"In my opinion, your ‘anonymous source’ from the Floirendo family has neglected to include pertinent information that may have some bearing on the political climate here in Davao del Norte, so I have taken it upon myself to provide a more detailed accounting of our province’s 2007 gubernatorial race. You are not the first journalist to address the situation our families currently find ourselves in.

"Your readers may not be aware that my older brother, Anthony, is the current vice governor of Davao del Norte, and was incidentally the person originally selected as the official Lakas-CMD gubernatorial candidate. His selection was done with the ‘explicit’ blessing of my uncle, Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. (AOF) through his son, Antonio ‘Tonyboy’ Floirendo Jr.; but in the weeks leading to my brother’s filing, rumors had begun to surface that Tonyboy was interested in running for the position as well. On more than one occasion, Anthony made it clear that he would be more than willing to step aside for our cousin, but Tonyboy and his camp repeatedly insisted that they would support my brother in his bid for election, and that Tonyboy had no interest in running for governor. Even on February 25, two days prior to filing his certificate of candidacy with the Comelec, Anthony made a call to Tonyboy, who was en route to London at the time, and Tonyboy pledged his staunch support for my brother’s decision.

"Strangely enough, the rumors regarding Tonyboy’s interest in the governorship only intensified after my brother’s filing, reaching their culmination when Tonyboy announced that AOF wanted him to run for governor instead of Anthony, a fact that had never been mentioned to us until that day. Despite his feelings of disappointment, my brother graciously withdrew his candidacy for, to borrow your words, ‘the sake of family unity.’

"This story would have ended here, had it not been for the insistent letters and texts that were sent to my father and brother from various sectors: the religious, the local politicians, the business, women’s and youth organizations, and most especially the common citizens whom they had dutifully served. They were all concerned about our province’s future in the face of confusion, and believed my father was the best person to weather the growing political storm. They began clamoring for my father to intervene on their behalf, and he was thus faced with a difficult choice: to heed the people’s call, or do nothing. Any person acquainted with my father’s personality and value system would know that he is simply not capable of turning his back on anyone in their time of need. Despite what your sources might say, my father joined the race for governor because the people asked him to. Isn’t that what it means to be a true public servant?

"Despite my uncle’s fame, it must not be forgotten that my father also played a considerable role in building the businesses, and AOF himself has cited my father’s significant contributions on more than one occasion. Their partnership goes back to the very beginning, when my uncle began selling Ford automobiles after the war and Tadeco was still an abaca plantation. The allotment of Anflocor shares to my father was therefore not done gratuitously, as you mentioned in your article, but because of the blood, sweat, and tears he poured into the company; to insinuate otherwise would be a gross misinterpretation of widely-known facts.

"My family and I will always have the utmost gratitude and respect for my uncle, not only for the success he has afforded my father, but also for the love he has bestowed upon us over the years. The relationship between my father and my uncle has stayed strong for more than half a century, and runs too deep to be destroyed by petty gossip spread by those intent on driving a wedge between our families.

"Everything my father has done in his political career has been in the service of his constituents, and his actions in the last few months are just another example of his unwavering dedication to the people of Davao del Norte. I expect the mud-slinging to only get more vicious in the days leading up to May 14, but I am certain that the citizens of our province will see the players of this bizarre circus for what they really are, and my father will ultimately prevail. I can also assure those who seek to bring my family down that we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that the entire truth is presented, not just what is convenient to those who wish to ‘[destroy] from within the home [AOF] had lovingly built.’ – Ria G. del Rosario

***

As a service to the voters who are aghast at the inanities of our politicians, here are some prize quotes from someone that Pinoys automatically admire – almost without question – the current American president:

"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."

"If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure."

"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any governor, and that one word is ‘ to be prepared’. "

"I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future."

"The future will be better tomorrow."

"We’re going to have the best educated American people in the world."

"I stand by all the misstatements that I’ve made."

"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe."

"Public speaking is very easy."

"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."

"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."

"For NASA, space is still a high priority."

"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children."

"It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."

"It’s time for the human race to enter the solar system."

Doesn’t that make you glad that you are not an American voter?