Now that the Noynoy Aquino-Mar Roxas tandem for the Liberal Party is all but established (but for Noynoy taking time off for “spiritual retreat to seek divine guidance”), the idea of an old-fashioned two-candidate presidential contest in 2010 is now within the realm of probability. It seems the withdrawal bug is hitting the ranks of the opposition in a desire to unite under a common “winnable”candidate. At least four opposition aspirants have indicated intent to “sacrifice “ their bid in favor of a single candidate for the opposition. For whatever it’s worth, even Joseph Estrada, the convicted plunderer, voices out a vague conditional withdrawal, i.e.,” if everybody else do the same”.
Those who did not fare very well in the last Pulse Asia survey have a good reason to think that it would be an uphill climb for them to win. Mar Roxas, who found himself closer to the cellar than to the top floor, had a good face-saving opportunity to re-think his position and “sacrifice” his life-long ambition to be president, apparently hoping thereby to win some accolades from the people. As of this writing, it appears that four or five early declarants for candidacy from the opposition are still holding out, insisting that they will be there up to the finish line. However, it would be logical to suppose that, after the customary horse-trading rituals, the opposition would hope that only one man/woman will be left standing to lead the fight for them and have a good shot at victory in 2010.
The survey shows that the true current front-runners are former Senate President Manuel Villar and current Vice President of the Philippines Noli De Castro, in that order. Villar belongs to the Nacionalista Party while De Castro is an Independent. Although Villar’s party is technically in opposition against the administration, it is by no means an ally of the Liberal Party. Thus, Villar has neither moral, nor practical, obligation to give way to Noynoy Aquino, or whoever ends up to be the Liberal Party’s official candidate. Given Villar’s current strength, such a scenario would seem utterly preposterous.
Much to the dismay of this writer, the administration’s party, Lakas-Kampi-CMD, does not currently seem to have a viable, winnable bet. It behooves upon it to support the best set of candidates if only to preserve, and build further on, the achievements of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for the good of the country. That team would be Villar-De Castro, assuming Noli would see it fit to continue what he has started as Vice President, with meaningful portfolio. I believe with the administration’s support, Villar-De Castro would be a formidable team against any team the GMA opposition could come up with. On the other hand, I think this is a good time for the weak aspirants in the administration camp to “sacrifice” their own personal ambition and have a graceful exit from the scene.
Popularity: 1% [?]
That is the Nightmare Team for 2010 – a Villar-De Castro tandem – that have already come from the same mold called “trapos”.
So we would rather chose one implicated in a P200 million congressional insertion anomaly – as though there is an utter lack of better choice from the present pack of presidentiables?
Further, we would rather chose one implicated also in a reported P400 million pol ad scam to propel his candidacy at government expense?
This is incredible endorsement that qualifies enough for Ripley’s.
you can change the title of my post however you want, mr. primer. i didn’t write it to convince you one way or the other. if you think there’s a better set of candidates, articulate your basis the rational way, and let the readers decide for themselves if what you say makes sense or not.
i don’t think the 2010 election for president will be decided on what alleged wrongdoing the candidates ACCUSE each other of having committed. even an already-CONVICTED plunderer appears to be running stronger than most.
i think i will have to agree with you that there is a big possibility Villar will jump in to the “other” side.
the others who fare low in the surveys should “sacfice” now and save their faces.
(taking into account that “sacrifice” is now synonymous with the phrase “graceful exit”)
A sound and intelligent notion of a Dream Team for 2010 is one that does not have to build its strength on the rather faulty, shakeable, and tentative foundation of a mere Pulse Asia Survey results.
Haven’t we known this yet?
Throwing the towel in, Atty. Ben?
Uncharacteristic of you considering the need “to preserve, and build further on, the achievements of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”
You’d be a ‘senatoriable’ in my book any ‘ol time. :)
Too bad Mr Bencard Esq and to the schadenfreude delights of the anti-GMA camp, the Fates through the Aquino funeral have hammered more final nails on the coffin of the “achievements of President Gloria Macapagal_Arroyo”. This is both good and bad. First of all on the positive side, GMA is the first president that has committed real money (and not just rhetoric) to the scientific progress of the nation and this will translate to economic progress. On the negative side, the numerous scandals involving her presidency deserves to be interred in the coffin. The public wants the coffin sealed and with it Gibo, Bayani et al. I don’t blame Mrs Arroyo in toto but I do blame much on her stupid subalterns in the Palace.
Noli de Castro will be a dead albatross on Villar’s neck. Many consider de Castro as a victim of the Vice Presidential curse and because this involved too much fence sitting. The Vice Presidency if you ask me is an aberration in the political culture of the Pinoy. Pinoys don’t like fence sitters and Veeps have it so bad that they have to court favor from the Malacanang tenant and the electorate. The only salvation from this predicament is the President getting a flat liner or in the case of our Glorious head of state, get something organized! So in summary the electorate says, “if you worship GMA we respect you. If you hate GMA, then we also respect you. If you fence sit, we will thrust the knife into you.”
GMA had harped in the presidency as destiny since she was a president’s child. Noynoy too is a president’s child. We ask, how come it always come to this?
