Its been a while since my last post and I think its time to talk about the current presidential bids of the coming May 2010 Elections. So far it has been a very eventful Road to Election, and with the campaign period just beginning, its going to get even more interesting.
We have now entered the political circus once again where nothing is taboo and nothing is too stupid to be said. Where every move is criticized and every jab becomes a Manny Pacquiao-esque right hook. We now enter a world of colorful characters along with the plain old strange. With that, let me discuss to you my views on the current standard bearers for the presidential bid.
Commercials, ethics case, swimming in an ocean of garbage: No name has been more “mediazed” than Senator Manny Villar’s name. He has been on the forefront of TV, radio and print ads. He has been on the front page of major publications in the country due to a controversial road project. And he has the young and old alike singing his funny, catchy and apparently, very effective jingle.
For Mom, for Dad, for Country, for God: Noynoy Aquino has seen his popularity jumped considerably after his mother, democratic icon Cory Aquino, passed away. Since then, he has teased running for president, went to a retreat and came back with a bang, although expected announcement, that he will run for the presidential seat. Wise or not, it is the perfect time for him to run due to his name, but as a politician, he is arguably not yet experienced enough or qualified to become the nation’s president.
Administration’s top dog: He has the brains, the look and the feel of a president, Gilbert Teodoro is there but not so there at the same time. He has good credentials, but he also has the infamous “Kiss of Death” from current president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Being backed by the current administration has hurt his chances of winning. Now it seems that the administration is even withdrawing their support on “Gibo”. Will this hurt him even more or turn things around? One thing’s for sure though, so far, he has been played around like a good, obedient dog.
Movie sequel: Serving as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the run of Erap Estrada was cut short by the historic People Power II. He was tried and convicted of Graft and Corruption. He was sentenced to house arrest. And this was followed by a presidential pardon with an oral promise not to run for any public office as long as he lives. Now he is one of this year’s presidential bids. Joseph Ejercito Estrada won the 1998 elections due to his popularity with the poor. But how will he contend with the new champion of the poor who “swam in a sea of garbage”?
The Transformer: Dubbing his tandem with Bayani Fernando as The Transformers, Senator Richard Gordon, who is also the chairman of Philippine Red Cross, promises a new style of leadership. He runs on the premise that he is different and he will do things differently. But is he sure that the Filipino people are ready for a radical change? Plus, he was never really that popular. His running mate is also a common enemy of the masses due to his “iron fist” type of rule. This arguably is what the country may need, but so far, it looks like the people are not buying it.
Second time can be a charm: Eddie Villanueva, or popularly known as Brother Eddie, runs for the second time in history for the presidential seat. He is an influential religious leader and he even owns a Christian religious media outlet. Controversial, religious and popular, can he win the votes of those not under his rule or will “separation of church and state” still rule?
Posted on April 5, 2010
0