Living a moment in a day and sharing it in an an anecdote brings it back to life and sort of immortalizes it into a blog post for anyone to read and learn from. This also goes for remembered anecdotal incidents in the past that I'd like to retell into a blogged account. Plus some musings mine or someone elses's.
So here goes. Hello world.
AROUND 500,000 people who take the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) every day should brace themselves for a fare increase.
"There's no stopping a fare hike," Transportation Undersecretary Dante Velasco said in an interview Thursday.
"The MRT's operational costs and government subsidies are growing. The new government's policy is to reduce these subsidies [which are] hurting the nation," he added.
According to him, the Department of Transportation and Communications was also considering hiking Light Rail Transit (LRT) fares.
"We're looking at it one train line at a time," he said.
Administrator Melquiades Robles of the LRT Authority which operates Line 1 and 2 said they badly need a fare hike due to rising operation and maintenance costs.
"There is an urgent need to increase fares. We just have to set a board meeting and discuss the new rates," he said.
Overdue
"The last time we had an increase was seven years ago," Robles added.
The DOTC said the additional money from the fare hikes would help the government improve the overhead train system's operations and increase the capacity.
Right now, the most that the MRT can charge a passenger is P15 for a single trip, making it one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to get around Metro Manila.
However, transporting a passenger on the train can cost as much as P60. The difference, Velasco said, was being covered by the government.
"We are now adopting a 'users pay' concept, wherein the people who use the trains are the ones who pay for the costs. When the government provides subsidies, all tax payers, whether they take the trains or not, are forced to pay," he explained.
Earlier this month, DOTC officials said they were looking at ways for the MRT to make money to cover its operating and maintenance costs so that the financial burden would not be passed on to the riding public.
They also ruled out the possibility of a fare hike.
In his first State of the Nation Address, President Aquino said ordinary tax payers had been forced to foot the bill of the rising costs of running the trains because of the previous administration's refusal to hike fares.
THE HEADS of both the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit MRT) are talking about increasing their fares because the government is losing money in subsidizing their operations. The government pays P40 for every rail passenger in addition to the fare he pays, they said. This subsidy comes from the taxes paid by all taxpayers, even those from the boondocks, and not only from the taxes paid by those who use the rail lines, they said, and it is unfair to use the taxes paid by the former to subsidize the fares of the latter. So they have no choice but to increase their fares.
Not so fast. All mass transit systems in the world, whether elevated rails or the regular trains or the city-operated bus lines, are subsidized by their governments. Because the mass transit systems are, as the name implies, for the masa, the poor. They are meant to transport the biggest number of people quickly at the least cost to them. If these transit systems were to charge their passengers what it costs to transport each one of them, they wouldn't be able to afford it or they wouldn't be willing to pay it. For example, if the LRT or MRT were to charge each passenger what it costs to transport each of them, which is, according to them, P50 per, that would cost each passenger P100 round trip, almost half of the day's wages of a laborer. This laborer would be working only for the light rail transits, leaving little for his family.
All governments subsidize their people, in one form or another. That is the service they deserve in exchange for all the taxes, direct or indirect, that they pay. That is what a government is there for. It is not correct to say that the taxpayers of Mindanao or North Luzon are subsidizing the fares of light rail passengers in Manila. The taxpayers of Metro Manila also pay for subsidies that go to the people of Mindanao and North Luzon, like health care, feeder roads and free or cheap rice.
Let's go back to why the light rails were set up in the first place. They were set up primarily to decongest the streets below. It was hoped that the LRT and MRT would take passengers away from the buses and jeepneys which have been making the streets hell on earth. With fewer passengers, there would be fewer buses and jeepneys clogging the streets. They would go elsewhere where their services are needed, as in the provinces.
But no such thing happened. As we can see, Edsa is still clogged with buses and Rizal Avenue with jeepneys because the light rails cannot carry all the people who want to ride them. As we can also see, the coaches of the elevated trains are bursting with people packed like sardines, and many more are left waiting in the train stations. Because the companies do not have enough trains and coaches.
Through economies of scale, the government can reduce the subsidy by transporting more people by having more trains and coaches. But the companies refuse to buy more of them. Anyway the government pays for the profits that they don't earn from their passengers.
Right from the very beginning, it was known that the trains would not earn enough to pay for the costs of operation. That is why the government guaranteed to pay the private corporations the profits they could not earn from their passengers. In other words, the government went into the venture with its eyes open. It knew from the very beginning that it would have to subsidize the trains. The government would get back its subsidies in the improvement of the economy when goods and people are transported quickly and cheaply.
And so that the private train operators would earn more and lessen the government subsidy, the original plan was to have small shopping malls and parking lots at every train station, where people with cars could park their vehicles for a small fee, and ride the trains to their destinations. The operators would earn extra from the parking fees and from the rentals in the shopping malls. They were also given the authority to rent out the advertising spaces in the stations, under the elevated rails, and inside and outside the trains themselves to earn more.
But while the advertising aspect was implemented, the parking and shopping mall versions were not. What for, when the government was subsidizing its operations anyway?
One more thing, the huge lot at the end of the MRT line on Edsa, opposite SM North Edsa, was supposed to be used for MRT trains. Instead, it was sold or leased to Ayala, which built the Trinoma shopping mall. To whom did the money go? If the land is being leased, to whom is Ayala paying?
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May I suggest that new MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino and the new LTFRB chair stand on Edsa for several minutes one day and watch the buses passing by. They would notice that all the buses, running bumper-to-bumper, have very few passengers, even during rush hours. How do they earn enough to continue operations? If each bus has only very few passengers, then the bus must be losing money with each trip. So how can they continue operating day in and day out? There is only one logical explanation: they are overcharging their passengers. The fares authorized by the LTFRB are too much. So that the few passengers are actually paying for all the empty seats.
Why do the bus operators, even those from the provinces, insist on operating in Metro Manila even as colorums where they run with very few passengers, whereas their services are sorely needed in the provinces? Because there is more profit operating in Metro Manila, even with fewer passengers. How do they do it? Because they are charging their few passengers more than what is fair to the latter, and that is courtesy of the LTFRB.
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| 4 presidential bets concede to Aquino By Dennis Carcamo, Dino Maragay and Vernadette Joven (philstar.com) (The Philippine Star) Updated May 11, 2010 02:52 AM |
(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines – Four presidential hopefuls have conceded to election frontrunner Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.
Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar, Ang Kapatiran's JC de los Reyes, Sen. Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan and administration bet Gilberto Teodoro have called it quits following their consistently low rankings in the partial tally of election returns.
In a press conference at his campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City this morning, Villar offered his congratulatory remarks to Aquino.
"I congratulate Noynoy for his victory. The people have indeed spoken and I will respect their decision," Villar told reporters.
The latest partial vote tally by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed Villar way behind Aquino at third place with 4,329,215 votes against the Liberal Party bet's 12,233,002.
Villar said he now looks forward to spending more time with his family. He thanked his supporters, especially the poor whom he said he best related to.
The senator has anchored his presidential campaign on a pro-poor platform, having claimed to come from a poor family himself.
"For the rest of my life, I will remain their champion," he said.
Villar likewise expressed his commitment to work with the next administration.
Additionally, the senator looks forward to cleaning up his image, which for the duration of the campaign period had been tainted by allegations of corruption.
"I believe that I will be given the chance to clear my name from the allegations thrown on me. This for me is the most important thing," Villar said.
Of the presidential contenders, Villar, the country's richest politician, was perceived to have invested the most time, money and effort in his campaign. He has spent millions in radio and television advertisements and other campaign paraphernalia.
Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) national chairperson Tita de Villa lauded Villar for giving up in the presidential race after consistently placing third in the ongoing count by the PPCRV and the Comelec.
"I would like to congratulate him. It was a nice thing to do. That's the beauty of automation. There's no room for cheating," De Villa told reporters at the Pope Pius Catholic Center in Manila where the PPCRV has been conducting a parallel count of the automated elections.
'An act of statemanship'
The Comelec, for its part, also praised Villar for his "act of statemanship."
The poll body said it was a hard-fought race for Villar, having had to fend off many personal attacks and allegations.
"By rights Sen. Villar could have consistently stayed to see this contest to the bitter end, however, he chose not do that. Instead he chose to set aside his personal ambition to speed up the process of political reunification that this country needs after all that happened in this election," it said.
The poll body also expressed its gratitude for the vote of confidence in the automated election system that Villar expressed in his media statement.
