Episode Two of ABS-CBN News Channel’s Leadership Forum left me with more questions than answers about what he or she would do if either one of the guest wannabees succeed Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Among the points which left questions in my mind:
1. Sen. Loren Legarda insisting that “I am still consulting my (ward) leaders about running (for president) while also waiting for the decision of my party (the Nationalist People’s Coalition of business mogul Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco) since all the recent gathers of party elders have just been socials.”
I have the sense that the good Senator is in denial given how it is no secret that the NPC is about to do a big launch of Sen. Chiz Escudero as its standard bearer coinciding with his 40th birthday this November.
To be fair to Ms. Legarda, she’s said that she’ll be making up her mind perhaps as early as next month.
Given that she’s also previously said she won’t run for Vice President again (having lost to Noli De Castro in 2004), will Loren run without a party organization behind her?
Will Filipinos consider electing a female president this soon after GMA?
2. Former President Joseph Estrada insisting that “my conviction on plunder charges was only about taking jueteng bribes.”
Mr. Estrada forgets that he was offered, and he accepted, a presidential pardon which Juan, Pedro, and Maria understand to mean Estrada’s acknowledgment of the charges he was found guilty of (including his role in the BW Resources stock market insider trading and behest investments by the GSIS).
The former president tried to be cute by invoking “executive privilege” when asked to identify who his closest advisers are (“this government might harass them”).
The subtext to that question from host Che-Che Lazaro was, of course, Estrada’s coterie of Chinoy wheeler-dealers and ‘kitchen Cabinet’ which were reputed to have wielded inordinate influence during the Estrada presidency ( cut short by Edsa II).
From where I sit, it seems Estrada only wants “to be restored” to remove the stigma of having “constructively resigned” rather than return to give Filipinos good government.
3. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay sidestepping the questions about how he amassed his independent fortune saying only that “I have been receiving my salary as public official while also engaging in piggery.”
Binay failed to mention that there are long pending graft charges against him in connection, among others, with the unexplained property acquisitions in scenic Tagaytay.
To be fair to Mr. Binay, Makati has an enviable social welfare program for its residents and apparently continues to have the support of the business community.
He says he intends replicate his success at the local government level on the national arena.
He’ll have to wait his turn though and will likely slide to become Estrada vice-presidential running mate.
4. Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Ferdando saying he’ll use his first 100 days as president to explain “my vision and what my plans are,” while admitting that “my wife is my closest adviser.”
Asked about the hugely unpopular Arroyo regime: “Oh it has made many wrong decision, but not malicious, I think. But don’t get me into trouble (when asked to cite examples of the wrong decision).”
At one point, Fernando elicited loud laughter from the gallery with this slip of the tongue: “I am above the law, errr I meant I abide by the law.”
Fernando did turn Marikina into a disciplined and clean city during his 9 year reign there and has now been succeeded by his wife as mayor.
Fair enough.
But why does the phrase “conjugal leadership” keep popping up in my mind?
Conspicuous by his absence for the second time was Sen. Panfilo Lacson who announced minutes before the broadcast that he was no longer going to run for President “because I don’t have the needed financial resources.”
Lacson denied his withdrawal is connected to the impending appearance of former policeman Cesar Mancao as state’s witness in the Dacer-Corbito murders.
Lacson told ABS-CBN’s Lynda Jumilla: “ Anyway my term as Senator runs till 2013. I will continue to expose and fight corruption and other wrongs in government.”
In sum one could still say the 2nd Forum was a success.But you can’t blame those who after watching the second batch of wannabees would probably say NOTA – None Of The Above.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Good points to ponder.
i have a question… is this forum an example of premature campaigning?
Not in this case, methinks, given how it was structured with the journalist-hosts propounding the questions.
I, however, look forward to the wannabbes themselves going mano-a-mano, as it were.
I wish I saw the event on TV because somebody seems to claim that in this discussion, BF did not talk with sense when propounded questions.
It appears, an accidental joke (fumble maybe) was taken too seriously. Grabe talaga ang mga remarks ng Pinoy.
Yup hope you can catch the replay. Cheche asked something like “so are you above the law?”. Then BF said ” I am above the law”…Cheche seemed surprised and repeated it “I am above the law?”. Then BF noticed his mistake…..”I abide by the law”. It was not a joke. He fumbled not just once..there was another one on “use of public funds”
It’s a Freudian slip – reminiscent of Louis XiV – I am the state :lol:
No, he is used to speaking thru his Media Dogs like Primer and
Blackshama. The guy was confused.
I guess BF is just not eloquent with words and that might be why he didn’t make sense. He needs to hire a communications specialist to prepare him for rigorous questions where he can best express himself.
