During the lead-up to the 2010 presidential elections, Noynoy Aquino tried to copy a lot of the things that Barack Obama did to secure the presidency. Aquino’s campaign was an engine that ran on the fuel of change and hope and he certainly capitalized on his background – being the only son of arguably the most beloved couple in the history of Philippine politics. People can argue that both men were pushed into the precipice of power not through their merit or achievements but because of reasons that no other rival could possibly top. For Obama, his eloquence and charisma was an easy sell for a nation that was so jaded with the Bush administration. Aquino’s pedigree as well as his commitment to clean governance (a cliche promise had it been said by somebody else) was the selling point.

The key difference between Obama and Noynoy is that the former had a clearer vision of what he wanted to happen in his presidency whether you like it or not. As soon as he got into office, he made a lot of tough calls;

• he set a definite end of combat operations in Iraq and chose to focus on the war effort in Afghanistan;
• he chose to approve federal bail outs on corporations during the mad economic times that hounded the turnover period of his term;
• he has repeatedly lobbied for very divisive legislation like the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” – a policy that has kept military men and women from revealing their sexual preference;
• and of course, he bulldozed his way to make sure that his very controversial healthcare reform bill would be made into law right before the Republicans could quash it.

For better or for worse, Obama made the tough call on things that he believed were necessary to move the country forward. A nation that is clearly divided along red and blue lines would always react favorably or unfavorably to any drastic change in policy but that is what a president does – a president has to have a leadership quality to make sure that things happen.

I have been critical of Noynoy Aquino’s wishy washy stance on the Reproductive Health Bill when he was still a candidate. Aquino apologists said that he was really for it and was merely trying to not get on the bad side of the church. To be completely pragmatic about it though, Noynoy was probably the best candidate in terms of pinning pro-RH groups’ hopes. He was clearly being driven by a force stronger than whatever the church can throw against him. Gilbert Teodoro (the candidate I supported during the elections) was initially for RH but eventually buckled due to some reason.

Noynoy has enjoyed the biggest win in the presidential elections since the Marcos era. He has remained wildly popular and for all intents and purposes, the RH Bill is supported by as much as 69% of the population. He is clearly not in danger of being toppled by a revolution reminiscent of the first People Power that sent his mother to Malacanang. The bill is certainly not a possible kryptonite – if ever people’s sentiments have turned, it’s unlikely that supporting a piece of legislation would fuel the passions of hundreds of thousands to try and oust him out of office.

These realities make it really strange as to why Noynoy would choose not to prioritize RH. A lot of Noynoy’s allies in the Liberal Party bloc (most notably former Congresswomen Rissa Hontiveros) are overwhelmingly supportive of the bill and there are plenty of people in the public sector who are supportive of the bill. Noynoy has a wealth of popularity, political clout, pedigree and Cory pseudo-sainthood in his disposal and yet he did not exercise the proper political will to see it through.

This type of approach to the conflict sure makes one think. On one hand, could it be possible that Noynoy was never really invested on the idea of the RH Bill and that this piece of legislation was more of a party/ bloc project as opposed to being his own advocacy. This is clearly the view that puts a bigger benefit of the doubt for Noynoy’s competence and ability to make decisions. Yeah, maybe he was just suckered into posturing a pro-RH stance even if his heart wasn’t really in it.

The second hypothesis is the more disturbing one. Noynoy could really be the most spineless, indecisive and in effect, useless president we’ve ever had. A lot of people had fears that while Noynoy could possibly be a nice guy, there were just way too many people around him who were also in the original power blocs of administrations past for him to really deliver on his promise of cleaning up the government. Someone who wants to rectify the mistakes of corruption has to do more that just lead by example and be a shining beacon for everyone to emulate – he has to be someone who can prove that he can crack down on those who do wrong things.  If Noynoy can’t use his power as president to show everyone who’s boss, he’s definitely going to be a useless nuisance.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has made very tough decisions in the few years that he has held the top office in the very politically-chaotic scene of life after Thaksin. Despite the risk of losing more gravitas, he has chosen to fund big economic stimulus packages. Vejjajiva shows greater leadership skill in being pro-active and making a call instead of just waiting around and twiddling his thumbs. In away, he’s a lot like Obama – they do what they feel is the right thing to do during the time that it feels most right to do something.

The only local politician who I can possibly compare to Obama is Chiz Escudero. He’s a guy that comes up with a lot of potentially bad ideas (like removing higher mathematics in high school and giving passing grades to typhoon victims) but his concepts are fairly revolutionary – not just mere rehashes of the fight against corruption and the like. For the most part, he does say the right things and probably has a tenth of the halo effect that Noynoy has. It must be said however that this halo is only evident because of the way he went after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as one of the opposition’s stalwarts during the 2004-2010 period.

What we need is a leader who can think of things that would improve the nation as a whole as well as someone who could see this vision through – and not just watch things happen. We don’t need someone who can’t back up what he or his party supposedly prioritizes.

Noynoy Aquino is on the fast track to be the biggest lame duck president ever – and he’s barely into his eighth month in office.

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I’m usually averse to political topics but I’ve been very keen on analyzing polls and surveys since I started blogging. I’m not exactly a math wiz but I enjoy the simple pleasures of arithmetic and number crunching. I wrote a piece on how April surveys tend to be not 100% failsafe when it comes to predicting the actual outcome of elections. I hope you could check it out at The Philippine Online Chronicles website.

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Running a campaign for a senatorial seat is not cheap. I’ve always wondered how people would willingly throw millions down the drain in the face of prospects that are almost nil. The only senatoriable who lost an election badly (out of the top 20) to ever make it to the winners’ circle in the past four elections is Jamby Madrigal. She definitely spent a lot more money during her 2004 campaign compared to her “who-the-hell-are-you” lukewarm attempt in 2001 as a member of the Puwersa ng Masa.

