(Transcribed from the 3-part Youtube video of Miriam Defensor Santiago addressing the People’s Reform Party in its 1st Convention in 1992.)
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lbHaiQKK3o
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKDtG7A9ogA
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ-AzzoNL88

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This is both a happy and a historic occasion. From different parts of the country, we have come to the first national convention of the People’s Reform Party and you have nominated me to the official candidate of this party in the elections which will determine the next President of the Philippines.

I accept your nomination.

For the past two years, we have built this party under modest and sometimes difficult circumstances. I recall with deep gratitude how many of you toiled ceaselessly in the vineyards of good government with no thought of any reward. Save, that of a selfless character. In these tentative times, our only fortification was a moral lesson that for evil to triumph it is sufficient that good men shall do nothing.

But, now at last, our efforts bear fruit. We have come here, party members, with 2,000 delegates from 73 provinces and 64 cities, and 18,000 delegates from the National Capital Region! We have come to pay heed to the scriptures, and I quote: “Be strong and of a good courage. Do not be afraid; neither be thou dismayed.”

We have followed the path of our conscience. We have heeded the call of civic duty. We have made here this afternoon the quantum leap from vision to action. We are ready. We shall fight. And, ladies and gentlemen, I promise you, on May 11, we shall win!

Our task is to reform the culture of corruption. In this archipelago, the land of our birth, the cradle of our hopes and dreams, we find it intolerable and immoral that of 62 million Filipinos, 2/3 are living at the poverty line. We find it unacceptable that despite our great wealth in natural resources, despite our gifts in human resources, our country today bears the onus of a negative reputation as one of the most corrupt governments in Southeast Asia.

Why is this country so poor? Why is life so hard? The reason is plain and simple. And that reason is, because politics in this country is so corrupt!

That is why, although many of us are non-politicians, we have organized the People’s Reform Party despite the heaviest of odds. For we know that this is not a poor country. This is only a mismanaged economy. In the forthcoming campaign, we shall fight for the right of our pride of our native land to prove to the world that honesty is a national virtue and that we are ready to take our rightful place among the Tiger economies of Asia in the Century of the Pacific Rim. Toward this end, the PRP stands on platforms:

1. We must fight graft and corruption.
2. We shall build locals mass housing.
3. Promote export-oriented industries.
4. Develop the tourism industry.

As a special salute to our special constituency who are the youth, PRP will implement immediately a system of free elementary and high school education and a system of student loans, scholarships, and subsidies to poor but deserving students. And we shall reform the academic curriculum in order to assure our young graduates of skills that are demanded by the job market. In presenting our four plans of our platform, and the program of our government as detailed in our party primer, we are engaged not only in a campaign but also in a crusade. We seek to energize the national character. We seek a mighty turnaround in the culture of corruption. Thus, this first convention of the PRP is momentous, or to paraphrase the words of a poet, “The Philippines with all its fears, with all its hopes of coming years, is hanging breathless at thy fate.”

We know that victory will not be easy for the enemy is rich and powerful. Already, there are signs that the traditional politicians will try to buy the presidency, will use their money, will use their oney to buy vots, to terrorize, and indulge in other forms of election raud including character assassination. The opponets are boasting that in a battle, on the one hand between popularity and on the other hand with machinery, graft and corruption will win again. In the past two years, in over two dozen major nationwide presidential surveys, in Luzon, in the Visayas, in Mindanao, in Metro Manila, the Filipino people were asked, “whom do you want to become the next president of the Philippines?” And invariably, concessantly, the people replied with one name. The name of the President of the People’s Reform Party.

But, the trapos do not get the message. They mock and they ridicule me and those who voted for me in the Presidential surveys. Sabi nila, “Ang lakas naman ng loob ni Miriam tumakbo, wala naming pera, wala naming makinaryang pandaraya.” Gayunpaman, sa mga presidential surveys ang nakukuha nating grado ay mga 56%. Samantalang, ang mga nagsasabi niyan, ang nakukuha nilang grado ay 2% or 4% Iyan ang mga gagong talagang walang konsensiya. Sabi nila, “Eh, ano sa amin kung number 1 sa presidentialsurvey si Miriam? Eh, ano sa amin kung ano ang gusto ng mga kabataan o ng mga mahihirap?” Inagmamalaki nila na marami raw silang pera at ang dunong nila sa pandaraya. Kasi ang tunong nila sa mamamayang Pilipino ay mukhang pera, kamukha nila. Sabi nila, “Eh, ano kung Doctor of Laws si Miriam?” Dahil ipinagmamalaki na may doctorate sila sa pandaraya.

The popularity surveys indicate the will of the majority. In a democracy, it is a self-evident proposition that we must abide by the rule of the majority. Thru the presidential surveys, the people have spoken. By my acceptance of your nomination this afternoon, I hear and obey the voice of the people for the voice the people is the voice of God!

I warn those politicians in the strongest terms. Do not threaten me with your projected bribery, cheating, or even black propaganda. I shall run for president or I shall die in the attempt. I shall prevail or I shall perish. And, if the trapos cheat me in the elections, I will never concede. For we know that because there are many presidential candidates, the next President will be elected not by majority but only by a plurality vote. Hence, it is crucial that even if elected by a plurality vote, the next president must enjoy true public support as evidenced by the surveys. Otherwise, a plurality president will only invite further political stability. Kung itong halalang ito ay mapagtatagumpayan na naman ng katiwalain, ano ang maasahan ng sambayanan? Kung iboboto ang kandidato dahilan lamang sa nagbigay siya ng pera, kauna-unahang araw niya sa panunungkulan, ang unang gagawin niya ay magnanakaw siya uli ng lmpak na limpak nap era ng sambayanan.

If we vote for a Presidential candidate because he has given us money or he has promised us with an appointment or a promotion in public office or a lucrative public contract, we have helped to perpetrate a vicious cycle of graft and corruption in Philippine society. Wala nga akong maitumbas sa pera ng aking mga kalaban dahil maski ganitong hamak lang akong tao, maipagmamalaki ko, na hindi kamukha ng mga kalaban ko, ako ang taong hindi nagnakaw ng pera ng gobyerno.

The charge against me is poverty and I plead guilty to that offense. Pero, hindi bale na. Maski ganyang wala akong pera, masasabi ko sa aking mga kababayan, hindi ko isinangla ang kaluluwa ko at kailanman hindi ko isasangla ang bansa ko.

In the epic journey of our civilization, thru the glorious metamorphosis of our faith, we have learned that God exists and He’s good. Thus, if God exists and He’s good, then, in his own good time, God will ensure that good will triumph over evil; and good government will triumph over corruption.

The skeptics say that to fight graft and corruption in the Philippines is mission impossible; and the cynics say, “Miriam will win in the voting, but she might lose in the counting”. I defy my enemies. Hindi ako takot at lalabanan ko ang mga gagong ito.

To reform the culture of corruption is our mission and our crusade. Already, we see proof of the warning in the scriptures that the house divided against itself cannot stand. Our opponents are divided and they cannot stand when the PRP continues to gain strength from the tenets of shared destiny and the will to win of our millions of supporters.

In conclusion, we shall carry on our crusade. We shall campaign. We shall fight. And ladies and gentlemen, I promise you, on May 11, we shall win and reform this country.

Thank you very much for this one moment in time.