De los Reyes, Gordon, Teodoro follow suit
Shortly after Villar called it quits, it was De los Reyes' turn to bow out of the presidential race.
According to a TV report, De los Reyes said he has decided to concede after consistently placing last in the partial vote tally of election returns both from the Comelec and the PPCRV.
Delos Reyes, however, stressed he will not concede his "platform."
"I have conceded as to the electoral count but not as the platform I was tasked to push, which is to finally enact the anti-dynasty law and abolish pork barrel. Senator Aquino is not one with us in these radical reforms we need for our country, but I will support his government in the other reform efforts we have in common," he said in a text message to reporters.
As of 6:15 a.m., De los Reyes is at the bottom of the list of nine candidates vying for the presidency with only 34,833 votes or 0.11 percent of the total votes cast in the Comelec tally. As of 10:32 a.m., he was also last in the PPCRV's parallel tally with only 36,495 votes.
Gordon, for his part, said he has accepted the "will of the people" during the first automated elections in the country.
"Today, we have a victory for democracy with the successful exercise of our first nationwide automated elections despite naysayers and doubters," Gordon said in a statement.
The senator also rallied Filipinos to throw their support behind Aquino.
"I would like to congratulate Sen. Aquino for his spectacular victory. I call upon the nation to unite and support him," he said.
Lakas-Kampi-CMD's Teodoro, meanwhile, is holding a press conference as of posting time.
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 00:00
BY BUDDY CUNANAN
Fellow Filipinos, by this time next week (assuming that the specter of election failure doesn't materialize), voters would have cast their ballots and the fire, smoke, and brimstone from months of the bloodiest exchanges in Philippine politics would have begun to settle.
It's now clear that this election is down to two candidates—the Liberal Party's Sen. Noynoy Aquino and the Nacionalista Party's Sen. Manny Villar. The country is at a crossroads and our choice for president will have a vital impact on our future.
We've heard it often enough—the Philippines, once second only to Japan, is now the sick man of Asia.
The country has fallen far behind its neighbors. Compared to China, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, the Philippines is the poorest performer in Real GDP growth, Per Capita GDP growth, Net Foreign Direct Investment and Domestic Investment. The first two indicators show how much wealth is being generated in the country, while the last two are a gauge of local and foreign business confidence in the economy and the competitiveness of the Philippines and its labor force.
The Philippines ranks 105th out of 182 countries in the UNDP Human Development Index, down from 77 in 1997 to 84 in 2003, and it's getting worse. The HDI takes into account life expectancy at birth, knowledge and education, and standard of living and shows that the situation is deteriorating. The HDI is not the only statistic that's going downhill. Every other statistic is weakening.
But I don't need to cite statistics. The evidence is all around us, from the growing ranks of the rural and urban poor to the thousands of Filipinos fleeing the country everyday in search of greener pastures.
The next president will inherit a country that is facing a staggering amount of problems. Upon inauguration, he will have to hit the ground running and won't have time to "learn the ropes."
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Noynoy is leading in the surveys, due to sympathy for his late mother, President Cory Aquino, and his supporters' belief that he is the Philippines' salvation. However, it is difficult to see how Noynoy can solve the country's problems when he hasn't accomplished anything. In his 12 years as a legislator, he has not passed a single law nor has he contributed to development in his congressional district. Furthermore, Aquino has never managed any company or enterprise—not even a family, the most basic social unit.
Meanwhile, his drumbeaters continue waxing nostalgic about Cory's administration when it was, in fact, a dismal failure on all counts—land reform, peace process, energy security, economic development—and did nothing to stop the corruption of the Cojuangco-Aquino relatives, who were responsible for the term "Kamaganak Inc" ("Relatives, Inc). This same cast of characters is behind Noynoy's candidacy. If Cory couldn't or didn't control them, how can Noynoy?
Villar, in contrast, has lived a life defined by challenges, overcoming and breaking through invisible barriers and ceilings, and accomplishment. Through hard work, he rose from humble beginnings in impoverished Tondo to become the biggest low-cost property developer in Southeast Asia. He parlayed his achievements in business to a successful political career as a legislator from Las Piñas, and later Speaker of the House and Senate President.
Unfortunately, the black propaganda hurled against Villar have made people forget that the Upper House, since its re-establishment in 1987, was most productive during his watch, passing numerous landmark laws and instigating investigations into the alleged wrongdoings of the Arroyo administration, most notably the NBN-ZTE scandal. People also forget that when there were overseas Filipino workers that needed to be brought home, Villar was the only politician who did something about it. As Speaker, Villar was the one who railroaded the impeachment charge against then President Estrada to the Senate. Without him, there wouldn't have been an Edsa 2.
But perhaps the strongest argument for a Villar presidency is that the man has the energy, vision, and experience to competently address the country's problems. He has demonstrated that he can perform under pressure and has the necessary managerial skills to be the nation's CEO. Furthermore, he has a track record of outstanding performance in the public and private sectors. With his experience in industry and government, Villar can create an atmosphere conducive to entrepreneurship and local and foreign investment, which is exactly what the Philippines needs to create more jobs—GDP growth.
I have never met nor spoken with Villar or Aquino. My decision to vote for Villar is based on an objective analysis of their track records, life experiences, and tested capabilities.
For the first time since Fidel Ramos, we can elect a man who can get the country back on its feet, to correct the mismanagement of the Estrada and Arroyo administrations. Let's not waste this chance.
neighborsnbn@gmail.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Dear Friends,
I am forwarding to you 6 articles that may help you in deciding who to vote for on May 10. Feel free to forward them to your family members and friends.
1. Why Villar over Noynoy?
2. A section from the Catechism on Elections pertaining to this issue.
3. News article on RH bill advocates hopeful of Noynoy.
4. Montalvan's column at PDI contrasting pro and anti-RH bill candidates.
5. Position paper on why we do not need an RH bill.
6. Guide for the elections
Let us pray that we get the leaders whose passion is to do God's Will in their professional work: politics.
Cheers!
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1. Why Villar over Noynoy?3. RH bill advocates hopeful of Noynoy
Why MANNY VILLAR is fit for the Presidency over Noynoy
As we approach May 10, the election fever is rising and together with it, so much mudslinging and propaganda. We may end up getting distracted with the real issues and so this paper is an attempt to help us decide wisely who to vote for.
Sorry to Gibo, Erap and the rest, it is now a battle between Villar and Noynoy. To vote for any other candidate will just be a waste. Between the two, Villar is the better bet or as some will say, the lesser evil, for the following reasons:
1. Villar is competent. His track record in Congress and the Senate is incomparable compared to Noynoy's. Even his fellow legislators criticize Noynoy for not having done much after having been in the Congress and Senate for 12 years.
2. Villar is an accomplished businessman. This may be one reason why some businessmen are pushing for a Noynoy presidency. Villar would know the intricacies of business and would know how to catch the crooks.
3. Villar is not indebted to many people because he admitted that he is paying for most of his political ads (if not all). How about Noynoy? Who are the ones paying for his political ads?
4. Villar is pro-life and he stated that clearly. Filipinos are lovers of life. Noynoy on the other hand was a co-author of the anti-life RH bill in the Senate.
5. Villar is respectful of the Church. He is a member of Couples for Christ. Whereas Noynoy said blatantly that he does not care about what the Catholic Church teaches about morality as regards contraception. The Church only talks about faith and morals--two areas which may harm the eternal salvation of our souls. The Church is against contraception because it is a moral issue. Noynoy does not care about that.
6. Villar knows the right facts about our population. Noynoy's premise that we have a soaring population is blatantly wrong. It is enough to study the UN Population data to see that although it may appear that we are growing in population, our total fertility rate (TFR) is going down. And an attack on our population that Noynoy is advocating will just worsen the situation in the long run. The reason why we have so many OFW's is that the population of other countries is going down. If ours go down, who will come here from those countries to work for us?
7. Villar is being attacked by known proponents of the RH bill while they endorse Noynoy like anything. Read Rina Jimenez David's columns. She is like the spokesperson of Planned Parenthood (the major pusher for contraception and abortion in the US) and she is dreaming of a Noynoy wedding in Malacanan. Look at Ang Ladlad's (the promoter of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender lifestyles) all out support for Noynoy. Even Time Magazine (which pushes for contraception and abortion) joined in by making Noynoy its cover. Do we not read these "signs of the times"? Watch out for more in the coming weeks...
