Moms Know Best

Here is the Daily Manila Standard article, today is from my constant favorite, Jojo Robles.

Moms and Politicians

My mother turned 80 this month. And if I lose my mind and decide to run for office, I cannot promise that I will not to ask her to vouch for my fitness as a candidate.

At the very least, I think I can always rely on my own mother to defend me to people outside the family, no matter what. And I don’t even have to be Jason Ivler to know that to be true.

Still, Mother’s Day has come early to the campaign, after Manny Villar allowed his 86-year-old mother Aling Curing, formerly of the Divisoria Market’s fish section, to go before television cameras in his defense. The deployment of the former shrimp vendor in the campaign was roundly (and ironically) criticized by another candidate, Joseph Estrada, who used to be no slouch in the mom-using department himself when his own mother Doña Mary Ejercito was still alive.

It’s certainly a good thing that the candidate with the most famous mother in the current field was quiet about the matter, given his own exploitation of his parentage, even in death. Front-running bet Noynoy Aquino, after all, cannot speak for five minutes without referencing his politically sainted mother—almost always in the same breath that he mentions his equally venerated father.

Erap says he shielded his mother from bad news about his son, especially during the impeachment proceedings against him that led to his ouster and incarceration nearly a decade ago. But that did not stop him, once detained on plunder charges, from asking the Sandiganbayan to leave his cell to be by the side of his ailing mom on a regular basis.

“I have to get out of here to be with my sick mom,” Erap routinely pleaded the court hearing his case of plundering the public coffers. And he would return to jail a couple of days after, looking like he did more than just visit the terminally ill.

Doña Mary died last year at the age of 103. By that time, Erap was already long out of jail and was already making noises about running again for the presidency that he insists was grabbed from him by the Evil Society.

Assuming his mother was still alive, it’s quite possible that Estrada would still have shielded her from the bad news that he may never win his old post back again. But at least he won’t be invoking her name anymore in order to get out of detention.

All this talk about mothers reminds me of an oft-quoted line about Aquino, by the way. Many of the Yellow candidate’s supporters seem to take it as gospel that Noynoy will not steal, as he has repeatedly promised, because that would be an affront to his dearly departed mom and dad.

The way I see it, you don’t have to be born to Ninoy and Cory Aquino to disgrace your parents by stealing. And would that mean that people born to less illustrious parents are more likely to steal, simply because they came from people who are not nationally famous?

On the other hand, having been born to “good stock” has never been a guarantee that someone will not steal, especially once appointed to government. Unfortunately for the Noynoy fans, there is simply no way to tell that their candidate will not dip his hands in the public till, as well, simply because he is the son of Ninoy and Cory, if he becomes president.

Having said that, the farmers in Hacienda Luisita are already of the opinion that Noynoy and his forebears have been stealing from them for more than half a century. That’s because, since the Cojuangco family acquired the vast sugar-growing estate in the fifties using government funds, they have not delivered on their promise to distribute the plantation to the tillers there—which was a condition for the government loans that the family secured to buy the land in the first place.

All things considered, I think psychologists will not find an ounce of evidence to support Noynoy’s claim that he is genetically unpredisposed to thievery because of his supposedly unsullied parentage. Even all the Jesuit psychologists of Ateneo will be hard-pressed to back up that claim.

If anything, I’d wager that those born well are more prone to theft, especially if they have fallen on hard times and need to maintain the lifestyles that they’ve grown accustomed to. Assuming that the poor are more susceptible to crime simply because they do not have reputations to lose is not only elitist, but also unsupported by fact—and an insult to the millions of poor but morally upright parents who strive to bring up their children well.

But going back to Erap, it’s safe to say that Doña Mary was an upright woman who would never have allowed any of her children to steal. And yet a court of law has found her famous son guilty of plundering the country—no wonder he kept the news from his mom.

The fact is, while all politicians promise not to steal, once elected, they start doing just that. And it doesn’t matter who they’re born to.

Just don’t tell that to their moms, of course.

* * *

Sometimes, the reason an Internet fan page doesn’t get any new fans is because there aren’t any. But don’t tell this to the Aquino campaign.

The Noynoy camp is on the warpath once again, this time over the alleged hacking of his Internet Web site, which tracks supporters through the popular online social networking phenomenon called Facebook. The Aquino campaign says hackers in the employ of his rivals have caused his fan page to lose about 16,000 fans so far, possibly because they hacked into the candidate’s Facebook account.

Correct me if I’m wrong, Mr. Chin Wong, but why should it matter to anyone if people are being prevented from registering as the candidate’s supporters on Facebook, either intentionally or not? Unless the coming automated voting now also allows the denizens of Farmville and Mafia Wars to vote from their computers, the number of people who sign up as Noynoy fans through the Internet shouldn’t even be worth mentioning outside of the Yellow headquarters.

Understand, I get where these people are coming from: Not content with leading the survey wars, the Yellow horde also wants to make sure it wins the Battle for Facebook, as well. Or, relatedly, they are now foisting upon us a scenario of high-tech cheating, possibly as a dry run for the counting of the actual May 10 vote.

Aquino and his camp, after all, have repeatedly said that if the Liberal bet loses the election, he will have been cheated. Not only that, they repeatedly warn of a new “people power” uprising if their candidate is not declared the winner in the polls next month.

That’s why any dip in the number of people who sign up as Noynoy’s Facebook fans will always be construed by his camp as an attempt to rob him of his “mandate.” If he’s being cheated on Facebook, he will be cheated elsewhere, is how this twisted logic goes.

After all, what are the people already named to the new Aquino Cabinet going to do with their already-ordered formal wear if Noynoy doesn’t get to Malacañang? I’m not really sure, but I’ve heard that some of them will go back to tending their virtual farms and shooting virtual gangsters on, yes, Facebook.

