Leading presidential aspirant Noynoy Aquino has thrown the gauntlet and his closest rival, Manny Villar, has accepted it: mano-a-mano, a one-on-one presidential debate.
It was a masterful ploy by Aquino, hurling the debate challenge during the presidential forum hosted by foreign correspondents, the latest forum Villar has skipped.
So Villar’s handlers were forced to issue a statement on their boss’s behalf, employing the worn out condition for the debate not to turn into a mudslinging match.
Fair enough.
The Aquino-Villar debate harks back, in a way, to that first ever American presidential debate: the 1962 face-off between John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Richard Milhous Nixon that saw JFK capturing the imagination of US voters, projecting himself as physically more fit than Nixon and the man who was taking Americans to their Camelot.
Filipinos are surely not dreaming of Camelot.
They simply hope to find a new President with a genuine electoral mandate, one with a program of government that can help the Philippines shed its dubious monicker of being Asia’s sick man afflicted with the ailment akin to end stage cancer: CORRUPTION.
History records that up to 70 million American saw the televised three-part ‘Great’ Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960.
We are now a nation with a burgeoning population of 90 million.
With radio and television straddling are entire archipelago, the Aquino-Villar debate surely holds the promise of providing the defining phase of the May 10 elections.
Permit this writer to propound the suggested issues for the two candidates to address:
• National security as it relates to the insurgencies, and RP-US relations;
• Reproductive health;
• Social justice as it relates to agrarian reform;
• The state of public education and the academic skills of our youth compared with our neighbour countries;
• The business climate and foreign investments as these relate to the national patrimony; and
• The fight against corruption as it relates to the civil service and local governments.
The list can be longer.
My own hope is for both men to be able to speak to the issues with prevarication and give as a true sense that either of them can lead us out of the morass many believe we are sinking in.
Let the debate begin.
Postscript:
The other contenders are crying foul, saying Aquino,and Villar can’t jusr have the stage all to themselves.
Get real, guys.
Popularity: 1% [?]
I hope it’s really one on one and no one will be wanting to do a Ross Perot.
It’s simply a waste of time listening to JC de los Reyes or Gibo or Gordon.
i see the guy has to do something in desperation, including banging his head on the wall, to regain lost ground.
“masterful ploy”? my foot!
You stubbed yours, oh wise one?
Effort and preparation (Villar) will trump inherited advantages (Noynoy).
Perhaps you are correct, UPn.
Care to expound on Noynoy’s ‘inherited advantage’?
As the great columnist deQuiros had noted, Malacanang 2010 belongs to Noynoy by reasons of heritage/bloodline/inheritance. And Noynoy is Ateneo grad, too! Villar has work to do against those Noynoy advantages.
Agree.
‘The Aquino-Villar debate provides the defining phase of the May 10, 2010 elections’ – am I the only one who hears this myopic worldview from Ding G? A dingle is a narrow wooded valley and I wonder where I can even strike my ax.
That is grossly reductionist making it appear that the political tug of war had now been reduced just between one, Noynoy, and two, Manny. It mistakenly embraced the view that what the surveys tell us are Gospel truths when in fact, they have yet to be validated by specialists at leading universities.
How about Erap pitted against any of these rather dumb-sounding politicians?
My point is, we should always strike a balance. One very fundamental principle in statistics is that a survey must have given everyone a fair opportunity to be taken as a sample. The methods used in either SWS or Pulse Asia remain unvalidated. At best, they are probably not like AC Nielsen.
Exactly.
This is more of a grandstanding showing that they are the stars in this election. That they are the group that should be debating and worth hearing. I dare Aquino debate on the issues in general and show that he really represents his mother and father as how he associates himself. I dare Aquino that he challenges the Dick Gordon, Nick Perlas, Gibo, and really show what his survey results are based on.
NPA insurgency
Agrarian Reform
MILF
Morong 43
None of those candidates can even be likened to on Kennedy. Not worth being antagonized by evil secret societies like the CIA.
(rolls eyes)
What do you mean ‘validated by specialists at leading universities’?
The only way to do that is for them to carry out their own survey.
And why is it that this is the only place where people violently doubt scientific surveys? I don’t hear Brown or Obama saying surveys are wrong because it casts them in a bad light. Rather the question is “We are very low in the polls, what should we do?”
It’s math. It’s better than intuition.
Panoorin mo Primer. Who knows, maybe Bayani, you hero, may even be ‘invited’ to the debate.
