Former President Erap Estrads and Senator Manny Villar are a study in contrasts, and similarities.
They’re both running for President, rairing to take over from the hugely unpopular Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Both Villar and Estrada trail Sen. Noynoy Aquino in the surveys but are gaining on the only son of his revered parents Ninoy and Cory Aquino.
Estrada and Villar, either by design or coincidence have their headquarters on Shaw Boulevard.
Estrada is running his 2nd campaign for the presidency at the newly-renovated # 409 Shaw, the very same place from where Erap directed his successful run in 1997 that catapulted him to the presidency with the histori plurarity of 40 percent of the vote.
Villar is also at a newly-renovated digs: the storied Villa Paciencia, once owned by the Laurel family – home to the late Vice President Salvador ‘Doy’ Laurel and scene of many historic political meetings.
And let’s not forget that both Estrada and Villar are grizzled political warriors: Estrada was San Juan town’s (now a city) longest serving mayors before he became Senator, and then Senator.
Villar, most successful son of Las Pinas, rose from rags to riches I (by his own account) to become Congressman, House Speaker and Senate President.
Estrada is on his comeback bid seeking to redeem ‘lost honor’ after being convicted of plunder and suffering several years of ‘rest house’ detention.
Thanks to the pardon swiftly granted by benefactor Pres. Arroyo, E|strada had all his political rights restored to him.
Now it’s full steam ahead for Erap with the COMELEC giving its blessings to his run (while also giving Arroyo the greenlight for her congressional bid in Pampanga).
While the wind is seemingly blowing behind Estrada’s back, Villar is just scoffing at the findings of the Senate Committee of the Whole chastising him for unethical conduct is the C-5 road extension project that zigzagged its way through Villar’s commercial properties.
Why wouldn’t Villar simply laugh?
Well, he’s just being asked to return some P 6-B aspent on the roads project instead of being accused of plunder like Erap.
In sum, both Estrada ans Villar art looking like winners.
Guess who’s on the losing end.
Popularity: 1% [?]
My old comment in another blog post updated:
Some interpreters like to understand the meaning of the Constitution to suit their needs and fancy. Some would like to make a statement ambiguous or controversial.
The keyword in Art. VII, Sec. 4, 2nd sentence is “ANY.” As in,
“The President shall not be eligible for any re-election.”
So, an elected president (regardless if incumbent or not) is banned for re-election forever. Even a successor to the presidency (which, of course, Erap is not!) is banned for life to become president again if he/she remained in office as president “for more than four years:”
“No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time.”
Anyway, the interpreters who made the Constitutional provision equivocal would be the ones to benefit from the ambiguity. And, voila, the Comelec 2nd Division two days ago submitted themselves to such flawed interpretation Erap’s lawyers had argued.
However, statutory construction (in interpreting laws) will dictate that proceedings during the framing of the law must be considered for the unequivocal understanding of such law in question. The proceedings definitely belie the reasoning Ferrer et al made in their decision.
It may be said that Erap is banned for re-election for life (Here’s hoping that the present SC will rule as such based on the above reasoning.).
The trouble is he maintained before that he didn’t resign and only the SC then made his “constructive” resignation because of his “abandonment” of the throne. Thus, Erap wasn’t able to finish his term by virtue of SC’s (The Davide Court) decision in March 2001. He wasn’t able to make it past four years even (just to somehow equate it with the length of time a presidential successor will be banned for election to the same office).
Well, resigned or not is probably of no matter. It’s the fact that Erap didn’t complete his term.
In crafting the second sentence in Art. VII, Sec. 4, the framers’ intent is mainly to avoid a future president-for-life and they are certainly referring to an elected president who has completed his tenure of office (basically the Davide amendment as presented in the link above).
The framers didn’t discuss whether an elected president who wasn’t able to complete his tenure of 6-year-term of office must be banned for re-election or not. The Constitution therefore is silent on this matter and Fr. Bernas thinks it is an actual exception to the total ban for presidential re-election. By this reason, is Erap really banned for re-election?
Hmmm!
We should ask the Legislative Member, they are one who are making up all these Laws. Or, should I say how they are Plundering the whole system down to HELL.
Ding,
Winners in their personal wallets, losers in civic character, with a highly warped sense of patriotism.
The ego is gigantic, is it not, to shade, as an Ampatuan, any outcome as good because it is done at the initiative of that ego.
Joe
I hope these two divide the Masa vote so much that they both lose. Haha.
“While the wind is seemingly blowing behind Estrada’s back,…”
The wind is blowing in front of Villar’s face, heheh.
Curt Siodmak said “A man of conviction is often more to be desired than a man of experience.”
Among the top three, we could gather from the early campaign their personalities as regards corruption:
We know who is a man of conviction,
We know who is a man of experience, and
We know who is a man of experience PLUS conviction!
Both Con people are on the go to become President. The Filipinos
loved to be coned. Or they just dont have brains. Filipinos liked
to be victimized. VICTIM MENTALITY. They loved being poor. SCARCITY
MENTALITY.