Emil Jurado nails the Dagger in the clutch

This Article of Emil Jurado says it ALL about the Yellow Leader:

Why I Won't for Noy

If we were watching a basketball game, we would now be in the last two minutes. The May 10 elections is only less than two weeks away, and anything can still happen.

Despite what the poll surveys say, I still believe that it is a four-cornered fight among Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno Aquino III, Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar, former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino and even administration candidate former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.

I have been a journalist for over half a century and I have covered elections since as early as the Laurel-Quirino fight. I know for a fact that there are so many imponderable factors in Philippine elections.

These imponderable factors are vote buying (especially in the provinces), cheating in spite of an automated election, command votes, violence, failure of the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines, disenfranchisement of voters, power outages and even the weather. Hence, I would prefer not to predict a winner at this point.

Santa Banana, despite avowals by the Commission on Elections and sectors guarding our ballots, and while I’m hoping for the best, I also know for a fact that old habits die hard. We should also not forget the Golden Rule in Philippine elections—he who has the gold rules!

* * *

The only thing I’m sure of is that I will not vote for Aquino. I’ve cited my reasons so many times before. I will say them again.

First and foremost are perceptions (or rumors) that Noynoy is mentally unstable, having been autistic at an earlier age. He has repeatedly refused to undergo a psychiatric exam if only to prove his critics wrong.

And then, at the age of 26, he reportedly violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by putting up a security agency (bearing his initials, BSA) with his uncle-in-law Len Oreta. The company cornered contracts with sequestered companies during the incumbency of his late mother President Cory Aquino. If this is not conflict of interest, I don’t know what is.

My gulay, Noynoy even had the gall to list the presidential residence on Arlegui Street as the company’s official address!

And then there are the Hacienca Luisita massacres and the Kamaganak Inc. I was among the latter’s victims. I was co-founder of Erectors Inc. (with the late Transportation Minister Totoy Dans). My investment of P200,000 disappeared into thin air.

The same group which comprised Noynoy’s security agency reportedly grabbed an insurance company owned by a Chinese-Filipino who was accused by the Marcos dictators of something. The group then went on to corner, together with the Government Service Insurance System, all insurance contracts of government firms.

Santa Banana, some people really laughed all the way to the bank. The big scam at the time was the GSIS’ striking an insurance deal with Lloyds of London. Can you imagine the kickbacks that some people must have had?

This is why I can’t stomach voting for the son of Ninoy and Cory.

* * *

The only thing that’s getting clear to me is the race for the vice presidency with Senator Mar Roxas surging ahead of rival Loren Legarda, although this doesn’t guarantee Mar’s victory yet.

I have always believed that Mar should not have given way to Noynoy. Roxas’ advocacies and programs of government are clearer than Aquino’s.

Sadly, the Yellow Fanatics and everybody else around Noynoy believes that he is the better candidate. They were overwhelmed by the outpouring of grief and support upon Cory’s death.

Filipinos are truly sentimental, sometimes letting their emotions cloud good judgment. Unfortunately, that sentimentalism is still showing in poll surveys. This is why Noynoy is still leading.

As for Loren, I’m not giving up on her, either, because of her advocacy for the environment. I also cannot believe that Loren has lost her constituency that made her No. 1 senator during the 2001 and 2007 senatorial elections.

* * *

As I’ve said so many times before, all elections are local. People in the provinces, and even in many areas of the National Capital region, don’t really care who will make it as president, vice president and even senators.

This is why national candidates rely on local politicians to carry them.

I have to say it, but the Philippines is still very much a feudalistic state. People in the provinces rely much on local leaders to provide food on the table, livelihood, education and health care.

That’s why the campaign line of local candidates is: “If you are in trouble and you go to me for help, I also want your help to vote for somebody I am endorsing.”

And that means money for local politicians. In fact, the rivalry is so heated in some areas that there is bloodshed. To local politicians, funding is survival —it spells the difference between victory and defeat.

My gulay, why do you think movie icon Fernando Poe Jr. lost? The usual talk is that he was cheated but in reality, his funding dried up!

* * *

Commission on Elections Chairman Jose Melo should not be pressured by business sectors identified with the Yellow Brigade of Noynoy and other segments of society to have a manual count of the May 10 polls.

If Melo and his fellow commissioners relent and submit to this pressure, they in effect would be admitting that automation will not work, and that would be a reflection on the credibility and integrity of the Comelec after it paid P7.1 billion to Smartmatic to give us an automated election.

The only reason I see why Noynoy’s fanatics are insisting on manual count and audit is that they don’t trust Comelec to give us a credible election.

They are also trying to make a connection between the possible results of the automated count and what happened in the 1986 snap elections. This was one of the triggers of the Edsa Revolution.

* * *

For the May 10 polls, it will be difficult to contemplate the mechanics of a parallel independent count and a manual audit of results. Such move will open the floodgates of results that can be different from the automated count. And right there and then, a candidate can claim he was cheated. In this case, it could be Noynoy, who now thinks he is a sure winner.

Obviously, some of the faces around Noynoy who are salivating for a return to power are dreaming of a repeat of the walkout of the Comelec computer people during the vote counting in 1986. And for a People Power Revolution. Santa Banana, Noynoy is truly his mother’s son!

* * *

In the 1986 snap elections, all that was needed to put to question the entire electoral process was the walkout of 30 Comelec computer technicians to protest the manipulation of the official results to favor Marcos. It was a tipping point. That walkout was re-enacted at the Batasan Pambansa when 50 members of the Parliament then also walked out after Comelec proclaimed Marcos the winner.

It was at this point that then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then PC/INP chief Fidel Ramos broke away from the Marcos regime and led a mutiny leading to the ouster of the dictator. The rest, as they say, is history.

Recall that Noynoy talked of revolt following a failure of elections, leading to non-proclamation. Could this actually be “Plan B” for his victory?

