Roster of Senatorial Candidates
Emilians,
Tomorrow is Election Day… May 13, 2013.
On that day, millions of Filipinos will troop to the voting precincts all across the nation to cast their votes for government officials at the local and national level.
Yes, you will get to pick your city/town’s mayor, councillor, barangay captain and their councillors. All of them will decide the policies of your community for the next three years.
However, the Senate and congressional elections seem the biggest game in town. As always, these are full of the same faces seeking to hold on to their posts for another six years – with other less-known people trying to secure their own seats in the same halls where statesmen such as Claro M. Recto, Jovito Salonga, and Lorenzo Tanada once held court all those years ago.
These past few weeks have indeed shown the best and worst that Philippine politics has to offer. This year’s elections have also shown a heady mix of people wanting to be called Senators, some even related by blood to people in high places.
Let’s dissect some of them:
1. Nancy Binay – definitely the craziest of the entire bunch from the United Nationalist Alliance, Binay was shoehorned into the party ticket because she’s the Vice-President’s daughter. Yet records show that this 39-year-old ulikba never even served a day in any public position and only worked as her father’s personal assistant. How can we even trust this poor excuse of a Daddy’s little girl when she never even attended any public debates or forums about her platforms and even dares anyone not to vote for her tomorrow? To think she suggests “issues-based campaigns” and belittles Vice Ganda’s disapproval of her as just “one vote,” she can’t even handle mock debates with her own son!
2. Jack Enrile – JPE’s only son. This pistol-packing warfreak got away from a murder case 30 years ago and wants people to move on in the name of national unity. ABSCBN shot itself in the foot by writing a Maalala Mo Kaya episode around him.
3. JV Ejercito – a very arrogant former San Juan mayor and congressman, he is nothing more than a man who wants the Estrada blood to flow through the Senate, to at least join his half-brother Jinggoy. Enough already!
4. Cynthia Villar – The wife of former presidential candidate Manny Villar could have been a good choice for small-business minded voters – if she didn’t foul things up by labelling RNs as Room Nurses instead of Registered Nurses, glossing over the fact that being an RN takes years of training.
5. Bam Aquino – This poor offshoot of Ninoy thinks he can land a Senate seat because he’s an Aquino. Yes, he’s a youth leader, an Atenean at that, but did he really have to be endorsed by his Uncle President? He’s another bad case of trying to get by on riding the name of his illustrious late grand-uncle and grand-aunt. He doesn’t know about GMA’s cheating at the polls six years ago? What rock have you been living under, Bam?
6. Grace Poe-Lllamanzares – The former MTRCB head coasting on her actress-mother and action star of a father’s reputation. Indeed, she has done some good work at the MTRCB but name-dropping your parents into the equation doesn’t work every time.
7. Chiz Escudero – A reelectionist with a lot on his hands. He is already trying to woo Heart Evangelista away from her parents, who do not approve of him because of him being a divorcee, a drunkard, what have you.
8. Gringo Honasan – one of the Craven Eleven in the 2001 impeachment trial of then-President Joseph Estrada (now running as Manila mayor). Why does this former military renegade still want to remain up there?
9. Antonio Trillanes – Another renegade like Honasan and leader of a group that our paper is ironically ribbed and alluded to. He already has reaped a lot of flak for his being a back-channel on certain negotiations with China.
10. Migz Zubiri – A sore loser if you ever saw one. Someone who prolonged an election dispute for years against Koko Pimentel and quit when things didn’t turn up his way. Now he wants to get back and face the younger Pimentel again? Good luck with that.
11. Risa Hontiveros – One of Akbayan’s deputies, she indeed cut her teeth supporting cause-oriented groups, spending six years in Congress, and almost made it as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. This is one of the people Binay has avoided engaging in any debate, knowing she’ll get her ass handed to her.
12. Teddy Casino – definitely one of the more recallable names this year, Casino spent years on the activist circuit as part of Bayan Muna and as many members of the CEGP will attest, a frequent attendee at all their activities, being a former national president of the group. One thing that tends to haunt him is his propensity to speak against anything related to the US’ encroachment of our territory but keeps quiet when any China-based issues pop up.
13. Ramon Montano – the former PC-INP commander aims to wage “his last battle” on the Senate floor. The odds are not high.
14. Bro Eddie Villanueva – After two failed presidential bids, what does the stars need to do in order to make him understand that he’s not quite cut for politics? He is another example of why religion must never be equated with politics. Bro Eddie should stick to preaching instead of trying to advance his theocratic nonsense in the Senate floor. Lest we forget, his son Joel created the CIBAC partylist and now heads TESDA and another son, Bocaue Mayor Jonjon, is accused of murder. Who’s the next messianic loony to give politics a shot, Bro Eddie Velarde? Apollo Quiboloy?
15. Alan Peter Cayetano – Another twat given the MMK treatment. Can anyone think of a reason to vote this guy? We have his wife running again as Taguig mayor and his brother as Taguig congressman…another case of dynastic crap at work.
Obviously, these are some of the hotter picks out there this year. It may be possible that you will not have a full house listed. None of your magic 12 may even be included here. Whoever you cast, let it be someone who genuinely has the country’s best interests at heart.
May the best candidate win.
freedomagdalo 