I will be comparing the October poll numbers for 2007 with the final COMELEC tally and see who among the 2010 hopefuls can still cross their fingers and hope for the best.

This was how the October 2007 survey results looked:

There were twelve slots up for grabs for 2007 and based on the October-November numbers for Pulse Asia, there were nineteen senatoriables who had a realistic chance of winning one of the seats. Of these nineteen, ten where projected to be sure winners had the elections been held six months earlier. These ten included Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan, Manuel Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Tito Sotto, Ralph Recto, Korina Sanchez, Koko Pimentel and Gringo Honasan. Interestingly, of these “sure bets”, four ultimately failed to win a seat – Sanchez didn’t run while former senators Sotto and Recto (Team UNITY – the administration slate) dropped off the list (Recto ended up at #14 while Sotto was over three million votes short of the twelfth spot at #19. Genuine Opposition candidate Koko Pimentel was controversially beaten by some twenty thousand votes and finished at #13.

Loren Legarda was able to hold on to the top spot of the surveys and eventually clinched the highest vote total as well for the senate. Ping Lacson finished at third while Villar,Pangilinan, Cayetano and Honasan finished at 4th, 5th, 9th and 10th.

That means that out of the upper half of the circle of 19 (again, the people projected to win sic months before the polls), only 6 out of 10 managed to win. This leaves us with six more slots to discuss.

Of the remaining nine people who had a statistical chance of winning, four chose to not run – former Senator Loi Ejercito, JV Ejercito, Imee Marcos and Ruffy Biazon. This leaves us with Edgardo Angara, Noynoy Aquino, Chiz Escudero, John Osmena and Joker Arroyo.

Chiz Escudero experienced one of the most meteoric rises ever seen in pre-election polls to actual vote counts. From being considered as a long shot half a year before the elections, Escudero was within three hundred thousand votes of overtaking Loren Legarda as the top vote getter for the 2007 Senatorial elections. Noynoy Aquino, Edgardo Angara and Joker Arroyo all secured slots as well – positions six through eight, respectively.

John Osmena continued his losing streak as he languished at the 20th spot.

-

Out of the 19 people who made it to the threshold of possibly winning, only fifteen ran. Of these fifteen, ten were able to win seats – and the five who lost were somewhere between positions 13 and 20.

The question is, who were the two people who made it into the actual winners’ circle?

Easy, Antonio Trillanes and Miguel Zubiri. Quite fittingly, there occupied the last two slots.

Trillanes was projected at best as a 42nd placer six months before the elections. Zubiri’s name wasn’t even on the survey sheet.

—

So while the October surveys gives an idea of more than half of the possible winners, never discount the people who might suddenly pop up. To be fair to Pulse Asia, they did get right during their last survey (just a few weeks before election day). Eleven of the twelve who won were in the projected list of winners. Only Trillanes was outside the top 14. Interestingly, Trillanes was able to boost his measly rating of 3.1 (Oct 06) to 22.0 (Apr 07) while incarcerated for rebellion charges.

Zubiri certainly spent a ton on TV advertisements down the stretch and he did benefit from being one of the more likeable people (i.e. people without much political baggage) from Team Unity.

So what do the numbers tell us?

1) Polls taken half a year before the elections can be a good gauge on who wins – especially those in the upper half.

2) Beware of the “sure thing”.

3) Candidates who have a a seemingly small shot can still turn things around given the adequate amount of money for TV ads/ coverage for rebellion charges!

—

Here’s the latest Pulse Survey/ Feel free to read into it.

Reference: Pulse Asia

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I think it’s quite easy to find Chiz Escudero as one of the most grandstanding-prone politicians on television. While he may have a way with words, he does come across as someone who could easily smooth talk his way into spewing out ideas that are generally agreeable but not necessarily concrete or helpful – pretty much like Barack Obama. Of course that type of  charm works for a certain type of person and to be fair to Chiz, that type of person is the absolute majority once the greater scheme of things is considered.

Chiz Escudero in the flesh was not in any way pompous, arrogant or disagreeable. While it was not clear why he wanted to see bloggers for that day (other than to have small talk and probably feed a few undernourshed bloggers such as myself), it was nice to sit across him and have him answer off-the-cuff and unscripted questions from his obvious supporters, critics and skeptics.

The Good

- If everything where to be taken at face value – pretty much the same way that the good in me would like to see things — Francis “Chiz” Escudero seems to have his heart and head in the right place. He comes across as someone who can sleep soundly at night. I know that this is a very subjective comment that could further contradict the other things that I would write as this entry progresses, but at the basic visceral level, he seems like a guy who would be hard to hate. Either that or I’m just a naturally nice guy.

- He is  his own man – or so it seems. This is where the question of whether or not you trust him comes into play. With the words that he has in his arsenal, he could almost always pluck out a good set of words that would come off as something inspiring and rational enough. I asked him about his stand regarding the separation of church and state as well as his tenacity when it comes to resisting pressures from the church in case there is an appeal to have him change his mind on a certain issue. While he didn’t exactly qualify his support for the Reproductive Health bill itself, he did say that he advocates the responsible planning of one’s family and the availability and access to the necessary information that would bolster one’s reproductive health.

- He is against abortion but is willing to make leeway for certain cases – he mentioned something about ectopic pregnancies. As far as I know, it is legal to terminate these types of pregnancies so his point came across as moot to me. I really wanted to ask him, when does life begin? This is a key question in the pro-choice debates overseas but it seemed out of place in the meeting so I bit my tongue.

