When I first thought about this entry, I was outraged by the way our politicians bastardized the party-list system.
On how a novel idea of marginal representation was abused with the entry of the sons of Mike Velarde and Eddie Villanueva as partylist representatives. Partylist representation should enable groups and sectors marginalized by our society can be represented in Congress. It turned out that the system was used by people unpopular enough to be elected as usual Congressmen in their districts to sneak into Congress.
But it only gets worse, armed with a Supreme Court decision the number of Congressmen was expanded. Hence, partylist representatives including a child of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago were joined by Pres. GMA's sister and her favorite general.
Not to be outdone, the regular members of the House of Representatives did something more reprehensible. They passed a resolution to convene a Constituent-Assembly (Con Ass) for Charter Change (Cha Cha).
While I do agree that certain provisions of the constitution must be revised, this is not the right process for one simple reason: I DO NOT TRUST OUR CURRENT CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS!!!
I DO NOT TRUST Prospero Nograles!
I DO NOT TRUST the Arroyos (there are now 4 Arroyo congresspeople)!
I DO NOT TRUST the members of political clans in Congress (that would account for about 80% to 90% of all Congressmen and Senators)!
I DO NOT TRUST pork-barrel loving politicians!
I DO NOT TRUST our district's congressman Pedro Pancho! (who is always with the administration and is related to C.M. Pancho Construction, one of the firms banned due to the World Bank Road Mess)
I DO NOT TRUST politicians in general!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
5 disgusting things in Philippine politics (no. 3: Senate politics)
I just need to get this off my chest... I am really disgusted by the Philippine Senate. But I am not sure which one disgusts me the most:
1. That people like Haydee Yorac, Winnie Monsod, Perfecto Yasay and Bobby de Ocampo were denied membership to this exclusive club called the Philippine Senate.
2. That people like Jawo, Freddie Webb, Lito Lapid, Gringo, Ramon Revilla Sr., Ramon Revilla Jr. were granted membership.
2.a. That Jamby Madrigal was granted membership after recruiting Judy Anne Santos (during the campaign, she constantly reminded people to vote for Jamby and not Juday).
3. That the Senate is willing to remove one of its members just to minimize his chances of becoming President of the Philippines even if the accusations were absurd (as Joker said, they all approved the Appropriations Bill, then they are all liable. It means that they sign laws even without reading it.).
4. That the former Senate President, who is under threat to become expelled-Senator, launched a 5minute- radio campaign ad featuring Boy Abunda to denounce the charges (what a statesman).
5. That Senator Sipag at Tiyaga dragged his daughter to a press conference to attest to his innocence in the Sentae mess (and then they ask for privacy when their children are questioned???) (what a family man)
6. That presidentiable-senators seem to be happy that the country will enter recession because it will be a good campaign piece against the administration.
7. That the Senate is spending more time doing investigations-in-aid-of-reelection instead of passing laws while we are about to enter recession.
8. That the Senate has Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate President.
9. That the Senate has Jinggoy Estrada as Senate President Pro-Tempore.
10. That the Senate has Juan Miguel Zubiri as Majority Leader.
1. That people like Haydee Yorac, Winnie Monsod, Perfecto Yasay and Bobby de Ocampo were denied membership to this exclusive club called the Philippine Senate.
2. That people like Jawo, Freddie Webb, Lito Lapid, Gringo, Ramon Revilla Sr., Ramon Revilla Jr. were granted membership.
2.a. That Jamby Madrigal was granted membership after recruiting Judy Anne Santos (during the campaign, she constantly reminded people to vote for Jamby and not Juday).
3. That the Senate is willing to remove one of its members just to minimize his chances of becoming President of the Philippines even if the accusations were absurd (as Joker said, they all approved the Appropriations Bill, then they are all liable. It means that they sign laws even without reading it.).
4. That the former Senate President, who is under threat to become expelled-Senator, launched a 5minute- radio campaign ad featuring Boy Abunda to denounce the charges (what a statesman).