Let us also join forces in promoting pro-life candidates in the Senate. The only sure ones are IT: Imbong & Tatad. Those who may also be considered pro-life are DELPSS: Drilon, Enrile, Lacson, Pimentel, Sison and Sotto. These are only 8 out of the 12 possible positions. There is no need to fill in four more. PLCPD (NGO promoting the RH bill) made a list of their candidates. Take note of them to make sure that you do NOT vote for them. They will be their representatives in Senate.
If your congressman was a co-author of the RH bill (HB 5043), please do not vote for him. Otherwise, you are voting for someone who will again promote the same anti-life propaganda in the coming congresses. Find out.
If you are from Quezon City, avoid the Sonny Belmonte (SB) Team, especially Edcel Lagman (the son of the RH bill proponent in Congress). They passed an RH bill in QC (yes, there is already one in QC). The only councilor who said no to that RH bill is Janet "Babes" Malaya and she is now running for Vice Mayor.
Let us spread this message to as many VOTERS as possible. Malakas po ang anti-life forces. Di natin alam saan galing ang mga pera nila. Sabi nila galing sa America. Kung tutoo man yun, sana naman ang mga kapwa Pinoy natin na tumatangap ng mga pera na iyon ay magising sa katutuhanan at huwag pagamit sa kanila. Ano ba ang pakay nila at bakit ganyan na lamang kalaki ang investment nila para ipasok sa isip natin ang contraceptive mentality? Let us pray very hard for this.
This article is not paid for nor pushed by Villar or any politician. It is also not meant to destroy the reputation of Noynoy or other politicians. We just have to state the facts. We cannot use the same mudslinging tactics of those who attack pro-life politicians. It is mainly written for Catholics and men and women of goodwill. Catholics because they will be the ones who will be greatly affected by a Noynoy pro-RH bill presidency. This is not about separation of Church and State. It is about basic human decency and protection of the family, the basic unity of the society. Remember that Cory Aquino was pro-life and faithful to her marriage to Ninoy. Hindi po totoo na kung ano ang sanga, yun din ang bunga dahil si Noynoy ay hindi pro-life at si Kris ay (alam nyo na)...
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2. Section 15 of the Catechism on Elections
Catechism on Family and Life of the CBCP
http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/12037
- 14. Is it morally acceptable to vote for an anti-family candidate?
With the foregoing considerations, it would not be morally permissible to vote for candidates who support anti-family policies, including reproductive health (in the particular understanding being presented in the recent debates, which includes, among others, promotion of abortifacients, penalties on parents who do not allow their adolescent children to engage in sexual acts, etc.), or any other moral evil such as abortion, divorce, assisted suicide and euthanasia. Otherwise one becomes an accomplice to the moral evil in question.
The gravity of these questions allows for no political maneuvering. They strike at the heart of the human person and the family and are non-negotiable. Supporting them renders a candidate unacceptable regardless of his position on other matters. The right to life is a paramount issue and hence cannot be placed on the same plane of discernment as the candidate's positions on the environment, unemployment, health care, or others. This is because, as Pope John Paul II says, the right to life is "the first right, on which all the others are based, and which cannot be recuperated once it is lost." It is also because the family is the basic unit of society. A candidate lays down the ground for refusing solidarity with anyone if he refuses solidarity with the unborn in the first few days or months of life, or with the dying. Why should anyone vote for such a candidate?
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RH advocates hopeful of Noynoy
By Lilita Balane, Newsbreak | 02/18/2010 8:14 PM
http://beta.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/18/10/rh-advocates-hopeful-noynoy
Say comprehensive family planning law possible if LP bet wins
MANILA, Philippines - Reproductive rights' advocates see the chance of having a comprehensive family planning law in the Philippines if Liberal Party's Benigno Aquino III becomes president.
Comparing the position that major presidential candidates have taken on the reproductive health bill, the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) said Monday that only Aquino had been consistent in supporting the bill, which had been pending in Congress for a decade.
"The RH bill has a better chance to be passed into law. With a president supportive of it, Congress will have a different atmosphere. Lawmakers who were against it might change their minds, and sponsors of the bill would have a firm stand," PLCPD head Ramon San Pascual said during a forum.
In a presidential forum sponsored last Monday by Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), only Aquino endorsed government funding on contraceptives.
Aquino's closest rival in presidential surveys, Nacionalista Party's Manuel Villar, has said in various leadership fora that the RH bill is a "divisive matter" and it doesn't need to be passed into law. Pascual said Villar does not consider the RH bill a priority. Villar and his wife are members of the conservative Catholic group Couples for Christ.
Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro, along with his wife Tarlac City 1st District Rep. Nikki Prieto-Teodoro, abandoned the bill, saying that the controversial measure does not directly address poverty in the country.
Other candidates are either totally against it or want to change some of bill's provisions.
House Bill 5043, more popularly known as RH bill, is a population development measure that seeks to provide Filipinos access to reproductive health services, including natural and artificial birth control methods.
Last year, Speaker Prospero Nograles wanted to fast track the debates on the measure, so the House could finally put it to a vote. However, the bill has not progressed before Congress adjourned for the campaign period this month.
PLCPD said the bill was killed when Malacañang intervened and asked the Speaker to" slow down."
The Catholic Church has been opposing the bill, saying that the bill legalizes abortion because some of the contraceptives cited in it induces abortion. Pascual defended that the bill considers abortion a crime and punishable under the law.
Last December, the Catholics Bishops Conference of the Philippines issued Catechism on Family and Life for the 2010 Elections, a set of guidelines discouraging Catholic voters from choosing candidates who are in favor of the RH bill.
"We are going to face serious challenges in the 2010 elections that are not only political but also clearly and profoundly moral. We are a nation that values family and life and yet for years our elected leaders have been attempting to make laws that pose a grave threat to these values. So once again we find the opportune occasion for the Church to exercise its teaching authority to guide us in carrying out their political responsibilities in a faithful citizenship," the CBCP's guidelines said.
Earlier, Aquino was reported to have softened his position on the bill before presidential debates, after the Catholic Church launched a campaign against him.
While the Catholic Church intensifies its drive against pro-RH bill politicians, the PLCPD said that they would encourage voters to pick candidates with a clear platform on reproductive health and the required budget to implement it.
Although the PLCPD will not endorse a presidential candidate for the May 10 polls, Pascual said it evaluates the consistency of the candidates' statement on the RH bill. (Newsbreak)
as of 02/18/2010 8:14 PM
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4. Pro and anti RH bill politicians.
INQUIRER OPINION - COLUMNS
Junking Noynoy
Antonio J. Montalvan II
Philippine Daily InquirerApril 25, 2010
THERE may be no such thing as a Catholic vote, but not for long. Notice, for example, how presidential candidates who used to be uncompromising in their stand on reproductive health have suddenly turned nuanced in their language, suddenly sounding neither here nor there whether they truly are for or against reproductive health.
The most nuanced stand on reproductive health is Noynoy Aquino's. From his "I don't care if the Catholic Church will abandon me because of my support for the reproductive health bill," his last pronouncement tried very hard to please pro-lifers. "I am against legislating the use of artificial contraception; however, contraceptives must be provided for those who ask"—meaning, he will commit public funds for its promotion.
Watching Ramon San Pascual and Sylvia Estrada Claudio, both prominent anti-life advocates (and media talk show favorites, on Cheche Lazaro's ANC talk show "The Platform"), expressing disappointment at Noynoy's nuanced stand, it was not surprising that Noynoy got low marks from them. Well, for his nuanced stand, he is also getting low marks from pro-lifers. And for a very good reason.
It is not farfetched to think that a Noynoy presidency will open the floodgates to artificial contraception. Noynoy is surrounded by senatorial candidates who hold the most radical views on reproductive health. They are Neric Acosta, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Ruffy Biazon and Teofisto Guingona III. Noynoy's stand may be nuanced for now—we know that is just for election posturing—but not when he assumes the presidency. It is just all glib-tongue, campaign lingo. These days, he no longer admits that he was advised by Jesuit friends to support reproductive health. No, that would not be a vote-getting line.
But Noynoy's reproductive health stand has the liberal media and poll survey organizations on his side. Media, especially television, are mostly anti-life. In measuring the candidates' stand on reproductive health, "The Platform" never had anyone from the pro-life side on board.
Media personalities, especially those who mix inane editorial commentaries with the news, gloat over the fact that surveys have shown that the Filipino electorate will vote for a candidate who will legislate for artificial contraception.
