Friday, March 07, 2008 Speak Out: Manifesto for truth By Boholanos for Truth, Accountability and reform
(The manifesto was signed by representatives of lawyers, religious and student groups, non-government organizations and some government officials and community leaders in Bohol—Editor)
We, the undersigned individuals from the different sectors of the Boholano community hereby make it known to all and sundry:
That we take the cudgels and initiative of uniting and organizing ourselves into a multi-sectoral movement called Boholanos for Truth, Accountability, and Reform in response to the current crisis in our country with the following bases of unity:
That this initiative stems from our individual discernment and commitment to get involved in the quest for truth, transparency, accountability, and reform in all the three major aspects of social life, namely in governance, business, and civil society;
That we recognize, appreciate, and support the courageous act of Mr. Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr. in exposing what he knows about the NBN-ZTE controversy and other corrupt practices;
That we acknowledge Secretary Romulo L. Neri to be a Boholano by ancestry and one of our own kind; and as such, we expect him to be courageous and truthful as expected of the sons of Francisco “Dagohoy,” the Boholano hero who led the longest revolt in our country’s history;
That being Boholanos, we support, but also fervently pray for, and strongly appeal to the Boholano spirit in the being of Romulo L. Neri to stand up for the truth and live out the ideals of a genuine and decent Boholano (in the tradition and in honor of the Boholano President Carlos P. Garcia) by telling the whole country all that he knows about corruption in our government to help liberate our people from this quagmire of falsehood and decadence.
Signed, this 29th day of February 2008 in the City of Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines.
