#josephestrada

On this day in 2007, former Philippine president Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder. He was promptly stripped to his skivvies and made to walk the plank.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.” 

Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of America's greatest heroes due to both his incredibleimpact on the nation and his unique appeal. His is a remarkable story of therise from humble beginnings to achieve the highest office in the land; then, a sudden and tragic death at a time when his country needed him most to complete the great task remaining before the nation. Lincoln's distinctively human and humane personality and historical role as savior of the Union and emancipator of the slaves creates a legacy that endures. His eloquence of democracy and his insistence that the Union was worth saving embody the ideals of self-government that all nations strive to achieve. While the war raged, Lincoln also suffered great personal anguish over the death of his beloved son and the depressed mental condition of his wife, Mary. The pain of war and personal loss affected him deeply, and he often expressed his anguish by turning to humor and by speaking eloquently about the meaning of the great war which raged across the land. His Gettsyburg Address, delivered after the Battle of Gettysburg, as well as his second inaugural in 1865, are acknowledged to be among the great orations in American history.

JOSEPH ESTRADA

Joseph Marcelo Ejercito Estrada was born on April 19, 1937, in Tondo, Manila. His parents, Engr. Emilio Ejercito and Maria Marcelo, moved to San Juan where he grew up. Recently he moved to Manila where he continues to reside to this day. In his early twenties, he became a movie actor by accident but later proved himself to be an accomplished thespian, starring in a string of well-received films that earned him the title of a living legend in local filmdom. He entered politics in 1967, was elected and re-elected mayor of the Municipality (now City) of San Juan which he served with dedication and distinction for more than 16 continuous years. In 1987, he set his sights on a Senate run and handily garnered a seat. He was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Public Works. He was Vice-Chairman of the Committees on Health, Natural Resources and Ecology and Urban Planning. In 1989, the Free Press cited him as one of the Three Outstanding Senators of the Year. He was conferred the degree of Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa by the Bicol University in April 1997, and the University of Pangasinan in 1990. He won as Vice-President in 1992 under a mixed ticket, was also designated as Presidential Adviser on Crime Prevention and Law Enforcement with a Cabinet rank and served concurrently as Chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC). AS PACC chairman, he was a member of the National Security Council. He reached the pinnacle of his political career when he was elected President of the Republic in the May 11, 1998 national elections. With almost 11-million Filipinos writing his name on the ballot, his margin of victory was the biggest ever registered in Philippine electoral history. During his administration as president, he improved the country’s tax collection system and worked toward demilitarizing the Philippine govern. He was called as the president for the “masa” (the poor and uneducated masses.)  On December 1, 1998 he created a foundation of a non-stock, non-profit corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission which is known as ERAP (Education, Research, and Assistance Program) Foundation, Inc.

MAHATMA GANDHI

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Mahatma "Great Soul" Gandhi is prominently known as the preeminent leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule and therefore is considered as the father of his country. His doctrine of non-violent protest to achieve political and social progress has been immensely influential. He spent 20 years in South Africa working to fight discrimination. He created his concept of Satyagraha, a non-violent way of protesting against injustices. Mahatma is no doubt, a leader with a great soul. Gandhi continues to touch and inspire the lives of many people until today. He was honest when he said that when he was a child, he lied, he stole and fought with other kids, however, he made sure that he never made the same mistake twice. From it, he learned a lot and possessed exceptional traits that indeed made him admirable. Gandhi was selfless. His undying spirit to fight against societal injustice and oppression made him more concerned of the people around him. He chose to love and accept everyone. Overall, he was a spiritual person. He reciprocated the teachings of Buddha and Christ. He would reflect, pray, and fast to achieve the purity of his intentions.  Mahatma Gandhi remains a legacy to us all. It is now a challenge for us to live a life like his.

POPE FRANCIS

“What is the most important subject you have to learn in life? To learn how to love. And this is the challenge that life offers you.”

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, more commonly known as Pope Francis is an ordinary man, but what sets him apart is his extraordinary faith. He is the current leader of the Catholic church, who is admired by many, Catholic or non Catholic. Pope Francis is known for his radical choices that transformed that Catholic church in many ways. His simple lifestyle, his compassion for the poor, his openness and his teachings about mercy are some of the remarkable things Pope Francis is known for and the reasons why is he loved by many. He aims to unite the Catholic church, spread the Good News of the Lord to every corner of the earth and to empower the youth to act on their faith.            Pope Francis is indeed, a role model and an effective leader, not just of the Catholic church but of the whole world. Catholic or non Catholic, people should look up to Pope Francis. What makes Pope Francis different from other world leaders is that he leads with humility. Aside from this, his mercy and compassion towards the people, especially the poor, is truly undeniable. He is committed to himself, his people, the church and to God wholeheartedly. He leads with strong convictions to which he deeply commits to. Courageously carrying out his mission, Pope Francis isn't afraid of condemning the past mistakes of the church. What makes him inspiring to the youth is that he sets himself out there as a role model. He copes up with the times of today, which makes him and his teachings very relevant to the youth of today. He shows us through his life how it is to be Jesus-like and how we can be one in our own little ways. “People’s Pope” as they call him, Pope Francis is truly a one of a kind leader.

JEFF BEZON

Good leaders have hundreds of traits that they used to achieve what had now. But I will focus on the trait i think the most crucial for a successful leader. A successful leader is a forward-looking person. He's the one who set goals and has already vision of what might happen in the future. They envision what they want and how to get it. They know how to plan and organize things carefully. Not just risking everything. They set priorities and hold on to it until they reach the goal. An example of a forward-looking leader is Jeff Bezon, the tech's leading philosopher-CEO, the CEO of Amazon.com. He has a rare combination of visionary and master builder. He's highly demanding but thousands ambition to work for him. That statement itself clearly say how great a leader he is. On Forbes he reveals some leadership secrets where he said "base your strength on things that won't change", in here he really applied that trait because i can say that his plan has really worked and there is no doubt that using this plan, the vision he has for the future will come true. He had big plans with three big constants: offer wider selection, lower prices, and fast reliable delivery which for me as a costumer really encourage to buy here with this kind of satisfaction they can give me.

Abraham Lincoln: Pauline Marielle E. Zaraspe

Joseph Estrada: Vernine Mara V. de Leoz

Mahatma Gandhi: Grace Ann A. Zacarias

Pope Francis: Janina Rayla R. Qui