Months ago, some members of the cabinet of Mrs. Arroyo have publicly declared their intention to run in the Senate. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Education Secretary Jesli Lapus are among those who express their intention to run. At that time, the just concluded merger of Lakas Kampi seemed to promise a powerhouse alliance for the 2010 elections. Duque and Lapus no sooner had made themselves visible through their agencies’ campaign ads. Lapus billboards have dotted the highways particularly in Northern Mindanao. Lapus visits to the countryside have become frequent.
Then the party announced Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro as the standard bearer of the administration. At almost the same time, other parties also proclaimed their candidates, Manny Villar of the Nacionalista and Noynoy Aquino of the Liberal party. Unfortunately for Lakas Kampi, the surveys shows that their candidate is on the cellar. This became the signal for party members, erstwhile reluctant to leave the party, to make their decision to jump to other parties. The poor showing in the surveys made difficult for Gibo to find a running mate. This further discourage other party members and the exodus continues. The demoralization of the ranks worsen.
So its Manny and Loren tandem. A year ago, Loren Legarda was one of the fierciest critics of Manny Villar. At that time, Loren was hoping that she will be one of the frontrunners in the 2010 elections. At that time, Loren like the rest, sees Villar as a threat to their ambitions.
Loren also supported the investigation of Manny Villar’s controversy regarding the diversion of C5 road to pass to the properties of Villar to jack up its prices.
Not so long ago, Loren strongly reacted at Manny Villar when the latter commented that one should have at least 1 billion to run a presidential campaign.
Loren then commented,
“Nakakalungkot yung nabasa ko sa dyaryo noong Martes. Sabi ni Senator Manny Villar na kung wala ka raw P1 billion, huwag mo ng ituloy ang balak mo bilang pangulo…Ibig ba n’yang sabihin, kung wala kang pera ay huwag ka ng mangarap na makapaglingkod bilang pangulo sa ating bansa?, (Its saddening what I read in the papers last Tuesday. Senator Manny Villar said if you dont have 1 billion, dont push through with your plan to run for President. Does he mean that if you dont have money you should stop aiming to serve as President of our country?)
Loren added,
“Nakalulungkot pong isipin na paliliitin natin ang usapin ng paglilingkod sa bayan sa isyu ng pera. Pera-pera na lang ba ang eleksyon? Talaga bang ang tingin nya sa taong bayan ay mukhang pera?” (Its sad to think that we will reduce the concept of serving our country on the issue of money? Are elections all about money? Does he really look at our people as hungry for money?)
Fast forward and Loren and Manny are chummy with each other. Villar said theirs was a union, not of money but of principles.
“Ang pagsasama namin ay hindi hinog sa pilit, hindi ginawa para sa popularidad, hindi base sa emosyon kundi hinubog ng pagsasanga ng aming mga pangarap sa bayang Pilipinas,” (Our partnership is neither based on popularity nor emotion, but one that is molded by our common goals for the country.)
said Villar.
My stomach is turning. If popularity is not he is after, why not pick someone from their party and not choose those coming from another? I wonder what is their common goals for the country. Goals for the country, not ruled with emotions. Cut the crap.
After strongly reacting to the comments of Sen. Manny Villar, its absurd that Loren Legarda is teaming with the man he criticized for reducing elections as mere money thing. Damn. Pardon me, but this one’s really revolting.
Yesterday, I decided to “reconcile” with Pacquiao. I have a falling out of Pacquiao right before his second Erik Morales fight. At that time, I dont like his decision to enter politics and his pronouncements favoring the Arroyo administration. I thought he was used by the administration and he willingly allows it. Since then, I was hoping he will lose to mock his stance on politics and the despised Arroyo administration which seemed to use every Pacquiao victory as a deodorizer of its corrupt ways.
However, fight after fight he won convincingly. Pacquiao’s iconic figure becomes bigger in each victory after he disposed great names in boxing, Morales, Barrera, Marquez, Diaz, De la Hoya, Hatton and now Cotto. Years ago, you would never think a Filipino could compete with these boxing greats. To top them all would be surreal! But its happening, right before our eyes. Not just that he won, he devastated them and even forced some of them to retirement if not oblivion.
