Who wants Noynoy to run?

Why are we so fond of emulating what Americans did or why do we always relish the idea of replicating a success story when it's always better to create something fresh and new?

Noynoy right now is re-tracing the steps of his mother, by doing the same things that her iconic mother did before she went into battle with Macoy. Many people, especially the CBCP thinks its touche. Some, however, think, it's a bad idea. In fact, many people see this as what we Filipinos call "hinihinog sa pilit."

Come to think of it, who really urged Noynoy to run? Is it really the Filipino People? If its the people, do we have concrete evidence that most of us really want him to run? Aside from those sheets of yellow paper that Ed Roces gave people to sign their names with, are there other proof that majority of us, Filipinos, really want him to sacrifice his personal freedoms and become our president?

If you listen quite closely, you'll find that only those who are either aligned with or sympathizes with the Liberal Party that says Noynoy is the one. Think about it. The rest of us Filipinos are not quite gaga over the idea simply because either we're already too pragmatic or we know that these times are quite different from Cory's.

Don't get me wrong. I want the best president to win, someone who really has the vision, the political will and the exact opposite of the one who sits illegally in that chair beside the Pasig. But, I don't want to say that I chose the lesser evil. Or, I don't want to arrive at a conclusion that I am voting into office someone who will just perpetuate elite domination at the expense of the majority.

This elections is not about personalities, I agree. It is about principles. It is about letting New Transformative Politics replace the existing old and traditional politics.

For many days now, I have been in deep contemplation. Unlike Noynoy, however, I am not about to consult my God for this one. I want to consult my people, whom I regard as the best political analyst in this country. What is their pulse? What are their feelings about this? And I don't agree that if Noynoy fails in this, that's the end of the New Transformative Politics. No. The struggle for a True, Just and Humane Filipino society will thrive with or without Noynoy.

Noynoy may be the candidate with a clean record, but so does Nicanor Perlas, and he's not getting the same reaction compared with Cory's son. Maybe because Perlas is not a Liberal and he does not have the machinery. But, he, indeed, has the principles and probably the best platform compared with all the rest of the candidates. And if this is really an election that would pit ideas against other ideas, then, Perlas deserves more of our attention than say, Noynoy who still does not have any.

Or, maybe the founder of the Young Officers' Union (YOU), my friend, Dado Valeroso, deserves more of our attention than what we're giving Noynoy. Valeroso has the academic credentials (MA from AIM). He sacrificed his life for the vision he believed in and even gave his career up just to build a New Society. And he silently wants to declare his candidacy for the presidency. Or, maybe Capt. Nicanor Faeldon deserves more of those adulations we heap on Noynoy. He's still out there on the run, convincing people of the viability of struggling against an illegal regime and getting nothing of the praises some people are giving Noynoy.

In the end I hate to say this, but we are being conditioned by media to accept Noynoy as the best alternative candidate. And probably he is. I just sincerely fear that Noynoy is being used by forces bigger than us who has vested interests, like the Lopezes whose power were marginalized under Arroyo. Or, maybe those businessmen controlling Makati wanted him to run to protect their businesses in case an Estrada or a Villar wins.

But, of course, if we, indeed want a Noynoy, then, why only now that we realize it and not before when we were on the verge of victory over Arroyo? Maybe, Conrad is right that Noynoy is destined for this. Maybe he really is the anointed. But, what are those things which Noynoy stands for? For freedom? For democracy? Or the perpetuation of elite rule?

Dear Filo: Where's the vision?

I just read the comments of Filo, very interesting pieces. It gave me something to think about. And his points are very well taken. Thanks, bossing. For those who don't agree with any one of my entries here, please comment. I would definitely answer each and every one. By the way, if you want news, just go to my site at http://www.newphilrevolution.com.

Now, for those who want to contribute, you can do so. Just email newpatriots@newphilrevolution.com. I'll be happy to post it at the new NPR. I want it sana to be a user-generated content site.

