A review of the political ads of certain Senatoriables

I just heard UNA spokesperson and campaign manager Toby Tiangco on air giving his side of the latest criticism of Team Pnoy about UNA's senatorial candidates dancing on stage. Tiangco said, they provide entertainment to people. There's nothing wrong with dancing the cha-cha. What's wrong, according to Tiangco, is when former pro-Arroyo allies "team up" with alleged "reformists" in government. He slaps Paul Aquino, dad of Bam Aquino, a senatoriable, who now serves as a campaign tactician of Team Pnoy. Paul Aquino used to handle former president Arroyo's "Team Unity" in 2004 elections.

See the "difference"---a "Team Pnoy" of Aquino and a "Team Unity" of an Arroyo?

Really now, I don't know why politicians dance on stage. There are serious problems being faced by this country, and poverty, surely, is not something to dance about. Other countries, like the US, Bill Clinton once entertained the crowd with his saxophone while Obama once danced on live television. Even these so called "world leaders" danced and sang before a crowd. Of course, some of us would say that those are Western countries and we're different. Some would say that politicians everywhere are no different.

Anyway, I think we can tolerate seeing Loren Legarda dance to the tune of a cha-cha but not see her on national television dancing with a group of women and children and talking about providing food on the table and jobs. These issues are serious ones, and surely, ask around, and these are just something not worthy of a dance.

There are noteworthy political ads though, like Senator Alan Peter Cayetano's. I never liked the guy but his commercials are something of note. They talk about issues, and the ad provides solutions simply expressed. The ad resonates and you remember it.

Same goes with the political ad of Mrs. Cynthia Villar. It talks about the Villar Foundation, which provides jobs for women. The ad is straight-forward---Mrs. Villar is a no-nonsense politician. She does what she promises. She helps people, period.

Team Pnoy's political ad as of late, tells of a Pnoy, dressed in barong, talking about his candidates. Background is a road and there's a yellow field. Another great ad I should say, but rather pretentious and aims to deceive. Just look at his candidates--they are the same old faces who has misled this country for decades.

I haven't seen UNA's political ads, but I remember the one they produced in 2004---the bagong umaga ad. I still remember the jingle and the iconic face that lit up the screen whenever that ad was aired. That ad had promise. Yet, that promise was hijacked by a group of nefarious elements within the Arroyo regime, and that  is now part of History.

So now, even with these ads, you can actually use them to "separate the shaff from the grain" so to speak. Those who treat monumental societal issues like they are just "jokes" should not be included in your list of senatoriables. Hey, we have been entertained by the antics of these political jokers for more than two decades already, and now is the time to elect those who seriously take these issues not at "face value", but of "substantive" level.

Let us not joke around this time. This is not the time to horse around.

There are other options not just "tuwid" nor "malinis" na daan: there's a "banal" na daan and "kapatiran"

IN this mid-term elections, Aquino's political friends will try to picture only two options for the Pinoy electorate---a so-called "tuwid na daan" which pundits say leads to nowhere and a "malinis" na daan which again, others claim to be so slippery, those who use it always falls down.

Not to mention those who claim to be able to provide the "banal na daan" which, again, based on perspective, Satanists would claim theirs is "holy".

Why do these politicians use the term "daan" in their political slogans? Simple.

In the Filipino psyche, daan means two things---the physical road and options. For Filipinos, there are always two options when faced with a problem or a challenge, and it's always a fight between good and evil, or an option which is better or best, worse or worst or simply option a which is always different from option b.

In all these choices, Filipinos realize that there are risks involved. For those who suggest that Filipinos are not risk takers, think again. The proliferation of SME's in the landscape will definitely show you the level of risks Filipinos are expected to take. These risks go beyond the ordinary sometimes.

Filipinos would go to great lengths even go to the farthest regions of this earth for a high paying job. Or, he will abandon all riches in exchange for love.

In politics, Filipinos already know the risks. Now, it is just determining the level of risks these options have. In politics, Filipinos equate this "weighing" of options with that of "performance".

For example, was this person responsible for paving the road leading to my barangay? Was he responsible for bringing prosperity to my barangay and so on and so forth. The "daan" imagery is really epal in its practical form.

This elections, political propagandists of UNA and TEAM PNOY would paint only two options, options which, if seriously analyzed, is just one thing---the ruling oligarchs running reportedly using two roads but pointing to one direction only---the perpetuation of power of the EDSA gang.

Seriously Filipinos must be made to think of differing and multiple options not just A and B. When the time comes when Filipinos are used to think about multiple options, then, things will probably change in the political front.