Let me remind you of several past elections in the Philippines which may run in contrary to your idea of how a candidate in a national election can emerge as a winner. I agree with you that its not often that the most popular who wins it, but rather the one who has the strongest political machinery on the ground, but allow me to narrate past political events in our country that will help you refresh your political history in coming up for some conclusions in politics. In the 1960 presidential elections, the then incumbent Pres. Carlos P Garcia lost to Ex-Pres. Diosdado Macapagal and in the 1964 national elections incumbent Pres. Diosdado Macapagal lost to Ex-Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos. Garcia, the NP standard bearer, using all the powers of his incumbency for a strong and well organized political machinery nationwide was defeated by Macapagal by a big margin, a perceived underdog from the LP and in the same election of 1964, incumbent ex-Pres. Diosdado Macapagal using all the same powers of the presidency was outsmarted by Ex-Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos despite the strong survey showings of Pres. Macapagal in the Mindanao Islands because of his popular political backer, his Secretary of Defense, Peralta, during his time who was from Mindanao.
An overwhelming victory of the LP, the LIBERAL PARTY in the mid-term local elections of 1962, during the incumbency of Pres. Macapagal, wherein the 20 LP elected mayors and only 1 NP out of 21 towns in the province of Pampanga have attested for a shoe-in of Macapagal in his re-election bid. Despite this dominance of the LP, it didn’t give Macapagal a landslide victory in our province.
Then again, we have the 1992 presidential elections. No political party can matched up the strength of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)at that time, the biggest emerging opposition party who gave CORY the biggest support for her fight for freedom and justice. Mitra and Ramos slugged it out in the LDP convention and Mitra emerged as the convention winner, but Ramos made a critical breakaway from the LDP and organized his own Lakas-NUCD party against the strong political machinery of the LDP. Ramos was no where to be seen as becoming a winner during the campaign because he was not pairing well in the surveys and never land on top in any surveys prior to election but still he came up victorious. Not even his running mate, the remarkable Justice Fernan could save the LDP’s downfall in that election.
The Lakas-NUCD has gained so much political power because of Ramos leadership in his time and yet the powers, strength and machinery down the barangay level didn’t benefit former speaker Joe de Venecia in his quest for the presidency in the 1998 elections. No emerging political party can beat the strength of the Ramos party during his term except the short live Partido ng Masang Pilipino of ERAP.
Even in my belief that FPJ could have won the presidency in a clean and honest election, still a great number of Filipinos, voters and non-voters also believed that he gave the ruling party a run for their money in the 2004 elections. Its very hard to become a candidate in a presidential election so, having been accepted as a candidate to be voted or not voted during the election is already a form of winning. To become victorious is another story.
If you really believe that Filipinos are longing for a change and searching for a new leader in the next coming elections, have faith in yourself and to the entire Filipino electorate for they will surely bring down the candidates carrying the shadow of a troubled president like GMA.

I wish to express my sentiments..about Bayani Fernando, whom you mentioned in your article.
We used to hate him before. but after knowing that he did not sign the anomalous WB contract which cost him his job as DPWH Secretary, after knowing that the cost of elevated uturn is only half of the porject cost being presented by DPWH lately, after knowing that he was a Sacristan; that he built the tallest building in the Philippiines; that he is an EDSA Hero…We have now a second look on Bayani. Maybe he is the right guy for the presidency. Alot of people who are snowballing Bay6ani for president are similarly situated people..once upon ta time, we used to hate Bayani.

so big deal they merge thats don’t mean there is an election comes 2010. Remember one thing Gloria Arroyo, Well say and do anything in order to stay into her stolen power forever. Furthermore how can anybody believe her when she already proven herself to be the number one LIAR.

And if there is an election comes 2010 I’m pretty sure Gloria Arroyo, Et al. Will do anything in order for her chicken to win by hook or by crooks! just like what they did on May 10, 2004. Presidential election against Fernando Poe, Jr. Except this time its be easy for them to CHEAT because they’re going to use the computer machine counting the votes. Its easy to ADD/DELETE the votes on computer.

And if her candidate wins that means Gloria Arroyo, Forever all her sins against the filipino people will be swipe under the rugs just like what happen on all corruption she be doing. And if the filipino people is not going to do something to get rid of her they all deserve what they’re getting. I’ll say, No Gloria Forever! SHE’S A THIEF.

[...] candidacy of the late Fernando Poe, Jr. in the 2004 Presidential elections can easily attest to that. Although FPJ drew huge crowds wherever he went, he was still unable to [...]