A few days from now, we will launch the new online news magazine: The Filipino News Network. The URL is http://www.filipinonewsnetwork.com.

Actually, I meant well when I wrote about Senator Villar's act. Filo is right. Don't worry, I'll correct it. I really did not mean to endorse anybody here. As I said, I'm just an observer of political dynamics.

Now, the problem with all these presidentiables, no one has a concrete political agenda. No one has a vision. No one has the right ideology fit for us. For example, everybody, especially Chiz Escudero mouths motherhood statements every single time. Mar Roxas, meanwhile, tries to manipulate our emotions. While si Villar, nagmumurang kamatis with his Tropang Villar (or Tropang Manny). Corny.

The one that I, at least, got some sense is Teodoro's ads. It's a public service announcement yet the branding is clear. Teodoro, at least, revealed his ideology before the public. (check out what it is).

That's why, many people, and that includes me, fear 2010. Why? No one stands out among the presidentiables. No single one.

We hope that Chiz would fit the bill but talks about how he tries to get Mrs. Arroyo's endorsement is a total letdown. It's not surprising since Chiz's father used to work for ex-strongman Ferdinand Marcos. Like father, like son? That's a possibility. Look, Chiz used to be the spokesperson of the opposition. He used to be with UNO. Then, he reverted back to NPC. He abandoned his comrades there.

Mar Roxas, I think, has the will yet he seems to fidget, confirming what Mrs. Arroyo accused him of as doing some pussyfooting. Loren Legarda also does that. Remember that pronouncement that she'll align only with Erap? After that statement, Legarda retracted and announced that she'll submit herself to the NPC process. What in God's name was that?

Villar, well, is involved in a controversy and debases himself and the people for continually snubbing the Senate ethics investigation. Instead of answering the accusations, point blank, he resorts to image control. That shows what kind of governance Villar will have once he wins.

Gordon is at least above reproach with his actions; yet, his soft stance in the fight against terrorism is a total letdown. You talk peace with legitimate revolutionary groups, not with terrorists. Maybe Gordon needs to re-study the political spectrum.

Noli de Castro boasts of the government's housing program, telling everybody how successful they were giving 1.8 million families decent homes. What he failed to tell us is, what now? I heard almost half a million of these families are having a hard time paying for their housing loans.

Another hopeful, Among Ed Panlilio, seems too good to be true. Too good that he probably is still unprepared for a higher post. Someone who has the vision might, at one point, conclude that it is not the Office of the President that causes these social problems. It is the system that causes all of these woes. What if Among Ed realizes it? Would that convince him to change this system in a drastic manner?

How about Bayani, you ask? Well, I don't like to waste words with a Hitler mini-me.

I urge Filo to contribut articles to this space, if he has time. I'll publish him. I urge him to submit articles for http://www.newphilrevolution.com and http://www.filipinonewsnetwork.com.

Thanks, again. And God bless.

SMARTmatic lowest bidder

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) just announced that SMARTmatic/TIM has the lowest bid among the remaining bidders in the automation of the 2010 elections.

Smartmatic/Total Information Management gave the amount at 7.19 billion, about 4 billion pesos lower than the rest of the bidders.

