Driving the Point Home: A Restating of My Support for Noynoy Aquino

As we wind down the campaign and prepare for Monday, I'd like to take a step back and revisit my reasons for supporting Noynoy. I apologize in advance if this is long, but I figured, if I'm going to write one last hurrah, I may as well make it good.

To make my case, I will start each point with the negative, so-called "truths" about Noynoy, and then show you how/why these are false or irrelevant claims.

Strap up, boys and girls, this ride's about to get bumpy.

The first main charge against Noynoy is his "lackluster" performance in Congress and Senate, that he is an "underachiever" and a "do-nothing" guy. People point to the lack of any laws that Noynoy has authored for the past 12 years, and subsequently claim that he has not proven himself in government.

The problem with this argument is three-fold. First, it assumes that the creation and passage of laws is the only job of a legislator. While it is true that this is a primary function of a legislator, this is not the only role he plays. For example, through the office of a Congressman, the funds received from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (otherwise known as pork barrel) are allocated to projects for the congressional district. As congressman, Noynoy was able to put up at least 50 classrooms, 18 daycare centers, purchase 17 LGU patrol vehicles, put up 32.5 KM in farm-to-market roads, construct 7 barangay halls and one tribal hall, and provide P26.3M in financial assistance to the citizens of Tarlac. All these, among other things not explicitly itemized. Not bad for a "do-nothing guy."

The second problem with the argument is that it assumes that a legislator, having written a bill, has full control over whether or not it is passed into law. The fact is, any bill filed by a legislator passes through several readings before it is passed from the House to Senate or vice-versa, after which it goes through another set of readings In short: the moment a legislator submit a bill for review, he has little control over whether or not the bill even sees the light of day, let alone become a law.

The caveat, of course, is that the legislator can "play ball" and starting calling and giving out favors to get his legislation passed, in exchange of giving other bills the go-signal too - bills that may only be serving private interests rather than the interests of the public. Which makes me wonder, then, if the people who make this "non-achiever" case against Aquino understand that the patronage-politics system they want him to play a part of is the very system Aquino stands against.

Finally, the third problem with this argument is that, assuming its premise to be true, it is nevertheless patently false. Noynoy Aquino has passed several bills into law, either as part of a committee that filed the bill or as co-author. The reason why Noynoy does not take credit for these laws is simple: he was not the prime mover of those laws, and the credit rightfully belongs to someone else, like the law's principal author or to a committee.

So if you were led to believe that Noynoy Aquino has not accomplished anything in his years as a legislator, and thus doesn't deserve your vote, think again.


~ ~ ~


The second main charge against Aquino is his seeming reliance on the legacy of his parents. His parents are, of course, Ninoy and Cory Aquino, prominent characters in our nation's history.

In one particular instance, people claim that Noynoy used his mother's death to catapult his political career. This assumes that Noynoy was even interested in pushing his political career far beyond his current position as Senator - an assumption that just doesn't carry any weight. There are absolutely no signs of him wanting to become anything more than a Senator prior to the passing of former President Cory, even in hindsight. There just isn't any truth to this.

Beyond simply using Cory's death as a springboard for his campaign, critics have said that Noynoy cannot aspire to the greatness of his parents. This is a telling, but nevertheless irrelevant point. No one can aspire to approximate Ninoy or Cory. This has never been Noynoy's message at all. His message has been that he will continue his parents' fight for a true democracy, on his own terms. What he brings to the table is not some false notion that he is exactly like his parents; rather, he brings with him the unique experience of witnessing his father's struggle to restore democracy first-hand, and in assisting his mother in rebuilding democracy after the Marcos regime. Noynoy knows what it was like to suffer and struggle under an oppressive regime, and he knows what it was like to take a bullet meant to take the life of another. No other candidate can lay claim to such a unique insight into our nation's democracy.

