16 May 2007
Home in Baguio City
Philippines

Sa aking mahal na kababayan,

Mula sa kahibuturan ng aking puso, MARAMING, MARAMING, MARAMING SALAMAT PO SA INYONG PAGTANGKILIK SA AKIN AT SA MGA KASAMA KO’NG KANDIDATO SA ANG KAPATIRAN NITONG NAKARAANG MAYO 14, 2007 HALALAN!

Nanalo po tayong lahat!

Congratulations po sa ating lahat!

Ang ideya na dapat ibalik o ilagay ang Panginoong Diyos sa sentro ng politika at para sa pagbabago ay nanalo ng “landslide.” Wala itong kadudaduda. Dahil po sa inyong lahat, nagtagumpay ito, nagtagumpay kayo, nagtagumpay tayo!

Dapat lang, magdiwang at magsaya! Ngunit, hindi pa po tapos ang laban natin. Nagsisimula palang tayo.

Kailangan natin magpalakas, mag parami, at maghanda sa marami pang laban sa hinaharap.

Ngayon, tutukan natin ang darating na halalan sa barangay na idaraos bago matapos ang taong pangkasalukuyan, o kaya sa susunod na taon. Kailangan mas nakahanda tayo para dito.

Pasalamat din tayo sa Panginoon sapagkat dahil sa kanya nagkabuklodbuklod at nagkaisa tayong lahat sa pakikibakang ito.

Muli, maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat.

Mahal na mahal ko po kayong lahat tulad ng pagmamahal ko sa kaisa-isa nating Inang Bansang Pilipinas!

Ibibigay ko po ang lahat pati ang buhay ko sa matinding pagmamahal na ito.

Ang inyong kapatid,

JESS PAREDES

My family put together this home-made video as a short message to the public during the home stretch to the polls. Everything was done by my family at home, from the music, the lyrics, the instrumentation, editing, shoot, etc.

Music, instrumentation, vocals by Pope
Lyrics by Maddie
Video by Ian
Video editing by Maddie
Executive Producer: Oly Paredes
Assistants: Emman, Carla, Jesse and AB

Amidst the clutter, chaos, and challenge that we face during the campaign, I take pause in thanking God for being blessed with a loving and supportive family!  No matter how busy I am these days, Sundays are sacred to me, our family day!

22 April 2007
Sunday afternoon
At home in Pasig City
Philippines

To my beloved countrymen,

Our country and people are besieged by:
a.) Environmental and social issues like the:

• global warming,
• waterways pollution,
• youth and drugs problem, and
• education woes and student welfare;

b.) Peace, Order and National Security:

• Local and Global Terrorism;
• Dissidents/Military Abuses and Human Rights Violations.

c.) Economic Issues:

• Unemployment/Underemployment;
• Brain Drain and Filipino Migrant Workers’ Plights;
• Government and Business Corruption.

By and large, the answer or solution to our woes as a country and people is:
a.) Good Leadership – a God-fearing, principled, selfless, resolute, and no-nonsense leadership!
b.) A Servant-leader who is dedicated to:

• work for the common good of every Filipino regardless of religion and social and economic status in life

• make politics an effective means for the integral development or total well-being of all rather than a tool for the advancement of a privileged few

• make every Filipino a vehicle for social and political transformation;
• translate into reality a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Woefully, at present, we are unfortunate to have and contend with political leaders who unashamedly and relentlessly indulge in their own brand of politics which is synonymous with:
a.) Celebrity, entertainment, or circus;
b.) Pork barrel;
c.) Political family dynasty;
d.) Patronage;
e.) Pay-off;
f.) Deception;
g.) Abuse;
h.) Hypocrisy;
i.) Dishonesty;
j.) Cheating;
k.) Immoral compromises; &
l.) Guns, goons, & gold (in 100s of million pesos, or billions)

They are the obiquitous, age-old, antiquated and abhorred traditional politicians, or, the TRAPOS!!! – whose only “achievement” is the brazen corruption of all that is good in government of which the inevitable pathetic consequence, of course, is the utter destruction and impoverishment of our beloved country and people.