Why the U.S. and China want NOY

Here is today's MS fix from the respectable Jojo Robles, it is a two-part article regarding the world's chosen presidential candidate of the Philippines... But most importantly, read on WHY:

The 'foreign' Candidate (1)

Because the presidential campaign seems to have degenerated almost permanently into a mudslinging contest, it’s hard to discern the positions of the candidates on various issues—assuming that they even remember them at this point. But some people, bless their non-showbiz souls, still hanker for more than discussions on the state of Noynoy Aquino’s mental health, say, or the financial health of Manny Villar when he still lived in Tondo.

It recently occurred to me that there has never been a real debate on foreign policy in the current campaign, for instance. While foreign policy, especially as it concerns the superpowers and our immediate neighbors, was once viewed as an important plank in any presidential candidate’s platform, any serious discussion about our relations with other countries has been drowned out by stuff like survey ratings and other political noises that used to be mere tangential concerns.

When we do hear about other countries these days, it’s often in the context of sending Filipinos to work there, which is really a discussion of labor policy, not foreign policy. While Filipinos in general have never really shown an interest in—or even a true aptitude for—geopolitical concerns, it’s fair to expect our candidates to at least talk about them once in a while even when they do not impact on the labor market.

So, I paid a visit to my favorite foreign-policy source, who has since retired from a lifelong academic and career involvement in foreign policy, even if he still advises key local players in government and business on the intricacies of geopolitics. Because he no longer has an official position (and because of his all-important and lucrative post-retirement consultancies), he now refuses to be identified—even if he will willingly discuss the lack of debate on what he calls “disturbing” foreign policy implications of the coming elections.

The first question I asked was, who is the American candidate in the coming elections? “Noynoy Aquino,” he replied. “And Noynoy is also the likely candidate of the other superpower, China.”

“In the end, both China and the US may well come to the conclusion that dealing with Noynoy is a better option than dealing with Manny, not because Noynoy is better but that he might be more pliable and susceptible to pressure and manipulation than Manny. If I read these countries probable interests in our country reasonably accurately, this conclusion seems rather appropriate,” he explained.

My source says the funding sources of both the Villar and the Aquino campaigns provide clues as to why both world powers would much rather support Noynoy instead of Manny, as well. “Does it not bother you that Noynoy seems to be spending as much as Manny? The question is, where did the money come from considering that everybody was saying there was little money to fund Noynoy’s campaign?” he asked.

But won’t others argue that because the popularity of Noynoy is attracting “smart” money to his campaign, all of it local? “To some extent, this is probably true. The whole point of campaign contributions is to be able to ensure access, so some local businessmen contribute to likely winners or else play safe by giving to two or three candidates if the survey numbers are close,” he said.

“On the other hand, considering that Manny financed his campaign virtually single-handedly, together with the fact that he might win this election, the whole question of being able to gain access becomes a questionable objective to some extent,” he added. “Obviously, the value of large contributions becomes questionable because Manny has in effect declared he does not want to be so beholden that his judgment while in office might be compromised.

“This is not to say that Manny will not accept contributions, but only that no one will own him so much that Manny will feel too beholden. But the issues in this election are not strictly local and such a posture of self-sufficiency would make even non-local interests concerned about his possible victory,” he explained. “And that means both the US and China.”

The 'foreign' Candidate (2)

Perhaps it’s true, as my source said, that Washington has found the supposed tractability of Noynoy Aquino appealing. Aquino, who can’t even speak publicly without reading from a page, will definitely be an easier Philippine president to deal with than someone else who may object to the imposition of American policy as it is dictated by whoever is chosen to be the White House’s messenger to Malacañang in a Noynoy administration.

If pet programs of the US do come to fruition under a new Aquino dispensation—like the revival of the jettisoned autonomous Bangsa Moro Juridical Entity and a permanent American military presence in geopolitically strategic Mindanao—we’ll know Noynoy is the new “Amboy.” But what about China, our northern neighbor, which presumably also likes Noynoy’s susceptibility to influence, given his lack of experience and his near-absolute dependence on his advisers?

How will Beijing try to influence Noynoy, and how is support from the mainland being funneled to him? To answer these questions, my source said he wanted to explain how Noynoy became the Chinese candidate, to begin with.

“You may call the Chinese decision to influence Noynoy an ethnic choice,” he said. “That’s because the other major candidate, Manny Villar, is about as Filipino as Filipino can be. Villar’s origins are undeniably indigenous and unfortunately for the Chinese or even the Americans, he succeeded in a business that does not rely on Chinese or American connections, so Manny is not beholden to either one or the other.

“Noynoy, on the other hand, traces his roots to the mainland [the Cojuangco side] and his mother made it very clear that her family has Chinese roots when she was president. You may have heard that Beijing is not really concerned with where an ethnic Chinese got his passport because to them, ‘Once a Chinese, always a Chinese, regardless of the number of generations [away from China].’

“China’s conduct of foreign policy acknowledges little principle other than loyalty to China and China’s self-interest, which is nothing new, save for the fact that China operates quietly and without ostentation. They are prepared to accommodate the corrupt demands of national leaders in the pursuit of large infrastructure projects, be it here, in South Asia, Africa and even Eastern Europe, this consideration being to them simply a fact of international life, a reality to be faced.

“China assiduously courts the African nations, the Eastern Europeans, the South Asian and Southeast Asian nations and South America with varying degrees of intensity based on how China sees her short- and long-term interests in the region; this, to ensure access to markets as well as to expand her influence in these nations. Her financial terms [for loans] are certainly far more generous than any other nation’s.

“The Chinese see these activities as a necessity to gaining favorable access to these nations in an effort to extend or deepen her suzerainty in the countries and regions she considers vital to her interests as part of China’s efforts to broaden her influence in world affairs. China is clearly seeking the full status of a major superpower which she is, if not in the same mold as the US or the former Soviet Union, then at least on par with them,” he added.

