AND NOW THERE ARE EIGHT
December 16th 2009 02:37
Please don’t get confused by the title. This story is targeted to a portion of the Five (5) Million Filipino OFWs who just might wander to Orble pages, those who may still be searching their souls on who to vote for in the 2010 Presidential elections.
As it turns out, the Commission on Elections only has the stomach for 99 skits but not much for 99 full blown comical productions, so it pared down the number of those clowns who filed their certificates of candidacy and left just eight (8) presidential candidates.
That includes Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party (LP), Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan, Ma. Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal who is running as independent and Manny Villar of Nacionalista Party (NP), former defense chief Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, former president Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), evangelist Eddie Villanueva and Olongapo city councilor John Carlos “JC” Delos Reyes of Ang Kapatiran Party, who is a nephew of Gordon.
We have already written about three (3) of them here in Orble. But don’t worry, I will not bore you with the story of all the remaining five.
I’ll just mention in passing that there is a prevailing perception the rich heiress (Jamby), though she has already lost a lot of her inheritance in a court battle with members of her own family, is not really running in the presidential race to win. Word has it that she only decided to run to take votes away from Villar.
If you ask me, there are better ways of wasting one’s time, efforts and dwindling resources. But then, that’s her own time, efforts and hopefully, resources, she is wasting, so I’ll leave her with it.
Former President Estrada is still being considered a force to reckon with despite the fact that he was convicted (for plunder) and eventually pardoned, but he is almost certain to face disqualification proceedings so he may not be there for the final stretch.
Evangelist Eddie Villanueva is said to be popular. He might be able to snag some votes enough to make him president but, if he really is a very good religious leader, why risk making him the king of evils? Nope. I believe in balancing the forces. He should stay on the other side of the devil’s lair.
I’m sorry, but who is John Carlos Delos Reyes again? I mean, aside from being a nephew of Senator Gordon?
That leaves us Senator Manny Villar. Said to be the richest among the presidential candidates. A self made man who practically came from the slums of Tondo, Manila and proud to admit it. Well, though it is true, that’s also one way of stealing the thunder from Estrada who has always claimed that he represents the masses.
Senator Manny Villar
Vision, hard work and determination may have brought him to where he is now – and that’s quite a distance to travel for anyone who has gone that far. From peddling just about anything to survive, to the top of Forbes’ list of the Philippines’ richest men. And he did that even before entering politics!
There must really be something about this guy.
The thing is, I just couldn’t find it.
Please don’t get me wrong. I’ve shook this guys’ hands, maybe twice. I interviewed him on the phone several times. I am aware that as a Speaker of the House he almost single-handedly transmitted the plunder case against then President Joseph Estrada from the House of Representatives to the Senate but somehow, I still find him lacking something.
Was it sincerity? I don’t know.
I don’t know if it would help, but allow me a little confession. In my own little way, I’ve had a chance to meet several of these “presidentiables.” As a very young person, I was present when Mr. Estrada was contemplating to run for president the very first time. This was just after a coup vs then Pres. Aquino was crushed. His first order of battle was to hire a tutor to spruce up his English. This was discussed over lunch at his P. Guevarra residence in San Juan.
I’ve had a little discussion with Ms. Madrigal (in person, along with two others present) about her advocacy of lifting the plight of the masses when she first decided to run for the Senate.
There was an instance when Senator Gordon called me a derogatory name “Curly” (remember the Three Stooges?), as a joke, and later on asked his friend and former classmate in law school if I got offended. (He can’t afford to lose even one vote in this election, he is not that popular)
And Senator Gordon’s running mate Bayani Fernando, found his way in our office when he was still thinking of running for president.
These are brief encounters, mind you. Nothing to brag about. I’m sure none of them would have remembered any of it. But then, that is not the point.
The point is, all of them could have left a positive impression on me.
Not all of them did.
Still, who am I? It is just me.
I hope in 2010 the Filipino voters find the right person to run this country.
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Comment by Anonymous
So my friend,
You have decided to recommence your weekly blogs!
Let me first thank you for the oppoprtunity to exchange a few views on Saturday, for living where i do, i enjoy very few stimulating conversations for two reasons language and culture (we won't go there again except to say that from a post modern viewpoint which I accept, language is an artificial creation to describe a culture's meaning and there is a semi science, Semiotics to study this. The esteemed Spanish writer Umberto Eco in another such person and so I recommend his book' Faith in Fakes'
I found you in conversation both a good listener and gentle yet well informed communicator, both great qualities to successfully manage a team of local entrepreneurs as you do, as well as already knowing you to be a modest and yet informative blogger.
I cannot begin to tell you as a fan of modern art, (my home here shocks most visitors by it's vigorous display of abstract art) how tilttilating it was to, however briefly, touch on Guernika and hence Picasso for I have travelled to the town just to see it ( it's now very ordinary) and love the Basque region for it's fabulous Bilbao (ancient square and Guggenheim museum et al), the beautiful Mundaka on the coast nearby with tremendous surfing, the lovely Pyrenees mountains and the french cuisine the other side of the border. I even have furniture here bought in Bilbao!
I feel that our conversation could have spread therefore in many different directions, for I spend most of my time reading both the arts and sciences here and so I hope we have an opportunity to meet again someday.
As for the subject of your blog-
Whichever President we get they must commt to a strong fiscal policy and hence a strong peso policy and so pay down a national debt amounting to a 38,000 peso weight on each Filipino. To run up debt's for future generations to have to pay is both grossly irresponsible and profoundly immoral.
For this country to succed in the future it must profoundly change the culture I described to you that dominates nearly all except those in Makati, Quezon city and Alabang.
A love of Science must dominate faith, a love of information must dominate entertainment, what you know must dominate who, and logic not emotion should guide most actions.
To ilustrate how just one problem exists here, the population is mow nearly twice that at the time of EDSA1 in 1986, as each President seems to feel the need to obey the Catholic churches views on contraception.
This is completely pre-modern. Europeans have for eight hundred years sought to keep religion in it's place and not advance a social and industrial agenda, for they have recognised that the policies of the church keep people poor and uneducated and so fearful of church superstition. This is perhaps nothing les than a crime against humanity pursued by the Catholic church as it alone makes this country almost predestined to fail.
Regards,
British Bulldog.
Comment by Market Newbie
Gizmo Peek
Stock Market Punk
I enjoyed our brief conversation just as well as you did. You do have good insights of the world market. In fact, I am wondering if we could use some of them in future discussions to help steer other market newbies like me to the right direction.
For that is the real reason why I am maintaining this blog. I can't help that many Filipinos are, as you have observed, the way they are now. There's nothing I can do about that.
Like I said in our converstaion, maybe we should blame the influence of the Spaniards for that. But then, what?
In the meantime, maybe this Market Newbie can initiate change. No matter how small or insignificant. Just introduce it. See what happens.
I'm sure you've heard about Efren Penaflorida and his "Pushcart Classrooms" and maybe even some of those who died saving others during Typhoon Ondoy. They only did what they can in their own little ways, but they were able to do something. And I believe their deeds wouldn't end there. Even for those who died doing it.
As I am sure you know, in this mesh of interconnected lives and clashing interests called "world" even the ends are beginnings. And somewhere in that maze I'd like to start something constructive.
I just have one concern, though. I prefer to remain "the Market Newbie" in this pages. Everything I say here have their own basis in truth and in fact, some are even more factual than I am willing to admit, but I would like to leave it just like that.
No real identities.