The 2010 presidential elections are some 17 months away and barring any successful attempt by narrow-and-dark-agenda’ed entities to scuttle the polls, I am making an early ‘periscoping’ of possible tandems which will be at the starting gate.
The pairings:
Estrada-Binay
Escudero-Legarda
De Castro-Fernando
Villar-Lacson
Roxas – ???
You will note that it’s only for Senator Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party’s presumed standard bearer, for whom this writer sees no clear vice presidential running mate at this time.
Mine is admittedly an educated guess at best.
But I am basing my prediction on both the unmistakable ‘body language’ of the presumed pairings regardless of the hubris-tainted posturings of such ‘declared’ presidential wannabees like Makati’s Jejomar Binay and that presumptuous singer answering to the name Bayani Fernando.
Don’t get me wrong,
I think both jejomar Binay and Bayani Fernando are serious about running but you have to time-stamp their determination to only this pre-candidacy-filing stage.
Methinks these are mainly ‘negotiating postures’ that Binay and Fernando the two men could be staking.
In much the same way, pardoned plunderer, former president Erap, thinks the Court will not disqualify him or Senator Ping Lacson is assuming he can still muster funding support from the Filipino Chinese community and the wealthy kidnap-for-ransom victims whose lives he saved,
VP Noli De Castro is banking on his current strong popularity ratings to convince GMA to indeed anoint him while recently deposed Senate president Manny Villar, and Estrada, are the only independently wealthy wannabees who can fund their own runs.
Sen. Loren Legarda will have to settle for what Mr. Danding Cojuangco will decide for her and unless he makes a monumental mistake Sen. Chiz Escudero has the Cojuangco nod. Legarda’s quoted remark toiday that she’ll only run for the top spot is her own aspiration and no body elses’s
The missing ‘presidential timber’ in my list is Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro who remains undecided, or is playing coy, despite being courted by Malacanan. Mr. Taodoro likely knows he has time on his side and may opt to head the administration senatorial slate without severing his ties with the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
While the configurations can still be altered dramatically given likely deals which the various parties and wannabees will forge and the immense logistical challenge of waging a national presidential campaign..
It’s been estimated that a candidate will need at least PhP 2.5-B for his effort alone, apart from the bigger amounts needed to back a full senatorial slate at party level, along with the congressional and local elective posts.
Even Ali Baba and his 40 thieves would think twice about venturing into the Philippine electoral jungle without any hidden profit motivation.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Bayan: His Hitleresque posters can be found now even in the provinces. I think he is serious. But does he have enough resources to push through?
On Jojobama: I really don’t know.
Chiz: This UP High class of 1985 alum if elected would be the youngest prez ever and the third one my high school has produced as prez. Waitaminit, how old is Chiz? Is he at least 40? That’s what the constitution requires. I’m sure Chiz is a registered voter, can read or write, a natural born citizen and a resident of the Philippines in the past ten years.
BTW, if we have to amend the constitution let’s be sure that they put another qualification ” can do arithmetic” :-)
Loren: I think her time has passed. Why not hand over the crown to Jamby?
Ping: same thing with my Loren comment
Villar: can bankroll a campaign. It seems that BF would be a good pairoff with him
Noli: Has name recall but in our system, being a VP is a sort of kiss of death for a presidential ambition. This is unless one can engineer or take advantage of an unexpected situation like the one we all know did!
Gilbert Teodoro: Poor name recall but if we are in a war, he can be the one. But The One Who Wins the War in a Dramatic Fashion hardly if ever becomes prez. Think of Dugout Doug. Everyone thought he would clinch the Republican nomination. Eisenhower made a mark as first as a staff officer and he became president.
Chiz’s on line resume says he was born on October 10, 1969. This would make him 40 next year. Those thinking of fielding him in 2010 are apparently doing their numbers :)
It’s going to be between Villar and Noli for the Presidency.
Chiz is too young.
Roxas, like Chiz is also young and lost steam somewhat. Both of them (Chiz and Roxas) would be better VP candidates.
Not sounding to be a sexist, but I think after Gloria, Filipinos would not want another woman president, at least for the next one. Too bad for Loren.
Ding,
“VP Noli De Castro is banking on his current strong popularity ratings…”
Huh. What strong popularity ratings. The last time I checked, it was 30 plus percent.
Ok. Signficantly high compared with his boss GMA.
But not a big number comparted with Erap during his term as vice president. I think he reached the milestone of 60 percent.
I used to wotk with ??? Ferdie Ramos. We used to joke him that Vice Erap will be a sure presidential winner. Can we say that with Noli? 30+ percent against 60 percent. C’mon.
Dont kid yourself.
As Prof. Carlos says, it’s too early in the race to draw a list of tandem-wannabes come May 2010.
Chances are, not one of the suggested tandems will post in the chart. But in the level of pure possibilities, what isn’t possible anyway?
Just too early and I subscribe to Prof. Carlos’ view.
ding, if the 30% for noli is solid, he will be a sure winner. the remaining 70% will be split among 6 or 7 less popular wannabees, each probably getting less than 20%. that is the enigma of philippine presidential elections.
A Roxas-Lacson ticket seems acceptable to me. One takes care of the economy, the other, peace and order. Of all the names you listed, only the 2 have no corruption records, btw.
aw, come’n, for cryin out loud!
Prof. Carlos presumambly has her ears close to the ground but she doesn’t have the last word. As titled, this post is an attempt as ‘periscoping’. Read into it as you wish. :)
Ding:
If I may just reply quickly. Candidly, your post must have been mis-titled altogether since the word periscope or periscoping is entirely inappropriate.
In the tandem pairings you listed, tell me, what are otherwise blocked from view that you need your periscope for? Aren’t they naked enough to be seen by any average man in the street. Truth is, too common that no one even has to swim on shallow waters.
“mis-titled”? YOU Apparently don’t understand the term. Sad. You simply expertise beyond apparently trying to snipe. :) Merry Christmas, again. Walk the streets more often or better yet swim in deeper waters, dude.
No right thinking Filipino ever has to call anyone dude unless he wants to condescend.
I was telling it like it is – the term is inappropriate since placed in a periscope or not – it is there for all to see – who are running. They are in TV ads long before.
Merry X mas to all!
Be SMart! Watch and Listen! Review your candidate by viewing the full presidentiables forum shown at GMA’s Isang Tanong at
http://inthephilippines.net/2010-elections-presidential-forum-at-gmas-isang-tanong/
VOTE WISELY!