One critic speaks out and says that the Presidency cannot be inherited, it must be earned. That is true, more so for this coming Monday. But such a statement assumes that there is a prevailing notion that the presidency can be inherited by birthright - a ludicrous claim, and one that Noynoy has never espoused.

Noynoy entered into the Presidential race with the knowledge and appreciation of what his parents have accomplished and have attempted to do for the Philippine nation, and with a keen understanding of what he must do to continue their work. He knows that he owes much of who he is to his parents, but also understands that this next chapter in Philippine history is a chapter he must write on his own, if elected President.


~ ~ ~


The third main charge is one of hypocrisy: that Noynoy Aquino cannot claim any sort of moral ascendancy nor promise reforms in government when his family is involved in the Hacienda Luisita Massacre.

My favorite response to this is: What *is* Noynoy's involvement in the Hacienda Luisita massacre?

Understanding the issues surrounding Hacienda Luisita requires us to look into its history and examine how it got to where it is today. So, join me in a trip down memory lane:

Hacienda Luisita was established into a corporation on August 23, 1988, in compliance with the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Many people see this as an excuse for the Cojuangcos to keep ownership of the land, but in reality this option was preferred by the farmer beneficiaries for two reasons. First, it would allow the farmers to retain the sugar mill facility that stood in the middle of the property, as hacking the property into small parcels of land, the other option under CARP, meant dismantling the sugar mill and leaving them with no facilities to produce sugar. Second, most of the farmer beneficiaries who signed the incorporation still remembered the days when Don Pepe and Ninoy Aquino administered the farmers who worked there, and these farmers were hopeful that they would see times similar to those of Don Pepe and Ninoy.

It is of special note that the Department of Agrarian Reform canceled the stock distribution agreement, citing that it had failed to improve the lives of more than 5,000 farmer beneficiaries, in 2005 - just as Cory had withdrawn support from GMA due to the Hello Garci scandal. A brief examination of the fiscal history of the property will show that fiscal reforms were only introduced starting 1992, and whatever small gains made were neutralized by worker's strikes, initiated by a newly-formed union. It was one of these workers' strikes that eventually led to the Hacienda Luisita Massacre.

Speaking of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre, I would like to take this opportunity to address a specific issue with this incident: the involvement of Satur Ocampo and his gang.

Ocampo's recent video ad features clips from the Mendiola Massacre and HL Massacre, but in a prior ad, he claimed he was jailed for fighting for farmers' rights. Both claims are true, except they are largely unconnected. He was jailed for farmers rights advocacies mostly during the Marcos regime, 9 years, according to his official profile on www.bayanmuna.net. Also from this profile, during Cory's time in 1989, he was rearrested with his wife, but not for political activism. The couple was charged with and tried for the crimes of murder, kidnapping with serious illegal detention, and illegal possession of firearms in pursuance of rebellion - and not for any pro-farmers rights activist activities. He was freed in 1992, a year after his wife was released, without having been found guilty of any crime. It begs the question, then, of why he would actively recall Mendiola and Hacienda Luisita in his pro-farmers crusade, but not Martial Law, under which he suffered most fighting for farmers' rights. Your guess is as good as mine. Hint: It has something to do with another person on the Nacionalista Senatorial ticket. Name rhymes with "Galunggong."

While Satur and company was busy agitating the police and military to the point of sheer frustration, Noynoy was still trying to find ways to settle the dispute peacefully. While Satur and company pushed and pushed the situation to a hair-trigger tension, Noynoy was trying his best to negotiate with the farmer groups and seek a mutually beneficial resolution to the standoff. And while Satur and his gang continue to push for the unconditional ceding of the Luisita lands to the farmer beneficiaries, Noynoy has held out on such distribution to ensure that all of the financial obligations of the Hacienda are settled prior, ensureing that the farmer beneficiaries will not inherit any debt along with the lands. Who, then, is the true champion of the rights of farmers?