5. That Senator Sipag at Tiyaga dragged his daughter to a press conference to attest to his innocence in the Sentae mess (and then they ask for privacy when their children are questioned???) (what a family man)
6. That presidentiable-senators seem to be happy that the country will enter recession because it will be a good campaign piece against the administration.
7. That the Senate is spending more time doing investigations-in-aid-of-reelection instead of passing laws while we are about to enter recession.
8. That the Senate has Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate President.
9. That the Senate has Jinggoy Estrada as Senate President Pro-Tempore.
10. That the Senate has Juan Miguel Zubiri as Majority Leader.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
5 disgusting things in Philippine politics (no. 4: Rape)
Coming in no. 4 for my list of 5 disgusting things in Philippine politics is the case of "Filipina "Nicole", American US Soldier Daniel Smith and whatever happened before and after that incident in Subic.
Rape is typically defined as forced, unwanted sexual intercourse or sex without mutual consent. We may never really know what really happened that fateful day. According to a Makati judge, it was rape. But according to our Court of Appeals, it was not rape, it was a romantic encounter.
But more than just sex, rape is about power. The act involves the desire of individuals to dominate over others. Hence, rape is found in almost all societies, regardless of economic or income class and regardless of political or social structure. It is used a weapon in wars and conflicts. We also see rape used against vulnerable members of the society, like children and women. Because rape is more about power, it should not be a mystery why most rape cases were perpetrated by people whom the victims knew.
Looking at the Subic incident at a bigger context, both Nicole and Smith can be seen as victims. They may have been used as pawns in an international chess game played by the US and the Philippines. You may look at it this way, Bush felt betrayed by GMA's decision to pull out of Iraq. But GMA found a bargaining chip, a US soldier that can be jailed in a Philippine prison. This is a huge embarrassment for Bush's global war on terror. A bargain was struck, Smith is convicted but jailed inside the US Embassy.
Then, here comes the Obama Administration with less focus on war but more on the economy. Nobody really knows what GMA and Obama talked about when he called, but a lot of things happened after that phone call. Smith's conviction was reversed and he was immediately whisked back to the US.
Obama could have say any of the two
1. "okay, jail Smith, we don't care"
2. "okay... I don't know what is the deal between you and Bush, but please free him now and we will include Filipino veterans in our recovery package"
Whatever really happened, what we know is that Nicole is in the US right now with her American groom-to-be who is also a soldier. Smith is also in the US with no military career and a dishonorable discharge.
While in the Philippines, we are at odds on how to deal with this issue. When economic, political and social realities clash with the quest for truth, justice and the rule of law, where do we draw the line? In other countries, debate ensues regarding principles, laws and direction the country will go to. Here, we focus on the drama of the individuals involved. (too much telenovela is bad for our country's future)
There is a very thin line dividing "blaming the victim" and "asking people to take precautions, so that they will not be a victim." It is true that nobody wakes up in the morning hoping to be raped. But you cannot also blame people when they say that "if she were not in that bar, drinking and dancing as if there is no tomorrow, she would not end up in that situation." This thin line, our Justice Secretary always carelessly crosses.
But what can we do, as long as his remarks can add up to the drama, then we can comfortably watch our evening news and our primetime telenovelas even if there are no clear distinctions between them.
Rape is typically defined as forced, unwanted sexual intercourse or sex without mutual consent. We may never really know what really happened that fateful day. According to a Makati judge, it was rape. But according to our Court of Appeals, it was not rape, it was a romantic encounter.
But more than just sex, rape is about power. The act involves the desire of individuals to dominate over others. Hence, rape is found in almost all societies, regardless of economic or income class and regardless of political or social structure. It is used a weapon in wars and conflicts. We also see rape used against vulnerable members of the society, like children and women. Because rape is more about power, it should not be a mystery why most rape cases were perpetrated by people whom the victims knew.