Prime perhaps if you are drafted as debate moderate the balance can be struck. Care to?
Nice set of issues, but I think “reproductive health” is loaded with angst about abortion. I’d rather see them debate how population affects the economy. I see it rather as akin to the national debt, with over-birthing representing a future burden on economic opportunity. And abortion has absolutely nothing to do with it. Another reason to put it in an economic context, rather than a “right to life” context.
Joe
“Reproductive health” is so generic that Noynoy’s “parental responsibility” allows him to slither past the loaded questions. I suggest to ask about “unplanned pregnancies” — (i) from unprotected sex among teenagers, among 50-year old bachelors or younger; (ii) among marrieds who don’t have an idea how to space their children; (iii) illiterates who don’t know the science of where babies come from much less the science of IUD’s, condoms, the pill.
Mike H,
Yes, that would be a good question, “unplanned pregnancies”.
Joe
This debate will be very interesting for many. I am hoping that the people of this country can distinguish between an ineffective and unethical leadership, between the bland leader or the control freak, and between the underminer or the corrupt.
“…saying Aquino,and Villar can’t jusr have the stage all to themselves.”
There too are downsides to a one-on-one debate.
It could highlight the weaknesses of both leading contenders and swing votes to the dark horses.
Likewise, it could emphasize the weakness of the personae of one.
Phil, precisely.
In fact I am not assuming that the one-on-one, if it materializes, will result in Aquino or Villar ‘winning’ the face off.
If anyone cares to look at the issues, there is a mine for either to stop on.
Or both, Phil.
lol! as if this debate will amount to something tangible.
Ding,
The debate I want to see is where both candidates can confront each other on the issues hounding them.
No motherhood statements on “issues”. Both candidates’ stand on those issues have already been discussed in previous debates, campaign speeches, and platforms. I don’t want to see them plow those fields again.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Let both men put eash other’s feet to the fire. Let the public see which candidate possesses the character, integrity and suitability for the office. Let each man raise against the other the issues hounding them and let the public decide whether those issues are worthy as basis for evaluating which of them deserves our vote.
Sa madaling salita, police clearance muna bago natin pakinggan ang kanilang sales pitch.
Ayaw nung isa eh. Sinabi na niyang kung tungkol sa C5, di siya sisipot.
Siguro, he doesn’t require a police clearance from applicants to his companies as long as you have a mission-vison and powerpoint presentation.
You do wonder were the average FV commenter an HR director, would they hire someone without a police clearance? Really? Even the janitor needs a police clearance.
You need a police clearance to be hired as janitor or sales clerk.
For senior managers and above, your last name suffices. If you are not from the special list of family names, then a degree from a foreign university is what helps.
MikeH, the police is the people. Let us see if the police gives Villar the police clearance he’s seeking come election day. I can guess you will :).
“police clearance muna…” LOL
I agree with MB on this. Usisain din ang issue ng mga Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) a.k.a. titulo ng lupa with both sides.
i want this to happen.
and let it be an actual debate with responses and brief interpolation.
GabbyD,
Intense interpellation is what I want to see. I want to see only one man standing after the debate.
TAXES — ask about TAXES. Noynoy’s “no new taxes”, to me, is fairy-tale posturing. Villar has the more adult position — approve new taxes when needed to address the budget deficit problem.
Admittedly, cutting spending on irrigation or road maintenance, cutting spending for new schools or books, or reducing social-security and military-benefits are among what Noynoy can do to avoid new taxes.
New taxes can be avoided if the Philippines has a sovereign wealth fund. This fund is something that Mar Roxas can handle.
Even if government-Pilipinas can borrow from a Philippine SWF, the loan still has to be carried on the books as loans. Taxes still may need to be raised when loans as percent-GDP get very high.
The odds are against having a Philippine Sovereign Wealth Fund. SWF are typically created when governments have budgetary surpluses (like Kuwait or Saudi Arabia) and have little or no international debt. This is especially the case when a nation depends on raw material exports like oil, copper, diamonds phospate. Government pension funds (like that of Norway) can become a SWF (build up savings for future generations). A Philippine-SWF investing bulk of money on Philippine projects may not exactly be prudent.
One of the purposes of a sovereign wealth fund is to invest the money somewhere else other than the homeland. It’s like not putting your eggs in one basket. With revenue from the BIR and BOC stagnant another source of revenue should be explored.
In spite of all the hoopla re the Nixon-Kennedy debates it took Mayor Daley of Chicago and the Polish- American neighborhoods that stuffed ballots to put Kennedy over the edge.