The fact remains that Noynoy had little to do with the incident that claimed farm workers' lives, but has had much to do with attempts to turn the situation around and help the farmer beneficiaries of the Hacienda Luisita get their feet back on the ground. To try to pin any sort of responsibility on Noynoy for the HL massacre is simply a red herring, designed to mislead you away from the truth of the situation in Hacienda Luisita.


~ ~ ~


Quick aside. There is the nagging issue of Noynoy's mental health, but folks, are we really going to take three patently fake and even conflicting documents seriously? Are we really going to say, "Hey, there are three completely fake documents saying that there's something wrong with Noynoy, so there must be *some* truth in it?"

If I write out three different forged documents right now, claiming that I'm really a genetically-altered clone of Elvis in a Filipino disguise, would you really be thinking that there must be *some* truth in it, simply because those three documents exist?

I didn't think so either.

Moving along.


~ ~ ~


Now that the three major issues have been examined and debunked, let's examine the other candidates. The objective: determine if Noynoy truly is the best choice among the candidates.

JC delos Reyes and Eddie Villanueva - two sides of the same conservative Catholic/Christian coin. Both claiming faith and righteousness in God as the path towards the success of the Philippines - nevermind that the Philippines has already been a largely Christian nation since the Spanish times starting from the 1600's, and remains to this day Asia's largest Christian nation. They are both question marks as far as capability in governance is concerned, Eddie Villanueva more so of the two. I do not doubt htat they mean well, but good intentions is not enough to lead a country.

Of particular interest to me is Villanueva's position as spiritual leader of his Jesus is Lord Movement. If elected, would he relinquish his leadership of his flock to someone else? If not, then how can he avoid conflict of interest?

Nick Perlas - I almost forgot about him, to be honest. Both of my parents have just about as much consulting experience as him, and my father was even executive director of a government agency at some point in his life - yet neither of my parents would ever dream that they deserve to be elected as President. How Nick PErlas thinks that he does, I can only guess. My main question would be, without any Senatorial slate nor vice-President for support, and without any true political clout, how does he expect to sway the legislative and the local governments towards his executive agenda?

Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro - The supposed "clean" candidate, self-proclaimed "candidate of the youth," with "galing at talino," and heir-apparent of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It is easy to overlook Gibo's allegiance to GMA, especially since we want to forget about her as soon as we can. That is precisely the danger in voting Gibo into office. A politician who is beholden to an authority other than the people who elect him into office is a politician who can never foster the fundamental changes needed for our government to function. Without the capability of seeking justice, without the capacity for independent thought and action, Gibo may as well be an empty sock, with buttons for eyes and a marker-drawn mouth, slipped over the hand of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Even if we were to assume that this is false, that Gibo is indeed capable of independent thought and action apart from his patron PGMA, he has already failed two major tests of his abililty to govern: the natural disaster known as Ondoy, and the unnatural disaster known as the Ampatuan Massacre. Both wreaked havoc on Filipino society and liberty under Gibo's watch as Secretary of the Department of National Defense. His strategy: rely on private initiatives to save stranded Filipinos and assist in the cleanup processes *after* the floods have subsided in the case of Ondoy, and booting out the Ampatuans from the Lakas party *after* they killed 57 people, including at least 34 journalists. Is this what we mean by "galing at talino:" the ability to perform mediocre damage control after the fact?.

Jamby Madrigal - A member of one of the few remaining "old rich" families in Metro Manila. Buoyed mostly by her sharp criticism of fellow Presidential candidate Manny Villar, the good Senator claims, through her political ads, that she will help remove the shackles of poverty from our poor compatriots. And yet, how can she do that, when she can't even properly resolve a simply land issue in Oroquieta, Manila? The squatted land alongside the ramp linking the LRT Lines 1 and 2 belong to her. Years prior, the squatters had tried to buy the land from her, but due to an unscrupulous local official, the sale was scuttled. Rather than try to resolve things peacefully and properly, she had a portion of the squatters evicted. Now they live alongside the Oroquieta road itself, just outside the property. Interestingly, squatters who were allies of that involved local official were spared, and continue to squat on the land today. Madam Jamby, methinks, needs to learn to settle this first before she can hope to settle the poverty question on a national scale.

