The Kapatiran senatorial candidates are the following: Zosimo Jesus "Jess" Paredes, former military man, who quit as presidential assistant and executive director of the Presidential Commission on the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement when convicted rapist Daniel Smith was surreptitiously transferred by Malacañang to the US Embassy; prominent legal eagle Mario Ongkiko, Kapatiran party president; Dr. Martin Bautista, a young (44 years of age) balikbayan medical specialist in gastroenterology who, out of a sense of duty to serve the country, returned home, after having established a successful and lucrative rural practice in Oklahoma, USA; and another lawyer, broadcaster and Ateneo teacher, Adrian Sison.

Look up Kapatiran at http://www.angkapatiran.org.

Of course, they can win. All that this will take is for enough of us to support them and vote for these five non-politicians who mean well and who are, because of that, already superior to the bunch of tradpols offered by the two main political parties.

And, even if they cannot win, we ought to support them. How else can our political process ever improve if we give in to the implied threat of the larger political parties that, to have a chance of winning, one needs to join them and play their game. I sincerely believe that it is about time that we find alternatives to the way we choose our leaders.

Dr. Martin Bautista tried other party-list parties prior to settling for Kapatiran, He knew he found the right place when Kapatiran accepted him outright while the others wanted a sizable donation before they would accept him as a party member who could run for office. In Kapatiran, they took him in. Period. Why did he come back? He and his wife had been scholars of the public school system even when he completed his medicine studies at the University of the Philippines. He felt that it was because of their both having been iskolar ng bayan throughout their schooling that they were professionally successful in the United States. Thus, the Bautistas felt that they both had to give back to their home country, the Philippines.

Atty. Mario Ongkiko is a sterling principled lawyer who, if we had a better political environment, ought to have been a senatorial candidate several decades ago, He threw his hat into the ring after Kapatiran decided to field some candidates. As Kapatiran Party president, he felt that he had to lead the party’s candidates.

Adrian Sison is a lawyer, broadcaster and university professor, who comes from a long line of public servants His great-grandfather, Jose Braulio, worked with President Emilio Aguinaldo. His grandfather was Fernando E. V. Sison Secretary of Finance in 1962. His father, Luis V. Z. Sison, was MWSS administrator until 1992.

Jess Paredes reacts to media reports: "Anong third force? We are the genuine alternative. Not opposition, not the administration. We need genuine reforms."

That is what attracts people in the middle class to Kapatiran. What can these people want, except only good government?

If you feel like joining Kapatiran, get on their website and download the application form. Fill it up and send it back. There are no obligations, financial or otherwise. All that you have to swear to is that you love this country and will do what you can for it.

That is easy for most of us but it may be a difficult pledge for many of our tradpols whose higher purpose seems to be to get what they can for themselves out of the political system.

***

Reli German, my high school and college classmate, who is now the main strategist of Team Unity sent me this text message: "Frankly, I agree that the other Cayetano is a nuisance candidate. Yes, Alan Peter Cayetano should be disqualified by the Comelec."

We saw a report of a television crew that went to the house of Joselito Peter Cayetano, the original Cayetano in the eyes of Team Unity. First, his neighbors say that he is Joselito Cayetano but is definitely not "Peter" also and that some well-dressed men in a huge vehicle visited him and promptly left their squatter area. The next thing they hear is that Joselito, now called "Joselito Peter Cayetano," had filed for his candidacy for the Senate with the Comelec.

Alan Peter must have created some powerful enemies to be targeted by so much unexpected vicissitude.

***

One notes that with the news that the NCLEX will soon be offered in Manila for nurses who may want to work in the United States that the question of whether those who passed the June 2006 nurses board exams (which was marred by having the questions leaked) should or should not retake the test.

To my mind, this is a very simple problem. If the nurse wants to work in the US, she should retake. If she will stay in the Philippines, she need not.

The Philippines has nothing to do with whether the examinee should or should not retake. If she wants to work in the US, the only way they will take her is if she retakes. End of story.

If she can get into the US without a retake, then, bully for her. That ought to be the end of the issue. Certainly, there is nothing to quarrel about.