Santotome: Let Not Poverty Hinder Success

Police Chief Insspector Santotome

The 46th closing exercises of 34 graduating pupils of Cubay Elementary though it was soaked by incessant tail-end wind rains, yet was pushed through in the open while the graduates were under the umbrella.

"This is a blessing in disguise," Police Chief Inspector Rico C. Santotome, the invited guest speaker puts it in his message, "the outpouring of the rain."

Citing the often-quoted lines from the speech of American president John F. Kennedy, that says, "ask not what your country can do for you. ask what you can do for your country," he opened up to set the line of thinking of every graduating pupil towards patriotism.

He added by citing more inspiration thoughts from the famous person like William Jennings Bryan's "Destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice."

He enriched his message by relaying the tragic story of a politician's son who opted to live a wealthy, but lonely life. His parents didn't care so much for him. He found solace in taking the prohibited drugs. Eventually he became drug addict and cut his life short by committing a suicide.

Comparing a pauper's life with that of a frustrated, emotionally imbalance individual, he pointed out that they won't let poverty hinder their success in life academically.

He counseled the graduates not to stop from learning more in their secondary and tertiary years as the country needs a well-educated populace in order that economic growth be sustained.

"Rest not in your laurels but rather continue to excel not only academically but in all other aspects of life whether it is spiritual, moral or social," he further advised.

"I'm glad to know that you're honest as what your principal observed you and told me earlier," he told.  Be honest.

Think positive. Be spiritually strong, morally upright. Don't take things which do not belong to you. By cheating, you're making a fool of yourself.

Sometime in 1960, he mentioned that American President J.F. Kennedy stressed in his inaugural message that the world is very different now. For man holds in is mortal hands, the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.

Thus, he told the graduates that they should be positive in all their dealings and they don't let poverty hinder their success academically.

As a resource speaker, he said that it is but proper to recognize the achievements of the pupils amidst pains and sacrifices they all have encountered since grade one, not to mention the similar hardships their parents as well as their teachers have endured in order for them to graduate with flying colors.

As a peace officer, Santotome wanted for the graduate to inculcate into their minds the context of the preamble of the constitution of the Philippines which reads as follows:

"We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations,promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessing of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution."

He concluded his talk by encouraging the graduates to enroll in the Philippine National Police Academy when they reach in college.