Richard Gordon - "Dick" is a curious case of a "total package" candidate on paper (lawyer, experienced legislator, experienced executive), neatly bundled together with a ridiculously arrogant and often inconsistent, if not immature, attitude. On the one hand, in 2007 he stated, "I will try to mold a popular party coalition for national modernization and renewal from the many new parties that have emerged over the past decade," and even filed a bill seeking to penalize "politicval turncoats." Yet in 2009, not only did he bolt Lakas, he practically formed his own political party alongside Bayani Fernando - simply because his political rival was shown favor by PGMA. Gordon has been on record numerous times, calling for sobriety when people threaten mass action, but has lately been everything BUT sober in handling criticism thrown his way, even going out of his way to call web users on Twitter "do-nothing nobodys" and suiing SWS and Pulse Asia for releasing surveys that show that he's not exactly popular among the populace. He has repeatedly lambasted other candidates for using black propaganda at each other - while at the same time riding on that very black propaganda to further criticize his opponents. He will insist that he will see GMA brought to justice - and in the same breath praise her for her work ethic and her skills as a politician. His tirades against the media and against people in general leave me wondering if the question on mental health ought not to be leveled against him rather than against Noynoy. Patricia Evangelista said it best when she wrote, "It is odd for a man so contemptuous of people to claim he is a man who will represent them best."

Manny Villar - The self-made billionaire, looking to duplicate his success in his private endavors in the realm of governance. I've made many comments about Villar and the Nacionalista party in this blog, but to sum it up: 1) He has made false claims about his life story to appear as a viable candidate and a supposed "champion" for the poor; 2) His Senatorial ticket is composed of personalities and priorities that are conflicting by nature, forcing an artificial silence on otherwise relevant issues such as the recovery of Marcos wealth and justice for the victims of Martial Law abuses, among others; 3) He has numerous anomalies associated to him, such as the C-5 road extension scam, the land-grabbing of the Norzagaray farmers in Bulacan, and the arm-twisting of the PSE to release his company's stocks from being held for sale, among others.

Between a dishonest campaign, mixed signals in his choice of Senators, and a slew of shady deals, it seems evident that for all of Villar's good intentions with the Presidency, his type of transactional politics is not what we need for another 6 years.

Joseph "Erap" Estrada - The deposed former President, trying to make his comeback appearance. Quite apart from the obvious issues - such as the fact that he is an unrepentant convicted plunderer - there is the concern over his lack of palabra de honor. He accepted a pardon from GMA on the premise that he would no longer seek public office, and then - lo and behold! - not only does he seek reelection, but for President no less. It is an interesting tell on his character that he rejected an invitation to join forces with Noynoy Aquino, simply because Noynoy refused to accept Jinggoy as a senator in the Liberal Party slate, nor accept ally Jojo Binay's bid for the Vice-Presidency. It shows that, at the end of the day, Erap's old line of "walang kama-kamag-anak, walang kai-kaibigan" is just a sham, and that these people's interests are the first he will prioritize.

Game, set, match.


~ ~ ~


I hope that by reading this, I have helped you come to a decision on who to vote for this coming Monday. Regardless of your position, I think you'll agree that at the end of the day, what we all want is a better future for the Philippines. Given what I've said above, is there any question on who can lead us there?

Finally, a Nacionalista with balls!

I had once asked in this blog if Atty. Adel Tamano was taking any banned substances, as a way of trying to make sense of some statements he had made about the Liberal Party.

Let me be the first to revoke this statement in light of new information. Finally, a Nacionalista Party member with balls!

