Miriam: Next president should have 'academic, professional and moral excellence'

The next president of the Philippines should have academic, professional and moral excellence, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said during the first PiliPinas Debates 2016 in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday.

Answering the question “Bakit kayo ang dapat maging susunod na presidente ng Republika ng Pilipinas?,” Santiago said the Filipino electorate is looking for a “real leader.”

“We are here looking for a real leader of the Philippines who will implement all the valuable suggestions that were made here this evening. But this is not a personality contest. This is not a show for entertainment,” Santiago said in her closing spiel at the first presidential debate held at the city's Capitol University.

“This is a show to educate the Filipino voter on what his own responsibilities are in addition to those that are being assumed by the presidential candidates,” she added.

Santiago said the next president must have earned academic distinctions, and have received awards in his or her career.

“One, there should be academic excellence. Dapat naging head of the class or at least, naging honor student dahil kung hindi marunong yun, ano ngayon ang ibibigay niyang dunong sa atin?”

“Pangalawa, may professional excellence. Kung naging professional 'yun, dapat nabigyan siya ng mga award ng mga kapwa professional niya dahil sa hanga sila sa kanya.”

But most important of all, she said, is a clean track record in government.

“But third and most important, we should have moral excellence. Dapat ang binoboto natin, walang bahid sa kanyang record or kung may inimbento man, masyadong hindi kapanipaniwala.”

At the end of her closing speech, Santiago wished her fellow candidates good luck in the presidential race in May.

“So, good luck to you and good luck to all of us. I hope this country will deserve to be what God meant it to be: a happy and prosperous nation,” she said. —ALG, GMA News