By Harvey S. Keh
AT the rate things are progressing with regard to the 2010 elections, it seems that the number of Presidentiables are growing every month. Just this morning, I woke up to the news that known environmental advocate Nicanor Perlas has also declared to run for President while there are also news stories that last year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service, Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela is also being prodded by peasant and youth organizations to consider to also run for the highest position in the land.
This just goes to show that there is indeed a growing discontentment by many Filipinos here and abroad about the current state of our politics and a great longing for better leaders who will advocate good governance and ethical leadership in our country.
Yet, the sad reality that many of these reform candidates face–including the likes of Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Chief Justice Reynato Puno and Jesus is Lord (JIL) Evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva–is that if all of them decide to run for President in 2010 then I can guarantee every Filipino that all of them will also end up as losers in the said elections.
As I have mentioned in my previous blogs, good intentions alone will not be enough to elect a reform President, financial resources are a given. I remember a conversation I had with former Senate President Franklin Drilon. He told me that you need millions of pesos to run a national campaign not to buy votes but to actually take care of your operations such as hiring campaign staff, paying for the rent and utilities expenses of your campaign office, organizing and feeding your volunteers, traveling expenses and most importantly, paying for television and radio advertisements.
With so many reform candidates positioning for the 2010 polls, I doubt that there would be enough donors and resources that they will be able to raise to put up a viable campaign.
I think the real strategy now should be to look at the current survey results (SWS and Pulse Asia) and assess the chances of each candidate.
In my conversations with both Panlilio and Padaca, who are both Kaya Natin! leaders, they both told me that they will always do what is best for the country and not their own personal ambitions.
I think this should be the attitude of all the current reform Presidentiables, they should all work towards unifying their forces in the hope of supporting a common candidate or even running under a common unity reform ticket.
Recently, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan also declared that he will run for Vice-President as an independent while he also launched his Register to Vote (R2V) project that also brings together known reformists such as Panlilio, Padaca, Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, Ifugao Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr., Atty. Alex Lacson, former Rep. Neric Acosta and Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel together for a common cause of encouraging the Filipino youth to register for the upcoming polls.
Imagine if all of these groups converge under one common reform ticket in 2010, I am sure that whomever they decide to support for President will surely have a strong chance of winning. If they don’t and they decide to go on their separate ways then this will just benefit the present administration and we can all rest assured that another corrupt traditional politician will win in 2010.
This coming 2010, courage, genuine love for country, openness and more important, humility will be factors to avoid a recipe for disaster, which will leave us again wondering what could have been if only we made a sincere and genuine effort to be united for a cause that is much greater than each one of us.
Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo School of Government and is also the Lead Convenor of Kaya Natin! Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com
12 Feedbacks on "Recipe for Disaster in 2010"
pinoypower
I can only agree with you that the list of presidentiables are growing every month but at the same time the number of candidates with winning chances are growing lesser. If the recent events like the Dacer - Corbito double murder and the C-5 double insertion investigations as well as the rift within Lakas-Kampi-NUCD selection process, we can make out that a four corner fight is emerging among Mar Roxas of LP, Chiz or Loren of NPC, de Castro,Teodoro,BF or Gordon of the Administration and Villar of NP. All the rest of presidentiables can run like Erap, Binay, Panlilio, Padaca and others but they will only muddle the race.
As I see it now Mar Roxas is benefitting from events where he has not even exerted any effort. This is one of the reasons why his ratings have been climbing steadily.
roger lasquite
i think you can invite all of them to a prayer meeting and pray together as responsible leaders,or let’s pray that one of them can start initiating talks now for a slate for the 2010 election.
Dominador C. Uy
Everyone of these candidates mentioned have their own sipsips who whisper in their ears what they want to hear. And they believe it because that is exactly what they were hoping to hear.
Those religious charlatans are way up there. Why the followers of these charlatans cant or dont see that they are being led down the garden path in return for their hard-earned pesos, in the processenriching themselves beyond their wildest dreams, I can never understand. I can only surmise that religion is really the ultimate scam —saving your soul or going to heaven in return for a few pesos a week.
Indeed, we Pinoys never learn. The more candidates there are, GMA and her cohorts do not even need to cheat.
globe
You’re right with the ideal perspective. Vast majority of our countrymen can still be bought comes election day. Food or money is still their primary concern in daily life. It is nice to think to sacrifice for our country. But most of our politicians doesn’t care for this country. They are obssessed with their pockets. This country remains at the cellar. Corruption and fraud has become a standard. That is one reason why our country was never granted a visa waiver privilege by most of the first world countries. We can’t blame other nationalities to look down on our race because of the negativies that we project in our homeland.
mario
Sana magkaroon ng isang survey sa lahat ng mga nagbabalak na tumakbong presidente sa hanay ng mga “REFORMIST” para makita at malaman kung sino sa kanila ang may pag-asang manalo.
Kung sino man ang pangalan na lumabas na numero uno, SANA yon na ang susuportahan ng lahat ng “REFORMIST GROUPS”
patrick
HELLO MGA KABABAYAN!
It’s hard not to get involve considering the issues that we are facing in our country. I laud you MR. KEH for taking time, i guess alot of your time in all the social political issues in the PHILIPPINES. you have a KEH last name sir. i suppose you are a CHINOY! or a Filipino Chinese but you are so involve with everything. While there are so many filipinos and im saying most of us does’nt even care about anything. Thank you so much sir.