Read about it here => http://bit.ly/cnthNh

I could very well be wrong. It could just be a stunt to gain that last bit of political mileage. But for now, I have no reason to doubt him in what he says. If anything, it is telling that to date, he is the only Nacionalista Party member who has condemned the series of fake documents and fake endorsements to come out against Sen. Noynoy Aquino, and the only Nacionalista Party member who has shown any sort of conviction in his belief of fair play in politics, by offering to leave the NP should it be proven that the NP is, in fact, responsible for the psychiatric reports and the Ampatuan endorsement.

As someone who plans to go straight SLAMAT LORRRD, I am proud to say that it is a shame I will not be voting for Atty. Adel Tamano. Good sir, my hat goes off to you.

In Defense of the Indefensible: Thoughts on the words of Nanay Curing and the Villar Siblings

It was no surprise that the Villar camp would release a rejoinder to the most recent slew of attacks from the Erap camp regarding Villar's unethical dealings with the Philippine Stock Exchange. It is alleged that Manny Villar, while Senate President, blackmailed the PSE into releasing his Vista Land shares from a lock-up period to sell them for allegedly billions of pesos in profits.

But it *was* a surprise to see this response come from his mother.

"Kasi aping-api na ‘yung anak ko e [My son is being persecuted]," says Curita “Nanay Curing” Villar, when asked why she was voicing out her grief in public.

I do not doubt her sincerity and concern over her son, nor do I doubt the sincerity of Manny Villar's sisters. It is only natural for a mother or a sibling to defend their kin when threatened.

I *do* doubt, however, that they knew and understood what they were talking about.

"Kawawa naman po siya. Nagtiis na nga po ako ng hirap, naapi na ako sa palengke pati ba naman ang anak ko? Pati ba naman ang anak ko, naapi pa ngayon? [My poor son. We endured poverty. I was oppressed in the public market and now even my son? Even my son is being maltreated now]." she said.

I did read an anecdote about how they would at times get into debt and their lendor would become physical when the payment was not made on time. No one should be treated so unfairly, and Nanay Curing is right to be angry at how she was bullied and harrassed.

It's just that there's nothing similar between what Nanay Curing went through and what Manny Villar is going through. Nanay Curing did not wish to be in debt, but worked hard to get out of it; Manny Villar also did not wish to be in debt, but worked the system to pay off his debts for him, and come out ahead in the deal too. Nanay Curing worked hard for her money, to raise her nine children and to ensure a better future for them; Manny Villar duped Filipino taxpayers and invstoers of their money, to raise his own ego and to ensure a better future for his political aspirations. Nanay Curing seems to have conducted her business affairs honestly and with integrity; Manny Villar seems to have conducted his business affairs completely devoid of honesty, integrity be damned.

I guess it is just as well that Nanay Curing is blind, as I feel she would weep rivers if she saw what her son has accomplished.

Speaking of mothers, here's an apparent swipe at Noynoy Aquino and the LP:

From Inquirer: "Patay na kanyang ina, sinasama pa...Buti nga nanay ko nakakapagtanggol pa sa kapatid ko. ‘Yung ina nila patay na ginamit pa nila di ba? [Their mother is dead but they still include her… Our mother is still alive so she can defend my brother. Their mother is dead but they still use her)" said Gloria, sister of Manny Villar.

"Sino ba ang unang nanggamit? Hindi ba lahat ng posters niya? Andun ang nanay at tatay niya, so kami ngayon lang kami lumilitaw kasi sobra na, personal na [Who used their mother first? Didn’t they put their mother and father on all their posters? We came out just now because it’s all too much, it’s getting personal]," she lamented.

Ironically, this was in response to a question by a reporter, who had apparently explained that this might be a Villar stunt to use his mother to propr up his sagging campaign, and not in response to a statement from Noynoy or the LP camp.

Here's the thing, and pay close attention: There is nothing similar about how Noynoy and Villar have used the images of their respective parents in their campaigns.