As to how Beijing’s support of Noynoy is manifested, my source was also clear. “The Chinese will likely not make direct contributions to Noynoy,” he explained. “The help extended is probably given through ‘influenced’ organizations and individuals. The likely sources of at least some of Noynoy’s campaign funds are the Filipino-Chinese organizations through their members, or big-time Filipino-Chinese businessmen with large investments in the mainland.”

Given the early talk about the Aquino campaign’s lack of resources, the reality that the Yellow camp is spending as least as much as Villar is and the Liberal candidate’s steadfast refusal to identify contributors to his war chest, my source believes that the Chinese funding may have already arrived. “Maybe all the talk of Noynoy’s campaign being short of funds was just a ploy to counter Manny’s campaign resources or at least the perception thereof, to make Noynoy seem like an underdog,” he said.

“Or else the foreign interests were watching [early] developments carefully and have only made their decision [to contribute] over the last few days, where we have seen rather dramatic developments and the escalation of dirty tricks and propaganda preying on fear and painting the opponent as an absolute disaster for the nation,” he added. “It’s telling that Noynoy recently announced that he has lately been turning down offers for help, especially if he is unsure of the motives of the contributor.”

* * *

The picture of a President Noynoy held hostage by either (or both) American and Chinese interests is not a pretty one. But it jibes with the portrait painted by his critics of an unprepared, inexperienced and ultimately clueless presidency that will be pulled this way and that by whichever interest has the presidential ear at the moment.

Unlike Ferdinand Marcos, who masterfully (at least for a time) played the China card when the Americans started breathing down too hard on his neck, we cannot reasonably expect Noynoy to stand his ground in the continuing geopolitical chess game between the two superpowers. And it’s quite possible that Washington will step into the picture once again if Aquino gets too cozy with the people who run the country where he traces his ethnic roots—just like they did when Washington helped install Cory Aquino in 1986 and when American “persuasion flights” fought back attempts to unseat her through those endless coup attempts during her administration.

What we can expect is a President Noynoy who may be paralyzed not only by his many competing advisers’ interests at home but also by the fear of incurring the ire of the big geopolitical dogs abroad. The same big dogs that will probably move to remove him—for corruption, insanity or whatever reason they may dream up—if he doesn’t follow their orders.

The last president who though he considered himself independent and who had an overwhelming and secure mandate from the people, after all, was Joseph Estrada. And we know what happened to him—sent to jail less than halfway into his six-year term.

Certainly, the current mudslinging that informs our presidential campaign is entertaining. But it would improve the quality of what passes these days for “issues” and “platforms” to look into how the candidates would tackle foreign relations, Philippine sovereignty and other matters that are swept aside by the noise of tabloid-oriented campaigning.

At the very least, we need to know who funds our candidates—especially those who claim that they will not steal. Perhaps they can make that claim because they’ve already received a lot of money, just by running a campaign that looks like it could win.

Tony Lopez speaks!

I know I have been raving about Manila Standard articles recently, particularly by the editorial columnists Emil Jurado and Jojo Robles.

Today's post however, comes from a man named Tony Lopez, publisher-editor of BizNewsAsia weekly newsmagazine and six-time president of the Manila Overseas Press Club or MOPC, founding member of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, and a long-time member of the National Press Club.

MANNY VILLAR CAN DO IT

Manila Times

Tony Lopez

April 20, 2010

For the first time, a certifiable tycoon is running for president, Senator Manuel Bamba Villar Jr.

Villar’s listed property holding company, Vista Land and Life-scapes, is worth P17.25 billion. He owns about 70 percent of that, or P12 billion.

Financing his own presidential campaign, the senator is his own vested interest. He is not beholden to various business vested interests and lords of all kinds—political lords, warlords or drug lords.

Among the nine presidential candidates, Villar is the only one with the track record and experience to fulfill what he vows to do. “What my opponents have been promising, I have done it,” he says without a touch of hyperbole. “Who can run this country better?” he asks his rapturous audience.

As for Noynoy Aquino, well, he has Time magazine and the description by the prestigious The Economist—“nondescript senator.” Time itself, despite a brave effort to portray him as the savior of the Philippines , concedes Aquino’s is an “a undistinguished political career.”

Villar in the late 1990s built a billion-dollar enterprise with only P10,000 in start-up money. He has built more houses—250,000 units by his own count—than any other developer. He has planted more trees—one million, by his own count—than any other environmentalist and green do-gooder. And in the sense that housing stimulates no less than 18 other industries, he has triggered more economic stimulus than any other CEO, in government or in private business.

Villar is the only prospective Chief Executive since the War to have been both speaker of the House of Representatives and president of the Senate. As speaker, the House received its highest approval rating. As Senate president, the Upper Chamber got its highest approval rating. That’s leadership.

“I am offering to our people my experience as speaker of the House, my experience as Senate president,” Villar told a group of businessmen, Filipino and Chinese, in Greenhills recently.

“I also want to share with you what none of them [the other presidential candidates] can offer,” he deadpanned, “my business experience.” “I know exactly what we, businessmen, want. I am offering you the excitement of living in a country with a very vibrant economy.”

“I make no guarantees,” he cautioned, “but I can tell you, I know how to do it.” “I have done many things in my life that a lot of people know could not be done.” “Gentlemen, ladies, I can do it,” he thundered. The crowd responded with a loud applause.

After his brief speech, Villar fluttered table-to-table, glad-handing and pumping hands. He sat down at the table reserved by juice and airline tycoon Alfred Yao and engaged the businessmen in can-do talk. They included the PCCI’s top brass Mike Varela, Donald Dee, Jun Ortiz Luis, Ed Lacson and Jess Varela. They seem to like Villar earnestly. Then he took his dinner at the table reserved by the Zamora brothers, congressman Ronaldo and businessman Manuel and property magnate Toti Cariño.