Why all this romantic myths surrounding the presidency of JFK?
Since the Kennedy/Johnson years the Democrats have lost their way. JFK was more Republican and it was LBJ who proved to be more leftist than JFK.
How can you put these two guys here on the same level as the JFK/Nixon debates. That is utter nonsense.
J_AG,
The DEMOCRATS have lost the way? Ummm, pal, who ran up the deficit through unrestrained spending on two wars whilst funding it in the negative via tax cuts. It used to be that wars of principle relied on the draft and patriotism; now it is purchased with tax cuts. I thought you didn’t like debt?
And for the romantic myths surrounding JFK, I would only say you don’t know what you can’t know, and you obviously weren’t there. He was young, had charisma, and this youth and charm and intelligence, and the best of American vibrancy, were snuffed out. He faced down Khrushchev in Cuba, botched the Bay of Pigs, and asked us what we could do for our country. It was a life’s drama, not a dry story of democrats and republicans.
As you can’t know, maybe use your imagination . . .
Joe
Neither Noynoy nor Villar (nor any Pinas politician now or prior years) are JFK nor LBJ. Oh, wait, there is Cory and CARP that has shaped Pilipinas just as the JFK/LBJ’s Civil Rights Act 1964/1968 did.
Use your imagination, then shake your fist. Laban!!!
i can say, a mini-JFK-Nixon debate. Nixon and JFK are both eloquent and forceful speakers. by this time, Pinoys should learn to stop comparing themselves with our great white brothers. these are leaders of a big democracy and powerful nation on earth notwithstanding her present economic crisis, while the Philippines is a tiny-island nation which has nothing to be proud of except the ability of their leaders to rob their constituents.
jcc,
I agree entirely. I think the Philippines actually has a reasonable set of choices and the “process” is continuing to shake out the issues. It is never neat and clean.
Joe
I’m on the JFK side on the debate for his stance on the Vietnam War. He was the last president who didn’t really advocate for war and respected the sovereignity of other nations. Unlike today.
Which party passed a law authorizing the Federal government to pass a law to borrow from the social security trust fund instead of raising taxes to pay for war. Since LBJ and Carter which Democrat won two terms running on a Democratic platform. Clinton ran on a more left of center Republican platform.
Who lost the Kennedy seat in the U.S. Senate recently. In spite of a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President the U.S. government is floundering.
Oh by the way which two men pushed for the repeal of the Glass Steagal Act that serves as the China wall between investment banking and commercial banking that lies at the root of the present ongoing financial crisis. Bill Clintons own treasury Secretary Rubin assisted by Larry Summers.
Why is there a strong possibility that the Democrats will get killed in the coming mid term elections this November?
Why is there a strong possibility that Obama will be a one term president like Carter?
It was Kennedy’s bright boys that enlarged the war in Vietnam. Most ignorant Americans did not that America had placed nuclear missiles on Turkish soil and this was the quid pro quo that settled the crisis. The Russians responded with missiles in Cuba. Castro already had tactical nuclear missiles in Cuba under his command.
Why paint this John Wayne scenario about Kennedy.
J_AG,
I don’t know who is painting JFK as a John Wayne. I’m just telling you that the era was rich with drama, tension, style, youth, humor, democracy, danger (nuclear), and . . . in the end, death . . . and, afterward, the style of Jackie O, and the buffoonery of LBJ. What part of “poignancy” will you not allow others to keep? Or do you go around spitting on everyone’s grave?
As for the democrats and republicans, we can save that debate for another day, when we can get it down to a specific issue instead of generalized slander.
Joe
J_ag,
You read the post, but did you understand it?
No comparison is being drawn between the American an Filipino personalities bu rather the possible seminal import of the debate in the making.
Gets?
Ding:
Had both campaign teams listened to the demand for platforms – we will no longer be asking this questions – but rather dissecting the soundness of their propositions.
Spot on, Bong.
Exactly. Now were stuck with the degradation of the art of debate between two people who use “puroporma imbis na plataporma”.
Noynoy has a written platform. Villar has none.
also, villar denies the importance of having specific plans. very weird. instead, he campaigns on the fact that he’s rich, has been speakers of the house and senate i.e. his accomplishments. noynoy, has stated stuff in writing and in interviews so we know what he wants to do in certain areas.
We are looking forward to it.
We will llok foward it.
jcc,
Your assertion that “the Philippines is a tiny-island nation which has nothing to be proud of except the ability of their leaders to rob their constituents” is a bit much, methinks.