Noynoy has always talked about what his parents taught him, and how he thanks them for making him who he is today. When he talks about his mother and father, he talks about how they treated other people and how they handled themselves, and by extension how he learned to handle himself and his affairs.

Villar, on the other hand, has all but maligned his own parents, blaming their poverty for the death of his brother and making them seem like poor providers, all to bolster the claim that he is a self-made man. When he talks about his mother and father... Scratch that, he doesn't even talk about them other than to reinforce the claim that they were poor, and how he didn't have "famous parents."

There's just no comparison. Noynoy knows and professes that he owes everything to his parents. Manny Villar believes and proclaims that he is solely responsible for his success, with nary a nod to the accomplishements of his mother and late father.

This is, by the way, not just some invention of a fertile imagination. These are statements and conclusions lifted from Villar's own statemens about his prior economic class and of how he "built his own name." Many a journalist have already taken notice and have dug deeper to verify Manny's dubious political ad claims. Much to Villar's chargrin, official records of a variety of shapes and sizes contradict him at every turn: He did not come from a "dirt-poor" family, but grew up in a merchant-class family; his brother Danny dies from leukemia, an incurable disease, and not from lack of money for treatment; the C-5 road, far from being above-board, is highly anomalous and disadvantegous to everyone but Manny Villar's business interests; the Norzagaray farmers' lands were illegally claimed from them by the Villars via fake land titles...

Yet in the face of the overwhelming evidence, Manny's sister Gloria still found choice words for the media:

Again, from Inquirer: "Bigyan niyo naman ng tsansa kapatid ko. Alamin niyo naman ang katotohanan bago kayo magsalita. Yang ABS-CBN na ‘yan masyadong unfair sa kapatid ko yan, Channel 7 very unfair sa kapatid ko...[Give my brother a chance. Find out the truth first before you start talking. ABS-CBN and Channel 7 have been very unfair to my brother],"she said.

"Masyado kayong unfair, you media people, you are unfair. Yang si Clavio na yan si Monsod na yan, my God, ‘di nila kami kilala para sabihin yan [You are so unfair, you media people, you are unfair. Clavio and Monsod, My God, they don’t know us for them to be able to say those things against us]," she said.

To be fair, I have no knowledge of anything that Arnold Clavio or Winnie Monsod have said about the Villar family as a whole, so I can't comment on such a matter. But the fact remains, Clavio and Monsod aren't just rumor-mongers. They have shown evidence to support their findings. They have provided Manny Villar ample opportunity to provide his side. The response? "Black propaganda lang yan." Who is being unfair to whom?

"Yang Channel 2 na yan kung apihin yang kapatid ko sa media, kung bigyan ng airtime ang kapatid ko, hindi makapagtanggol ang kapatid ko sa mga sinasabi ng kalaban e. Ang airtime ng mga kalaban napakatagal, ang kapatid ko pinapasasdahan lang nila ang mukha [Channel 2, they mistreat my brother through media. They don’t give him enough airtime to defend himself against the accusations of his opponents. The other camp’s airtime is so long while they only show my brother’s face in passing]," she further said.

So, I suppose the ad that was created out of this interview is their way of balancing the scales?

All told, I fully understand why they are angry.

What I don't understand is why they have to make a spectacle of their rage.

Because Creativity Strikes At the Strangest of Moments

Such as when one is standing two blocks away from his home, fetching water because the piping system in their area is shot to hell.

Modified lyrics courtesy of Ian Castillo (yes, Eric, *that* Ian Castillo)

sung to the tune of "Hindi Bawal Mangarap," as used in the Manny Villar campaign ad:

Di masamang mangarap
ang Pekeng Mahirap,
Basta't may pondo ka galing sa pinahabang daan!

Di masamang mangarap
ang Pekeng Mahirap,
Basta't ang mukha mo ay makapal,
At mayroong masusuhulan!