Looking at the Subic incident at a bigger context, both Nicole and Smith can be seen as victims. They may have been used as pawns in an international chess game played by the US and the Philippines. You may look at it this way, Bush felt betrayed by GMA's decision to pull out of Iraq. But GMA found a bargaining chip, a US soldier that can be jailed in a Philippine prison. This is a huge embarrassment for Bush's global war on terror. A bargain was struck, Smith is convicted but jailed inside the US Embassy.
Then, here comes the Obama Administration with less focus on war but more on the economy. Nobody really knows what GMA and Obama talked about when he called, but a lot of things happened after that phone call. Smith's conviction was reversed and he was immediately whisked back to the US.
Obama could have say any of the two
1. "okay, jail Smith, we don't care"
2. "okay... I don't know what is the deal between you and Bush, but please free him now and we will include Filipino veterans in our recovery package"
Whatever really happened, what we know is that Nicole is in the US right now with her American groom-to-be who is also a soldier. Smith is also in the US with no military career and a dishonorable discharge.
While in the Philippines, we are at odds on how to deal with this issue. When economic, political and social realities clash with the quest for truth, justice and the rule of law, where do we draw the line? In other countries, debate ensues regarding principles, laws and direction the country will go to. Here, we focus on the drama of the individuals involved. (too much telenovela is bad for our country's future)
There is a very thin line dividing "blaming the victim" and "asking people to take precautions, so that they will not be a victim." It is true that nobody wakes up in the morning hoping to be raped. But you cannot also blame people when they say that "if she were not in that bar, drinking and dancing as if there is no tomorrow, she would not end up in that situation." This thin line, our Justice Secretary always carelessly crosses.
But what can we do, as long as his remarks can add up to the drama, then we can comfortably watch our evening news and our primetime telenovelas even if there are no clear distinctions between them.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
5 disgusting things in Philippine politics (no. 5)
April is a busy month... summer vacations, out-of-town trips and numerous adventures. But no matter how frustrated you get with the way the weather ruins all your plans, Philippine politics undoubtedly is far from being frustrating, it is disgusting. Here are five of the most disgusting things in Philippine politics:
5. GMA legacy "investments"
When we went to Los Baños, Laguna, we stayed at Trace Suites, a hotel inside Trace Colleges- Los Baños Campus. It is where the swimming and diving competitions f
or the most recent ASEAN Games were held. It also hosted the swimsuit competition for the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant. We were surprised and amazed on how a small, relatively unheard college could afford such a expensive aquatics facility and hotel complex.
When we learned that Trace College is owned by the family of PAGCOR Chairman Efraim Genuino, all our questions are answered. We were surprised further when our friends from UPLB
told us that the real owners of the hotel and college is the First Family.
When we went to Coron, Palawan, our tour guide told us that the governor, allegedly in partnership with the First Family is building a new hotel and resort complex in Coron (they are referred to as The Boracay Group).
And a friend who just came back from Mindanao, told me that a new chain of gasoline station sprung up all over Mindanao, Phoenix Petroleum. Its biggest endorser/part-owner is Manny Pacquiao. However, rumor has it that the real owners of the gas company is... the First Family.
Is this GMA's legacy??? Crony investments similar to what the Marcoses did? Simply disgusting....
5. GMA legacy "investments"
When we went to Los Baños, Laguna, we stayed at Trace Suites, a hotel inside Trace Colleges- Los Baños Campus. It is where the swimming and diving competitions f
or the most recent ASEAN Games were held. It also hosted the swimsuit competition for the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant. We were surprised and amazed on how a small, relatively unheard college could afford such a expensive aquatics facility and hotel complex. When we learned that Trace College is owned by the family of PAGCOR Chairman Efraim Genuino, all our questions are answered. We were surprised further when our friends from UPLB
told us that the real owners of the hotel and college is the First Family. When we went to Coron, Palawan, our tour guide told us that the governor, allegedly in partnership with the First Family is building a new hotel and resort complex in Coron (they are referred to as The Boracay Group).
