Arroyo's kiss of death, now on Sen. Villar?

“And he (Teodoro) doesn’t believe that GMA (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) doesn’t know about this,” he added."

These were the words of an administration party senatorial candidate (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) when asked about, their Presidential candidate, Gilbert 'Gibo' Teodoro's resignation as Chairman of the ruling party.

The cat is out of the bag and the president of the country, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, might as well admit who she is voting for in the coming Philippine elections. She will be hard-pressed not to admit this and we will see a lot of candidate falling out of the said party and we could see its demise in the very near future. Then again, I see the following drama taking place:

1. This could be the grand scheme to confuse the electorate and make them vote for Gibo. People love Gibo but her ties with the Arroyos is hurting his chances. That would bring in a lot of votes from Noynoy, Gordon, and even on Erap's camps. It's a risk but if he wins because of this, the Arroyos will still be part of the administration. It's win-win move with a risk.

2. Sen. Villar will see his numbers tumble because it was said before that the Arroyos endorsement is like the kiss of death and I know he doesn't like this. What will happen if his numbers go down (check number 1)

3. No one will vote for either Sen. Villar or Sec. Teodoro thus giving Sen. Aquino a definitive win that will still be under an Arroyo influence because much of her co-horts are now part of the Liberal Party, which is Sen. Aquino's party and/or she could be the biggest headache the next president would have if she doesn't get her way once she gets elected as congresswoman of the House of Representatives.

Either way, we'll see a huge drama unfolding right before the elections.


(Acknowledgement: Photo courtesy of filipinotimes.wordpress.com)

Lakas-Kampi-CMD: The boat is sinking...

The recent resignation of Lakas-Kampi-CMD Chairman, Gilbert Teodoro, has sent ripples of uncertainty in the ruling party of incumbent president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Party Secretary General, Propsero Nograles expressed disbelief, "Gilbert Teodoro’s resignation is a shock to me and (came) without any consultation from us, the previous leaders of the party,” he said in a text message.

Former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro remained as the administration's bet in the presidential race. However, the buzz now is that, this is the advent of his exit and perhaps withdrawal from the presidential race. We can only guess why and this is my attempt to analyze the current situation. First, he's lagging in the surveys - fourth place in a field of seven candidates. Though less than 20% believe in surveys in this country, you can't ignore the fact that we're a little more than a month away from the elections. If you consistently get six percent in the surveys - that's not a good sign of his 'winnability.'

Second, the administration has been getting a lot of flak recently with the so-called "midnight appointments" that goes against an explicit provision in the constitution not to appoint during elections.

Third, there's this rumor going around that President Arroyo is secretly endorsing another candidate - Nationalista Party's candidate and former Senate President, Sen. Manny Villar. Spate of defections have been happening recently and no less than the close allies of the president are now siding with Sen. Villar.

Lastly, his resignation as Chairman of the party along with the party's president, a secretary general, and a deputy secretary general very recently.

With all the problems plaguing the party plus the deep hatred majority of the electorate has for the current government - it would only be days or weeks from now before we actually see the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party implode. This reminds me of a popular parlor game, "Boat is sinking." You can just hear the party host saying, "The boat is sinking! Group yourselves into..." And if the party sinks, you will see its members scrambling for survival in this game called politics.

Newsprint Media: Playing gods for candidates?

Metro Manila-based newspapers published the latest Pulse Asia survey results yesterday (March 6, 2010). Presidential aspirant Sen. Aquino III regained the lead over Sen. Villar who led the survey after a fierce advertising campaign fight late January. However, notice how some tabloids spin the story to benefit one candidate over the other. So instantly, you can question the credibility of such news media outlets.

Now, can you blame other candidates who cry foul over media bias? Here are other questions I have: Guess who benefits from this story? Yep. Guess who buys tabloids more? U-huh. Guess what social class comprise the bigger electorate? Now, guess who's being played on? Shame.

Villar pours pork barrel money to his real estate project

If this is true then what more can we say about public funds being allocated to his other personal interests when he becomes president? Nationalista Party Presidential candidate admitted to pouring public funds to his real estate projects in Iloilo. This is according to the article published only by the Daily Tribune (You wonder where the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, or Manila Bulletin is in this coverage).

I remember Villar saying in his political ad that if all he wants is to be rich then he would rather go back to doing business. As if to say that he would rather do public service but knowing how money from our tax goes to the pockets of politicians then I wouldn't be surprised if the good senator is double speaking. He gives us this thought that he would not enrich himself through the president's office but given how he spends our tax money for his benefit - into his Camella Homes properties - how much more can he do that when he has vast power to hide what we shouldn't know?

I fear the day that he becomes president because as a businessman - he can weave his power and put everything (judicial, military, and legislative) under his "business" command.

Why Manny Villar?