- He reiterated his reasons for leaving his now-former party - the Nationalist People’s Coalition. He stated that the terms of his departure was amicable and both sides understood where each was coming from.

- He is not easily intimidated by the bishops and the church. During the height of the Estrada cases, the bishops of Sorsogon tried to pin him down and shame him due to his loyalty to the former president. He easily didn’t back down and he clearly showed that he isn’t beholden to the church – nor is he trying to bend over backwards like most politicians just to accommodate the whims and desires of the clergy.

- He has the brains to offer revolutionary solutions that could promise great change. He can think outside of the box – but of course, not all things inside the box are bad and the things that lie outside of it are rightly kept outside the realm of possible options.

- He claimed to be a maverick in his own party. This is a cursed word in US politics of course, Sarah Palin and John McCain totally used this word to the high heavens just to prove a point. We all know what happened of course. Escudero sure tried to show that he was often taking stances that were opposite the official NPC position.

- He said he finds nothing wrong with same-sex marriage. It was interesting that he said this when the question that was fielded by one of the guests was just one regarding the anti-discrimination bill. He somehow qualified his position though by saying that the country is not ready for it. That somehow dilutes whatever “support” he has for the idea, right?

- He seems to have a sense of humor. When someone drew the parallelism between him and US President Barack Obama, Escudero jested that he was only like Barack “from the waist down”.

The Bad

- Just like 99% of politicians, it’s hard to fall for everything that he says. Trusting Chiz Escudero doesn’t come easy. Again, to be fair, this would apply to almost all politicians – and people in general.

- While he may be not beholden to the church, what he hasn’t proven is that he is not beholden to other powers – i.e. Erap and the rest of his ilk. The impact of standing up to the bishops was somehow diluted because he was standing next to Erap, Jinggoy and the other jabronis in that clique.

- He claimed that he was misquoted regarding the algebra issue. While I did try to hear him out, I was just left scratching my head in the end of his lengthy explanation. The basic idea behind his move to change the curriculum seems decent enough – the Department of Educations seems to be very non-flexible in changing the way things are taught to children and reviewing these lesson plans only twice per decade seems to be a tad too infrequent for comfort.

- He pushed this argument to it’s logical conclusion that we must somehow specialize the subjects in high school based on the abilities and potential future careers of the students. Of course, that supposedly logical conclusion would only fly if 1) children in high school already knew what type of career they wanted (hint: a vast majority don’t) and 2) high school students were better off specializing and choosing with subjects to choose as electives. Both premises are clearly not feasible since they are not the case by any stretch of the imagination – I guess in Chiz’s mind it is, but I didn’t feel compelled to buy into the logic of the statement. The rousing “aha!” moment in the venue surprised me though. It’s as if they really bought what he said.

- High school students have to trained to be good in just about everything since most aren’t probably sure which course or career they want. Some would even be basing their choices on the type of course that their first choice university would allow them to take. This is why you have to give all students the right amount of tools to take on whatever challenge. It also allows the student to have back up plans should the first choice of career or course turns out to be a bad fit.

- Chiz made an example regarding students who were dead set on being one thing and it would be shame if they were to fail or repeat a year in school because they missed the mark on a subject irrelevant to their future career. Aside from the ideas in the bullets preceding this one, “specialty” subjects (who to him are only helpful for those who will be going to engineering and similar disciplines) such as trigonometry and calculus are just mere subjects. He didn’t take into consideration these subjects’ potential to enrich the critical thinking of young students. Coming from an intelligent person such as Chiz who is obviously a sharp knife in the drawer, the logic is really suspect.

- The example of a prodigy who is dead set on doing one thing and committing to a train of subjects is a big risk. At the very least, these type of people are an absolute minority (arguably less than 10% of the typical high school class). Allowing students to be only good at certain subjects skews the grading systems and this could cause irregularities in college admissions. I think this is also a valid extension and conclusion to Chiz’s premise. And in the practical sense, there are also great minds who were primed to be one thing – take the example of Shaira Luna for example of Promil Gifted Child Fame — but ended up doing something entirely different. Imagine if she was bee-lined into a program that was just going to bombard her with life sciences lessons during her high school year.

- And lastly, he wanted to give a passing grade to everyone who was victimized by Ondoy. He said since there was barely a month left in the semester, it shouldn’t hurt to give a free pass to the second sem. This was his reaction to the idea that the first semester was to be extended to allow for make-up classes.

- I really don’t understand his aversion to make-up classes . This is a widely accepted practice that may cause inconveniece, but in the end, with all things considered, it is done to the benefit of the student. The student missed valuable hours of schooling in a classroom and this is addressed by replacing the hours and extending the semestral schedule.

-Giving a free pass to student does not in anyway prepare him or her to the challenges of the next semester. Chiz didn’t seem to take into account that lessons in school are often linear and that prerequisite knowledge of a core concept would have to taught first before progressing to the more advanced concepts and operations of the second semester.

- His main defense for his pass-them-idea? Well, the students need to pick up their lives since it is in shambles and the teachers are also having problems. If anything, going to school gives them a semblance of normalcy that life goes on and that there is a need to strive for greater success and achievement to rise up from the challenges. Going to school shouldn’t be a burden to these children – I’m sure their parents also want them to be in school and continue getting lessons to catch up with whatever learning gap the typhoon has caused.

- Also, how are you going to implement this? Is this a blanket policy or will it only apply to those who were flooded. Clearly, not all students would have been flooded and a selective and not-so-objective way of looking at storm damage would have to fall on the shoulders of the ones making the grades. Chiz also conceded that there would be multiple strong typhoons yearly. Does this mean that he would be willing to keep on giving out free passes every time there’s a big flood problem come October or September since the semester is ending anyway?

The Chiz-y
Ladies and gentlemen, Chiz Escudero tried to run this argument.