All these, the TRAPOS, committed, in the name of “public service” and the high positions they occupy, in order to enrich themselves, their families, and their private or family businesses and interests, at the expense of and wanton disregard of the Filipino people who are:
a.) Poor, very poor;
b.) Downtrodden;
c.) Marginalized;
d.) Suffering;
e.) Abused;
f.) Violated;
g.) Neglected;
h.) Discriminated;
i.) Jobless;
j.) Hungry;
k.) Homeless;
l.) Sick
m.) Dying;
n.) Jailed; and
o.) Killed.

The foregoing considered, are we still surprised if the Philippines, once second only to Japan in economy in the 50s and 60s, have deteriorated to become now one of the poorest and the most corrupt in Asia?

Our motherland remains to this day as one of the richest country in natural resources; and our people, one of the most intelligent and talented peoples in the world!

We have come this low, very, very low because of our bad and soul-less leaders that we, yes we, have elected, time and again, and have perpetuated, allowed and tolerated to do what they did or did not do, and continue to do what they did and what they did not do..

These TRAPOS are the cancer cells or cancerous parts in our society! Shall we not extinguish them? Shall we not amputate them! Shall we not save the life, or what is left of it, of our motherland, the Philippines – our Inang Bayan nating mahal?

We must, and we shall! Not later, but now! Time is of the essence! It is crucial!

Therefore, during the coming elections, on May 14, 2007, let us BOOT out these TRAPOS!

Instead, let us all together VOTE for the SINCERE, HONEST, FEW GOOD MEN of Ang Kapatiran Party:

a.) Atty. JESS PAREDES,
b.) Atty. ADRIAN SISON, and,
c.) Dr. MARTIN BAUTISTA..

P-S-B, for, PAREDES, SISON, BAUTISTA!

PAREDES, SISON, BAUTISTA, with GOD AND all of us behind them in support, shall provide the first few steps in the journey of a thousand miles towards a God-favored, harmonious, healthy, peaceful, joyful, prosperous, vibrant, and honorable country and people!

Such is the country and people we want! Such is the country and people we see! Such is the country and people it shall be!

Together, on May 14, 2007, we can all make it happen!

May God’s favor and blessings be with us all in this our greatest and proudest endeavor ! ! !

I remain,

Humbly yours,

jessparedes

STILL I PUT MY TRUST IN THEE

by Atty Jess Paredes, candidate for senator, April 8, 2007, Pasig City, Philippines

I asked Thee: “If this is not Your Will for me, please stop me.”, and You let me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

“I took the leap of faith” for Thee not knowing what’s in store for me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

Merciless and humongous foes may be up against me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

Old standards, habits, beliefs, and systems may disfavor me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

Multi-million campaign funds may avoid me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

TV, radio and print ads may escape me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

Tradpols may tease and bully me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

Surveys and polls may exclude me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

“Ang Kapatiran” may not do much for me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

Skeptics may call me fool, Don Quixote or David,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

Pundits and doomsayers may poorly rate me,
Still I put my trust in Thee;

After all what matters most to me is the trust I put in Thee, and
What matters most to Thee is the best Thee have for me!

And, thus, I pray:
Without Thee, I am nothing! But, with Thee, nothing is impossible!

March 27, 2007
Manila, Philippines

To My Dear Fellow Filipinos,

On May 14, 2007, or 47 days from today, we will have the national and local elections. Every Filipino voter, as in previous elections, shall again be required to vote for senatorial candidates as well as local candidates like Governors, Mayors, etc.

This elections is very crucial!

It comes at a time when;
a.) The Philippines has been adjudged as the most corrupt country in Asia;
b.) The Philippines, for a long time now, has been or continue to be one of the poorest, if not the poorest, in Asia and/or in the world; and
c.) That no less than the President of the Philippines and her Administration has been indicted before the Permanent People’s Tribunal in The Hague, in The Netherlands for multiple violations of human rights.

The foregoing considered, it is not difficult to see or realize now that many, if not most, of our representatives (the politicians) in government have failed us, the very people that these politicians were sworn to serve.