And a friend who just came back from Mindanao, told me that a new chain of gasoline station sprung up all over Mindanao, Phoenix Petroleum. Its biggest endorser/part-owner is Manny Pacquiao. However, rumor has it that the real owners of the gas company is... the First Family.
Is this GMA's legacy??? Crony investments similar to what the Marcoses did? Simply disgusting....
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
We are Filipinos, we can't take jokes!!!
Will the world never learn? Filipinos are happy people, we often smile and laugh, but never, ever say anything against us... we won't like it. We cannot take jokes. We do not appreciate satire. American actress Claire Danes said that Manila is dirty and full of rats. We banned her movies and declared her a persona non grata. Teri Hatcher in the US series "Desperate Housewives" quipped about Filipino doctors with fake diplomas. We demanded apology and the deletion of the scene. British Broadcasting Company (BBC) aired in one of its channels a comedy show where a Filipina maid was coaxed to have sex with a British man. We demanded apology and asked for the deletion of the scene.
And now, a Hong Kong-Chinese wrote a satirical article in Hong Kong Magazine regarding the brewing territorial war between China and the Philippines over the Spratly Group of Islands. He wrote that the Philippines is a "nation of servants" (read the full article here).
We felt insulted and demanded an apology. The article was removed from the publisher's website while the publisher gave a non-apology apology:
"The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao's column dated March 27... One aspect of satire is that it can at times be read in different ways. In this particular case, many people have read meanings unto this column that were never actually intended." (read the complete apology here)
Here are the ironies highlighted by Mr. Tsao. First, his domestic helper is a graduate of University of Manila. In other countries, "University" plus name of capital is reserved for the leading or most prestigious university in the country. Like University of Tokyo or University of Paris. In the Philippines, University of Manila is not even included in the top-5 universities. Whether Mr. Tsao knows that or do not, I am not sure. But any casual observer can misinterpret that a graduate of University of Manila is among the country's best and brightest.
Second, her domestic helper has a college degree in International Politics. To clarify things, University of Manila does not offer International Politics, the closest they have is BA major in Political Science (according to wikipedia, their website is blank). The main issue is that a lot of Filipina domestic helpers in Hon Kong are college graduates. They may seem overqualified for the job but I am not really so sure. This highlights serious problems with our educational system and the availability of jobs for college graduates in the Philippines.
Third, the article highlights the sad state of our Navy and Military. I think the main point of the article is to mock the might (or lack of it) of our military. Mr. Tsao wrote "she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings."
While Filipinos all over the world have the right to feel offended and get angry at Mr. Tsao's article, there are several issues I have to raise.
First, newspapers and media reports wrongfully translated "nation of servants" into "bayan ng mga alipin." Alipin is translated into English as slave, a servant is literally translated as tagapag-silbi or katulong. I'll be offended if I was called a slave, but with servant, I am not sure. However, I remember that Congress already outlawed the use of the term "katulong" and we now call them "kasambahay" or "housemate". Will Mr. Tsao be considered less racist if he calls us a "nation of housemates"?
Second, whenever issues like these are raised with sign online petitions and demand apologies from the people who offended us. But we never look at ourselves and demand apology from our leaders and ourselves.
After we banned Claire Danes from our country and our cinemas, have we made Manila cleaner and less rat-infested?
After we got the producers of Desperate Housewives to delete that scene about Filipino doctors, have we forced Recto University out of business? We have cleansed our country of fake diplomas and transcripts of record?
After we got an apology from BBC, have we ensured that no Filipino will ever be subjected to human trafficking, illegal prostitution and/or abuse? Have we increased the level of protection for our Filipino workers regardless of occupation?
The answers are No, No, No, No and No. We should start demanding for an apology from our leaders for allowing us to become the butt of jokes around the world. After an apology, we should demand action so that this will never happen again. Not by censoring all the jokes and references to us, but by improving our conditions and sending the right signal to the world!
Now, regarding Mr. Tsao's alleged racism let me leave you lines from a song from Tony-Award winning musical Avenue Q:
Ethnic jokes might be uncouth,
But you laugh because
They're based on truth.