Surveys, however, have nothing to do with measuring political correctness. Morality is not measured by popularity. Anti-life advocates obfuscate many aspects of the reproductive health issue. Survey respondents are not expected to be fully knowledgeable of the pros and cons. Much of the statistics, especially from the experience of countries that have opted for full contraceptive availability, are not being made known. That is not pro-choice.
It is absolutely not pro-choice when anti-lifers are silent on the fact that many of these contraceptives are actually abortifacients. It is not pro-choice when they give mute testimony to the fact that abortion has actually risen in countries that have made contraception the norm. Because they purposely keep quiet on the fact that contraception promotes sexual promiscuity among the young, they proclaim early on that they are against abortion. But that is a lie of the nth magnitude. Contraception and abortion, as the statistics say, are actually Siamese twins.
Survey respondents also are unaware of the demographic winter. It is only candidate Ruffy Biazon who has so far expressed publicly that he fears, however, that we may go the way of Singapore: an aging population where government has to spend exorbitantly on social welfare but is now expressing mea culpa by asking its citizens to reproduce more children. It goes without saying, of course, that basketcase Philippines can ill afford to support an aging population. But survey respondents are nowhere near those data.
The most serious charade, however, is mouthing the line of overpopulation. That is definitely a bogey. Humans are resources that governments only fail to develop because of graft and corruption and misgovernance. There is no such thing as overpopulation.
Early this month, Task Force Family and Life (TFFL), a national advocacy group that counts lay members in parishes all over Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, has come up with a list of candidates who have remained consistently pro-life. No, there may not be a Catholic vote but even reproductive health advocates consider it as an electoral issue. And so who is to stop TFFL from endorsing Franklin Drilon (Liberal Party), Juan Ponce Enrile (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Jo Imbong (Ang Kapatiran), Alex Lacson (Liberal Party), Gwen Pimentel (Nacionalista Party), Adrian Sison (Ang Kapatiran), Vicente Sotto (Nationalist People's Coalition) and Francisco Tatad (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) as the pro-life candidates to vote for? TFFL also endorses the pro-life party-list group ABA. After all, it was the pro-life legislators who were responsible for killing the reproductive health bill in Congress.
And Noynoy? He is a danger to watch for, unless we fill Congress with legislators who believe that reproductive health is consistent with abortion and with the destruction of our youth and our families. But the presidency is pivotal. Noynoy, for all his traditional political antics, does not deserve it, not even if we have a St. Cory. Why, he might even derail her canonization.
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Comments to montalvan_antonio@g.cu.edu.ph
©2010 www.inquirer.net all rights reserved
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5. Position paper: Why we do not need an RH bill
For the past few years, the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill has been very strongly advocated by certain lawmakers and lobby groups. At first glance, the bill appears to be of great benefit to the Filipino people. Many support the bill because it apparently will alleviate poverty through provisions empowering people to have less children and consequently less immediate financial burden. The bill is also supposedly helpful in stemming the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) due to its promotion of condoms and other means of artificial birth control. A sex education campaign that starts at grade 5 is also in the bill, which is supposed to better inform people of safe and healthy sexual practices.
These are assumptions that the proponents of the RH bill take for granted, and are largely taken as gospel truth by those who support the measures. However, recent studies suggest that, far from alleviating poverty and promoting public health, these measures will only worsen the conditions that we are currently experiencing.
It is immediately obvious to anyone that bigger families are definitely a bigger burden to parents. More children means more mouths to feed, more bodies to clothe, more minds to educate, and a bigger roof to house them all. What is not immediately obvious is that population decline has very catastrophic long term consequences nations as a whole, far outweighing the immediate financial relief of families having fewer children. In Europe, governments are desperate to get the fertility rate back up using various measures, even paying couples for each child being born.
Philippine Online Chronicles: Undecided on Manny Villar? (updated 4/30)
http://www.thepoc.net/voters-education/6003-undecided-on-manny-villar.html
The path to the presidency in particular and the Philippine elections in general is littered with myths, fabrications, and plenty of mud. As Election Day draws closer, many issues and controversiesbetween the presidential candidates are still left in the dark. With opposing parties unearthing issues and controversies against each other in the hopes of obtaining a choice seat in government, most people are simply unaware of what counts as fact and what counts as fiction. Manny Villar says that his opponentsare stepping up their black propaganda campaign against him as the elections draw nearer, and he expects the attacks to turn more vicious. He responds to these attacks in akalamo.com
Instead of letting your vote be swayed by advertisements and media projection, here are the facts on Manny Villar, the standard bearer of the Nacionalista Party and one of the top contenders for the highest seat in Philippine government.
1. How did he get so rich?
Manny Villar's motto sipag at tiyaga is the very same reason why he got so rich. At an early age, he helped his mother sell shrimps and fish, fueled by the desire to improve their family's standard of living and support his studies. Because of this ardent desire and perseverance, he was able to graduate from the University of the Philippines with both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Business Administration. He worked as an accountant and financial analyst before venturing into his own business. With an initial capital of only P10,000, coupled with a solid determination for success, he started his sand-and-gravel business in Las Pinas. Through this business, he came up with the brilliant idea of selling house and lot packages, instead of just selling lots and letting the clients build their own houses. This catapulted him as a housing industry leader. Manny Villar did not get rich overnight. He needed to be hardworking, persevering, determined, and unwavering with his dream in order to achieve his rags-to-riches story. He also had the foresight to sell some of his personal shares amounting to at least $200-million when his real-estate companies had an initial public offering (IPO) in the Philippine Stock Exchange. At that time, the exchange rate was more than P50 to $1 and Mr. Villar, therefore, was able to stash in bank deposits more-than ten billion pesos that he said was his budget for his 2010 presidential campaign.
2. Even as all the leading candidates have spent billions in their presidential campaign, Manny Villar has spent the most. Would he try to recoup his expenses if he becomes president?
Unlike other presidential aspirants who need sponsorships and donations from other people, Manny Villar has been using his own money to fund his presidential campaign. Admittedly, he has the biggest expenditure for this year's presidential election and the most number of advertisements on television. However, there is proof that he has sufficient personal funds to support his own campaign. According to Forbes business magazine, Manny Villar has a net worth valued at more than US$530 million, making him the ninth richest man in the Philippines. It therefore comes as no surprise that he can finance such a huge amount of spending. With billions of pesos already attached to his name, it is unlikely that he would still try to recoup the amount he has spent on his campaign. Manny Villar expressed that he does not have to recover it because his family has enough money. He even categorically stated that if he really wanted to get rich, he will just go back to being a businessman. Aside from this, he is not indebted to anyone because he financially runs his own campaign. Since he does not owe anybody any sum of money for his presidential bid, it gives more reason to believe his statement that he has no intention of recovering his massive campaign spending once he gets elected.
3. Are the people to believe that Villar would merely consider the money he spent in the campaign as part of his service to the people?
Manny Villar is a known philanthropist. Among others, he has helped 80 OFWs to return in the country by even paying their fines and plane fares. He even gave out houses valued at P1.2 million each. These are just two instances on how Manny Villar has spent his money to be of service to the Filipino people. Furthermore, the money he is using for his campaign has already been earmarked to go to charity. However, Manny believes that he can really help improve the lives of the people when he becomes the president, instead of just giving away his money but the people still remain poor. Therefore, when someone like him has spent billions of pesos for a political campaign and claims that he wants nothing in return but the opportunity to serve the Filipinos as President, people will most likely perceive this as a charity workfrom his end. Obviously, a philanthropist like Manny surely does not mind spending large sums of money, as long as it is used in uplifting and changing the lives of others for the better.
4. Would he not use his position as president to favor his businesses? Manny Villar's statement that he only wants to have the opportunity to be of service to the Filipino people and nothing more shows that he is not the type of leader who would use his presidential seat for the benefit of his own businesses. If he has no intention of recovering his campaign expenditures, it only follows that he has no interest in favoring his businesses as well. Favoring his businesses is as good as recovering the money he spent on his campaign, and it will negate his desire to simply be of service to the people. In the sensational C-5 extension project, Manny Villar categorically denied that he benefited from said project. He said that he does not need the P200 million being hurled at him. Manny also believes that favoring his own businesses will just result to a conflict of interest. He also alleges that becoming a president poses instead a lot of disadvantages to his businesses, which only intensifies the fact that he will not use his presidential position to advance his business interests.