“Villar has a broad experience in getting things done,” says Ronnie Zamora. “He has achieved very difficult things.” “Compare him to Noynoy [Aquino, the Liberal Party frontrunner] . When you see him work or not work, you see that he [Aquino] cannot hack it,” the veteran legislator sneers. Ronnie and Noynoy were together in Congress.

“He has the strong will to do what he says he will do,” adds businessman Donald Dee. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, the nemesis of President Arroyo and First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo, believes that the Nacionalista Party standard-bearer will be a good president.

“Manny will be a very good president,” Cayetano asserts. “Unang-una may takot sa Diyos. He has a passion to get things done. By nature, ayaw niyang nagpapatalo, meaning if people tell him you cannot solve poverty or you cannot finish the land reform or you cannot irrigate this amount of, by nature hahanap ng paraan ‘yan.”

“I’ve seen him do that in the speakership fight—when they said don’t fight Erap because he is a sitting president. I’ve seen that when he appointed me blue ribbon chair despite the protests from Malacañang. And then, nag-aaral talaga siya.”

Cayetano says Villar’s fight to become president and deliver on his promises to the people “is all about legacy. He wants to leave his children a name that means excellence.”

“I don’t think he will be a corrupt president,” the neophyte senator notes. According to him, every person has either a passion, which is positive, or lust, which is negative. “Manny’s is not one of lust,” Cayetano says.

Alan adds: “He is in love with getting things done. He probably will be the only president in a long time that has more money than he will want to get when he becomes president . . . If Villar goes after money when he becomes president, he will only destroy his name, which he will never do.”

MS FIx Part 2

Here is a continuation of the MS Fix of the Day, two articles by Emil Jurado.

Uniting this Fragmented Nation

To the Point

Emil Jurado

April 22, 2010

Andal Ampatuan Jr.’s endorsement of Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno Aquino III can be seen in two ways: Either the family believes that Aquino, if he becomes president, will exonerate them from the charges related to the massacre of 57 in Maguindanao, or that the Ampatuans hate Noynoy so much that they know people will stop supporting him if he is endorsed by them.

Either way, I believe that Noynoy —and everybody else supporting him, including the Makati Business Club, the Black and White Movement, the Hyatt 10 and their propagandists and publicists passing themselves off as opinion writers—and the Ampatuans deserve each other.

***

When Aquino says that he will devote his first 100 days, if elected, forming a so-called “Truth Commission” to review all the scandals that hounded the Arroyo administration during its nine years in power, I remember his late mother who hated the Marcoses so much that she did nothing but go after them. As a result, the Cory administration accomplished nothing and in fact committed numerous sins of its own, like the Hacienda Luisita massacre, the Kamaganak Inc. and others.

It’s a hate campaign Noynoy is waging, obviously because he is surrounded by people who hate President Arroyo.

The poor boy Noynoy, in seeking the presidency under the shadow of famous parents, does not realize that what this country needs after the elections is unity and reconciliation.

The campaign has shown us how low politicians can go in slinging mud at their opponents. And unless the next president makes the effort to unify a severely fragmented nation, we can never move forward.

Why, Aquino not only vowed to review all contracts entered into by the Arroyo administration. He also vowed not to recognize an Arroyo-appointed chief justice. He said he would even seek the impeachment of this new head of the judiciary if he or she would be named by the incumbent President.

Clearly, the boy does not know that there are three branches of government —the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary—and that these branches are independent of each other.

And that whatever the Supreme Court rules on with finality is the law, right or wrong, and whether he likes it or not.

It’s bad enough to have a presidential candidate out to divide an already fragmented nation. Worse, he thinks like a dictator and until now has not yet given us reason not to doubt his mental stability.

If Noynoy thinks I’m biased against him, I am.

Why I am Biased Against Noynoy

To the Point
Emil Jurado
April 13, 2010

It’s now definite. Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will never appear at the Manila Overseas Press Club’s presidential series as guest speaker.

After repeated invitations to attend the series where former President Joseph Estrada, Senator Richard Gordon, Senator Manuel Villar and administration candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro had spoken, Aquino said he would “never appear at MOPC with (Emil) Jurado there— he’s biased.”

If Noynoy won’t speak before our group to present his platform of government to us, as well as to businessmen and professionals who comprise our members, that’s his problem.

Recall that Noynoy also accused MOPC Chairman Tony Lopez as biased during a forum before the business community. It seems the guy can’t take criticisms.

I can say that Noynoy is truly his mother’s (the late President Cory Aquino) son. He does not take after his father, the late Senator Ninoy, who thrived on criticism and saw it as an opportunity to refute charges against him.

I recall the time when Cory had breakfast with us columnists after nine, I repeat, nine coup attempts. I asked her why she was so sensitive to media criticisms to the extent of suing the late Louie Beltran and the late Max Soliven with that “hiding-under-the-bed” column of Louie. I pointed out to her that her husband welcomed criticism.

You know what Cory said? “Well, Ninoy is dead, and I’m President!”

* * *

Presidential candidate Noynoy told reporters that his rivals should spare his mother from criticism. Meaning, they should not bring up issues like the Hacienda Luisita massacres and allegations of corruption by the “Kamaganak Inc.”

But why should we forget them? They make up the dark pages of our history.

My gulay, did the publicists and propagandists of Noynoy spare the brother of Villar in their attempt to destroy Villar’s claims to poor beginnings?

If it’s a choice between Noynoy and Villar, I’d rather stick out my neck with the latter for many reasons. First and foremost, Villar doesn’t go around claiming to be incorruptible and honest. In contrast, Noynoy vows he will never steal when records show that at the age of 26, he had a security agency with his initials (run by his uncle-in-law, Len Oreta) and which cornered deals with government-sequestered agencies and companies.

