My "Green" Valedictory Address as Outgoing President of the Aklan League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian



The following address earned the notoriety as a "green" remarks--and I wonder why. You be the judge if it is indeed "green".

Ladies and gentlemen:
Power like sex is addicting. Like sex, it is seductive. Like sex, it entices. But power ironically is powerless over those who refused to be seduced by it. It has no dominion over those who seek not to be spectacular and relevant. For sure, it entices one to be primus inter pares. But for those who upheld community over selves, for those who believe that death doesn’t end life but transform it, power is just a tool, a means to an end—a means that would, could never justify the end.
Tonight, I am giving up that privilege of power to Bing (Begonia Miroy). And mind you, I’m already in heat of the thought of giving it up. For three years, I’ve been whining, “PLEASES, RELEASES Me, Let me go.” I’m justified for doing so as our AKLESSA Constitution and By Laws mandates that a President should only hold a term of one year. I’m two years overstaying. I felt like I’m just like Bilbo Baggins, holding on to my precious, seduced by its power, unable to let go of the One Ring that would rule them all.
And so as I deliver this valediction, I imagine myself wandering out of the Shire towards Rivendell hoping that once settled, I would have the time and the luxury of writing down our history as a League. Ng. Odon (Bandiola) was frustrated as no one cares of writing it down. We tried to incorporate it on our souvenir program but we failed. We’re just busy being Secretaries to the Buong Bayan pati na sa Kabarangayan. We seem good at ghost writing but never on writing our collegial and personal journals.
AKLESSA is just an adolescent league, much like RELEASES and the PLEASES. I’m confident that with Bing at the helm, it will soar into greater heights—considering the collectibles that we are to receive from our borrowers. I would like to believe that many adventures wait down its path—starting tonight, I hope. Boracay offers a lot of varieties. I trust that Bing will just remain faithful to the very reason for which we formed this league 14 years ago, just as I tried to maintain a higher sense of humor over the constant absences of those who urged me to be its ring bearer in the first place. I trust that as members of AKLESSA we will all give our all out support to her wherever our paths may lead us. By all chance, let’s follow her wherever she leads us. Remember, she’s the current Treasurer and will remain so until Saturday.
So Sirs and Mesdames: Allow me then to hand over to Bing the Presidency of the Aklan League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian. Let me do it now as I paraphrase King Richard, “Take my money, take my throne. Just leave me, with my secretaries alone.”

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