5. The Real Deal on Villar – Behind the Norzagaray, C5, Villaroyo, and the Rags-to-Riches Stories, Ampatuan
Norzagaray land grabbing issue
One of the latest controversies that Villar has had to face is the issue of land grabbing in Norzagaray, Bulacan. Recently, a group of farmers from the region announced that Villar's corporations used up to 400 hectares of farm land as collateral for a P2 billion loan from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. According to the farmers, Villar's corporation issued fabricated land titles that were given to the BSP. The group of farmers claimed that the BSP took the land in 2003 after Villar's corporations, Manila Brickworks and Capitol Development Bank, failed to pay the loans.
As Villar's camp asserts, however, the issue is an attempt to detract supporters from Villar's bid for presidency. The group of farmers do not have proof that Villar's company's land titles were fabricated. And instead of reporting the issue to the media, the farmer's should have used legal procedures to fight for the land that is allegedly theirs. Instead, the issue was broadcast in the height of Villar's political campaigning. The land titles from Manila Brickworks and Capitol Bank were never challenged and the titles that have now been transferred to the BSP are considered legitimate according to the Registry of Deeds.
C5 double insertion
Another issue surrounding Villar is the C5 double insertion claim, in which Villar allegedly pocketed up to P200 million by adding an additional P200 million to the proposed budget for a road project headed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). According to reports, Villar also changed the structure of the road project so that it curved towards property that Villar's company owned, resulting in additional and exorbitant compensation for the affected property. Apart from the massive publicity which the allegations received, Villar's temporary silence was interpreted as cowardice in the face of a senate investigation asking Villar to return the P200 million.
In a recent interview with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who also heads the probe team behind the C5 double insertion case, however, Enrile admits that Villar was not the only senator who made amendments to the budget proposal for the road project. Even more importantly, Enrile acknowledged that though the budget had been changed by Villar, the budget change was still undertaken for funding for the road project. Instead of a double insertion, Enrile says that there were simply "two figures" that were amended in the budget. Furthermore, Villar's amendment was not done secretly, because all proposals go through sponsorships and readings from the House of Congress up to the House of Senate.
Villar recently faced the C5 allegations in a privilege speech in Senate, and said that the entire C5 affair was a political attempt to smear his presidential campaign. Villar added that the P200 million pesos that was amended in the budget was never released in the first place, since the budget still had to undergo approval from Malacanang.
Manny Villar answers questions in the senate in 2009
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Why didn't he face the senate?
Villar faced them during the senate investigation on finance, and faced it as a senate president. When he was about to face the Ethics committee, he discovered that they had the decision even before the hearing. If the chairman of the ethics committee was the accuser himself, he felt they should just file a case in court.Vindicated from the Villarroyo accusations
Another issue surrounding Villar is an alleged alliance between him and Arroyo. Tagged as "Villarroyo" by the Liberal Party, Villar was accused of receiving support from Arroyo. Recent surveys show that most people will not support candidates that are favored by the Arroyo administration, which is why critics have noted that Villar's supposed links with the Arroyo government has contributed to the gap between Villar and Aquino.
Villar, however, claims that the Villarroyo label is again only part of the smear campaign on his bid for presidency. The biggest vindication for Villar, however, is the recent move to the Liberal Party by Lakas-CMD member Joey Salceda. The governor of Albay and one of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's closest ally and economic adviser, Salceda's move to the Liberal Party is proof that the Arroyo government does not support Villar or plan to use him after the 2010 elections.
Poor boy from Tondo?
One of the biggest questions posed to Villar, however, is his claim of being a self-made man with a rags-to-riches story. Villar built his campaign with the image of a poor boy from Tondo, Manila, which is famous for its dumpsites where impoverished communities lived by sorting through trash. Following Villar's campaign narrative, he had a poor government official for a father and a seafood vendor for a mother, and that his younger brother even died of cancer because of his family's inability to pay for medical care. According to the poverty story, Villar made his way up from selling food with his mother to becoming the ninth richest person in the country with a total wealth of $530 million.
No matter how high the sea of trash is in Villar's advertisements, Villar was never quite as poor as he claimed to be. To begin with, his father was able to purchase property in Tondo-Navotas' San Rafael Village. Although Tondo has a reputation for being impoverished, the Tondo-Navotas area does have its share of affluent neighborhoods, of which the San Rafael Village is a part. And though lower-level government officials are not known for their paychecks, Villar's father was able to secure a loan of Php 16,000 in the 1960s, which is worth over a million pesos in today's currency.
As a response, however, Villar added that "Yes, we were extremely poor but we were better off when wetransferred to Navotas; still considered poor though. When a poor man purchases a house, he has to pay for the amortization fees and that's hard; paying for the amortization is what makes a poor man's life difficult." (here is a virtual tour of his house in Tondo)
As a response to his brother's death, however, Villar added that "Many people especially the rich ones do not understand how it is losing a brother. You have gone through the effort of confining him in a hospital; and thinking about your financial capacity becomes your number one problem. It involves borrowing funds and even wagering any valuables you own just to make your brother live because you don't want him to die without rushing him to a hospital. You don't care about the fees. The poor people have been doing that too."
Curita "Curing" Bamba Villar lashed out against those who accuse her son of lying about his poverty roots. "Kung ayaw niyo maniwala pumunta kayo sa Divisoria market, Stall 2245...Akala ba ninyo hindi ako nasasaktan dun sa pinagsasabi sa anak ko? Halos ikamatay ko na (If you do not want to believe [we were poor], go to the Divisoria market, Stall 2245. Do you think I am not hurt by what is being said against my son? I almost died," Mrs. Villar said in tears, saying she used to remain silent when her son was being criticized.
Is there an Ampatuan alliance?
Critics believe that freedom for Ampatuan is only possible in a Villar victory. Andal Ampatuan proudly wore orange and purple baller IDs of Villar and Remulla respectively. Villar denies seeking Ampatuan's support. "We haven't talked … and I have no plans of talking with them." He said he had no control over the distribution of his campaign materials, including the orange wristbands. If elected president, he will reopen the murder cases against Zaldy Ampatuan, the suspended governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and Mayor Akmad Ampatuan Sr. "I am enraged by the decision of the Department of Justice to clear these two members of the Ampatuan clan, which in my mind had been done with unconvincing haste and without credible basis," Villar said. He also added that the "Liberals nurtured Ampatuans' warlordism."
Erap on Villar putting pressure on Philippine Stock Exchange
According to Villar, "The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) did not change or bend any rules to favor Vista Land. The stock exchange is a private entity with its own set of rules. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has nothing to do with the public offering of Vista Land, but just the same I challengethem to investigate. The public offering of Vista Land shares was done in accordance with all rules of the stock exchange and the SEC. The PSE had certified that Vista Land complied with the listing requirements"
Visit akalamo.com where Manny Villar responds to the other mistruths not mentioned here.
Manny Villar's track record and experience
Villar invokes his record and past actions and experiences to back his plans up, which he claims cannot be said for the other leading presidential aspirant. He says that leadership, managerial ability, experience is important. Villar claims that a president of the country should have all three characteristics to manage the economy well enough to create more jobs and address this issue of poverty. Once poverty is addressed, it will decrease people leaving the country. In an interview, he explains:
Having been a speaker of the house, having been a senate president, having had a successful stint in the private sector, I feel that I have the leadership, the competence in management and the experience. Now this is the presidency. It is not an on the job training (OJT). There is not time to study. You must be able to address problems, the 300 billion peso deficit, the power problem, the insurgency problem , the Mindanaoconflict , the drought problem, fiscal deficit.
He said the next president has no time to lose in rebuilding the country. The next leader has to hit the ground running and there is no time for on-the-job training. He added that the first year is the most crucial, as he has to start off outstandingly. His claim to managerial and political expertise is backed up by his solid background in business as a self-made billionaire and as former House Speaker and Senate President.
Manny Villar's platform
His latest ad highlights the qualities of a good leader. Villar cites that after elections, the country still faces poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy problems.
Listen to Manny Villar talk of his plans
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"…kailangan ang mga lider na 'di lang laban ng laban, dapat yung may solusyon. Itataya mo ba ang kinabukasan ng iyong pamilya sa hindi pa subok at wala pang nagawa?" Villar says in the ad.
(We need leaders who know more than just to fight, who possess solutions. Will you entrust your family's future to someone who hasn't been tested, and has done nothing?)
He offers some solutions through his platforms
- Entrepreneurial revolution and a competitive environment will be the centerpiece of Manny Villar's program if he is elected to the presidency.
- To prevent corruption, Villar plans to bid out and award all infrastructure contracts within his first hundred days in office, publicly on television.
