Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile urged his colleague Senator Manny Villar to moderate his campaign spending. For his more than sixty years in public service, this is the first time he witnessed a candidate spending so much for just one campaign. And Enrile, a veteran of political wars, has seen them all.
Based on latest estimates, Villar has reportedly spent a quarter of a billion pesos already--three or four times higher than his nearest competitor. What is urging this candidate to spend in wanton fashion?
Villar is literally throwing money in the air by spending close to 300 million pesos for his TV and radio ads alone. He is like what Filipinos described as "galit sa pera." And what motivates a man who claimed to have been born poor, to waste or spend so much for a prize, that is, the Presidency?
Imagine, 300 million pesos just for a few minutes to be heard on air, when this same amount would have been wisely spent feeding the poor. Villar claims to have that formula to save the poor from themselves, but, at this early in the game, refuses to even give those monies to non-government organizations or people's organizations or charities to at least improve the lives of 14 million poor families.
I think more than political, Villar's behavior is rooted on psycho-social reasons. Villar wants everybody to know that he has "arrived". This is a common trait of those who are newly accepted in the elite stratosphere---they want the world to know that they have the money and is willing to spend it, even at the point of frivolity.
Even if he loses this election, Villar would have earned gazillions in terms of name recall and branding. This will benefit and cement his ascendancy in the real estate business. And this will bring him more money and gain more influence.
The question really is---is Villar ready to fight for the presidency under challenging times? I mean, what if his enemies cheat him, will Villar exert leadership and lead his supporters for the ultimate fight for that charmed seat beside the Pasig?
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