Random Musings on the Political Landscape - 0% Law School, 100% Elections

How quick they are to harp over fabricated issues on Noynoy, the latest being his involvement with Best Security Agency. To wit: "Senator Aquino should not try to sweep this episode in his life under the rug as if it were a small, minor thing. It is not minor. He put up a security agency while his mother was president and bagged contracts with government corporations and agencies. I don't know how he can say there was nothing wrong about it," Remulla said in a statement.

As always, the truth is easy to find:

"The truth of the matter is - Sen Aquino divested his 50 shares in Best Security Agency, worth P50,000, as early as 1987 in order to avoid any issue of conflict of interest. Its lone government contract with the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) was obtained through public bidding and without any intervention from Senator Aquino," said in a statement.

Really, Remulla. To borrow Atty. Tamano's favorite catch phrase, "Everyone knows" that you're so deep inside Villar's back pocket, you may as well be living inside Villar's ass. People will buy that you're generally smart and possibly a good Senatorial candidate. No one believes you the moment you start talking about Noynoy and the Liberal Party. Please, get over yourself.

At the very least, Aquino's involvement in setting up Best Security Agency pales in comparison to Villar's multiple instances of using government resources to benefit his private corporations' interests. Just as Joker Arroyo - assuming he still remembers his speech back in 1998. If he doesn't remember, you can read it yourself here.

This is just anther case of the pot calling the china black.

~ ~ ~

Curious is the NP's latest accusation against Noynoy: That Noynoy, and not Manny Villar, is GMA's secret candidate.

ROTFLMAO!

First off, let's get something straight. The term "Villarroyo" is not an invention of the Liberal Party. It is the invention of Manuel Buencamino, from the group Action for Economic Reforms. This is a crucial distinction, as it is an indication that political observers, and not actual Liberal Party members, could already see the signs of the Villar-Arroyo connection as early as January this year.

Furthermore, it was not the Liberal Party who put the final nail in the Villarroyo signpost: it was Lakas insiders who confirmed that Mike Arroyo had given marching orders to Cebu lawmakers to support Villar instead of Teodoro. Surely, you don't expect us to believe that the Liberals engineered this too? Come on.

~ ~ ~

Most disturbing about a recent article on the ABS-CBN website was this quote from Manny Villar himself, in reference to Aquino's campaign spending:

"I am beholden to no one but myself because I am spending my own money."

The premise of this statement, meant to insinuate that the people behind Noynoy have vested interests, is that in the event that Noynoy wins, he is obligated to pay back the money spent on the campaign, in cash or in kind.

If that is the case, then doesn't the same logic hold for Villar's spending? Should Villar win, who's to stop him from obligating himself to pay back the only person he is supposedly beholden to?

When in Congress, he transformed small millions to large millions. When in Senate, he transformed large millions into billions.

When in Malacanang, will he transform billions into trillions?

I shudder at the thought.

Of Young and Old

Bumped into my 1st Grade teacher, Mrs. Garcia, the other day while I was doing the paperwork for claiming my academic records from Ateneo de Manila University. She was as bright and sunny as I remember her, despite having already retired from teaching. Funny, and flattering, if I may say so, that she had asked me for directions around the college campus, mistaking me for a student. (Granted, I was wearing wardrobe my son had selected while I was getting dressed, a Superman logo shirt and casual shorts - interesting how Liam has beter fashion sense that I do, at the age of two.) Surprising though that she recalled who I was just by me mentioning my nickname, a skill I unfortunately never developed during my teaching days.

I had joked that Ateneo was kicking me out, and when I saw that she thought I was serious, I clarified that I was asking for my academic credentials to be transferred to the University of the Philippines as part of my law school application - and in completing this, I could no longer request for my records from Ateneo from that point onwards.

As we went along our separate ways, I couldn't help but think on how long ago it was when I was in her classroom - 13 years! Time seems to have been kinder to her than most others.

At the very least, it's been kinder to her than to my student records. It took the Cashier's Office about half an hour to locate my info; even then they had to contact the Registrar's Office to confirm the details. Even so, I think I'll miss those moments, given the hellish stories I've heard of UP's processes.