- The short term plan for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) is to provide safety nets so that every OFW, if he finds himself in trouble, could be helped out. If he needs a job while abroad, the government will help him find one. If he wants to go home then he can be sent home.
- "Agriculture first," Villar says. "Seventy percent of the poor are in agriculture," and the rational of his campaign is his thrust to fight for the poor and solve injustice and create an atmosphere of self-reliance. He wants to provide infrastructure so that agriculture could grow, like driers and more irrigation.
- Villar vowed to implement a massive revenue collection improvement program to fuel an infrastructure investment binge. Slapping new taxes to boost government revenues will only be a last resort under his presidency.
- Health care is his biggest program as it affects the life of people. He wants to double the health budget, He has seen how hard it is for the poor to get health care especially when his brother died. He promises FREE medication for life and death and he claims it is not a empty election promise.envisions PGH-style gov't hospitals in all regions.
- Manny Villar does not make promises alone. Although he has made poverty alleviation a top priority, he knows this is something that everyone, including the poor themselves, must strive for and work towards. He is just keeping it real and being honest about it.
Why vote for Manny Villar?
Before making choices that will affect Philippine society and government for years, navigating the murky and scandal-ridden waters behind each political aspirant is a must. With Villar as one of those heading the pack in the race to the presidency, knowing the issues is necessary for making informed decisions and clear the objections towards him. In an interview with Karen Davila, Villar attempts to clear up most of the issues that confused some voters who are now undecided on their presidential candidate.
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Interview on Headstart with Karen Davila- April 16, 2010
After overcoming objections, you can now decide if Manny Villar is the candidate you will select to vote for as president.
Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu believes that "the next President of the Philippines must have a deep faith in the innate decency and outstanding abilities of the Filipino. He must be one who can make his countrymen rediscover their true worth and inspire them to attain their highest potential, and in the process achieve a revival of pride in being Filipino and drive socio-economic advancement for the country." The ambassador feels that the Philippines needs someone who has the "can-do" spirit in full measure, someone who believes that we have inside us the basic ingredients of success, as individuals and as a nation.
"All that we need is to unleash them, and Manny Villar may just be the right person to help us do this."
Hot Seat in Bandila- Manny Villar April 30, 2010
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To be updated when issues come up. Visit akalamo.com where Manny Villar speaks on these issues.
Images: Blog Watch stock photos.
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Comments
Add New Disclaimer: Comments posted here reflect our readers' views and not the opinion of The Philippine Online Chronicles.
i for myself pagmay issue ibig sabihin may paninindigan ka at may character ka at higit sa lahat may nagawa ka.. di katulad ng iba kaya wala masabi ang iba tao sa kanila dahila wala sila nagawa in the pass...
salamat sa post na ito.. bakit sa tv news di ito naopapalabas bakit sa internet lang nakikita... pano ang mga taong walang access sa internet.. wala ba sila right to read this kind of news,..
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I'm not anti villar. But I would like a point by point na sagot sana. To dismiss issues with a blanket staement na "smear campaign lang yan" does not improve the situation or clears up the issue.
I have no issue with Villar's experience. The issue is if his character is beyond reproach.
1. Norzagaray land grabbing issue -
FACT:
it was discovered that the BSP-foreclosed titles surrendered by the Villar bank and corporation emanated from OCT No. 287 dated 25 July 1944. This was issued under a sales patent which derived its existence from Sec.122 of Act 496 of the Land Registration Act of the US Government. However during July 1944, the country was under Japanese occupation and hence there was no valid title issued under the said Act and therefore the said "Original" certificate of title is clearly a FAKE.
MY OPINION:
Either alam ni Manny na fake ang titulong ng lupa nya OR biktima rin si Villar nung fake na titulo. But Manny should not dismiss it as just "an attempt to detract supporters". Paki explain lang po paano at saan nya nakuha yung titulo??
2. C5 double insertion -
This issue has already been dissected to death by Winnie Monsod. And I have not read any satisfactory rebuttal from any of Manny's supporters or from Manny himself.
In fairness to Villar, he gave a statement during his privilege speech. But the statement did not answer the points brought up by Winnie Monsod's article.
3. Vindicated from the Villarroyo accusations -
How is Salceda's move to the Liberal Party "proof that the Arroyo government does not support Villar or plan to use him after the 2010 elections?"
It MIGHT also be viewed that Salceda's move means he is not supporting Villar because he does not want to support Arroyo's unofficial candidate.
4. Poor boy from Tondo? -
OPINION:
Nowadays, it is extremely rare for a low level government official to secure a million peso loan from GSIS. I would THINK that it would have been just as difficult back then.
Nowadays, a person who is able to buy a house, even if though a million peso loan, is not considered "poor". He might not be rich. But he is definitely not poor. Let's call spade a spade.
FACT:
And saying that "his younger brother even died of cancer because of his family's inability to pay for medical care." IS bending the truth. In the 1960's the procedure to treat leukemia was not yet discovered. Rich or poor, once you are diagnosed with leukemia in the 1960s, no amount of money can save you.
I want to keep an open mind. If you can answer this point by point, please enlighten me. Thanks.
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http://www.mannyvillar.com.ph/files/C5%20Primer.pdf
that there was no double insertion and realignment.
Re the villaroyo, i hope you are not forgetting that he was the one who opened the hello garci case (wherein Noy did not want to play the garci tape), and the ZTE deal while he was the Senate president. In the lower house, it was his wife cynthia villar who rallied behind the impeachment of GMA. There are several relatives of the AQUINOS in the present administration, and these are appointed positions. Re about Manny being poor he answered all these questions at akalamo.com. I hope you are truly sincere in seeking out the truth. Because all your questions are based from "gossip" . In this campaign, you can't trust Winnie munsod, ABS-CBN, and PDI for they are supporting the yellow team. Aren't you even surprised why we don't see any news on hacienda luisita? BSA? SCTEX? The latter si Monsod pa nagcover...where is responsible journalism? Maybe its about time the yellow team answers all these questions. Its sad that because the media is leaning towards a candidate, people will be voting based on lies and not the TRUTH. We, Filipinos, deserve more...we cant afford another 6 more years of incompetence. We need a true leader who has accomplished alot of things as a private citizen and as a public servant. It may not be villar, we have gordon and gibo who have leadership qualities based on their track record. The question is: are u going to entrust a family member of yours to a surgeon who has not operated on anybody, but simply because he finished residency in surgery and his parents are both surgeons? of course not! i would rather go to a surgeon who is skilled, and has had a good track record of successful surgeries in the past. I am not familiar with the Norzagaray issue, but take my word for it and Villar did not break any law and , as the self righteous Noy would say"hindi ako magnanakaw"..and "tatapusin ko ang corruption"...did anybody even question how is going to end corruption, and about his kamag-anak inc?
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Like I said, I have no questions regarding Villar's experience. Pero kung experience lang paguusapan, maganda rin kasi credentials ni Gloria and Erap. But we all know how crooked ang character nila.
Again, thanks for the info. Will think about it.
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Frankly, I was also taken in at first by the entire Villar character assassination campaign, but since I made it a point to be a responsible voter, I researched daily on the candidates since February. For every allegation I read the defense. I went through all their websites. I subscribed to their online campaigns, I followed the news. I sorted through smear campaigns and bickering. I read and watched their interviews, and read as much as I could about each one of them.
That's how I became enlightened: NONE OF THE CANDIDATES ARE SAINTS, in the same way, NONE OF THEM ARE EVIL. This election is far from a battle between good and evil. Like you and me, the candidates are just flawed individuals, with strengths and weaknesses, who aspire to be president because they sincerely want the best for the country.
That leaves us with a comparison of track record and platforms. And based on my analysis, of the 4 leading candidates, Villar has the best platform of government, and is simply the most competent, followed by Teodoro, followed by Aquino, followed by Erap from a far far far far far far far far distance.
So, of course, I'm going with the best qualified. May the best man (Manny Villar) win.
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you put nonoy 3rd on your list as having the most competent platform and good track record...putting all other presidentiables who have not done well in the survey nil in your list.. what platform are you talking of? what track record are you referring to? suggest you check your facts...i have nothing against manny..i think he is a good man btw...
Sultan Bojie
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http://pinoysijuan.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-manny-villar.html
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Manny Villar - most capable candidate for the president of the Republic of the Philippines
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CHECK!
