Thursday, September 10, 2015

2016 elections---choosing the lesser evil, for the nth time

It is now September--a full month before we see who  among those already positioning themselves as aspirants to the Presidency and the Vice presidency will actually go ahead.

As of this moment, there are two persons who have already announced that they are seeking the presidency--Vice president Jejomar Binay who has been campaigning for five years now, and DILG secretary Mar Roxas.

Rumored are Senator Grace Poe, former Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Davao City mayor Rody Duterte.

More interesting and more exciting is the vice presidential derby--names such as Senators Antonio Trillianes IV, Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero and Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr have surfaced. Leni Robredo is still being convinced but already thumbed down initial courtships. Batangas governor Vilma Santos and former actress Alma Moreno's names have likewise been rumored but already said they are not running.

After shooting up the ratings during the INC rally brouhaha, Justice secretary Leila de Lima also categorically stated her decision not to run as vice president.

I am so sorry for Robredo but admired her more when she admitted to being a neophyte in politics and proferred to give way to others more qualified for the VP post. That is a non-trapo statement. Contrast that to the pronouncements of Grace Poe, whom surveys said, would easily win the vice presidential post if she guns for it.

Now, why do I say that we are now down to again, choosing the lesser evils.

Take a look at these names---these politicians represent none of the hope but more of the interests of Big Business names backing them up.

When Mar Roxas wins, expect the pack of high-brow, Iberian blooded elites like the Aranetas and the Zobel de Ayalas to celebrate. Roxas is being backed by a group of miners as well whom includes Eric Gutierrez, a protege of Manny Zamora.

Malayan Bank, a thrift bank, is supporting Mar Roxas and some of them are owners of GMA7.

Vice president Jejomar Binay has his own financial backers from the business community, most of whom are Chinese. Yet, because of the shakedown the Senate did against his very close financial backers, most of his financiers are wary of exposing themselves, and with cause of course.

We all know who are backing the Grace Poe "dreamy" campaign---Ramon Ang of San Miguel and the brothers Zamora. That explains why Poe is now going around the country and why people are excited for her---the perception that Poe has lots of money to throw around. And when a politician does just that, there is a caveat--expect us to pay her financiers back, with our hard earned taxes. What is one form of payback? Private-Public Partnerships.

It goes without saying for Roxas, Binay and other aspirants for the top posts.

Since Duterte already categorically said he is not running, then, what is clear is a three-cornered fight--Roxas, Poe and Binay. Even if a fourth group emerges from the woodwork and announces their "slate", voters and the public in general would just concentrate their attention to these three candidates.

Of course, if Erap suddenly emerges and throws his hat unto the ring, that, my friends, would be a game changer.

And even if Erap participates, we, hapless citizens, will still be forced to choose the lesser evil, something which we always do for almost three decades already. That explains why we do not get the kind of governance we expect from paying government taxes coming from our pockets.




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