Blog Attack: Philippine Elections Blog Watch 2007: the Opposition

When you come to think of it, there is no real opposition parties in the Philippines when parties are just viewed not by the platform of governance and by the collective stand on the national issues but rather a fleeting vehicle of political convenience. The multiparty system was born out in the end of the totalitarian and fascistic Marcos regime as a natural reaction to the KBL-dominated politics during most of Marcos' presidency. The 1987 constitution, flawed as it is, provided for a multiparty republic, where sadly, there is almost no majority outcome in every electoral exercise- a deadly precursor to numerous powergrabs. President after President, a minority President is susceptible to power struggles from different groups with vested interests, as exemplified by the Aquino, Estrada and Arroyo presidencies where instead of focusing towards the urgent matters like social and economic development the sitting President has to fend off attacks from both the left and right of the political spectrum.

UNO, or the United Opposition or recently called the Grand and Broad Opposition/Coalition has fielded its 12 Senators for the 2007 Elections- interestingly, 2 of this Senators- Manny Villar and Francis Pangilinan has declared that they will be running as independent candidates. By independent, I guess we can surmise that he means that there are no formal electoral "party" machinery to back one up, as Villar is a member of the Nacionalista Party.

From the start, UNO has been plagued by accusations of nepotism, lack of funds, and a program of action with no real substance. UNO happens to be a conglomeration of different personalities with only one goal and that is to oust GMA.

Let's take a quick look on UNO/GBC/GBO senatorial slate.

1. Loren Legarda - The broadcaster was among the prominent figures in the Estrada impeachment trials complete with all the drama and the tears. By 2005, she ran under the same Erap ticket as the runningmate of FPJ but lost to alleged cheating by her ABS-CBN colleague. She filed for a recount at the COMELEC, unfortunately, with she running for the Senate this time, she might as well throw that petition out of the window. By filing for her candidacy for the Senate, she had effectively thrown in the towel.

2. John Osmeña - Osmeña is another proof that Philippine politics advocates Environmentalism- we just recycle politicians. John Osmeña along with Tessie Aquino-Oreta was the butt of really nasty jokes during the last impeachment- with not so subtle innuendoes of his gender preference. The problem I have with recycled politicians is that really, these people were so ineffective the previous time, why should I be voting them back into office?

3. Ping Lacson - Lacson admittedly is Chinatown's baby. Apparently, this reelectionist who was supposedly a champion crimebuster, was accused of human rights abuses himself (including staging kidnap and rescue). Constantly on the hair of the First Gentleman, Lacson has recently mellowed down (in the media at least),and has been a little tightlipped in many issues of the day. Whether he is just being cautious or that he is weighing in his political future on his stand on many matters, we don't know. For now.

4. Chiz Escudero - Escudero reminds me of longwinded, talking doll blabbering about words that seems important but actually at a closer look utterly pointless. That's why I switch channels everytime he is on camera because I cant just stand the total bullsh*t that this person spew about as well as his pointed nipples that poke through his teeshirts while his home province of Sorsogon collapsed under the weight of the recent calamities. The worst part is, everyone is actually buying it. The bullsh*t I mean. I guess his breakfast, lunch and dinner consists of bringing down governments by just talking. A whole lot of it. A trapo in the making.

5. Alan Peter Cayetano - What was that movie again called? The BIG FAT GREEK LIAR? or the BIG FAT GREEK DYNASTY? With his late father who was a senator himself (The late Cayetano was a virtual unknown to many until he became an ABS-CBN mainstay himself) His sis Pia is in the Senate, Rene Carl was a Muntinlupa councilor from 2001-2004 and brother-in -law Ari-Ben Sebastian is a director of the Bases Conversion Development Authority. Cayetano made a grave mistake of accusing someone based on hearsay. And that someone happened to be the First Gentleman. FG is considered to be a private citizen and how and why would a private citizen be dragged into the prying eyes of the public based on an unfounded accusation boggles my mind. What gall.

6. Noy-Noy Aquino - Kris Aquino's saner brother. Noy-Noy is considered really as a political starlet vis-a-vis the scintillating media coverage of his scandalous aunt Tessie and the equally scandalous Kris, not to mention the long shadows being cast by his late father Ninoy and his mom, the jaundiced Cory Aquino. With huge shoes to fill, Noy-noy has yet to distinguish himself as Hacienda Luisita's representative (or Tarlac for that matter). Noy-noy is just a perpetuation of the Aquino dynasty in the world of Philippine political elite.

7. Koko Pimentel - Ran and lost as mayor of Cagayan de Oro City. With Daddy Nene already a Senator, dont we love political dynasties in this country? If one Pimentel cant make it right, why should we try another one?

8. Sonia Roco - I voted for the late Raul Roco, which I think was the last ever chance this country will ever get in having a great President can inspire and move us, but who is Sonia Roco? What does she stand for? Will she be able to stand on her own in the company of dirtbags? Let me remind her, it will be her standing in the Senate defending legislations, not her husband.

9.Nikki Coseteng - Coseteng's political career was almost totally destroyed during the Estrada impeachment trial where her obvious obstructionist posturings reeked of partisanship. She was booed several times during her visit to UP Iloilo during the waves of Estrada scandals. Like many returning political zombies, she will be slugging it out in the polls with the relatively newer batches of Senator-wannabes.

10. Lt. Grade Antonio Trillanes IV - Trillanes' candidacy under the UNO wing puts extreme suspect to early 2006 accusations of having military-Opposition conspiracy to bring down GMA's government. This military adventurist and self-styled Messiah is one reason why it is dangerous to mix military and politics. Apparently, Trillanes and company still thought that we live in a banana republic ruled by a military junta. Bringing down a government is a serious, serious offense my dear, and if UNO had a better sense on their heads, they better make a clear stand on this. Trillanes is still on trial on a very grave offense, and any indication of support and condonation for such treasonous behaviors by UNO sends wrong signals to the business community as well as the international community.

11. Manuel Villar - One of the congressmen that impeached Estrada, it would be of course be a little awkward if suddenly, Villar would be buttkissing the deposed President- but of course what are the odds? Villar has been prevented lately to visit Estrada in his Tanay resthouse. Declaring himself as an independent while UNO claims him as their guest candidate, Villar, is threading on a gray area, albeit a comfortable ambiguity of what he really stand for.


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The 12th Candidate bolted out of the GO ticket, endangering the already cash-strapped, fractious and weak opposition ticket. Pangilinan, who is under the Drilon-wing of the Liberal Party, has another partymate- Drilon-LP's Noynoy Aquino who threatened to bolt GO if Pangilinan will be replaced by another candidate.


12. Francis Pangilinan - Part of the illustrious Pangilinan brothers, Francis unfortunately cast himself into the political limbo when he called for GMA to step down. With the Opposition cannot altogether accept him as one of their own (Pangilinan was an anti-Erap then), Kiko will ultimately have to work extra hard this time, expending whatever charm he has left combined with the wattage and the weight of his wife Sharon, literally and figuratively, as a famous showbusiness personality.