To remember — there are many meetings that one can NOT bring a media-specialist or a nanny.
In fact, this was standard ploy by IMF bureaucrats when dealing with heads of state. The IMF will pigeonhole the foreign leaders where the leaders have to make decisions without any of of their technical experts around them to provide guidance.
Hey, if you have money to hire Media Dogs. What is the sense
of talking sense? You forgot your common sense already.
Just one gift or honorarium from the Metro Manila Film Festival
Funds. Will take care of everything. What is the use of sweating
for an answer?
My namesake has my support! Truly Chairman BF is a man of action which clearly reflect his political attributes.
We don’t need good speakers (who have nothing to say really like a few senators and a mayor). We need a man of action. We need Bayani FernanDO!
Fernando’s out-of-sight aces 1 Day, 10 Hours ago Karma: 0
By Solita Collas-Monsod
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:12:00 06/06/2009
(opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/col…os-out-of-sight-aces)
I don’t blame MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando for being pissed at his party for seemingly excluding him, a loyal party member, from its list of “presidentiables.” Surely, however, he should have known better than to expect that it would act any differently, given its past record.
Not that Lakas/Kampi is worse than the other parties, whose “presidentiables” seem to have been self-chosen, or at least limited to those who can get the financial wherewithal to run a campaign, no matter their lousy or nonexistent track record (including corrupt tendencies). A good track record (as opposed to campaign promises) would be a bonus, but certainly not a condition precedent, as it were, for being the party’s standard-bearer. Of course, one has to use the term “political party” loosely, since our politicians are prone to party-hopping.
But does Bayani Fernando deserve serious consideration as a “presidentiable”? Very definitely. Because where others talk a good talk, Fernando has actually walked a good walk. His track record in terms of delivering public goods to the people, as well as reducing corruption in his area of responsibility, is arguably unmatched.
If one holds no track with statistics, one only has to visit Marikina, Fernando’s bailiwick. The difference between that city and the rest of the cities of Metro Manila is obvious to even the most casual observer—one would hardly believe one is in the Philippines.
The first thing you notice is that there are no squatters. And that is because the squatters have been relocated to—get this—relocation settlements within the city, where they have security of tenure as well as humane living conditions. One can only guess that in the face-off with squatter-lords (reportedly members of the police or the military of small-time politicians, who hold sway in other Metro Manila cities), the latter were the first to blink, and could not bribe their way into keeping their squatter housing.
The second thing you notice is the Marikina river—cleared of squatter housing, the 220 hectares it covers transformed into a sports and recreational park, with citizens taking the air at night—literally—because there is no smell emanating from it. When this project was first begun, cynics said it could not be done. Fernando did it.
And how about the pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, free of vendors who are now housed in the public market (so no unfair advantage), which is recognized by international and local health agencies as the healthiest in the country?
Or the network of bicycle lanes (56 kilometers), the only one of its kind in the Philippines, that allow people to bike to school or work? Or public parks, and the results of an aggressive greening program?
And that’s just what one sees. What is not so visible, but is felt by the citizens of Marikina, is how well the city is run: a 99-percent garbage collection efficiency rate (lower per capita costs than in other cities); a 95-percent tax collection efficiency rate—its citizens are willing to pay their taxes, because they see where their money goes; an excellent public school and health system; an engineering department capable of undertaking most of the city’s infrastructure projects by local administration (transparent, too); a central warehousing system that saves time and money; an almost 20-fold increase in revenues since 1992 ( in that period, prices have increased at most five-fold); a quick-response system for emergency assistance to citizens, whether police, fire, or medical, anywhere in Marikina (average response time is 4-8 minutes), with a handbook given to all households, providing essential information about services and transactions, including time frames within which to expect action, and hot lines to call if these are exceeded.
Bottom line: the city has won eight “Galing-Pook” Awards since 1992 for all its improvements, plus numerous other awards. Wouldn’t the average Filipino want to live and work in those surroundings?
But that isn’t all. Pressed into service as chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (he must hold the record for being the most short-lived public works secretary—he refused to play ball, and legislators asked for his relief), he has a record of solid accomplishments there as well: reduced travel times along the major arteries—and I can attest to that, because it now takes me 30 minutes to travel from Makati to UP, when it used to take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour; reduced flooding—he has caused the installation of additional pumping stations, plus regular maintenance of esteros (creeks), riverbanks removal of sidewalk obstructions; door-to-door collection in about 75 percent of barangays (villages) so that streets and waterways are kept clean. Things that Metro Manilans have gotten used to, and now expect as a matter of course, hardly remembering when things were very much worse.
To repeat: Solid accomplishments, which, were he chief executive, could be translated into an improved government bureaucracy and efficient national projects and services. And he has one more asset: a no-nonsense wife who took over as mayor, and has not only continued, but improved his accomplishment record. Two for the price of one.