The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act bans relatives of people in public office from doing business directly or indirectly with government. Santa Banana, Noynoy even had the temerity to list the agency’s address as the official presidential residence on Arlegui!

This is the candidate that vows not to steal.

* * *

Yes I’m biased – biased against politicians who claim they are incorruptible but act otherwise.

I’m also biased against people who flip-flop on their positions if only to win “pogi points” with the masses. Look at what Noynoy did with regard to the reproductive health bill, and with the imposition of new taxes. Indeed this candidate is clueless about governance.

I’m biased against candidates who vow to review all the projects of the incumbent administration and devote their first 100 days in office running after scams and scandals. My gulay, that’s preaching the politics of vindictiveness and hate. Why, Aquino even vows not to recognize a chief justice appointed by President Arroyo!

And last, but not least, I’m biased against somebody who allegedly suffers from mental disorders. True or not, this charge is serious and must not be dismissed.

Yes, I admit I’m biased against Noynoy – unless he proves me wrong.

MS (Manila Standard) Fix of the Day

Here is today's Manila Standard fix of the day, from my favorites Emil Jurado and Jojo Robles.

Noynoy's Endorsements

Low Down

Jojo Robles

April 22, 2010

It may seem like a joke to Noynoy Aquino, but nobody finds it funny. Only someone with a really warped sense of humor, actually, would find levity in the endorsement of Andal Ampatuan Jr., the accused Butcher of Maguindanao.

On the other hand, Noynoy may find comfort in Ampatuan’s explanation that the decision to endorse his presidential bid was made by the entire family, according to the current poster boy of political warlordism. That’s what families do, after all; they stick together, hand down heirlooms like haciendas and political office to one another and sometimes even get accused of perpetrating (or at least tolerating) massacres together.

In fact, the closeness of the Ampatuan family is the main objection to the recent exoneration by the Department of Justice of two members of the clan in connection with the horrific killing of 57 journalists and other unarmed people in Maguindanao last November. And if the Ampatuans’ endorsement of Aquino was a family decision, pursuing this line of logic would mean that the massacre—which was a far more important political “statement” by the clan—must have required nothing less than the approval of all its members.

And endorse Noynoy was exactly what Ampatuan did: “We are supporting Noynoy because we believe he is the one who can expose the truth about what happened in the massacre,” Andal Jr. told reporters from his jail cell. “Noynoy would be our instrument to achieve justice.”

Will the next Noynoy campaign commercial now feature Andal Jr. flashing the “L” sign with one hand, garbed in yellow duds and baller while cradling Baby James with the other, flanked by a beaming Noynoy and Kris? Even the people who gave us Rapping Noynoy probably won’t be able to pull that off.

Naturally, Noynoy would have nothing to do with Ampatuan’s offer of support. “No, thank you,” he said, in response, while surmising that it was all a joke. “I am not running for their endorsement.”

But that was not the end of Noynoy’s day of unintended irony. While Andal Jr. was singing the praises of Noynoy and his family for defeating the Marcos dictatorship, as he described it, Aquino’s drum-beaters were pushing an endorsement of their candidate that they truly welcomed—that of the oppressed farmers of Sumilao, Bukidnon.

For those who may have forgotten, the indigenous farmers of the Higaonon tribe have been fighting private landowners and the government to get back their prime agricultural ancestral land spread over a flat upland area between Mount Sayawan and Mount Palaopao in Sumilao. Years back, they staged a long march from their hometown and a hunger strike at the offices of the Department of Agrarian Reform to dramatize their plight.

Without a tinge of irony, a press release from the Aquino camp said the Sumilao farmers, “known for their relentless pursuit for justice and advocacy for the reform and extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program... stand by Senator Aquino and will help carry him through his campaign against corruption and advocacy for reform.” “They trust that Senator Aquino, like his parents, will rise above personal and family interests and spearhead the completion of the agrarian reform program. They are confident that under Senator Aquino’s leadership, the government could effect land distribution, efficient delivery of support services,” the statement read.

It’s not known how Aquino could secure the endorsement of landless farmers in Bukidnon while failing to get the approval of his family’s equally long-suffering tenant-tillers over at Hacienda Luisita. Or why Noynoy’s camp would actually welcome the Sumilao farmers’ endorsement, when it would only highlight the continuing crisis in his inherited plantation.

If I were Noynoy, I’d wonder if the Sumilao statement was a joke, as well. But I’m not—and I certainly don’t find the ironic endorsement from Bukidnon funny, either.

* * *

Again, from the Noynoy camp, we hear this week of the unveiling of an Obama-like program of universal health care for all Filipinos by 2015 under a new Aquino administration. From someone who has never accomplished anything of national significance by himself heretofore, the Yellow candidate does promise a lot.

As far as we can tell, the only real commonality between Barack and Noynoy is a predisposition to light up cigarettes whenever they can. And we think Obama is way ahead of Aquino in their shared promise to kick the nicotine habit, as well.

But, since we already mentioned Luisita, it’s important to remember that Noynoy also famously promised that he would distribute the hacienda’s land to the farmers who have tilled it for generations in 2015. Only to be exposed as a liar by his own cousin Fernando Cojuangco who operates the agricultural estate in an interview by the New York Times.

Noynoy’s response to the NYT story that his cousin may have been “misquoted” only put him deeper in trouble after Carlos Conde, the Gray Lady’s Manila correspondent, threatened to make public the tape where Cojuangco blew his cousin’s promise to bits. In fact, before making his new universal health-care promise this week, Noynoy has conspicuously been avoiding making a promise to do anything big five years from now.