Don’t you think those children learned more with their experience during the typhoon and floods compared to what they could ever learn in a classroom?

That is not the quote exactly, but that was the main idea. While I agree and concede that yes, exposure to duress, disasters and calamities may bring out the best out of people and help build character… It doesn’t immediately follow that you should give students who were flooded a passing grade. It was an amazing logical fallacy if there ever was one. It’s a grand hybrid of ad misericordiam and non sequitur. To Chiz though, it was the logical conclusion of the argument. I’m really baffled. What he suggested was a bit patronizing and somehow irrational.

Maybe that sort of reasoning works for some people, but with all due respect to the Senator and all his supporters, that won’t work on me. Things were somehow on the upswing until he said these things right to my face (he was sitting across me – I think it was Noemi‘s idea to have me sit there!)

—

1) Thanks to Carlo Ople for the invitation. The photo also belongs to him.

2) Chiz didn’t say anything regarding his election plans. If you guys would remember, he has only been senator for less than three years – he is assured of a senate seat until 2013 whether or not he wins, loses or even sits pretty without filing his candidacy for 2010.

3) Chiz WILL NOT be Erap’s running mate. I asked this question just to get it out of the way.

4) Chiz will make his decision on the days leading up to the deadline for filing of candidacy (Dec 1)

5) I don’t think I will ever vote for Chiz Escudero.

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For years now, Manuel Quezon III (more famously known as Manolo Quezon) has been dishing on point columns on various publications and putting the issues in a new perspective on his weekly talk-show-slash-lecture-program “The Explainer”. Manolo Quezon personifies what most Filipinos would like in a leader – level-headed, rational, responsive and passionate without the trappings of traditional politics.

Manolo’s popularity is definitely on an all time high and a run for the senate is a very feasible idea already. He has not voiced out his plans for 2010, but with enough of those who believe in his potential in abilities, we may just get him to run for us who think that we deserve leaders at his caliber.

Having Manolo in the Senate will not just be a good development for Philippine politics just because of what he brings to the table – it could also send a strong message that the political landscape in general is changing to a more progressive and critical-thinking atmosphere. It will heavily erode the strong biases against sectors of society.

Join us. Join the Manolo Quezon For Senator Facebook Group.

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The Social Weather Station (SWS) recently released a new poll regarding voter preferences of Filipino voters for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s replacement come 2010. It comes without a surprise that Noynoy Aquino is far an away the leader with 60% of the respondents saying that he can be an acceptable successor to Arroyo. What’s worth noting is that he came out of nowhere to claim this spot – he wasn’t even part of past surveys!

The first thing we have to look at is what the numbers actually mean. It doesn’t mean that 60% of the respondents would vote for Noynoy Aquino if elections were held today – it only means that 60% consider him as a good replacement for the current president. Respondents can have multiple answers so the 60% is actually an upper limit for the number that he can get. It can be surmised that 40% will not consider voting for President had the elections been held during the day of the survey. That being said, the current support for any candidate on this list is considerably less than the number on the graph.

But even if it doesn’t reflect the numerical value of current support, it’s also important to note that the situation is still very fluid. If certain candidates pull out, they can still bolster the numbers of those who are in the race. This is were a wider base of “secondary supporters” come into play. For example, Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas would have been mutually approved in the survey sheets of most of their supporters. With a Mar Roxas pull out, Aquino would then monopolize those votes and consolidate them into a stronger block of ACTUAL support.

The sidelight perhaps is Loren Legarda. She probably won’t run for president; nor has she any chance of winning the top office for the rest of her life, but for a stretch of time from September 2007 to February 2009, Legarda was actually within striking distance of the top spot. This is reminiscent of the late Raul Roco’s performance in surveys prior to 2001 wherein he was constantly topping polls. While it was clear that Roco did himself in with the exposure of his lackluster political machinery, dodgy choice of senatoriables and *ugh* running mate; it is unclear what Legarda did to sabotage her own chances.

A lot of people hated Legarda for flip-flopping on Gloria – and ironically, this is despite the already growing hatred for the GMA Administration back in 2004 — but she still managed to bag 44% of the respondents’ votes of confidence back in 2007. I guess that only means that the 2004 incident was not the reason why she was dropped. The only hypothesis I could offer is that her supporters identified with Noynoy Aquino and Manny Villar – the two candidates whose popularity rose as hers was plummeting.

One interesting sidelight is how surprisingly bad Chiz Escudero’s showing has been. Despite topping the recent senatorial polls and taking every opportunity to spew out empty words on television, Escudero’s preference ratings have stayed pretty much the same over the last 2 years. There is no momentum at all. I won’t even be surprised if he finishes a distant third (or even fourth) when all is said and done. Joseph Estrada might even erode his chances of a third spot finish (not that it matters!) since Escudero’s base of support is supposedly the youth – a demographic that is also captured by the Aquino juggernaut.

As for Villar, I think it’s safe to say that his base is solid. Unfortunately for him, this base isn’t strong enough. And oh, there’s a character named Gilbert Teodoro as well who did a *cough* masterful *cough* job with the Ondoy relief.

I would be very surprised if Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas aren’t the two left standing come June 2010. My heart weeps that Loren got Roco’d.

Link: the actual release from SWS

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While many people would not even bat an eyelash in naming Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the worst president the Philippines have ever had; it would be a bit myopic to suggest that her term didn’t usher in developments that helped the country greatly.