Don't take them as
Personal attacks.
Everyone enjoys them -
So relax!
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
Even though we all know
That it's wrong,
Maybe it would help us
Get along.
Everyone's a little bit racist
It's true.
But everyone is just about
As racist as you!
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
And everyone stopped being
So PC
Maybe we could live in -
Harmony!
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
10 million votes to elect Panlilio and Padaca in 2010
A major concern for people who expressed their excitement in news regarding the possible candidacy of Among Ed Panlilio and Grace Padaca in 2010 is their ability to win.
Some (or most) people only vote for winners. Regardless of principle, political stand or affiliation, they would never vote for a loser (or a probable loser). There is a certain level of pride when you can tell yourself that you voted for the person who won.
This mentality is very alarming. It leads to self-fulfilling prophecies. If everybody (or the majority or plurality in an election) thinks the a candidate will lose, then, no one will vote for that person, and he will definitely lose. This mentality also re-enforces the need for early campaigning and expensive media campaign, the same expensive campaigning that leads to a circle of corruption and vote buying. I hope that there will come a time that people will feel prouder when they vote for a candidate with principles no matter what.
This leads me to a crude analysis on voters decide and how elections are won in the Philippines.
FOUR GROUPS OF VOTERS
Sadly, up to 40% of votes cast are sold (the sold vote) and can be bought by the highest bidder. This can be done through direct vote buying or through organized vote buying. Direct vote buying involves giving cash, groceries, rice and other goods to registered voters. Organized vote buying involves talking to the leader of an organization, group or company. Money and/or favor is negotiated between the leaders, and the followers vote whoever the leader dictates. The leader can be a local political leader, a union leader, an elder in the community or the head of the household.
Around 30% of the vote goes to the popular candidate ( the popular vote). Popularity may be based on different factors such as looks, gender, box-office performance, links to celebrities and other politicians, etc. Some people vote for candidates with the best campaign slogan, the prettiest or largest campaign poster, or name that is easiest to recall (hence the proliferation two-letter-named-candidates in Quezon City). Rumors can easily sway the popular vote to and from the candidates.
Only around 25% of votes can be considered as the thinking vote. Voters who thoroughly assess each and every candidate's platform, track record and political stand. Most of the thinking votes go to the least evil, after finding all candidates imperfect.
The remaining 5% of votes are cast by religious blocks.I am not sure how the religious leader decides on who his or her flock should vote. Five percent might be very small but it can decide a close race.
CAVEATS.
1. People can easily move from one category to the other. Some members of religious groups that practices block voting tend not to vote at all if they really cannot accept their leader's anointed candidate. Some people vote for the popular candidate even if they have sold their votes. Some people will vote for the person they really like and accept payment for the vote (iboboto ko din naman talaga sya, bonus na yung pera).
2. It is very hard to discern between the popular vote and the thinking vote. Some people may cite certain profound reasons for voting for a certain candidate, but deep inside, they vote for him because he is cute. Or the other way around, "I don't like him because of his stand on nuclear power, but really, it is just his hair style that I cannot stand."
3. The grouping of voters I presented knows no income classes, educational attainment or religious beliefs. Contrary to popular belief, you can buy the votes of rich people, you just have to pay a higher price. Not all people with college and graduate degrees vote intelligently, some vote with their religion others vote with popularity.
When making their political strategy, most politicians and their advisers consider all the groups. Politics and elections are all about addition; a candidate must be able to get some or all of each group in order to win.
In a crowded race like the coming 2010 elections, a candidate can win by as small as 20% of the vote (In 1992, Ramos won 23.6% of votes with a margin of around 875,000). There are around 45 million registered voters for the coming election, the winning candidate must get at least 10 million votes.
And this is the tricky part in the campaign of Among Ed and Grace. They can get some of the thinking vote, some of the popular vote but definitely none of the sold vote and the religious block vote.