As is the case with most of Noynoy’s campaign promises, this one doesn’t go further than a press release simply because there is no way of judging if he can deliver, given the dearth of his past accomplishments. As far as health goes, in fact, Aquino has not even made it perfectly clear if he supports state programs to promote contraception or not.

Up to now, Noynoy has not even presented a detailed energy program, even as daily power outages and soaring electricity costs have returned with a vengeance. All we get from the supposed frontrunner, this late in the campaign, are motherhood statements, unthought-out programs and declarations of being unblemished (walang bahid).

Promises, promises, promises. These from the man who is supposed to be the antithesis of the traditional politician.

If Noynoy wins and his health-care program fails to materialize, who is to call him to account for lying? At least his cousins in Luisita have gone on the record to say that what this big-talking candidate promises isn’t always what’s going to come to pass.

* * *

Speaking of Luisita, the Web site Bulatlat.com has produced a short video that explodes the myth of Noynoy’s claim of being “walang bahid.” It’s an eye-opener—but only for those who haven’t been permanently blinded by the Yellow light.

Beware of AMPAQUINO

This alarming news just made my spine crack a bit.

The AMPATUAN clan, the family who is responsible for 57 innocent souls in Maguindanao is openly and proudly endorsing the presidential bid of NOYNOY AQUINO, as well as the ENTIRE Liberal Party, VP and senatorial bets included.

My Goodness... What has the Philippines turned into???

Here is the LINK to the OFFICIAL PRESS Release on it to give some authenticity:

AMPATUAN-AQUINO ALLIANCE

AMPAQUINO (Ampatuan-Aquino), INDEED

Lord, Please, Have Mercy.

BSA: Proof of Noynoy's Early Corruption Exercises

I received this report regarding a major anomaly during the past Aquino administration.

That anomaly is NEPOTISM (which Cory stated she was against), GRAFT and CORRUPTION. (which Noynoy is stating he is against)

name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11">

< name="ProgId" content="Word.Document">< rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cbloggers%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml">

BEST SECURITY AGENCY ni BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO, III

HINDI AKO MAGNANAKAW? … SAY THAT AGAIN?

He is running an entire campaign based supposedly on good governance. Everyone else is evil, only he is good.

Magnanakaw ang iba. Siya daw hindi. Emphasis on “daw.”

At first, the strategy seems sound. How else is he supposed to go head-to-head with somebody like Manny Villar, his closest rival?

Villar is second to none in laws authored and passed, Aquino authored zero bills into law – the father is a hero, the son is a zero.

Ang mambabatas na walang ipinasang batas ay pangulong hindi kayang panguluhan ang sambayanan.

Villar made houses affordable for the poor; Aquino’s biggest accomplishment in the private sector is that he made Nikes fashionable for the wealthy.

Villar, despite poverty, was a self-made millionaire at 28. Aquino, despite his family’s affluence, spent 10 of his 12 years in the private sector working in family-owned corporations – the Hacienda Luisita and Best Security Agency or BSA.

The latter, which he set up himself, had his initials BSA – Benigno Simeon Aquino, III.

Aquino sat on the security agency’s Board of Directors, while his uncle Antolin “Len” Oreta, Jr. acted as BSA chairman and president.

Oreta is the husband of former Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta who now sits as chairperson of the Early Child Care and Development Council and holds the rank of Cabinet member in the Arroyo administration, along with several other Aquino relatives.

Other directors of BSA were Cipriano Lacson, director-treasurer, George Gaddi, Bienvenido Reyes, Alexander Lopez and Jacob Acuna, known friends and allies of the Aquino family.

The Arlegui House, the official resident of then president Aquino, was declared the company address on its SEC registration documents.

According to Aquino, they never dealt with government. Records say otherwise.

During the incumbency of then president Aquino, BSA secured contracts from government such as Philippine National Construction Corp. and the facilities and buildings of sequestered companies under the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

Its other big clients were AsiaTrust, the Tanduay Distillers of taipan Lucio Tan and Uniwide.

The mere involvement of a the presidential first-son in a company that bids to secure contracts from government, the head of which is his mother, violates the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act of 1965 which states that:

“unlawful for any person having family or close personal relation with any public official to capitalize or exploit or take advantage of such family or close personal relation by directly or indirectly requesting or receiving any present, gift or material or pecuniary advantage from any other person having some business, transaction, application, request or contract with the government, in which such public official has to intervene.”

Noynoy Aquino was 26 at that time. At worst, what he did qualifies as corruption, at best, it constitutes sheer ignorance that he could not tell the difference between what is ethical and not.

Either way, a Noynoy Aquino, does not deserve to be president. The promise of a good government falls flat on its face, on both instances. His anti-corruption platform is a sham; his theory on good governance, hollow in the absence of a good leader.

Nagsinungaling si Noynoy nang sinabi niyang pamumunuan niya ang laban kontra sa katiwalian. Sa murang edad, ay ipinakita niyang salat man ang kanyang kakayahang mamuno ay sapat naman ang kanyang kakayahang magsamantala sa posisyon ng kanyang ina.

Tama nga ang sabi ng iba, kapatid ng sinungaling ang magnanakaw.

And yet again, this was proven true when Aquino was confronted about the issue. He said he no longer had any interest in the company 3 years after it was formed – his resumé and own official website alongside documents from the SEC say otherwise, Aquino was a member of the BSA Board until 2002. Once more, the man was caught lying through his teeth.

Malinis daw, madungis pala.

CAN WE HAVE CREDIBLE POLLS???

I am re-posting another Manila Standard Emil Jurado special about his credible opinion on the political scene of late.

Here it is:

CAN WE HAVE CREDIBLE POLLS?

To the Point
Emil Jurado
April 15, 2010

I cannot see the logic of Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno Aquino III and his band of Yellow Fanatics. They insist on a parallel count for the May 10 elections and a manual audit of the results after when the automated machines are supposed to give the people a fast and reliable count.