Now that I think about it, most people really appreciate the Marcos Era for the amount of infrastructure that were erected during his tenure – the reclamation of huge swathes of Manila Bay, the Folk Arts Theater, the Cultural Center of The Philippines and the Light Rail Transit system. Many would remember Ferdinand Marcos as a scheming power-hungry dictator who crushed enemies mercilessly; but most would generally concede that the did some things right. Most would go as far as saying that his first term as President was a fairly admirable effort.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not get the same merciful treatment. You will probably not find a good number of GMA apologists outside of her town in Pampanga. While many people voted for her during the 2004 elections, the vote for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was either of the three:

1. a vote against Fernando Poe Jr and Joseph Estrada; FPJ was likable, but the memories of EDSA Dos and Erap were still very fresh.

2. a vote for the status quo. the government was really fragile back then.

3. a last-minute vote change because there was no way that Panfilo Lacson, Raul Roco and Eddie Villanueva won’t be winning anyway.

And oh, she allegedly cheated.

What are the best things that GMA has done for the country then?

Here are the few things that I could come up with. Feel free to add to the list.

The Strong Republic Nautical Highway will go down as Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s greatest contirbution to the Philippine Economy during her term. This network of barges and ferries that allows buses and other vehicles to literally roll on and roll off islands and key cities across the archipelago. For a nation separated by bodies of water, this project certainly improved the efficiency of the transport of goods and people.

The …

Actually, that’s the only thing I can think of.

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Despite  the lion’s share that Roman Catholicism has in the population of the country, I would still like to think that there are lot of people who see the value of having a secular government and society wherein policies and laws are debated and passed based on their merits rather than the blessing of some overbearing institution. I have a lot of friends who are men and women of faith but still find the arrogant and often brash posturing of church leaders in issues like reproductive health and education to be deplorable and downright tasteless.

Religion is an important thing to a lot of people and as long as the practice of such is done to nobody’s detriment, then individuals should learn to respect individual differences and live with the consequences of being a part of a highly diversified world. Unfortunately, like in any other scenario wherein one group holds a seemingly overwhelming virtual majority, that group can be quite deliberate in exercising their right to influence how things are run. It is one thing to lobby for what your religion supposedly holds as its basic tenets but going to the extreme end of blackmailing those who support something that goes against the teachings of one’s church just sets us back into a time when the merits of the case were a mere background to the personalities, prevailing dogma and ruling hegemony of that time.

As voters, we are bombarded with reminders to set aside personality politics and look at the issues in black and white. Non-government organizations, well-meaning social mobilizers and other people who care for the country try to inspire people into being independent when making decisions, but for some reason, a lot still yield to the church and expect the institution to do the thinking for them. It is a sad reality that a lot of Filipinos continue to be devoid of the ability to think out side of the box and think critically of certain concepts that could in fact mold their opinions into more inclusive and comprehensive ones.

Just like people who consider themselves Roman Catholics or Christians, those who value secularism come in a gradient of different temperaments and dedication. There are some who are wildly militant who will be willing to do everything to put the church down into its knees. While their tactics may seem very effective in capturing public attention and of course, getting the ire of the most conservative religious people in the country, it does little as far as the long-term goals of the secular movement is concerned.

A secular Philippines will only be possible when everyone realizes that all people are different and are free to choose and practice what they believe as  long as they do in away that doesn’t infringe on other people’s rights. It seems like common sense, but to this day, discrimination happens at all possible levels – may it be on the basis of race, religion or philosophy, sexual orientation and political ideology. There  is an alarming movement among Catholics and Christians who continue to act as if they own the world and it is in fact their responsibility to convert everyone into their fold. This arrogant and disrespectful behavior is hardly ever criticized and checked, yet the slightest criticism  against religion would draw the ire of a lot of people – even atheists who choose to sit in a corner and do nothing about changing the status quo.

I lack the ability to faithfully believe that there is a million out of almost eighty million Filipinos who are  looking forward to the day when the Catholic hegemony would learn that their religion is not an extension of the government and that people who don’t subscribe to their creed would not be denied  of the benefits of legislation that their institution continue to block, but we have to start somewhere. Those who seek this goal is highly fragmented in terms of location and philosophy and I can safely assume that their methods for achieving change are varied. As a famous atheist once said, trying to herd Atheists, Agnostics, Freethinkers, Deists and Religious people who believe in genuine Secular Humanism is similar to trying to herd cats – each one is its own entity and their fiery passion and intellectual sophistication can easily cause any attempts at organizing them into a group. It is an uphill climb – but it has to start somewhere. Our apathy can only take us so far.

If you believe in the value for fighting for these ideals, please join us at Filipino Free Thinkers. No one claims to know what the best way to go about things would be. Share your insights and we would all take it from there. Peace.

Benj Espina
Press Secretary, Filipino Voices
Author, Atheista

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My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.

And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

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Since I’m feeling extra generous these past few days, I decided to throw in something really special on the table. I’m giving away Wolfgang’s latest studio release Villains.  This is the band’s first album since the 2001′s Black Mantra so it’s a project that everybody anticipated. Since Wolfgang is now producing music through their own label Semenelin Music, their albums aren’t likely to end up in the shelves of established record stores. This means that getting this album can be considerably difficult so you better grab this chance! To sweeten the pot, I’ll throw in a limited edition Wolfgang sticker!

How to join:

1. Leave your First Name, valid email address and/or blog/website in the comments section. I will be contacting winners via e-mail so please give me one that works.

2. In the comment box, simply list your favorite Wolfgang song and explain why. ADDENDUM: If you’ve already answered the question, simply write something about Wolfgang (the music, the guys, the concert/gig experience how they’ve touched your life by fixing your marriage) in 40 words or more.

3. Hit Post! That’s how easy it is. One comment will be equivalent to one raffle entry. The winner will be drawn randomly. You are only allowed to make one comment per day.  Example: If you leave 4 comments for the entire contest period, you will have FOUR entries in the raffle.