~ ~ ~

Most certainly, time has been kinder to Mrs. Garcia than it has to Gilbert Remulla. It seems that rather than sharpening his perception of reality, time has dulled it even more. What other reason could there be, other than this, for him to persistently kick the dead horse that is the Hacienda Luisita issue?

In fact, this seems to be his campaign strategy: Bash Noynoy and hopefully look good.

The veracity of his claims aside, there's one glaring problem to this strategy: his own Presidential candidate and bankroller, Manny Villar.

To date, there are 3 major controversies involving Villar: the C-5 road extension, the landgrabbing issue in Bulacan, and a similar road extension project in Iloilo. And now there's the issue of Villar allegedly paying the NPA "revolutionary taxes" to campaign in rural areas where the NPA operate.

Where is Remulla's fiery challenges in the face of these controversies? Where is Remulla's fierce sense of justice? Where is Remulla's stinging exposes and repartees?

Wherever those things are, they're not likely sharing the same space as Villar's bottomless bank accounts.

See, Remulla, it's this simple: You fight for "truth and justice," you fight for truth and justice wherever the fith takes you. At best, you do no shy away from the fight when it takes you to where the money flows everlasting.

The words of Ernesto Maceda ring true today as they did when they wre first uttered: "So young, and yet so corrupt."

Getting Things Straight

My acceptance letter from UP finally arrived by mail last week, and so I endeavored to drop by UP and let them know I was interested in enrolling this school year (LOLZ, as if I'd pass up an opportunity like this!).

I got to the Office of the College Secretary, handed the letter (and asked them to signed a receiving copy, force of habit), then for convenience's sake, I was asked to complete a few forms. While I was completing the forms, I noticed that one of the documents I had to submit was an official transcript of records.

I asked the lady behind the counter, "Miss, didn't I already submit this before I took the entrance test?"

She checked my file, and found that my transcript had the words "For evaluation purposes" written on it, and thus wasn't acceptable; it either had to be unmarked, or had to explicitly say, "For the University of the Philippines." Good job to my alma mater for messing that up, even after I told them not to do that.

Thanking her, I gave my wife Karen a quick call, as we were supposed to have lunch before I took my pre-work beauty sleep, and she told me to get the transcript request done first. 10 minutes later, I'm staring at the Registrar's Office windows in Ateneo de Manila as they close the shutters and take their lunch break for the day - with me not getting the transcript request done.

C'est la vie.

In any case, it was good that I asked when I saw something odd. Had I assumed that my previous document was sufficient, I would have had egg in my face come April 15, the deadline for documents submission. Not the best of ways to start out a career in law. ;)

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Interesting factoid: Manny Villar's campaign spending is roughly equivalent to the GDP of Niue, a self-governing nation with a free association with New Zealand. For the GDP it generates, Niue has free WiFi for all its inhabitants. For Villar's spending, we get annoying TV/radio jingles and rehashed game show segments. Something's not quite right here.

Another interesting factoid: The oft-cited Pulse Asia Survey citing Manny Villar as the "most trusted" presidential candidate is not entirely accurate; at the very least, the survey was done at the same time that a Pulse Asia survey showed Aquino and Villar neck-and-neck. Certainly that does not apply today.

Let's also consider our timelines: Pulse Asia "trust rating" survey was done Jan. 22-25. Session discussing the C-5 controversy was done on Jan. 25, with Enrile's "bribery" charge leveled on Jan. 27. Villar makes his 1-hour speech and 30-second exit on Feb 2. Seriously, with survey results so far out of the context, how can anyone take it seriously?

And now this: http://ping.fm/6ohVQ

So, let's get this straight: You want to become President, presumably to help the poor, but you're willing to dupe and lie your way to the Presidency?

Geez. The lady at the Office of the College Secretary at UP Law seems to have more integrity and desire to help than you.