Do not judge candidates based only on RH bill stand: Ledesma
By MIKE BAÑOS – Correspondent Updated November 13, 2009 12:00 AM
CAGAYAN de Oro’s highest ranking Roman Catholic Church official believes that voters should not base their vote for a political candidate based exclusively on his stand on one issue.
“Should a candidate’s stance on the reproductive health bill determine your vote for him?” asked Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City in reply to a question on how a Catholic voter should cast his vote based on a candidate’s position on the controversial House Bill No. 5043 (Reproductive Health and Development Act of 2008) during a joint breakfast meeting of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) last Nov. 7.
Of the current four candidates who have indicated their intention to run for president next year, Sen.
Manuel Villar has expressed his opposition to the bill while Sen. Benigno Aquino III has indicated his inclination to support it. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and former President Joseph Estrada have not articulated their stance on the controversial bill.
“To illustrate, if for example you have a local candidate who does not subscribe to accountability and transparency in governance, should this make you vote or not vote for him based on either of the two issues alone?
” Ledesma asked.
Like the hot topics currently raising the collective temperatures of the country’s kapihans, Ledesma believes it would be best for all concerned if people should first familiarize themselves on all aspects of a controversial topic before venturing their opinion about it.
“We should read the RH bill in its totality,” the bishop said. “I think many of us will find it is not a simple question answerable by yes or no whether one should vote for or against it.” He said the bill contains many noteworthy provisions which protect the welfare of women and children, workers and the environment.
Even if people should find truly objections about the bill, Ledesma said a voter’s choice of a candidate should be tempered by how that person also stands on other issues facing the country today such as law and order, transparency and accountability in government, the creation of jobs, the stewardship of the environment, to name a few.
“I think it’s not prudent to be a single-issue voter,” Ledesma said. “We should balance the candidate’s stance on all issues against each other in making our choices.”
Administration Presidential candidate Gibo Teodoro has been avoided like a plague even by partymates. Senator Bong Revilla, Senator Miguel Zubiri and Optical Media Board Chairman Edu Manzano all reject the offer that they will be Vice Presidential candidate of Teodoro. As a result, Gabriel Claudio’s face looks gloomy on television as he announce the party’s convention days ahead.
See Bong, Edu, Migz turn down VP offers
This is a telling blow to the administration party. This only goes to show that even within their own party, they see no hope in Gibo candidacy to bag Malacanang. This is in contrast in 2004 elections where partymates are jockeying who will be the runningmate of then Gloria Arroyo.
Lakas Kampi is also experiencing massive defections. Big names of the party are now joining to the Liberal, Nacionalista or the NPC. At the rate the defections are going, Lakas Kampi may not have enough members to even carry the campaign for Teodoro in the countrysides.
I think what is happening to Lakas Kampi is something what we called karma. Those who live by greed, die by greed. Lakas Kampi of Gloria Arroyo unite the party not by platforms and principles of good government but by greed and opportunism. Everyone knows that party members are the happiest when there is an impeachment complaint against Gloria Arroyo because this will mean freebies stuffed in bayong to be distributed in Malacanang.
The Mayors of the 2nd District of Surigao del Norte are reportedly endorsing the tandem of DepEd Region 8 Director Sol Matugas and Board Member Egay for Governor and Vice Governor respectively.
According to mindanao.com, those who reportedly endorsed the tandem are, Mainit Mayor Ramon Mondano, Gigaquit Mayor Carlos Egay, Sr., Bacuag Mayor Shiela Mae Orquina-Cebedo, San Francisco Mayor Simplicia Bacol, Malimono Mayor Teodoro Senaca, Jr., Tubod Mayor Cristina Romarate-Arcillas, Taganaan Mayor Cesar Diaz, Sison Mayor Leicester Fetalvero, Alegria Mayor Dominador Esma, Claver Vice-Mayor Rosemarie “Nene” Gokiangkee and Placer Vice-Mayor Philip Adlao.