4. Deadline for entries will be final second of 2008 (Atheista time). The winner will be drawn by a soon-to-be-determined person other than myself on the first day of the New Year.

I won’t be able to mail the album so you have to get it from me IF you win. I live in city of Manila.

GOOD LUCK.

****If nobody joins… well, that’s just sad. haha****

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Pulse Asia just released the results of their polls from February 21 to March 8 and after days of number crunching, we are now ready to meet and greet the presumptive front runner for the 2010 Presidential Elections.

It’s Noli de Castro.

Oh yes. The suspiciously quiet and hardly visible Vice-President is the current front runner to replace Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2010. The former broadcaster was the choice of 21.5% of respondents in Pulse Asia’s survey. The people who were part of the poll were asked who they will vote for if the elections were held today. Though GMA’s running mate in 2004 had the best showing, personalities associated with the opposition were hot on his heels.

Loren Legarda, currently a senator after topping the 2007 polls, is not so far behind with 17.5%. It is worth noting that Legarda filed election cheating charges against de Castro after claiming to have been wrongly declared as the loser of the 2004 polls. The Commission on Elections ruled that de Castro won over Legarda by just over 800,000 votes. Legarda is the only active big-name politician who has run for the Vice-Presidency and Senate.

Senate newcomer Chiz Escudero is at robust 13.5% despite not expressing any willingness to run for the top post. Mar Roxas is definitely running in 2010, but he’ll have his work cut out for him – he barely crosses the double-digit mark at 10.5%. 2004 Presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson is at 9.5% while another 2010 hopeful Manny Villar is at 9.3%.

Personalities who are known allies of the current administration didn’t do so well. Bayani Fernando, Dick Gordon, Sonny Belmonte and Gilbert Teodoro weren’t even able to cough up 3% between the four of them.

Jinggoy Estrada is at 3.3%, the now-incarcerated Antonio Trillanes is at 3.0% while Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay is at 1.2%.

I guess this officially starts our regular helpings of surveys!

Source

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This is in response to Janette Toral‘s tag.

It’s quite noble to analyze the dynamics of an upcoming election despite already knowing how elections are usually played out in this country. It’s no big secret that those who decide the election are the misinformed masses who wouldn’t really care about issues. We would be lucky if these people would even give a token glance on issues before making up their minds on who to vote for. Politics is a simple game of persuasion wherein a box of liquor (during a supposed alcohol ban) and a few hundred pesos per voter could change the fates of candidates.

Cynicism has its place in elections because society has not properly empowered the voters. To a certain extent, society doesn’t exactly promote healthy debates and arguments to occur due to the Filipino concept of pakikisama (compromising to get along) and conformity. Aside from the Charter Change issue, is there any other big concept out there that is contentious and worth debating about? None! Because ALMOST all Filipino politicians are centrists. The only people who stick out are those who are rabidly leaning towards to the left like the party-list representatives from the Communist Party of the Philippines and the few bold and brave men like Ping Lacson and Bayani Fernando who choose to go against the grain and push for controversial bills regarding population control and sex education.

Everybody else stays in the middle. They simply try to weather the social judgments to hopefully gain the endorsements from various pulpits. The least offensive candidate always wins. For a people who loves to whine about the lack of change and how the status quo is wanting, Filipinos almost always go for least disagreeable candidate instead of going for the candidate with the strongest ideas to address certain issues. You can’t blame them though. There are no debates – there are no contentious points to launch substantial arguments from. Due to this void, the electorate has no choice but to simply go with something more accessible – the personality, affiliation and background of the candidates.

Deviance – whether ideological or otherwise — has no place in the political arena. Pre-election, opinions that would go against the prevailing intentions of the local parish would easily make a candidate unelectable. Post-election, this would lead to the alienation of that elected official. This aversion to deviance is of course a result of the influence of the various institutions that have stood in our country for so long.

In 2010, no candidate will say that he isn’t for the environment. No one will dare claim that education is unimportant and doesn’t warrant funding. No one will debate and I bet a shiny five peso coin that no one will say anything remotely substantial. It will be all glamor, glitz and sashaying all over again.

There are only three relevant issues that will decide the outcome of the 2010 polls:

1. Fooling the masses

Elections are won and lost on the basis of sincerity regarding poverty alleviation. All candidates woo the poor and try to win their hearts and minds (term used loosely). If you can prove that you were cousins with a laundry woman, your stock rises dramatically. Consider yourself elected!

2. Face Time!

Advertising is expensive so unless you’re willing to hemorrhage three hundred thousand pesos for a 30 second ad placement, you better be crafty and creative. Why not schedule your child’s baptismal or heck, your own wedding on the days leading to the election! Our classy journalistic sector will lap this up in no time and chalk it up as human interest. Anyone else betting on a Korina Sanchez – Mar Roxas nuptials on 2009?

3. MONEY!

Unless you’re a throwback to the hacienda era, you will need to raise oodles of money to get elected. How do you do this? Simple, just link up with any drug ring or gambling syndicate and you’ll get the funds that you need. It’s a perfect match. The syndicates get protection while you get non-taxable, untraceable campaign contributions. It’s definitely a win-win!

And you, fellow Filipinos, will love them to bits.

• Questions for possible 2010 candidates
• Eleksyon sa 2010: Mga mahalagang isyu, 3
• Awit na Nananawagan (In Response to Janette Toral’s Call for a Blog Brainstorm about 2010 Elections)
• The 2010 Elections…. eto na naman tayo!
• 2010 is Coming
• Issues for 2010
• 2010 Philippine Elections: Important Issues, 2
• Program of Government for 2010: A Laundry List
• Important Issues for the 2010 Philippine Elections
• Two Top Tens
• 2010 Philippine Elections: Important Issues, 1
• Issues come 2010
• Philippines 2010 Elections

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As ironic as this might sound to most people, I’m a big fan of Pampanga Governor-elect Ed Panlilio. It takes guts to man up against the wife of an alleged jueteng lord and incumbent in a hotly contested election, but that’s not the reason why I admire him. Yes, he’s a priest. And yes, I know he believes in the higher power that Catholics are taught to accept. Those issues take the backseat compared to how he ran his campaign and how he has kept his humility and political correctness in his success.