Look at your brown skin and restudy the heroism of Filipinos who fought and died shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers of YOUR adopted homeland.
it’s a rather ironic statement don’t you think coming from someone suspended by the SC for technical extortion?
naalala pa ba natin si harvey keh at ang kanyang patronising ‘why i’m not leaving the philippines ek-ek’ chain mail?
“moderators”:
thanks for censoring what i posted in reply to this. “excellent” job!
[Edited by Cocoy - Exactly WHAT was "censored"? I've approved every pending comment from you for the last few weeks regardless whether i thought they were brilliant or garbage. So unless you got more information on what was supposedly "Censored", start posting comments on the issues, and stop blaming moderators for comments that may or many not have been posted at all. WE have more important things to discuss about rather than your PETULANT remarks.]
cocoy, let me repost from memory what i wrote, addressed to “moderators” in answer to “thenashman”:
“why do you allow some commenters to shoot down the messenger when they don’t agree with the message? what has a poster’s personal legal problem got to do with his opinion on the issue in question?”
(fyi, it appears to me that the nashman was alluding to jcc re “technical extortion” over the latter’s opinion about the nixon-kennedy debate). regardless of its truth, i think the allusion was uncalled for, malicious and irrelevant to jcc’s point of view.
btw, why the devil are you “moderating” every comment that i make while, demonstrably, you are not doing it to many of us here?
[edit by cocoy - no i did not see this reach our pending, trash or spam folders.]
bencard,
what’s happening with you? let not our diverse political views detract us from polite civil discourse and from issues. as a gentleman i know you are, a broadside from cocoy describing you petulant seems surreal.
jcc, in all fairness to cocoy, it could have been that the deletion (censorship) was done by some other “moderator” (who obviously had the “power” to do so) without cocoy’s knowledge.
btw, if complaining about blatant censorship is being “petulant” (as your candidate was vis a vis tony lopez) then i say “mea culpa”, and not feel a bit diminished by it.
Nash,
Knowing how screwed up the judicial system is in the Philippines, I would take your observation as a credit to jcc.
Incidentally, one of the worst things about American politics are the “sound bite” criticisms thrown out for effect, with no intent that there be a constructive dialogue. Rather like your remark. Easy to toss out. Difficult to explain when the situation is more complex than the critic’s brain can appreciate.
Joe
joeam, bencard,
thanks… i am not really concerned of those broadsides and would not even care to respond to them. coming from a juvenile delinquent suffering from verbal diarrhea, i let them go by unaswered.
that i am an extortionist, coming from a corrupt court, is a conclusion not supported by facts and now i consider it an honor.
jesus christ, ninoy aquino, bonifacio, rizal, to mention just a few were all found guilty of the charges levelled against them during their time. some inmates from bilibid prison were professing innocence of the crimes imputed against them. what are the percentages of me being blameless and yet be found otherwise. to conclude that these percentges is zero, nada, zilch as Bert would put it, is to say that the SCORP is infallible and has a God-like wisdom. I am not ready to acccept this proposition.
ordinary mortal would have kept under wrap any findings “misconduct” against their person but i have written about it and put it in my blog. people are free to read only the conclusion of the SCORP, but its conclusion, as Bencard would love to put it, “would not diminished me any bit”.
ding,
the statement is period-specific. don’t bring in the forum the great sacrifices of our noble forefathers, of which i am proud of and that pride does not extend to the modern-day hoodlums and brigands that seem to proliferate in the political landscape. and if i have my doubts in the ability of our leaders to rise beyond petty partisan politics and personal quest for power and money it was because i have been an observer of it during marcos and thereafter that it has dwarfed whatever “greatness” we may have achieved in the past.
if you are proud of your brown skin, wallow in it in all its splendor but don’t begrudge others who may have some doubts about it.
Nah, I don’t begrudge you. I share your disgust with the leaders you advert too.
“wallow”? LOL.
jcc,
ahhh, nice rejoinder. You speak well when you have a burr under your saddle. Crisp, no equivocation. Too bad you have those Republican leanings . . .
heh
Joe
joeam,
thought for a while that burr is spelled BAR. Browning Automatic Rifle.
“Masterful ploy” —> LOL.
In any case, this debate is bound to be an entertaining one.