Because Pinoys in Pinas (and Pinoys not in Pinas) are romantics who leaves their future to a redeemer???
i believe noli will continue to be a real good vice president to manny. six years is not that long. with a significant executive portfolio such as, say, dilg, noli can do what he does best – interact with the masses in the countrysides. he will then have as much exposure and experience that he will need, and will come in handy should he decide to run for president in 2016.
hi, ding. thanks. i’m not exactly throwing in the towels. though i thought gma is doing right for the country, i don’t belong to her party. i just call it as i see it, and i just want to express what i think is best for our country in the next 6 years after 2010. i think we have had enough of emotion-driven politics. it’s time to be realistic and pragmatic. our next president must be a proven achiever, able to reconcile competing interests towards a common goal, under the protective mantle of our laws and constitution. we cannot afford a government by slogans and demagoguery.
tasteless for bencard, he who frowns on wowowee crowd, to endorse villar, who was the principal sponsor of revillame’s recent foray in a mindanao city to win votes for him. the open air dole giving concert was entitled, “igiling na!”.
sige nga, bencard, igiling mo na!
as far as villar is concerned, he has to get as many votes as he possibly can. if revillame and wowowee can help him, why not?
exactly – he knows that the filipino electorate will say hohum nakakaantok to platforms – just drag willie revillame. give the masa what they want – entertainment!!!
the party with the most entertainers wins – all you need is filipino voters :D
oh, so suddenly, wowowee politics is cool. anything to win votes. dang, sounds like na-technical na naman tayo dyan. ah, lawyers.
it’s still not “cool” inodoro. but that’s the way “we” are. no one but no one can win an election without dancing the “ocho-ocho” or playing “wowowee politics”. the thing is, the best man has to win first before he can be of any use to the country. otherwise, an incompetent deadwood might get elected.
says who? padaca surely didn’t dance the ocho-ocho–which by the way is so last millenium. try, “nobody, nobody but chu”.
padaca did not run for president. i should have made clear that my comment was meant only for those running for national office.
My Manoy Bencard’s proposal…a death knell for Villar! I think he’s just kidding, or else, he’s secretly rooting either for Noynoy or for Erap, heheh.
like i said before, bert, manny villar is not going to be defined by people like me. he is what he is. either you see him as the best candidate or not, period. what bencard think has nothing to do with it whatsoever.
What’s your take on Teodoro, Ben? All governors but one stood up for his candidacy. I rather figured that makes him a shoe-in for designation as apparent heir, and with a lot of vote-getting machinery behind him. I’d call him the front-runner, frankly, in the drafty winds of pre-candidacy announcements.
Joe
Where getting 37% of votes is enough to be next Malacanang resident, who knows who wins May2010?
Erap can get it done; Villar, too. Machinery-backed Teodoro can do it; NoyNoy can do it (if he does better than 18% in next survey). Don’t discount the principled candidacies of Perlas and Bro Villanueva to furth.
http://philippinecommentary.blogspot.com/2009/09/consider-aquino-legacy-should-noynoy.html
teodoro, who is connected to the cojuanco clan, is a cousin of noynoy. forget about dynasty(ism) but is the country so bereft of leadership talent that we have to make do with two scions of the ruling aristocracy? i don’t put too much premium on the early “endorsement” of provincial governors or even congressmen. there’s still more than half a year for them to change their coats.
Bencard,
Thanks. I appreciate the perspective.
Joe
Joe,
There are just no straight rules, no such rule of thumb as to who will most likely win the presidency.
Gibo will be a far-sightedness and no amount of party machinery can help raise the Titanic, as if it were.
I simply dont believe in surveys; Filipino style. It is tainted
with politics. Subject to manipulation.
I think a Noynoy-Mar team up is good for the country but a Mar-Noynoy tandem is better. I just don’t think a shoe saleman is smarter than a bond trader.
if we’ll go by the record of filipino voters – they will settle for a boozing lecherous thug.
your shoe salesman and bond trader are nice guys who finish last.
I would defintely go for a Villar- That happens tandem if that happens.
On teodoro I actually like him and he was my original choice before Villar. But I agre with Bencard. If Noy noy runs, there is no way that I will root for teodoro if he run.
Hey Bencard, why not Villar -teodoro. I think ist much better than Villar -Noli.
that’s a good point, rego. i, personally, would have no problem with that. however, i think noli has a proven vote-getting ability than teodoro who has not. and noli did not do such a bad job as dsw secretary. other than the flimsy and seemingly ludicrous ad question, there appears not a single “scandal” attached to his name since entering politics.
also, for those who are sick and tired of “leaders” from the elite, aristocratic, oligarchic ranks, noli would be the logical choice.
Those who will vote for a Villar-De Castro proceed from the popular belief that on account of their topping the survey chart, ergo, they are the sure winners.
That is just the point why not few analysts call both politicians and the voters – more so with their endorsers – as the bozos (ask benigno the expert).
Well, it is a vicious cycle in politics in the end.
Time to revisit the surveys of 2003 whether truth really holds.