Fearless Maki

By Brando Cortez

ANDA, Pangasinan-A multi awarded broadcast journalist who served the people by reporting on social issues, is taking on another field in an effort to make concrete step in help the poorest of the poor.

Maria Judea “Maki” Pulido said she was interested in the congressional seat of the first district of Pangasinan to pursue its development and also to make a stand on national issues.

“Hindi lang po boses ng taga-district one ang magiging role ko sa congress,” Pulido said. “Panahaon na rin para marinig ang boses ng distrito sa mga isyus na pambansang interes ang nakasalalay.”

“Hindi puedeng tatahi-tamik na lang sa isang sulok tayo,” Pulido continued. “May ilang panahon na naging kilalala ang mga congressman sa first district na nagbibigay ng tapat at makabayang panindigan sa mga pambansang isyus katulad nila Congressman Nani Braganza at Congressman Oscar Orbos.

“As a broadcast journalist the well researched information I disseminate is a form of public service,” Pulido said. “But it would be a different level of public service if I were in congress.”

Pulido said that she will make sure that the hard and soft projects allotted to the district will benefit the people of the district.

“Ang mga pondo para sa hard projects like farm to market road at schools ay dapat na maikalat sa lahat ng barangay sa distrito,” Pulido said. “Ang isang dapat pag-ukulan ng pansin ay kung paano ginagastos ang pondo para sa soft projects like scholarships, medicines, at iba pa.”

Among her priorities are projects that will give direct socio economic benefits to the district.

She said she accepts the practice of the presence of orchestras during barangay fiestas but dislikes the idea of using congressional funds for such purpose.

The amount budgeted for the orchestra can be used to buy medicines, she said .

The road to congress is one perilous journey for her but Pulido is one brave woman who stood up to harassment when some people did not want her to visit a certain island barangay.

Motorcycle riding men circled her group and prevented them from going to their target area.

So as not to cause friction, she decided not to pursue going to the said community.

She decided to go back to Anda but the motorcycle riding men continued to follow them and harass them.

The activist in her was ignited and she decided to make a stand and confront the motorcycle riding men, causing commotion within the neighborhood.

She stood her ground until the motorcycle riding men left.

“People should not let themselves be terrorized,” Pulido said. It has been too long that people have bowed their heads to all forms of harassment and acts of terrorism and it is time for a change.”

She further said that public officials should not succumb to corruption because the practice in the long run keeps basic social services away from the people.

She is someone who would never submit herself to corruption or to bribery, she claimed.

Pulido related that it was Sec. Ronnie Zamora who first broached to her the idea of running for public office in 2001.

She said no to politics then although she once was very active in campus politics at the University of the Philippines during her student days.

“Aktibista ako noong estudyante pa ako,” Pulido said.

Politics run in her blood and Maki Pulido could not deny the call for her to serve the people in another capacity -as congresswoman of the first district of Pangasinan.

She is daughter of Anda town mayor Nestor Pulido and district one provincial board member Alicia Pulido.

She may have said no to all calls for her to run in 2001, in 2004 and in 2007 but she feels that this is the right time for her.