Letter To The New Philippine President

by Seneca Moraleda-Puguan

Dear Mr. Marcos,

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on winning the elections and becoming the 17th President of the Philippines. The majority of the Filipino people gave you the mandate to lead the country.

I will be honest with you. I did not root for you. I desperately wanted someone else to be the next leader but when you won, I wasn’t surprised. I have a lot of friends and even family members who firmly believed in you despite the many issues surrounding the name you carry. I saw democracy at work even if the results didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. Because of this, I respect the decision made by the many.

Unity is the main message of your campaign, but it was the last thing I saw during the elections. Friends have canceled each other. Families have turned against each other. Hurtful words and accusations have been hurled at one another all over social media because of differences in political preferences and ideologies.

Mr. President, I am not here to condemn you. Just like you, I am flawed and imperfect so who am I to judge? I have been called to honor and submit to authorities even if I disagree with them or even if they fall short, and this I will fulfill. But I hope you hear my pleas.

The very moment you take an oath as the President of the Philippines, I hope you remember the more than thirty million people who supported you, who believed your message and your call for unity.

I have watched on TV how millions of Filipino people patiently exercised their right to vote. They endured the long queues, the intense heat and exposure to the virus just to be able to cast their valuable votes. Even Senior citizens, disabled citizens and pregnant women endured all these because they knew how important their votes are. Please do not disappoint them. Please be true to your promises.

Honestly, I don’t fully know and understand your platforms and agenda for the country. But now that you are the leader of the land, I pray that you will be clear with your message and plans for the country, that you will listen to the plights of your countrymen and you will not dismiss the many questions that we, your people, need answers to.

Many say that you are a tax-evader and a thief. I hope that you will disprove the accusations thrown against you. As the head of the nation, I pray that you will exemplify integrity and honesty, that you will make wise decisions and conduct transactions with a clear conscience.

Your family is one of the most talked-about families in the nation. Because of Martial Law, many despise your name. You probably want to clear your family’s name.

I hope that as you now rule over the land, you will not revise history in favor of your family, but you will correct the wrong things that have been done and redeem your name tarnished by the things of the past. May your agenda be not just for the benefit of your family, but for the families of those who have put their trust in you.

Many say to never forget and never again to the atrocities committed at the time of your father’s leadership. I plea that you will reach out and take the time to hear the stories of the people who suffered and hear the anguish of their hearts. I hope that you will be a leader who displays repentance and serves in humility.

With your victory, a lot have declared that they have lost their hope for a better future. Will you prove them wrong? I appeal that you will do your best to dispel the thick cloud of hopelessness in our nation through your leadership and service over the next six years.

With your actions and decisions, may you cause your constituents to have that deeper sense of Filipino pride. May you win the hearts of the next generation and provide them with reasons to keep hoping and fighting for their future. May you prove to the Filipinos overseas that the Philippines is still worth coming home to.

As I have said, I did not root for you but as the mandated leader of the land, I honor you and I submit to you. I know that during your governance, you will make a lot of mistakes, you will fail and you will disappoint just like the many past leaders that have gone before you. But I can look forward to the years up ahead, despite the uncertainties, because my hope is not in you.

My confidence in the future is not dependent on you. As a human, you are frail and limited. My eyes are fixed on the One who is all-knowing and perfect, the One who sets up kings and kingdoms. I have peace knowing that there is a God who is sovereign over the Philippines, whoever is the elected head of the state.

My full hope is in Him. My trust is anchored in Him. Great are the plans that He has for our beloved nation. I pray that you will also look to Him and seek His guidance as you lead the country.

President Marcos, all eyes are on you. You will be held accountable for every action you do and decision you make. But know that as you have been chosen to hold the highest position in the land, God’s grace will be sufficient for you.

Indeed, He is the God of many chances. He has given you this opportunity to be the leader of the nation. Please don’t waste this chance and make things right and make the Philippines better. I pray that your love for your nation, and not your selfish agenda, will be your fuel to lead the Philippines.

My family will be praying for you.

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