At last a candidate with a Vision! Loren Legarda tops all candidates

Loren Legarda just announced that she'll be running for the vice presidential post come 2010. Her Luneta announcement last night is better than all the other candidates running for the top post. Instead of a melodramatic speech, peppered with necropolitical imagery, Loren presented a platform.

At last! A candidate with a vision, a candidate who has the strong will to say what she truly wants to do and what she intends to fulfill should she be elected for the top post. Let me quote her "six-point must-do" Pro-People Agenda from an Inquirer report :

First, the country’s resources, including government funds, should go toward affording all Filipinos housing, sanitation, potable water, access to medicines and proper health care, education for the youth and skills training.

Second, government must recognize the contributions of overseas Filipino workers by facilitating their gainful employment, providing them ample protection against abuses and by continuously upgrading their skills and knowledge.

third, the new administration must really crack down on corruption, which wastes the country’s limited resources, destroys institutions and undermines the trust of the people and of the international community, including foreign investors.

Fourth, protection of the environment and initiation of pro-active measures to address the problem of climate change and the disasters related to it by strictly following geohazard maps in pursuing development plans, flood control and solid waste management systems.

Fifth, forge a genuine peace, especially in Mindanao, not only through law enforcement but through the resolution of the root causes of the conflicts in the countryside, poverty and social injustice to name a few.

Sixth, forge a cultural renaissance for Filipino culture and traits to be recognized, rejuvenated and passed on to future generations “because they are what makes Filipinos unique as a people.”

I asked all New Patriots to vote for Loren Legarda. I ask my fellow brothers and sisters in the Islamic faith and all other faiths, to campaign for her.

With Loren's entry, the vice presidential derby has become more interesting than the presidential. Imagine, two political heavyweights, namely Mar Roxas and Loren Legarda, will be fighting headlong in this. Loren enjoys an edge since based on SWS surveys, she has a solid mass base support of 26%, far from the 13-14% mass base support of Roxas.

Roxas has the money but Loren has the support of local government officials and of course, Danding Cojuangco.

If the Estrada oppositionist camp wants to win, it must convince Binay to just give way to Loren Legarda. Now, if Loren runs with Chiz as her presidentiable, they might possibly clinch it. A Chiz-Loren tandem has better chances than, say, a Villar-Loren or a Teodoro-Loren, although this tandem is really very, very ideal for one simple fact---both are highly intelligent and with a vision. Sadly, this cannot be because of a misconception that it is a kiss of death to align with the administration.

The Spectre of a Proxy President looms

The opposition is in disarray. They are fighting amongst themselves. The specter of a proxy president looms in the horizon.

What is preventing NPC Senator Chiz Escudero from formally declaring his bid for the presidency? Sources say, it's former president Joseph Estrada who reportedly asked his good friend, Danding Cojuangco a big favor. Cojuangco already publicized his response---he will support whoever his party, the NPC, wants as their presidential bet. And Chiz is it.

Chiz is a formidable opponent because he has the backing of the Tsinoy community as well as Danding's group.

Yet, there are talks that Loren Legarda wants to cross parties and partner up with Erap. Not a good move at this point. Legarda should stay with the NPC since she has a better chance of winning this time, with Kabayan Noli de Castro out of the picture. De Castro, as some friends say, is going back to broadcasting.

Meanwhile, the Noynoy-Mar camp is, as some alleged, self-destructing. Their relief operations went haywire. Some groups are reportedly frustrated over the seemingly "secretive" way the Liberal Party is managing Noynoy's campaign. Talks about Noynoy meeting Erap and Danding are beginning to affect the morale of volunteers within Noynoy's camp, especially those belonging to the reform groups.

Villar, as some alleged, is slowly running out of funds.

And organizers within all their parties are engaged in mini turf wars, not good for the reform movement.

Over at the administration camp, things are slowly being organized behind Gibo. Gibo's presence in all those affected flood prone areas will find its mark in the surveys.

The key to this is the NORTH. Whoever makes himself big or bigger in the rehab efforts in the North will clinch the presidency. And it seems that, for the meantime, the administration is shoring up some points.

Villar-de Castro, Erap-Binay, Chiz-Loren, Noynoy-Mar, Gibo-Puno

As what we wrote a couple of weeks (or months?) ago, Vice President Noli de Castro really intends to run for re-election under the Nacionalista Party of Senator Manny Villar. Choosing Pia Cayetano or Loren are just bogeys meant to confuse the enemy.

Choosing the right running mate is most critical for Villar because this might pull his ratings down OR help him improve it. Villar is running second to Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino in the ratings game and I believe that, like Mar, his ratings have already plateau-ed. If Villar does not do anything to arrest the possible slide of his ratings, he will lose the game.

With De Castro, Villar could improve his ratings in the D class---but that is still uncertain because Erap's grassroots organizers are busy re-consolidating their forces. Erap is really busy campaigning and certainly, he'll run with Binay as his running mate.

Some sources however, say that Binay could actually end up not running AT ALL and just serve as Noynoy Aquino's campaign manager. Binay can still run for mayor of Makati or possibly given a Cabinet post should Noynoy win. It is most certain that Mar Roxas would run as Noynoy's running mate and this will be announced shortly after the Korina-Mar wedding.

(Speaking of Korina, this controversy involving her and RG cruz is not doing Mar any good. She and RG should just sit down and together resolve the problem. Don't involve management anymore since they're both guilty anyway. RG is wrong in not moderating his Facebook comments while Korina is wrong in using her influence to demand management to take a serious look on RG's after-office activities. Enuf said.)

If Binay does not run under UNO, that leaves Erap with no one. He certainly cannot get Loren off from the NPC since the Chiz Escudero-Loren Legarda tandem has already been arranged. However, this tandem is still OPEN to the possibility of merging with other "oppositionist" parties.