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ako ay isang taga hanga ni manny villar, i belev na mananalo sya dito sa bacolod city. e kakampanya ka namin voluntarily. i hope manalo yayo at sana wag mo kming kalimutan. god bless
taga hanga
ken ybarle
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wag kang magsalita ng ganyan pag nanalo si villar, mapapahiya ka lang...
ang mga taong tulad mo na walang magawa kundi siraan sya, palibhasa mga psimistiko at backward kayo magisip!
wala kayong alam kundi pumuna ng mga mali ng ibang tao pero kung tutuusin mas mabaho pa kayo sa dagat ng basura!
at kahit ganyan kayo lalanguyin yan ni Villar! dahil sya at sya lang ang nararapat na maging presidente!
dapat lamang na suportahan sya!
lalo na kung manalo sya..
kahit sinong maupo, di magiging epektibo kung katulad niyo magisip, dpat makilahok tayo sa mga proyekto dahil ito ay para satin din..
hindi yung puro reklamo..
go villar! dipa ako botante suportado na kita!
lagi kitang kinakampanya sa pamilya ko!
malaki ang tiwala ko sayo at alam kong di mo kami bibiguin! :)
God bless!
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(people cheering...)
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ERAP: magpapadikta lang yan sa mga tao t uutuin lang sya dahil wala syang alam.. madami syang bisyo pero ni hindi nya alam kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng "VICES" kung napanood niyo ang HARAPAN..
NOYNOY: wag natin kalimutan ang nangyari sa hacienda luisita... ang mga magsasakang pawis ang ibinuno para payamin ang mga cojuangco at aquino, ang ibinayad nila ay bala! walang awang pinatay ang mga tao... di na sila naawa! habang nagpapasasa sila sa yaman, ung mga taong tunay na naghihirap ang pinagkakaitan nila ng pagkakataon na mabuhay ng matino! at ang pamamahagi nito ayon kay noynoy ay napakaconditional, kung di sya manalo wala syang g***win..
magisip tayo!
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At heto pa ang isa mula mismo sa mga magsasaka ng HL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY6DkKhD9HY
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anyone but noynoy
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Kung magaling kang botante, iisipin mong maiigi at aaralin mong mabuti kung sino ang ib***to mo.. Learn from the past and hope for the future..
Anong mag***wa ng pambabatikos sa maiiging pamamalakad ng Pilipinas? Think about it.. If Manny Villar can lead his company well.. Why don't we give him a chance to lead our country? Who knows what will happen?
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GuildMage, thank you for clearing the leftist. I used the wrong term. Evryone please disregard the leftist, I am deeply sorry. Ang gusto ko lang sabihin eh... May mga taong sarado mag-isip. Kunga no ang panig nila, doon lang sila and think na lahat ng binebwelta ng kabila eh masama na or against sa kanila.
Sorry for using the term
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Perhaps Villar truly is an efficient businessman. But like a friend of mine said, we don't need a businessman running the country. I will vote for someone I can trust. Unfortunately, your candidate has not earned mine.
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Yan din po ang nasa isip ko ng una, then tinanong ko po siya. Hindi ka ba napipilitan kasi boss mo siya?
Ganito po ang sagot niya sa akin sa pagkakaintindi ko:
Hindi ko naman ib***to si boss dahil empleyado niya ako. Ib***to ko si boss kasi sa tagal kong nagtratrabaho sa kanya, sa kanya ko nakita ang leadership potential na hinahanap ko. Sa kompanya niya lang ako nakakita ng values na hindi ko nakita sa ibang kompanyang napasukan ko dati. Ngayon kung may makita man akong masqualified at deserving na presidente. Siya ang ib***to ko. Kung tototo ang mga pambabatikos kay Boss, pati ang mga anomalyang binbintang sa kanya, hindi siya ang ib***to ko. Hindi naman ako sarado sa ibang kandidato.
Did you see my point guildmage?
Parang ganito, hindi porke't kamag-anak ko ang isang tao, hindi ibig sabihin na siya na agad ang kakampihan ko. Pag-aaralan kong maigi ang mga nanyari bago ako manghusga.
And I guess yung issues kay Mr. Villar. Mostly, dito sa article mo na ito mababasa.
Yes totoo, we don't need a businessman to run our country, but what we need is a man who has the ability, credibility and passion to serve our country and I think, my candidate has those traits.
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Not necessarily because he is a businessman. I highlighted the businessman word for I believe that guildmage misunderstood what I'm trying to say. See the comments above :)
Thank you
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjN3WbwcXoE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY6DkKhD9HY
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at saka.. paano mo masisigurado na babagsak ang ekonomiya kay Mr. Villar? haha wala kang pinagka-iba sa ecomnomic adviser ni arroyona lumipat s LP na nagsabi na tataas ang ekonomiya kung si Mr. Aquino ang nanalo. Please give us basis.
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Reality check:
Corruption certainly contributes to poverty, but corruption is everywhere, even in the greatest democracy and the richest country in the world, the USA. President Obama has surrounded himself with many senior appointees who have been proven to be tax evaders. Large US MNCs give out bribes as a regular way of doing business. Corruption is a way of life in the USA, but it is a very rich nation. While reducing corruption certainly is important, economic progress comes when those at the helm of government know what they are doing and have political will, like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.
Noynoy has no experience and will be quickly overwhelmed by the complexity of governance.
2nd reason why Noynoy is clueless: he thinks that since he is not corrupt, then there will be no corruption.
Reality check:
Corruption is unfortunately deeply ingrained in the Philippine political system. That is not to say that we should not do something about it. But it is to recognize that it is not only the President but those around him/her who matter. Cory was quite saintly, but Kamaganak Inc. rampaged through her Presidency. Frank Drilon, the President of the Liberal Party, is himself known as corrupt.
Noynoy has no governance experience, whether in business or politics, and those close to him can easily run circles around him.
3rd reason why Noynoy is clueless: he believes that poverty would be eliminated if only there is clean governance.
Reality check:
There is widespread poverty in the Philippines not because of corruption, but because of social injustice. That is, the rich grow richer, and so the poor grow poorer. There are enough resources in the nation for everyone to have a decent life. But the rich elite, a very small part of the population, has taken a very large and disproportionate share of the nation's wealth.
How do we eliminate poverty? By sharing. This is what the first Christians did. The rich shared their wealth with the poor, and the result was that there was no one in need (Acts 4:34). This is not just about giving handouts. Part of sharing is sharing the opportunities to make money, giving just compensation to employees, giving land to the landless.
The social injustice is perpetrated by the entrenched elite economic and political families, such as the Cojuangcos, Roxases, Aranetas, Madrigals, etc. A prime example is the case of Hacienda Luisita, where the farmers have been deprived of what is rightfully theirs. In fact, they have been killed for asking for what is due them.
Noynoy is part of this social and economic elite, and cannot be expected to stand against them in favor of the poor. He has already shown this in the case of Hacienda Luisita.
4th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not understand the poor.
Reality check:
The poor make up the overwhelming majority of our people. They make up the greater part of a President's national constituency. Thus care for the poor should be a primary concern of any President.
Perhaps we cannot judge Noynoy harshly, because he has not experienced deep material poverty. If you have not been poor, you cannot truly empathize with the poor. That is why social workers at times live with the poor, to somehow become one of them, to experience what they experience.. He does not understand how the poor care for their relatives, even to the point of going into debt, or perhaps, even stealing. He does not understand the nobility of the poor. As with many who are rich and elite, perhaps he looks on the poor with disdain, considering them lazy, dirty, of no good to society. This might be unfair to Noynoy, but did he not in fact show no concern for the farmers of Hacienda Luisita? He even accused them of being communists when they rallied for their rights.
The most urgent need for our nation is the eradication of poverty. Noynoy cannot accomplish this because his heart is not with the poor. In fact, in desiring to eliminate corruption, would that not benefit the rich businessmen most? Then they will only grow richer, and the poor poorer.
5th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not understand that reproductive health means abortion.
Reality check:
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said it again quite clearly: "You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion." It is the goal of the US government, together with powerful forces such as the European Union, elements of the United Nations, billionaire philanthropists, liberal media, homos**ualist forces, to force abortion on the whole world as a human right.
If Noynoy claims to be against abortion but for the RH bill, then he is either being naive or deceptive. Reproductive health promotes condoms, condoms fail and result in unwanted pregnancies, then women procure abortions. That is how it has happened in the US and elsewhere. It is a clever step-by-step process that the anti-life forces promote. If we accept the RH bill, abortion will not be far behind.
6th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he believes that EDSA is his birthright.