Unlike other pretentious clergy men who have the despicable urge to inject every holier than thou statement when being interviewed by the media *cough Robert Reyes cough* *cough Eddie Villanueva cough*, Panlilio shows eloquence, maturity and composure in handling his business. I never heard him say things regarding uniting people under a religion or one god. He doesn’t invoke his priesthood as a means of making himself more ‘suitable’ or more ‘closer to god’ unlike that douche bag Eddie Villanueva has done repeatedly since 2004. He is constructive in his comments and never will you hear him blaming people for all the wrongs that they’ve did. If you’ve heard him talk, you would see that his ideas are clearly inclusive and sincerely cooperative. He is not a mere whiner who invokes random concepts regarding abstract things like moral compass and takot sa diyos when faced with difficult questions on his qualifications. There was nothing fundamentalist about his stance and he’s sensitive enough to treat everyone nicely even if certain people are in the minority.

Other than his tasteful and tactful way of handling interviews, it is very apparent that he knows what he’s talking about. He’s not just some guy whose stock knowledge exclusively consists of mere psalms. He has consistently articulated his plans on his first and (supposed) last term as governor. With little nuggets of information he has hinted on how well-read he is on economics and public administration.

I am absolutely in awe of his courage. I admire his intellectual prowess. Most importantly, I appreciate his conscious effort to keep his interviews as secular as possible. He keeps himself from crossing the distasteful line that Eddie Villanueva has crossed and the boundary that the Ang Kapatiran christian Fundamentalist Taliban Party have zealously stepped over. He knows he has clout inside his religion, but he didn’t abuse it. He recognizes the differences among people and he chooses to pay respect to everyone by being politely unassuming and politically correct.

It doesn’t come as a surprise to me that most of my Atheist friends are also huge fans of his.

Mabuhay ka Among Ed!

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As I’ve said in an earlier post, the 1992 was the first elections that I consciously followed. I was a 7 year-old boy then but seeing all the numbers and tallies appear on the television and on newspapers made me want to see for myself how the election would turn out. The election fifteen years ago arguably featured the best crop of presidential candidates in the history of the Philippines. Seven candidates battled for the post of Chief Executive – two of whom have passed away with one choosing to stay out of the public eye.

Salvador “Doy” Laurel is a proud son of Batangas who served as Cory Aquino’s Vice-President after Ferdinand Marcos was ousted from power. If his surname sounds familiar, it’s because he is a son of a former President Jose P. Laurel. Interestingly, he initially took Medicine in UP before shifting to Law School (also in UP). He was supposed to run against Marcos during the snap elections, but after a tedious negotiation process, Laurel stepped aside to let Ninoy Aquino’s widow run for President. Ironically, then-incumbent Cory Aquino didn’t support the candidacy of her second-in-command. After helping organize the Philippine Centennial celebrations, Doy went to the United States to live a relatively private life. He died of lymhoma in 2004.

Ramon “Monching” Mitra was one of the local politicians who bore the brunt of Marcos’ wrath during the dark days of the Martial Law era. Mitra, a native of the island of Palawan, served multiple terms as a Congressman (1965-1971, 1987-1992) and was even a senator for a year prior to the proclamation of Martial Law. He was also the Speaker of the House during his last term in Congress. Despite sharing the same party with Fidel Ramos, Mitra was actually the party president and standard bearer of the Laban Ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP). As a result of this, Ramos left the party and launched an all out offensive against his former comrade.

In 1995, he ran again for the Senate but lost by just under 50,000 to the twelfth-ranked candidate Nikki Coseteng. Mitra passed away in the year 2000 after an extended bout with liver cancer.

Among all the candidates, Jovito Salonga‘s credentials were easily among the most admirable. He attended prestigious institutions the University of the Philippines, Yale University and Harvard University before becoming one of the best legal minds the country had to offer during the post-war era. He was also one of Marcos’ toughest critics and that merited him a stringent response from the dictator. Salonga served his country as Senate President and a Congressman during his long stint as a government official.

He was the oldest candidate back in ’92 but he’s still around. The eighty-seven years old young Salonga still returns to the public eye from time to time to share his insights about good governance.

Cory Aquino was the nation’s first woman president and the likelihood of having another one was definitely alive in 1992. Two women vied for the top post in the land.

Who doesn’t know her? Imelda Romualdes Marcos, fresh from losing her husband to lupus decided to revive the Bagong Lipunan that Ferdinand built. It had the makings of a strong campaign. Despite the ouster of Marcos, the 1986 Snap Election was hardly a landslide win for Cory. There was still a considerable number of people (46% according to NAMFREL) who still opted for an extension of Marcos rule. But then again, we all know that a lot of Marcos die-hards often blame Imelda for screwing it all up. And yes, she’s still alive.

The fiery and verbose Ilongga literally came out of nowhere to contest the Presidency. Though Miriam Defensor-Santiago resume was rich with her experiences through her law practice and career as a judge, she was still limited to holding cabinet positions prior to her bid for the the highest post in the country. Surprisingly, the fact that she has never joined a national election was not something that would faze voters. If you haven’t been living under a rock, you would know that she’s an incumbent senator.