But, alas, even as Fernando is under his party’s radar screen, he also seems to be under the radar as far as the voters are concerned, with less than half of 1 percent of them saying that they would vote for him. Thus, even as we hold the political parties in contempt, we behave in the same way they do. Truly, we get the government we deserve.
As I ponder Philippine government in action, I am convinced that one of the greatest hindrances to “clean” government is nepotism. Key government slots go to the entrenched. There is no room for bright, capable people to rise on their achievement competing against others who are also ambitious. This “career ambition” is what underpins western corporate and government productivity. An ambitious person will ordinarily not put his career on the line for under-the-table payments, especially if that crime is dealt with harshly.
But I see that BF’s wife is now mayor. I see Gordon’s son is mayor of Olongapo. I see the Teodoros, husband and wife, in the government business; Monica Teodoro signed the ConAss bill. I see the Magsaysay name still lingering in the government after all these years. Lacsons all over the place. etc
Is there anybody in the presidential picture who: is (1) not a product of nepotistic appointments, or (2) has not appointed family and friends to key jobs?
Joe
I apply the dignity test. Barak Obama is the most dignified American president to come along since perhaps FDR. Maybe before that.
Which of this group of Philippine presidential aspirants do I see having the dignity, intelligence and honor to stand side by side with Obama and represent the Philippines as an equal?
Former President Estrada? Obama would never agree to meet with him.
Senator Legarda? Dignified and projects a good “new Philippines” image, but lacks seasoning as an “executive”, seasoning as a leader. Obama would meet with her, however, as her baggage is light and she is not so stained.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay? Good manager, but carries with him the “old Philippines” stigma of corruption and nepotism. No broad national clout, much less international. Obama would wait and see how things played out before deciding if he would meet or not.
Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando? Same boat as Binay. Same Obama reaction.
Villar, Puno and the priest are out, by my book. The only three left standing for me are Gordon, Roxas and Teodora. All three are a tad wobbly, and a lot depends on the campaigns they run.
Just pondering . . . can’t even vote . . .
Joe
The stink-test : the stigma of corruption from past scandals — for Bayani Fernando, for Binay (and some will even tar Among Ed (priest governor of pampanga) with that, some will), for Villar.
Then there is the “talk! talk! talk! Talk is cheap. Now, what have they really accomplished over the past 5 or 10 years” question.
This is Pinas democracy — the anti-GMA’s viciously at each other’s throats as they try to propel their own leaders because they share the same province, blood-line, because they imagine that there is a promise of a job, maybe.
—————–
But Pinas democracy seems to be more of a tear-them-down anti-This or anti-That orientation, not the “join-hands-and-implement-a-common-goal” orientation. Talangka is a oft-repeated word.
To make a long story short – Pinoys have yet to pick up the norms that make democracy work. Until that happens, it will be same old sh|t, different day. New faces, same old scripts.
It’s groundhog day.
Up n,
That’s a good test. And “blame and tear down” indeed seems to be the prevalent mode of problem solving.
Joe
Erap cannot run again, period.
Loren Legarda has nothing to offer in terms of leadership.
Bayani Fernando has dictatorial tendencies and none of his traffic schemes really worked to reduce traffic.
Binay, he talks as if he was the one who built Makati from the ground up. Other than administering the revenue streams of the Makati City government (which basically means dole outs to his poor constituents), what else has he done that makes him deserving to be the President of the Philippines?
It is the choice of the least of evils…sorry, no other choices
available. You can register your dog to run, if you like.
yup – it is an election where you choose from an array of lousy products, and just choose the least lousy.
I am now looking for the seven. The first batch plus two on the
second batch. Legarda and Binay. I am using my process of elimination and Quality Control to norrow my choices.
noemi,
Maybe indeed, BF fumbled or really appeared not that glib or eloquent as others like Chiz, Dick and Loren are.
By his own admission, BF is no talker, not your so-called traditional politician. But he means business – and is where the action is.
But I suspect, that it is the wrong question to ask. How in the world should someone like Cheche (a dear friend though) ought to be asking what clearly is a foolish question.
No wonder, we thought we want to raise the lever of understanding when media practitioners tend to ask the more foolish questions no decent man should even answer.
Obviously, no one is above the law, may ganon ba?
Napakasimpleng tanong, fumble pa, paano na lang sa complex. crap :loll:
It is a question has an underlying meaning.
Given that GMA and company are behaving as if they are above the law, the question behind the question is – will you behave like GMA, do you approve of her behavior, do you have GMA-like tendencies.
Tatanga tanga kasi.
BF should fire his handlers. Mga estupido.