Reality check:
EDSA was a miracle of God. It belongs to all of us. It was a work of the Spirit that resulted in the dismantling of the Marcos dictatorship. God used Ninoy and Cory, but the glory belongs to God and the honor to the whole Filipino nation.
But Noynoy has appropriated the EDSA spirit for himself and his campaign. He is using the Laban sign, the color yellow (this is not the color of the Liberal Party), the songs, the slogans, even what his parents had done. What a blatant theft of what belongs to us! Now many Filipinos are distancing themselves from EDSA symbols simply because they are automatically looked on as pro-Noynoy. What a shame! What a disservice to the nation. Noynoy is destroying that most loved Filipino treasure that is EDSA.
Further, Noynoy is clueless in thinking that because his parents are revered, he now deserves to be President.
7th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he thinks his good intentions are enough to govern the country.
Reality check:
To be an effective President, one needs experience, political will, intelligence. One cannot just have good intentions. One cannot just be uncorrupt. One must be prepared, with a working platform of governance. One must hit the ground running on Day One, and not have to learn the ropes while in office. One must not just rely on subordinates and hangers on, but must have a clear vision and know what to do.
Noynoy has no executive experience. His legislative experience includes not passing any bill at all. He has no performance to speak of. As Congressman and Senator, he has not made any positive impact on behalf of his constituencies or the nation. Simply put, he is a non-performer.
8th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not understand that to be effective as President, he has to work with other powers-that- be, and so he should show respect.
Reality check:
The Presidency does not exist by itself in the political system. In fact, the legislature and the judiciary are equal partners in governance. Then there are other economic and social forces.
Noynoy belittled the Church when Cardinal Vidal took him to task for being pro-RH bill. He threatened the Supreme Court justices with impeachment if they accepted the appointment of a Chief Justice. He attacks President Arroyo even if she is not a candidate for President (and blatantly claims that he is the only real opposition). He maligns his main political opponent, making wild and unfounded claims, with half-truths and outright lies. He ridiculed a political pollster when the findings showed Villar closing in on him. He accuses the Comelec of imagined irregularities. He stokes conflict between the chiefs of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police. He makes it his priority to prosecute GMA.
Noynoy is a divisive person. He attacks and maligns, often without good basis. He creates enemies instead of trying to win them over. He is disrespectful, of good people and important institutions. In a political system as we have in the Philippines, that is a sure way to division and disunity.
9th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he still has the EDSA hangover and has no qualms about not following the rule of law.
Reality check:
The rule of law, flawed as it might be at times, is crucial to a democracy. EDSA is an extraordinary experience, perhaps never to be repeated again.
Noynoy has no qualms about not following the rule of law. In his disagreement with the appointment by GMA of a Chief Justice, he has resorted to threats and demonstrations, instigating his followers in the latter. He has threatened the justices with impeachment. In contrast, the Nationalista Party, also disagreeing with GMA's potential action, took the issue to the Supreme Court as an appeal to its decision.
Noynoy does not see that an extraordinary extra-judicial move is not a first option, but the last. When we discard the rule of law, we are well on our way to chaos.
10th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not know what is good for the economy or the nation.
Reality check:
Taxes are the lifeblood of the nation. Without adequate taxes, there would be no resources with which to run government and serve the people.
Noynoy immediately announced that he would not raise taxes (he later backtracked) . He was either playing up to the businessmen and the people, or he was totally naive. After GMA, the coffers would be empty. He would first enforce collection, and cut down on tax evasion and corruption. But if these were not enough, he would have to raise taxes. Now that is being open, sincere and wise.
Noynoy either does not know how to run the government, or is impulsive and does not think issues through well enough, or practices the old politics of making promises that cannot be kept. In any way, he is not fit to be President.
11th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not know what the Presidency entails, how awesome a task it is.
Reality check:
Being President is an awesome responsibility. While many are legally qualified to run for President, only a few can really do well as President. Part of being qualified is the actual experience of governance, preferably from the bottom up.
Let us look at Hacienda Luisita. It is a large piece of land, it has economic activity, it has poor people working (or out of work), it has a social system, it has the entrenched elite (the owners), it has management-labor problems. It could be a microcosm of the Philippines. Now what good has Noynoy done, as one of the owners and as the scion of the Cojuangco clan? He claims he owns only 1%, but that is evading the moral responsibility that would be expected of someone who aspires to be President of the Philippines. And in fact, was he not head of their security agency when there was the killing of farmers? Did he not malign and fault the farmers as being communists? Did he not oppose the granting of land to the farmers as was the original agreement of the Cojuangcos with the government?
Now he says that if elected President, he would look to distributing the land. What? Elect you first before you act? Why not do it now? This is just another empty promise, playing up to the gallery, just like the vow not to raise taxes.
Noynoy looks to his own and his family/clan's well-being, not to that of the poor farmers. He looks to the interest of the small minority rather than the greater majority. He cannot be trusted to be able to run the nation, or to do justice to its poor.
12th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not realize that in resorting to half-truths and lies in his effort to malign his major political opponent, he is acting in a very unchristian way.
Reality check:
The Philippines is a Christian nation. Noynoy professes to be a Christian Catholic. As Christians we are all children of God. But one who lies becomes a child not of God but of Satan, who is the father of lies.
It is wrong to say that anything goes when it comes to politics. That is what makes politics dirty, which it should not be.
Noynoy's political opponents has kept the high ground in this campaign. He sticks to issues, not malicious attacks. He does not retaliate, even in the most blatant lies thrown against him, but just patiently and calmly explains. It can be done! Even in disagreement, there should always be respect.
We need a true Christian as President of the Philippines, one who has integrity and is a peacemaker. Noynoy unfortunately does not fit the bill.
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I'll have to be blunt on this: You do not know at all what the **** you are talking about when you mentioned the word "leftist." Are you even familiar that the known pinnacle groups of Leftist struggle, the National Democratic Front and the CPP-NPA under Joma Sison is actually supporting Mr. Villar? If your idea of "leftist" is "basta makatira," you have no right to even speak about politics. Magbasa ka muna nang di ka nagmumukhang tanga.
Secondly: Conflating private and public management is among the ills of our country. The desire for efficiency, results, profits, statistics (which is the hallmark of the present administration) is what screws up most of our fellow Filipinos at the lower income brackets. That these administrators do not even look for the interests of those who elected them in the name of getting things done with as soon as possible, come on. You call this democracy? Heck, it's no better than Nazi Germany.
Who knows what will happen? You only need to have a pair of eyes and enough common sense to see what happens when you continue forking over public power to private individuals or public officials with solely private interests. It seems to me you do not have one.
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Secondly: Trademark din po ng administrasyon ang pagiging kurakot. Naniniwala po ako na hindi maganda ang kombinasyon ng goal nila at ang pagiging kurakot. Profit Maximization para sa sarili. May kilala po akong employee ni Mr. Villar at hanga po tlaga ako kung paano pinapatakbo ang kanyang kompanya saka ang rules at regulations sa kanila.
Third: Sorry po, kayo na po ang matalino, magaling mag-english at kayo na po ang may common sense at isang pares ng mata. May tanong po ako para sa inyo:
Ano po ba ang qualifications niyo sa isang presidente?
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May self imposed rule po ako sa management: Efficiency and Effectiveness sa ganyan po sa tingin ko nagkakaparehas ang gobyerno at kompanya, kasi kung hindi efficient and effective ang lider ng isang kompanya, hindi din efficient and effective ang kompanyang ito.
Gayun din po. kung sa gobyerno, kung hindi efficient and effective ang mamumuno, hindi din efficient and effective ang gobyerno.
kung may tao pong tumatakbo ngayon na efficient and effective, tingin ko po may edge siya for being a leader
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gives=give
has=have
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I quote ,"the desire for efficiency, results, profits, statistics (which is the hallmark of the present administration) is what screws up most of our fellow Filipinos at the lower income brackets." Duh???
I'm sorry, but quite frankly this is one of the dumbest comments I've read so far in these response sections, even more so because of the attempt to make it appear "intellectual".
Need I even spell it out? The reason our public sector is ineffective is because it is inefficient. That is why our bureaucracy is in a mess. And you're saying that the desire for efficiency and results is screwing up the lower income brackets? Efficiently run companies should result in better income and better pay, and thus happier employees. And an efficiently run government should leave no loopholes for corruption, collect 100% of its taxes, get its project done on time, etc., etc. In short, that is precisely what we should aim for!
I don't know what sort of exposure you have had with regard to that word, but clearly, you got the wrong idea.
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