I met him personally, early last year during the formation meeting of the Network Opposed to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (NO to BNPP). He was not your typical picture of an anti-nukes activist, he did not fit into any of the stereotypical look that activists whom I had met had.
On the height of the campaign against the proposed bill to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant I’ve seen him in the protests, symposiums and congressional hearings where at one point he was even crudely confronted by Congressman Mark Cojuangco, the bills chief proponent and there I saw him gracefully disarm Cojuangco by not raising his voice nor did he give out any aggressive gesture towards Cojuangco.
Now he’s running for president, and albeit with the admirable passion of putting what he personally believes in into the fabric of mainstream Philippine politics. Only time will tell, if the general populance will share his vision.
And just this afternoon I was able to read an Easter reflection that he wrote as a note on his Facebook page and I would like to share it here:
“Philippine society is dying. The Filipino soul is sinking. There is massive corruption, poverty, conflict, joblessness, sickness and hopelessness all over the land. Millions are seeking and longing for a very different Philippines, one that is alive, dynamic, progressive, peaceful, just and moral. What is the new going to be based on? Where is the power to create the new going to come from?- Nicanor Perlas, Meaning of Easter 03 April 2010
This is where Easter comes in. Christ overcame the sting and horror of death, forever. With His victory, we now all have the capacity to overcome what is dead in ourselves, especially our doubts, fears and hatred. Only when we overcome these death forces inside can we have to power to resurrect and create the new outside, in ourselves and in our society. We cannot continue to be the victims of the death forces of the past. We have to access the resurrection forces of the future. Only this Resurrection power can allow us to build a new politics, a new Philippines. But we have to have the courage to die first so that the new can emerge and live. This is the meaning of Easter: the occasion not only to celebrate this power of resurrection within us, but also the occasion to make it real and effective in the world.”
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