They should have prepped their candidate.
Scope the competition.
Provide a steady reply.
VERY UNPROFESSIONAL.
But of course, when pandering to the DE crowd – mas okay yung mukhang tanga, the crowd will look at him as an underdog and swing the votes.
who needs PROFESSIONALISM in the PI anyways :lol:
Bong my problem exactly that these jokers seeking to be ‘anointed by GMA whose definition od legal “is what they can get away with” are in fact compromised.
This early you know, we know, they WILL not hold their PATRON to account for high crimes.
Bayani will eventually be ‘prevailed upon’ to run for Senator.
Madali lang yan, bibitinin nila ang IRA ng Marikina, tapos ang boksing.
“…wrong question to ask…”
So it’s Che Che who fumbled?
Really Prime, you can do a better defense of your Client than that.
Incidentally being a good communicator, articulating one’s vision, thereby cobbling together a National Consensus, is part and parcel of being a Leader.
Think back to Reagan.
They should put Primer in his place in future ANC Debates. But, watch
what he will do to the Film Festival Funds.
For Joe,
Perhaps, we cannot equate nepotism with getting elected, can we?
That said, your keen enumeration might represent something else than the notion you’re driving at. Please check.
He could be referring to another facet of nepotism, this time on a grander scale – political dynasties.
Fondly ding, there are funny great ideas like these -
1. ‘actions speak louder than words”
2. ‘if a picture paints a thousand words …”
3. ‘the beauty that was Rome’
Marami pa ding. I hold you in high esteem but what strikes me is this – pati ikaw naniwala na rin sa kanila na client ko si BF.
Flatly, hindi po. But I will communicate to people what is in his mind in any blogging forum where this is permissible.
Prime,
11 months before the elections you have figured out that BF should ‘lead us out of Egypt’ as indicated in the “I endorse Bayani” body of work you have strewn here at FV.
If you do this in YOUR own blog you will not be tagged.
But your use of FV as YOUR de facto praise release platform for YOUR CLIENT is a disservive to Fernando himself as you make assertions without benefit of analysis.
You are in no position to compromise FV.
Your declaration that “I will communicate to people what is in his mind…” reveals your agenda this early in the game.
Halata.
UP n,
You can be sure that BF is in the same page with the IMFs or WBs since they use the same “currency”.
Hyden,
It is best you do away with one-liners – how much did these sell in the market?
Good if it carries ‘more intellectual weight’ but it looks like you just want to bash. Are you the bully in the schoolyard?
Bong,
There is no one BF should fire because in the first place, I am not his PR handler.
How many times have I said that already that I suspect, there is no more ‘groove’ (convolutions if you want)in your brain?
Can we not end the episode?
Primer:
I don’t think you are BF’s handler.
And no, I am literally referring to his team of handlers – not an individual – not YOU.
Ping Lacson declares he is not a 2010-candidate.
Ping is “damaged goods”. The Dacer-Corbito case will drag him down.
Bong,
If I may posit a scenario to chew on: up and until Mancao finally ‘talks’, his ‘revelation/s’ could either write finis to Lacson’s political career or turn the tables on those who inveigled Mancao to execute hat Valentine Day affidavit:
If you care to:
http://midfield.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/what-secrets-will-cesar-mancao-reveal/
Also:
http://midfield.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/is-cesar-mancaos-valentines-day-affidavit-the-key/
Ding,
Even if something blows, there will be another face with the same old script. same same pa rin.
Maari, kapatid.
I’ll see how the story plays out. Join me?
Incidentally, did you notice Ping only said he’s no longer running for President?
Am trying to see if there’s a subtext.
Ding,
I wouldn’t even go there. One of the PAOCTF crew involved with the Dacer case hails from Davao, an area called “Trading Boulevard” – know him personally, chilled with his younger bro.
That’s the sorta discussion which leads to journalists joining the ranks of the “disaparacidos” – or cutting clean and hauling ass on the next flight overseas. :lol:
Okidoki.
Good to hear that from you bong for now saying am no PR handler for anyone.
As to ding, how do I situate your concern?
You see, the few ‘body of work’ that seem to endorse BF, come to think of it, is not intended to be a praise release platform that ‘misuses’ FV.
On the other hand, as I have already said, it is totally consistent with FV. Please try to check the work again – it is not to endorse for its own sake. In fact, it is to ‘investigate’, to ‘assassinate’, to sort of “debug”. Paano ko ba sasabihin sa yo?
I think the works speak for what they are aimed at. Paki tingin mo na lang please.
primer:
imho, definitely not a handler – more of a BF “groupie”, still needs the handlers to get a backstage pass to the after party.
If you say so :)
I will take your word on this, for now. Happy hunting, bro.