We are partly to blame! But, most of the blame, perhaps, goes to these politicians (candidates then) who took us for a ride or who have successfully masqueraded themselves into something or someone who they were not.

And we have fallen for them! We have known no better! Or, simply, we have taken things lightly, very lightly, at the polls! We have taken for granted our right of suffrage, or, we just couldn’t care less! We have put no regard in the sanctity of the ballot!

Having accepted the stark reality that we are, inevitably, in, we also must now accept the reality that another election is at hand, forthcoming, or just around the corner.

We now have a chance to right the wrongs of the past; a chance not to commit the same mistakes!

I have been in government for many, many, years. After my graduation from the Philippine Military Academy in 1971, I have been, as a military officer, assigned in different places (Laguna, Quezon, Bataan, Benguet, Baguio City, and La Union) in the Philippines, and occupying various positions in the Philippine Constabulary (now defunct and replaced by the Philippine National Police).

I have been (elected) an Assemblyman, or, Member of Parliament (MP), at the 1st (and last) Regular Batasang Pambansa (National Parliament), representing the province of Ifugao.

I have been (appointed) a Deputy Director-General (with rank of Deputy Minister, or, Undersecretary) of the Office of Muslim Affairs and Cultural Minorities (OMACC). I have been (appointed) Legal Counsel and Special Assistant to the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Office of the President. And corollary to this, I have been(appointed), also, Vice Chairman of Southern Philippines Development Authority Deactivation Task Force (SDTF).

And until recently, January 31, 2007, I have been Undersecretary, Office of the President; and Commissioner and Executive Director of the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFACOM).

For the past thirty six (36) years of my life and throughout all the various positions I have held and the different places I have worked in, I have seen, first hand, the following:

a.) The stark or abject poverty of our people especially in the country-sides and the growing slum areas in the urban centers;

d.) The deplorable or callous violation and/or surrender of our sovereignty as a nation and people in the name of foreign relations or in fear of losing foreign aids, and trading and security partners.

The last one on the list above, cost me my most recent position in government, but without any regret, whatsoever. I tendered my resignation and eventually quit my post on January 31, 2007, because I took a stand diametrically opposed to that of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Administration vis-à-vis the unceremonious or unauthorized whisking away or transfer of convicted US Marines Lance Corporal Daniel Smith from the Makati City Jail to the US Embassy premises in Manila (without any court order or authorization) in the dead of a Friday night of December 29, 2007, in the middle of the Yuletide or Christmas Season. Indeed, it was a clear case where the “Palace took the law into its hands.” In a democracy like ours and in a society of laws and not of men, like the Philippines, “Nobody is over and above the law!” From the lowliest Juan Dela Cruz to the highest President Arroyo, they are all under and subject to the supremacy and majesty of the law.

Such act was a grave and despicable violation of the centuries-honored principles of the separation of powers and the rule of law enshrined in no less than the highest law of the land, the Philippine Constitution of 1987.

Confronted by the power wielders in Malacañang, I stood my ground, owned up to my words quoted in the newspapers and accepted full responsibility for having publicly expressed them, and said: “Ergo, my further stay in my office is untenable, Therefore, I am resigning.” And the rest is history.

As mentioned in my previous post, in late January or early February of this year, 2007, while I was in the midst of weighing options as where or in what place, Baguio City or Metro Manila, will I teach “Law and Government” and go back to law practice again, I received a call from an acquaintance, Atty. Reynaldo “Nandy” Pacheco. Over the phone, he invited me to run as a Senatorial Candidate under the Ang Kapatiran Party this coming May 14, 2007 elections. My quick repartee was: “I would love to but I don’t have the funds or budget for it.” He said he’ll send me the Ang Kapatiran Party documents which embody the party’s principles and platform. He further said that if I could embrace all the party’s principles and platform and could commit myself to them, then they shall take me in as member and as candidate for the Senate. The necessary expenses for my running, he said, shall be dealt with by the party, Nandy assured me.

Forthwith, I received the party documents as promised. I browsed over them as quickly as I could. Lo and behold! Just as quickly, I told Nandy, “Yes, I embrace them all, and that I am accepting the invitation to run for Senator under the Ang Kapatiran Party.”