Noynoy – who isn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box, who can hardly think straight, keep still (God, such sloppiness!) and rattles off statistics and unfinished thoughts without blinking, without forming a coherent thought in his head, who complains that being called first to answer in a forum as ‘biased’ and unfair wants to square off with Villar, whose stock answers regardless of the question invariably include: mahirap ako, galing akong skwater, hindi ako sikat, walang masama kung yumaman ako dahil sa sipag at tiyaga. What kind of debate can we truly expect, with both parties dodging relevant issues: Noynoy and Luisita, his lack of competence for the biggest job in the land and Villar, whose amazing PR team has spun a whole different persona for him, an image carefully cultivated from the beginning of his career in the Senate.
Let;s make the debate a truly entertaining spectacle
Here are my suggestions:
1) Erap as moderator. He’s funny and he’ll have a riot needling Noynoy & Manny
2) Scorecards and Idol style judges
3) Noynoy and Manny can interpellate each other
(Noy: Anong masasabi mo sa C5? Umamin ka! Ang nanay at tatay ko…
Villar: Excuse me, gumawa ka muna ng batas bago ka magyabang diyan. Di porket mayaman ka at galing ako sa hirap, puwede mo kong apihin)
Seriously, the impact of this poor excuse of a debate is at best, a testament to the need for leaders to display some political maturity and stop turning the election into a popularity contest, for crying out loud.
I personally would love to see Gordon and Gibo square off – but this might turn off most people because they’re clearly the best debaters of the lot, and who wants to hear about boring issues by two great speakers when we can have a “let’s get down and dirty” political circus with Noynoy, the great joke that is our so-called ‘destiny’ as a people, and Villar, the greatest PR myth since Marcos’ bygone Maharlika and New Society mumbojumbo.
Cheers!
p.s. Ding, don’t expect too much from the two. Your suggested topics/issues are great, though. If you’re considering either of the two to be your next President, I implore you to think again.
You assume that I am rooting for either Aquino or Villar. No I’m not.
It is precisely the reason that the debate should take place.
Cheers.
UPN,
I’ve previously written about Noynoy and his tactics here, if you care to:
http://atmidfield.com/2009/10/22/political-vision-trapoism-and-necropolitics/
Wow ding, when will you approve my comment? – stunnedindisbelief
[Edited by Cocoy - I apologize if comments take FOREVER to get approved. some of us have day jobs that you know, give us bread and cheese. so, greatly appreciate it EVERYONE would be bloody patient and just wait for your comments to go through the system.]
In fairness to Villar, a look at the NP website will show a platform.
stunned, I don’t block comments on my post. The site moderators enforce house rules.
I do not moderate the comments on the post.
oh, really??? shame, shame, shame!!
How’s your foot?
May be this is a better adjective…
i·ras·ci·ble
/ɪˈræsəbəl/ Show Spelled[ih-ras-uh-buhl]–adjective
1.
easily provoked to anger; very irritable: an irascible old man.
2.
characterized or produced by anger: an irascible response.
Have a restful weekend, Atty. Ben. :)
Ding,
ahahahaha, nice word.
I wonder if women are ever irascible . . .
Joe
Hmmm…
BTW gents, lighten up on Coy, just today.
It’s the guy’s special day!!!
Long life, my wish for you bro!!!
sanabagan, we have the same birthday (not the year,of course).
Ey!!! Happy Birthday, Senyor!!!
Manong Bencard,
Happy belated Birthday and wishing the best!
@Cocoy
Belated to you.
Damn! Your not getting older, but more prominent.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my Manoy Bencard.
really? happy bday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COCOY!
This is my fifth attempt. Something is blocking comments to FV, I’m sure ’tis not the moderator because this just a birthday greeting. Been difficult since yesterday.
Cocoy is one year closer to becoming an irascible old coot.
Happy birthday, you impending geezer!
Joe
ben,
and to you, too,
although you are closer than geezerhood than cocoy . . .
Joe
joe,
i hope you are not irascible too.. but you seem to have a happy demeanor and have not outgrown your youthful addiction to “Home Alone” that you have utilized the “old man’s” photo as your handle.
bencad, cocoy, belated happy birthday… LOL!!
jcc,
The photo is my great grandfather in his later years. He was court martialed during the Civil War for failing to report for duty, as he did not really want to fight; after he got done with his six month’s of hard labor, he served in the cavalry with distinction, and lost an eye and two horses for the honor. He begot seven sons and one daughter, a lineage I spent the better part of two years tracing, as it is a unique family name, and unique family, rich with odd folk and peculiar goings on. I’m pleased to report I am one of the more normal ones.
Joe