COMELEC BID BODY SAYSSmartmatic has lowest automated polls bid
By Anna ValmeroINQUIRER.netFirst Posted 18:35:00 05/18/)
MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) The Commission on Elections said on Monday
that Smartmatic/Total Information Management consortium was the lone qualifier
for the final leg of bidding for the P11.2 billion automation
contract.
Smartmatic and local partner TIM, which pegged its financial bid for the automation contract at P7,191,484,739.48 or about P4 billion below than the total contract amount, is the only qualifier for the last leg of the automation bidding.
For this, the Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) declared the Smartmatic consortium as bidder with the lowest calculatedresponsive bid that “complied with the set requirements of Comelec,” according to SBAC vice chairman Adolfo Ibanez.
“With the evaluation report on the Smartmatic consortium, at this part of the bids process, the SBAC declares Smartmatic/TIM a complied bidder. The evaluation of the financial bid proposals will not mean that they have already bagged the award. To get the contract, the bidder must still pass the technical evaluation of PCOS machines set this week,”
said Ibanez.
Ibanez invited Smartmatic to setup their poll machines for the bid evaluation.
“Looking for the bidder with lowest calculated responsive bid does not necessarily mean selecting a bidder with the least expensive proposal.
We have to strike a balance between the bidder's eligibility to handle the project, their technical capacity to comply with requirements of the Comelec for the automated election system, and financial proposal that should not exceed the
total contract amount,” added SBAC chirman Ferdinand Rafanan.
Before making a recommendation on the lowest bid, Rafanan said SBAC would be conducting post-qualification or post-evaluation of the documents simultaneously with the technical demonstration and evaluation of machines.
Earlier today, the consortium of Indra Sistemas, SAHI and Hart Intercivic was disqualified for having a bid that failed to comply with required number of deliverables or components of the automation system. These include units of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) units, canvassing units, battery devices and digital keys
for use in the encryption of voting system results and operation of PCOS
machines.
The consortium of Indra Sistemas, SAHI and Hart Intercivic offered a proposal worth P11,223,307,799--a bid lower by P310, 609 from the contract amount.
SBAC said the P11,223,618,400 total contract amount covered the following: P10.923 billion for the automated election system, including the lease amount for 80,000 precinct count optical scan machines (P8.22 billion); canvassing units (P140 million) and related services (P1.563), P200 million for transmission costs and P100 million for project management costs.
The financial proposals were calculated on Monday by the technical working group
(TWG) to check if they did not exceed the amounts allocated per subcomponent,
and if they fulfilled the required automation system subcomponents, said Rafanan.
By end of May, the poll body will award the contract and “hopefully, have a poll automation bidder that will work for the automation of the 2010 elections,” Rafanan said.
Meanwhile, SBAC will make the ruling on Tuesday regarding the motion for clarifications of Sequoia Voting Systems-USSC consortium and other pending bid appeals, without entertaining verbal manifestations from other bidders.
Regarding the appeal of Avante International/ES&S, the SBAC junked its motion for reconsideration for failure to submit certificate of acceptance regarding contracts with the States of Michigan and Minnesota.
At this point in time, Rafanan said bidders are barred from communicating with any SBAC member or official observer outside of the bidding proceedings.
The SBAC is almost on the final stage of evaluating bid proposals.

Exclusive: Loren Legarda to announce her candidacy by July

Last July 2008, Pulse Asia released a survey showing that a Loren Legarda-Chiz Escudero tandem would probably get 40% of Filipino votes. While an Escudero-Legarda tandem would just get 20% of the votes.

The question---how about an Estrada-Legarda tandem or a Legarda-Estrada tandem?

This and more, you'll find out in this frank encounter with Senator Loren Legarda in Arlyn dela Cruz's lunch fete at the Manila Polo Club today.

According to Legarda, she's consulting with her supporters, leaders and her family on the best possible option for her come 2010.

She says that she needs time to discern and would probably announce what post she'll run in July, 2009. She has'nt picked her running mate yet since the situation in politics right now is "fluid".

In this interview we had with her today, Loren Legarda answered some of the questions about her political plans come 2010. Some of the highlights include:

1. Loren Legarda being invited by former president Joseph Estrada to go with him on his sorties to the provinces. Legarda will go with Erap in his Bicol trips.

2. Loren answers gender preferences---what she thinks about "prevailing" perception about another woman president in 2010.

3. Loren answers questions about her possible teamup with Chiz Escudero and the possibility of snatching 40% of the votes should they decide to run under the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC). But, as Loren says, the situation is still very fluid, meaning, we may yet find her either staying with NPC or team up with another political party. She just did that in 2004, when she teamed up with Opposition standard bearer Fernando Poe Jr. In that elections, she lost to former senator Noli de Castro for the vice presidential post.

Legarda also reveals the intention of various groups to unite under one opposition movement in 2010.

Let's listen in....