My reasons for running as Senator are all well-written in the letter and are all placed behind or in the spirit of the Principles and Platform of the Ang Kapatiran Party, hereunder, to wit:

Section 1. Belief in God Almighty.

Section 2. Life and Dignity of the Human Person. We believe that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether or not it enhances the life and dignity of the human person…..

Section 3. Family, Community and Participation. The human person is not only sacred but inherently social…..

Section 4. Rights and Responsibilities. As social beings, our relationships are governed by a web of rights and corresponding duties…..

Section 5. Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members…..

Section 6. Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers. The economy must serve people, not vice versa…..

Section 7. Solidarity. Because of the interdependence of all members of the human family around the globe, we have a moral responsibility to commit ourselves to the common good at all levels: in local communities, in our nation, and in the community of nations. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be…..

Section 8. Care for God’s Creation. The world that God created has been entrusted to us, yet our use of it must be directed by God’s plan for creation, not simply by our own benefit…..

Section 9. Peace and Active Nonviolence. The road to total liberation is not the way of violence, class struggle or hate; it is the way of love, brotherhood and peaceful solidarity…..

The foregoing considered, my dear kababayan, my fellow Filipino, for love of our country and our fellow countrymen, and all for the Glory of God, The Almighty, I have accepted the role, difficult as it is, of being a Candidate for Senator, an alternative good candidate, modesty aside, in this coming elections. In the same light, may I therefore, in all humility, remind you of your role, which is just as noble and vital as mine, which is the role of being a conscientious, wise, and vigilant voter.

May I, also, humbly, solicit your vote for me, Atty Jess Paredes, and for my two other fellow candidates for Senator in the Ang Kapatiran Party in the persons of: Atty Adrian Sison and Dr. Martin Bautista.

Maraming salamat po! May God bless you, our countrymen, and our motherland, the Philippines!

Evil shall not prevail in our land if we, good people, you and I, shall do something! Mabuhay and Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Pilipino! Mabuhay tayong lahat! All Glory to God!

I remain,

Very truly yours,

Atty. Zosimo Jesus “Jess” Mendoza Paredes II

Making a bid for a political position was farthest from my mind when I resigned as Executive Director of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in January. I was surprised when I received a call from Nandy Pacheco, Founder and current Secretary General of the Ang Kapatiran Party. The call was an invitation to run as senatorial candidate under the Ang Kapatiran Party.

My knee-jerk response was a “no”. For I had initially planned to go back to a quiet private life as a lawyer and as an educator and spend more quality time with my famiy. Besides, I said, I have no money. But Nandy, persuasive and persistent that he is as I know him now, asked me to reconsider and forwarded me the party’s platform and principles of government.

I read the documents. And lo and behold, everything that I have been aspiring for as a civil and public servant all my life were boldly written and spelled out in the party’s principles. And in as much as I have declared to my family that public office was no longer an option, (to my family’s, especially my wife’s relief then, mind you), it felt like some divine intervention was happening and prodding me to do otherwise, to go for it.

I have been serving my country all my adult life, as a soldier, a public and a civil servant. So all told, I could very well just say that I’ve done my part. But I guess, the “Paredes” in me was kicking in. As background, I come from a family of public servants, starting with the late Don Quintin Paredes, who was a senator, a Senate president and secretary of the Department of Public Works [and Highways], sometime in the past. And so, it’s in my blood, in the family. Most of us are lawyers and justices and entertainers like Jim Paredes of the Apo Hiking Society. So public service to the Paredes clan is second nature to us.

To cut to the chase, my controversial and sudden resignation from my last position and the events that triggered it somehow started falling into place. The crossroad that I was in was there for a reason, a purpose. And this purpose, I now realize was CHANGE.

That the country was ripe and ready for SOLID and PRINCIPLED change. And if I wanted change to happen, it should start from me. From my not giving up on serving my country knowing that I still have a lot to give. And embracing the belief that GOOD politics can and will happen in this country.

And so began my journey as a change agent in advocating GOOD and PRINCIPLED politics in this country.