The hope is that the wealthy candidates (those with a war chest of PhP2 billion or more) will outbid each other and divide evenly among themselves the sold votes (40% of 45 million = 18 million sold votes divided by 4 rich candidates = 4.5 million votes each). Since these wealthy candidates are also popular, the hope is that they also divide the non-thinking popular votes (30% of 45 million = 13.5 million popular votes divided by 4 celebrity candidates = 3.375 million votes each). A rich, celebrity-type candidate can get around 8 million votes, still shy of the 10 million needed to win.
This is meant to bring good news to supporters of Panlilio- Padaca tandem. It means that by targeting 10 million thinking voters, Panlilio and Padaca can win. There is also a very strong need to convert as many voters possible from a sold voter or popular voter to a thinking candidate.
The campaign for Governors Panlilio and Padaca will never be easy, but stakes are very high and we cannot afford another corrupt and incompetent leader. We owe it to ourselves and the future generation!
Some (or most) people only vote for winners. Regardless of principle, political stand or affiliation, they would never vote for a loser (or a probable loser). There is a certain level of pride when you can tell yourself that you voted for the person who won.
This mentality is very alarming. It leads to self-fulfilling prophecies. If everybody (or the majority or plurality in an election) thinks the a candidate will lose, then, no one will vote for that person, and he will definitely lose. This mentality also re-enforces the need for early campaigning and expensive media campaign, the same expensive campaigning that leads to a circle of corruption and vote buying. I hope that there will come a time that people will feel prouder when they vote for a candidate with principles no matter what.
This leads me to a crude analysis on voters decide and how elections are won in the Philippines.
FOUR GROUPS OF VOTERS
Sadly, up to 40% of votes cast are sold (the sold vote) and can be bought by the highest bidder. This can be done through direct vote buying or through organized vote buying. Direct vote buying involves giving cash, groceries, rice and other goods to registered voters. Organized vote buying involves talking to the leader of an organization, group or company. Money and/or favor is negotiated between the leaders, and the followers vote whoever the leader dictates. The leader can be a local political leader, a union leader, an elder in the community or the head of the household.
Around 30% of the vote goes to the popular candidate ( the popular vote). Popularity may be based on different factors such as looks, gender, box-office performance, links to celebrities and other politicians, etc. Some people vote for candidates with the best campaign slogan, the prettiest or largest campaign poster, or name that is easiest to recall (hence the proliferation two-letter-named-candidates in Quezon City). Rumors can easily sway the popular vote to and from the candidates.
Only around 25% of votes can be considered as the thinking vote. Voters who thoroughly assess each and every candidate's platform, track record and political stand. Most of the thinking votes go to the least evil, after finding all candidates imperfect.
The remaining 5% of votes are cast by religious blocks.I am not sure how the religious leader decides on who his or her flock should vote. Five percent might be very small but it can decide a close race.
CAVEATS.
1. People can easily move from one category to the other. Some members of religious groups that practices block voting tend not to vote at all if they really cannot accept their leader's anointed candidate. Some people vote for the popular candidate even if they have sold their votes. Some people will vote for the person they really like and accept payment for the vote (iboboto ko din naman talaga sya, bonus na yung pera).
2. It is very hard to discern between the popular vote and the thinking vote. Some people may cite certain profound reasons for voting for a certain candidate, but deep inside, they vote for him because he is cute. Or the other way around, "I don't like him because of his stand on nuclear power, but really, it is just his hair style that I cannot stand."
3. The grouping of voters I presented knows no income classes, educational attainment or religious beliefs. Contrary to popular belief, you can buy the votes of rich people, you just have to pay a higher price. Not all people with college and graduate degrees vote intelligently, some vote with their religion others vote with popularity.
When making their political strategy, most politicians and their advisers consider all the groups. Politics and elections are all about addition; a candidate must be able to get some or all of each group in order to win.
In a crowded race like the coming 2010 elections, a candidate can win by as small as 20% of the vote (In 1992, Ramos won 23.6% of votes with a margin of around 875,000). There are around 45 million registered voters for the coming election, the winning candidate must get at least 10 million votes.