According to Bacuag Mayor Shiela Mae Orquina-Cebedo, they endorsed the Matugas-Egay tandem because “It’s high time that we give our people the credible choices for governor and vice-governor in the persons of Ma’am Sol and Board Member Jun Egay whose integrity and record of public service are beyond reproach.”
picture from Gold Star Daily
Finally, the rivals of Cagayan de Oro Vice Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Emano is fielding a viable candidate against his son, Yevgeny Emano, in the person of former vice governor Julio Uy. They are now targeting his son.
Bambi Emano protested insisting as incumbent, he should be the official candidate of the party and not anybody else. Bambi has other reason why he will stick with Lakas Kampi. He said he will be ashamed with the Arroyo boys, Mikey and Dato.
“Maulaw ako kung mibiya ako kaniya. Amigo ko sila si Dato og Mickey Arroyo,”
Emano boy holds on to Lakas, forces issue
By LITO RULONA – Correspondent Updated November 9, 2009 12:00 AM
A THREATENED Misamis Oriental Rep. Yevgeny Vincente Emano has lashed out at Gov. Oscar Moreno over moves to drop him from a list of administration candidates in the province.
Two Uys are threatening to topple down the Emano political dynasty in Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro. The congressman is facing the prospects of fighting former vice governor Julio Uy to keep his seat in the 2nd District of Misamis Oriental while his father, Cagayan de Oro Vice Mayor Vicente Emano, may find himself slugging it out with Rep. Rolando Uy in next year’s mayoral race. Rep. Uy was virtually a political nobody until 2007 when he surprisingly won the congressional seat in the city’s 1st District.
The two Uys share something in common: both spent years as loyal supporters of the elder Emano and therefore, they know the ‘‘style’’ of the reputed local political kingpin.
The saga for Manny Villar and Gibo Teodoro’s search for a Vice President and Loren Legarda’s search for President continues. Manny Villar, the self proclaimed leader of the Nacionalista had a difficult time finding a running mate despite his early pronouncements of his candidacy for President. Gibo Teodoro on the other hand, has been shopping for a partner like one searching for a tie in his wardrobe. This just goes to show that no matter how moneyed and how well oiled is their machinery, it is not enough to convince the voters to go for either of both of them.
On the other hand, Loren Legarda’s fate is one of a kind in the world. For where can you find here on Earth, a Vice Presidential candidate announcing her candidacy ahead of the supposed Presidential standard bearer.
When Loren announced her candidacy, she has somewhat sent a message that she is available, either to the highest bidder or to the best man who can provide her a nice vehicle towards the second highest position in the country today. Together, the three are sizing up with each other. Gibo-Loren, or Manny-Loren. The scene is not unlike in our hometown cockpit.
Ituloy Natin Ang Laban! Pangulong Noynoy Aquino
I can judge the character of the candidate the way his campaign slogan is made and directed. When a candidate says he is for the poor, that he came from a poor family, that he loves the poor, that the poor is neglected etc., right away I will scratch that candidate from my list.
These kind of candidates are just taking advantage of the poor’s misery. They are appealing to the emotions of the poor by promising them everything. They know that majority of our voters are the poor so it is just natural for them to woo them, sweet talked them and pampered them to get their nods. But this kind of extraordinary attention to the poor is good only during election time.
Many presidential candidates in the past have used this kind campaign strategy but once they are in power, the forgot everything about the poor. Once in power, they accumulate wealth in a frenzied fashion, while the poor remained poor. Erap Estrada and Gloria Arroyo are the shining examples of this crooked kind of politicians. They capitalized on the poors helplessness although I believe that Erap was the lesser evil of the two.
On the other hand, while they are parading themselves as champions of the poor, politicians are flocking to their camps like ants knowing that the said candidates are financially well endowed. This is another ironic situation where a candidate who says he is poor is also at the same time awashed with campaign money to dangle with the politicians for them to join his fold.
Now in the 2010 election, I have seen two candidates in this mold, Erap is one of them and the other is someone who vainly advertises himself vigorously as the new champion of the poor.