The last two candidates are people that you know very well – San Miguel’s top honcho Danding Cojuangco and the eventual winner Fidel Valdez Ramos. Both are still politically-relevant because up to the present, their moves and decisions still influence the political climate. Cojuangco is a known kingmaker and financier, while Ramos is a President-Emeritus of the dominant LAKAS-CMD party.

This was how the nation voted during the 1992 elections:

No, that’s not a coloring book page. That’s a graphical account of who won what province during the 1992 Presidential Elections. All seven candidates won at least one province. Even the last placed candidate – incumbent Vice-President Laurel — was able to win a handy majority in his home turf of Batangas.

It was a close race:

If you would take note of the map, Miriam Defensor-Santiago won in areas where there was a considerably voting population (the island of Panay and Metro Manila). What ultimately clinched the victory for Fidel Ramos was his strong performance in Mindanao. Curiously, Ramos is former military man and… ok, I wouldn’t get into that. Ramos probably won this election due to the endorsement that Cory Aquino gave him. Apparently, Cory’s choice still mattered in 1992. Hehe.

The 1992 elections also saw the rise of two future Philippine Presidents. Joseph Estrada was the winner of the Vice-Presidential race with 33% of the total votes cast. He was Danding Cojuangco’s running mate. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was number 13 in the Senatorial Race, but luckily for her, 24 Senators were declared winners in 1992. The top 12 were to serve 6-year terms while the next 12 got to serve for the next three years.

Does it look familiar? Look at how many LDP guys made it! That just shows you how strong Mitra’s party was. Eleven of the top twelve candidates were from the LDP and the only one who wasn’t from the party was *gasp* Fidel Ramos’ sister! Haha

1. Tito Sotto is of course still running in this year’s elections. He got into the Senate with a whopping total of almost 12 million votes *yikes*!

2. Ramon Revilla “served” (term used loosely) 12 years in the Senate and has since been replaced by one of his 7830493 children, Ramon “Bong” Revilla.

3. Edgardo Angara, just like Sotto, is running under Team Unity this election! He’s an incumbent senator who was one of the few Puwersa ng Masa candidates who won during the post-EDSA Dos elections of 2001.

4. Orlando Mercado (#7) used to be a strong political personality until he flip flopped one time too many. He went to EDSA Dos AND EDSA Tres! How’s that for turncoatism! He ran under Gloria’s K4 during the 2004 elections and expectedly, lost. Fortunately, he has made up his mind about not running in this year’s elections.

5. Four TV personalities were in the Top 12. Tito Sotto is from Eat Bulaga-fame while Ramon Revilla is a popular actor who stars in films with magical amulets in the plot. Orly Mercado was a mainstay in the long-running charity show

 —-

All figures and pictures were taken from Wikipedia. Credit goes to the party <Joseph Solis>  responsible for their production and distribution.

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Originally posted February 26, 2007

Excerpt from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Escudero also suggested a revision of public schools’ curriculum that would reduce the number of regular subjects taught to students – from the current eight to 11, to six – as one way to reduce the classroom shortage.

Essential subjects, he said, would include Languages, including English and Filipino, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies or History, Computer and Good Manners and Right Conduct.

Subjects like trigonometry, calculus, geometry, and algebra, should be taught only in college or as high school electives since these are not relevant to the everyday life of Filipinos, he said.

rest of article here

If you think that’s not enough, look at what he said in his privilege speech:

Quote:

PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF REP. ESCUDERO

………

Mr. Speaker, ang isang dahilan kung bakit kada taon marami tayong classrooms na kinakailangan ay dahil napakaraming nasisira sa kakulangan ng supisyenteng pondo para i-maintain at i-repair lang sana ang mga classrooms na ito.

Secondly, Mr. Speaker, we should and we propose that the curriculum be restudied. Mr. Speaker, I know that this will generate a lot of debate but I hope that our colleagues will listen for awhile. Sa ngayon, umaabot sa nine to eleven ang subjects ng ating mga estudyante sa elementary at high school. Nakukuba na ang ating mga estudyante sa kakabitbit ng napakaraming libro. Subalit ang tanong ko ho: Ito ba ay angkop pa rin sa pangangailangan ng ating bansa sa ngayon? Ang kanila po bang pinag-aralan ay nagagamit nila sa kanilang buhay sa labas ng paaralan at magagamit kapagka sila ay naghanap ng trabaho?
I can only cite myself as an example, Mr. Speaker, but mula po nung natapos ako nung high school hindi ko pa nagamit ang Calculus, hindi ko pa ho nagamit and Trigonometry, hindi ko pa ho nagamit and Algebra, iyung Geometry, sa bilyar ko lang nagamit. At iyong mga ibang itinuturo ay marapat sigurong ituro sa kolehiyo kung nais maging inhinyero ng isang bata. Iyong mga ibang itinuturo, marapat sigurong ibigay na lamang nating sa kanila sa kolehiyo o bilang elective pagdating ng high school. link

I guess the ‘good’ congressman forgot that most high school students won’t grow up to be lawmakers who waste time by making really retarded statements. Algebra, Trigonometry, Chemistry and similar subjects stimulate critical thinking and this prepares them for the more challenging topics that they’ll face in college or in the work environment. Yes, knowing Euclid’s postulates and ionic bonds won’t help a future lawyer, but geometric concepts could come handy for an architect or engineer. Using your brain to think logically in solving problems didn’t kill anyone and there’s no reason for us stop making high school students use this faculty.

A lot of people will be voting for Escudero because he’s cute. Some people even say he looks like Bamboo Mañalac. I don’t recall Bamboo having gigantic craters on his face. What Chiz needs aside from a lobotomy is a nice, luxurious and affordable skin resurfacing treatment. Come to think of it, he might need more than one.

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