And this is the tricky part in the campaign of Among Ed and Grace. They can get some of the thinking vote, some of the popular vote but definitely none of the sold vote and the religious block vote.
The hope is that the wealthy candidates (those with a war chest of PhP2 billion or more) will outbid each other and divide evenly among themselves the sold votes (40% of 45 million = 18 million sold votes divided by 4 rich candidates = 4.5 million votes each). Since these wealthy candidates are also popular, the hope is that they also divide the non-thinking popular votes (30% of 45 million = 13.5 million popular votes divided by 4 celebrity candidates = 3.375 million votes each). A rich, celebrity-type candidate can get around 8 million votes, still shy of the 10 million needed to win.
This is meant to bring good news to supporters of Panlilio- Padaca tandem. It means that by targeting 10 million thinking voters, Panlilio and Padaca can win. There is also a very strong need to convert as many voters possible from a sold voter or popular voter to a thinking candidate.
The campaign for Governors Panlilio and Padaca will never be easy, but stakes are very high and we cannot afford another corrupt and incompetent leader. We owe it to ourselves and the future generation!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Panlilio-Padaca 2010
Even if the presidential election is more than a year away, I am already announcing my support for Among Ed Panlilio and Grace Padaca (or whomever they will support in 2010).
Previously, I have told several of my friends and colleagues that among those who have announced their intention to run for president I am likely to vote for Bayani Fernando. He has very good executive experience and a practical, can-do attitude. It seems then that he is the least among evils. I was likely to vote for him but not support and/or campaign for him.
The news about the possibility that Pampanga Governor Panlilio and Isabela Governor Padaca teaming up in 2010 brought mixed emotions. It raised my hopes up, but I fear for their safety. I imagine the groundswell of support from the grassroots and the possibility of disappointment if they lose. I have anticipated all the criticisms to be launched, character assassinations, mud slinging and all the dirty tricks than any one can think off.
Right now, the traditional political elite are cooking up plans to sabotage their campaign. Expect any or all of the following.
1. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca have illegitimate children (this is a big issue because Among Ed is a priest while Grace is unmarried)
2. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca had an affair with someone
3. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca are secret NPA members or at least supported by the NPA
4. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca are disabled hence incapable of leading (Among Ed has a skin disorder wile Grace was a polio victim. This criticism sounds stupid, biased and unfair, but their critics have no sens of fairness).
5. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca are as corrupt as any other politician.
It will be an uphill battle and my stomach will probably turn every time I hear politicians launch any of the attacks against them. Please support them also, but please prepare for the worst.
Previously, I have told several of my friends and colleagues that among those who have announced their intention to run for president I am likely to vote for Bayani Fernando. He has very good executive experience and a practical, can-do attitude. It seems then that he is the least among evils. I was likely to vote for him but not support and/or campaign for him.
The news about the possibility that Pampanga Governor Panlilio and Isabela Governor Padaca teaming up in 2010 brought mixed emotions. It raised my hopes up, but I fear for their safety. I imagine the groundswell of support from the grassroots and the possibility of disappointment if they lose. I have anticipated all the criticisms to be launched, character assassinations, mud slinging and all the dirty tricks than any one can think off.
Right now, the traditional political elite are cooking up plans to sabotage their campaign. Expect any or all of the following.
1. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca have illegitimate children (this is a big issue because Among Ed is a priest while Grace is unmarried)
2. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca had an affair with someone
3. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca are secret NPA members or at least supported by the NPA
4. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca are disabled hence incapable of leading (Among Ed has a skin disorder wile Grace was a polio victim. This criticism sounds stupid, biased and unfair, but their critics have no sens of fairness).
5. Among Ed and/or Grace Padaca are as corrupt as any other politician.
It will be an uphill battle and my stomach will probably turn every time I hear politicians launch any of the attacks against them. Please support them also, but please prepare for the worst.
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