When I think of Sen. Villar of today, I think of gimmicks, money, strategies, ads, artist endorsements, dolphy, OFW - but a leader should be more than coming up with strategies. What he is not - above reproach, transparent, clear. He reminds me of this current administration, which I used to support.

His Advertising and PR agencies have done and is doing a remarkable job. They did their homework - but for what price? To become more likable? To become more like 'artista?' For Sen. Villar - he only makes me ask more questions than answers and it's really sad and all these artistas and gimmicks are there to bury the issue.

Trust is earned not through ads. His ads, his jingles, his recorded messages, and pasted smiles can't make me believe that he's GENUINELY doing things to help the poor, the economy, this country.

The only power I see when he gets elected are the power of frustration from those dissatisfied voters who gave their trust in May 10.

Can I really trust him? If there's doubt then he cannot have my vote. It's that simple.


Acknowledgement: Thanks to this site for the image of Manny Villar's photo.

Noynoy for President? Why?

What can Noynoy achieve if he wins the elections in 2010? People will swear that he could do a lot but I am tired of seeing a politician who can't decide for the nation. The presidency is the highest position in the land but we treat it like it's just a supervisory position that submits itself to various heads of other departments.

The president of the Philippines, once elected, will be given one six-year term. The president's job is to make a decision that will be good for the country in the long run. He should listen on both sides and should be wise enough to provide the answers needed by his constituents. In those number of years he will sit down as the leader of the country, he will face numerous challenges left and right. He will be swift, he must be fast, wise, and decisive. He should - above all - be God-fearing so that in making decisions he will not please anyone but the one who created him. He will represent the country and provide the kind of leadership that will inspire even the strongest of citizens in his land. He will have to endure 2,190 days of work that will give hope to those who feel they have nothing to contribute in this world. This president will not give in to one-sided arguments and will resist connections in favor of the smallest individual living in the country. This president should be a visionary who can see 3,000 or more days ahead of him. This president should not look favorably on businesses that will only be after its own merits.

Who is this president? Is this Noynoy?

Did you notice the number of politicians that started aligning themselves with Noynoy? Can he thwart these kinds of politicians if he wins the elections? Can he tell them go back where you came from and prove yourselves worthy of being a servant leader?

What has Noynoy accomplished during his term as senator? If you look at this resume, there's not a single piece of legislation that says he was able to accomplish. What will he do when he sits down as president? Will he let his stalwarts in the Liberal Party run the country? Get decisions from various advisers from his party and other coalition he will form?

I respect Corazon Aquino and the freedom and honesty she espoused but to let him rein in the decision-making of the country seems like an unwise choice.

What is his platform of governance? His website does not even say what he plans to do when he becomes president. It's so poor that his ABOUT NOYNOY mirrors what was published in the senate page. His website is full of "join this" and "join that" and asking for volunteers.

His campaign is forgetting that those who are joining his bandwagon is also asking what he can impart. Yes, we want to change GMA's government now but to change this administration with another administration that will be run by different characters (Kris Aquino - heaven forbids!) then how is Noynoy different from the late Tita Cory? She sat as a titular figure that changed our country from bad to good but she didn't really rule. Somebody else did. She was abused and I do not like another term of six years where it will just be status quo.

The presidency is not the place to mature as leaders. The presidency is a place for mature leaders.

Why not Noynoy? Why not?


Acknowledgement: Thanks to beed2halalan2010 for Noynoy's picture.

Jell Transport defies suspension; LTFRB, PNP, MMDA inutile?

LTFRB, PNP, MMDA - You're all Red Flagged for not completely securing the safety of commuters and motorists. Why?

Jell Transport continues to ply EDSA even after the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) suspended it's license to operate due to a mishap that took place last August 10. The bus ran over a mother and her 3-year-old daughter. That accident took the LTFRB to suspend Jell Tranport's license to operate while the LTFRB along with the Quezon City police investigate the case further.

It is frustrating that our law enforcers cannot even stop law breakers and violators. The video below shows these buses plying on a Sunday (August 16). What becomes of our laws? Is Jell Transport getting protection from someone in the government or someone in the law enforcement agencies that are supposed to enforce such laws? What happens to the security of commuters and those who ply EDSA? What if Jell Transport causes another accident? Why is Jell Transport allowed to defy the ban imposed by LTFRB? Why isn't the MMDA accosting these lawbreakers? Why isn't the PNP helping impose the ban? Will Jell Transport be given a harsher treatment because of this? Can we see the cancellation of Jell Transport's franchise?

The latest news says that the LTFRB raided Jell Transport's terminals. The agency, according to the article, took the license plates of the buses so it could not properly move on EDSA. But I wonder why the video I took below shows two buses having their plate numbers still on last August 16.

Video below shows Jell Transport plying EDSA-Mandaluyong, driving towards Makati; Second video shows Jell Transport plying EDSA-Mandaluyong, this time heading towards Quezon City. All happened minutes apart.