received spiritual strength from different religious organizations. This rainbow of support comes from major segments of society. This is a humbling experience and we never expected it," Puno said.

"Probably this is part of God's purpose, part of God's plan for the Philippines. The country is under moral eclipse. The perception is we're undergoing a moral meltdown. This is how I look at this controversy, an opportunity given by our God of justice for the people," Puno said.

On Monday, the Sangguniang Pambansa ng mga Simbahan sa Pilipinas (National Council of Churches of the Philippines), United Methodist Church Philippine Central Conference and the Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines issued their manifestos of support for Puno.

Last week, several other groups, including the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, did the same. UNQUOTE. # # #