Consider a field of only three well-meaning contenders in the presidential derby, all of whom could be very well-endorsed by the newly-merged party to which they all belong – Noli, Gilbert, and BF – in that ranking order. Who will you pick?
Before that, let us give a glimpse of what Wikipedia writes about each one in order to provide a basis (however limited) for our choice. Let us begin with the most popular.
Noli de Castro –
Manuel Leuterio de Castro, Jr., born on 6 July 1949 is a politician and broadcast journalist. He is senator in 2001, Vice President in 2004. He is host of “Magandang Gabi Bayan”, anchorman of “TV Patrol”. On August 2007, he was charged of bigamy and abandonment albeit the case was dismissed. Largely, Noli’s work is in the area of housing.
Gilbert Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. –
Born on 14 June 1964, Teodoro is Secretary of the Department of National Defense in August 2007, a congressman from 1998-2007 in the First District of Tarlac. He graduated his bachelor’s from La Salle in 1984, law from UP in 1989, and Master’s from Harvard Law School in 1997. His wife is now a congresswoman.
BF –
Bayani Fernando, born on 25 July 1946 is Secretary of the Metro Manila Development Authority and concurrently Director, Department of Public Works and Highways of the National Capital Region. He is mayor o Marikina City in 1992 until 2001 as twice re-elected city mayor. Marikina City morphed from 4th class municipality to model Philippine city under him. He is Celebrity Duets 2nd Season Grand Champion in 8 November 2008. Also, he built 1st Gwapotel and nd Gwapotel, a four-storey hotel and three-storey hotel, respectively were lodging houses for 40,000 to 60,000 transients who pay only P25 a night. His wife is a mayor.
Certainly, no single sign yet indicates who the party will choose as flag-bearer. In other words, there is an existing ‘political machinery’ that anyone of them would gladly inherit depending on the will of the lady ‘Queen’ as FVR himself says the merging of the parties alone came all the way up (from Malacanang) – dictated.
Going back to the theme, barring violent reactions from the viewing universe, am inclined to pick Bayani, or why?
I thought all the accusations against him are borne of the fact that people are resistant to change (pardon me for sounding like benign) not realizing that behind all these ‘cultural dysfunctions’, something better is in store.
We should abandon certain ways of thinking by precisely, thinking out of the box. Our moral instincts, shaped by long years of blind allegiance to norms of conduct, cease to be reliable. Mayor Lim may have in fact begged that BF does not drive away the sidewalk vendors on humanitarian grounds but then again, BF has a higher goal in mind without making him less of humane.
Truly, to inherit a well-oiled political machinery could be everybody’s dream that perhaps, the theory of kiss of death is a myth. Getting an official endorsement will have the whole campaign work reduced by as much as half. And there could be various other ways of interpreting what exactly would such an endorsement amount to?
Will it provide post-watch immunity to GMA and her ilk? Unfortunately, when this question was asked in the Ateneo event attended by five more vocal presidentiables, the responses are far from reassuring. Maybe, only Binay can tell it like it is as true-blue oppositionist whose mayoralty post in Makati City was almost grabbed by the powers that be.
If Marikina City still gets flooded today, if sidewalks are occupied by vendors, if roads are parked by vehicles, if serial rapists are still on the loose, if river-side roads have not yet been constructed, and so on – why will I vote for BF?
Thus, I would pick upon BF from this limited pack simply because, as now Chairman of MMDA, he is running on an overdrive. More footbridges, infrastructures and all than no one has ever seen before. That is yet just the physical side of the ledger.