The only reason I can see for Noynoy and his group is that they are preparing for a scenario where, if Aquino loses, they will claim he was cheated.

The National Movement for Free Elections, too, through Yellow Fanatic Joey Cuisia, has been insisting on a parallel count and manual audit of election results. The proposal was thumbed down by the Comelec. Admittedly, Namfrel is biased for Noynoy—just look at the people behind it.

They want a repeat of the 1986 snap elections when the Comelec declared Ferdinand Marcos the winner with 10,807,197 votes against Cory Aquino’s 9,291,761. This drove the forces of Cory to harp on its huge disparity with Namfrel count of Aquino of 7,835,070 votes against Marcos’ 7,063,068 votes.

Knowing the malicious minds around Noynoy, Santa Banana, I’d not be surprised if this is their Plan B!

***

It’s obvious that Noynoy’s campaign capitalizes on people’s sentiments leading to his late mother’s rise to the presidency: the retreat to Cebu, the millions or so urging her to run for president, or the yellow regalia that went on an extended run.

Events could culminate in Noynoy’s extra-constitutional installation as President or leader of yet another military-backed citizen-led uprising.

Unseating President Arroyo at all costs seems to be Aquino’s strongest motivation. He has even branded his rival as a Gloria proxy. Noynoy’s next course of action after his defeat in the polls—which to me is forthcoming despite survey results—may be to cry out that elections failed or that he was cheated.

For, after all, how could it be possible for Noynoy Aquino to lose when even now people around him are already dividing the spoils of government?

***

The finding of Pulse Asia that the number of undecided voters is increasing is not at all surprising.

Since people get much of their information on the elections campaign from media, especially from the impact medium of television, and with all the mudslinging going on, people are now doubting the credibility of the candidates.

Take the case of Aquino claiming to be incorruptible and vowing he won’t steal. How can people believe him when records show that at the early age of 26 he took advantage of his mother’s presidency by putting up a security agency which bagged contracts with government-sequestered firms?

If many Noynoy supporters are now having doubts about their candidate, I can’t blame them.

***

If I don’t mention Senator Jamby Madrigal, who is among those lagging behind in poll surveys and who must now withdraw from the race, that is exactly my intention.

She is not running to win, anyway. She just wants to demonize Villar.

Noy, the Cory Copycat

How arrogant can Noynoy get???

Apparently that question can be answered by simply listening to anything that comes out of his crooked, salivating mouth.

One example of it however, can be depicted in his response to his desired living in Times Street rather than Malacanang if ever he is elected president.

First of all, how arrogant can he get when he already made PERSONAL plans of being the president?? I mean, who the hell says this things??? The ONLY statements and plans that a presidential candidate should say and aspire for are plans FOR THE COUNTRY and not you own personal insecurities.

And also, didn't Noy mention that he will ONLY stop smoking once he is the president. So he assumes he will win already??? Thick faced if you ask me.. and so if he does not win?? I'm sure he'll ante the smoking up to two packs a day. Tsss...

I also am speculative that Noy's statement about the Times Street residency is a mere popularity vote scheme to gain more sympathy votes. Since Cory also requested to NOT reside in Malacanang during her administration, I guess Noynoy is simply trying to copy her and let the people know about it so they would remember Cory. Also, the notion of Cory not residing in Malacanang also shows how UNPROFESSIONAL she really was. I cannot argue about her effect on the Filipino people, but seriously, CORY IS HUMAN AND SHE MAKES MISTAKES. And there were plenty of them in fact.

What WE, as Filipino citizens, should get out of this is an awareness of these mistakes so as to not let it happen again. IF CORY'S INFLUENCE ON THE FILIPINO NATION IS SUPPOSEDLY A GOOD/HOLY THING, THEN THE PEOPLE SHOULD EMULATE THAT INFLUENCE AND ACT THE RIGHT WAY. AND IF IT WAS CORY'S INTENTION TO UPLIFT THE PHILIPPINES, THEN SHE WOULD WANT US TO DO WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY, AND NOT MERELY HER FAMILY/CLAN.

Of course, if anyone has the right to copy Cory's tactics, its her son. But come on, Noynoy is a grown man and he needs to take responsibilty for himself, that means being your own man.

A true statesman would put the country's interests above his/hers. Clearly, Noynoy is more concerned about himself rather than the country.

Here is an article I came across that would shed some light on this topic:

If elected, Noynoy would rather stay in Times Street

JOHANNA CAMILLE L. SISANTE, GMANews.TV

04/15/2010 | 05:47 PM

CABATUAN, Iloilo - If elected president, Liberal Party standard bearer Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino would rather stay in his humble abode on Times Street in Quezon City than in the Malacanang Palace.

But Aquino, the consistent front-runner in presidential preference surveys, acknowledged that such a set-up will likely prove difficult — particularly for his neighbors, who might be hassled by the huge number of people certain to seek the president's assistance.

"Yan inaambisyon ko talaga (That is my ambition). Kailangan at the end of the day kailangan may pakiramdam ka ng normalcy to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground," Aquino said when asked by reporters in Capiz where was campaigning whether he would still stay in Times Street if elected.

"Pero ganun nga ho, iniintindi ko kapitbahay ko. Paano kung napakaraming dadagsa, makikikape, makikibanyo, makikinood ng TV. Baka ako kalmado, normal buhay ko, naging abnormal naman po buhay ng aking mga kapitbahay (But I am concerned about my neighbors. What if many people will pay a visit, drink coffee, use the restroom, watch TV. My life might be calm and normal, but my neighbors' lives might be abnormal)," he said.

Aquino's mother, the late former president Corazon Aquino, lived in in the same Times Street home after her term.

During her presidency, she refused to stay in Malacañang and instead resided in the more modest Arlegui house nearby where windows were not even bullet-proof.