PINOY din po ako! i wanted to be proud of my country. I wanted to stand up and tell everybody that i am a FILIPINO, that we are the best! But on the second thought, i sometimes bow down everytime i here in TFC whats going on with our country. NAKAKAHIYA PO na ganun ang nangyayari sa bayan natin. It’s not just in politics. Its about the attitude. Pag ka masarili. Basta okay ako nabubuhay naman ang pamilya ko, di pa naman kami nagugutom, mainit sa labas bat ako sasama sa rally? Simpleng mga bagay pero di natin magawa. ano pa kaya ang malalaking mga isyu na hinarap natin. Kung pwede lang na mag rally din dito sa lugar ko para lang ipahayag ko ang mga pag tutol ko sa mga nangyayari sa ating bansa gagawin ko. Kahit mag isa ako! Sana lang ang mga tao maging involve ulit sa mga ganyang issues. Naiintindihan ko din po na pagod na tayong ipahayag ang mga kalooban natin. Dahil wala na din na mangyayari. Pero kailangan ulit nating mag kaisa para sa ating baya!
Sa ELECTION, asahan ninyong dadayain tayo ng administration. Asahan ninyo na walang magagawa ang opposition. Kung si ERAP ang tumakbo at mag kakaroon ng mahigit 1o milyon na lamang sa kalaban malamang mahirap ng dayain yun. Kaso ano gagawin nila?? TUTUMBAHIN NILA ULIT SI ERAP dahil alam nilang susugurin sila. Pwedeng hindi sing talino ni ERAP sina Gloria pero sa tingin ko may magandang motibo si ERAP para sa ating bayan. Nag kataon lang na hindi PRO-American si Erap kaya kailangan patumbahin, Pansinin ninyo halos lahat ng mga nakaupong presidente natin TUTA ng america. Sila halos nag mamanda ng galaw ng ating bayan. Alam kong hindi kapanipaniwala ang mga sinasabi ko pero subukan nating mag lagay ng isang taong di pabor sa america. Wala pang isang termino laglag na naman yan. The revolution then, EDSA 2??? It was funded not by our local politicians but by you know who i am refering to. Magising tayo sa katotohanan na controlado tayo ng mga kano kaya di natin halos maayos ang ating bayan.
MAGKAISA ulit tayo. Hwag tayo maging duwag magpahayag ng tama. Hindi naman lang si GLORIA ang kalaban natin dito. Kundi ang mga KANO! Di po ako aktibista! Pero yan po ang katotohanan na kailangan nating harapin
PS.
I hope Inquirer will post my blog. I just wanted to express my sentiments about our country. And how important it is for me to be heard as well. Thank you so much sir/madam
Norberto M. Medina
Marami nga ang naghahangad na kumandidato para “Presidente” ng Pilipinas. Kung pag-aaralang mabuti ng bawat boboto ang kanyang “ihahalal” para sa pinakamataas na puwesto sa bansa, dapat itanong mo o malaman mo sa “kandidatong” ito, ano ba ang
a) “motibo” mo bakit mo gustong maging “Presidente”?
b) “magiging tapat ka ba sa tungkuling mo?
c) kaya mo bang maging “lantad” o “hayagan” ang pagpapatakbo ng isang “malinis” na pamahalaan?
d) kanino ka magiging tapat? sa “Diyos” ba at sa taong bayan? o sa “partido” mo lamang?
Itanong mo nga ito sa “kandidato” mo!
mang goding
ganyan naman tayong pilipino, pagdating ng election.
always reform, reform, pagbabago but after election galit na kayong mga reformists sa kandidato nyo at tatawaging trapos at corrupt.
it happened to marcos, cory, ramos, erap and now gloria.
kasi nga gusto ninyo madalian ang pagbabago or reform, eh only 6years ang term of office of the president. kulang ang taon.
isa pa, masyado tayong maraming nakikita sa mga nakaupo na. bawat kilos ng namumuno binatantayan, parang watch dog.
ang pagbabago ay hindi sa kandidato o politico or election.
ang pagbabago ay sa ating sarili na mamamayan dahil wala tayong tiwala sa namumuno kaya lagi na lang reform ang binabanggit.
unahin ang pagbabago natin. after election pabayaan na lang ang politiko sa trabaho nila at wag ng magreklamo dahil wala na tayong magagawa, magngangawa man tayo.
Reform candidate… well, ipakita na lang ang kanilang accomplishment kung meron man.
tirador
to patrick,
no offense tol, pero noon pa yan,bata pa ako marami ng nagsabi na kontrolado tayo ng amerika. since time immemorial pa gamit ng mga pulitiko yang platapormang yan, ang magsisigaw sa kalye ng “ibagsak ang imperyalistang kano!”. sino ba ang tanga? yung kano o tayo? eh tayo yung nakatira sa pilipinas. kung tutuusin walang pakialam ang amerika sa atin. tayo lang naman ang laging humihingi ng tulong sa amerika at nakapila sa embassy para makapunta sa amerika. simple lang ang solusyon dyan kabayan. next time, iboto nyo yung taong handang putuling lahat ng diplomatic relations natin sa amerika at tapos ang problema mo. sigurado masaya ka na. ang problema lang, eh sigurado ka kaya na uunlad na ang pilipinas kapag wala na tayong ugnayan sa amerika? baka ganun din kabayan. ang sekreto siguro eh mamuhay tayo ng matino at tigilan natin ang sisihin ang ibang bansa na wala namang kinalaman sa sarili nating kapalpakan dahil maraming pilipino na narito sa amerika na umasenso din naman ….he he he. tingnan mo si erap, masyadong makabayan…siya ang unang nagpa-tanggal ng US bases noong 1990’s pero nung nagkasakit at nagpa-ospital sa amerika din tumakbo. ano ba ito kabayan, kaplastikan o ka-ipokritohan? yung erap mo sa sobrang pagmamahal sa sariling bayan pati sariling bayan ninakawan. si erap mo eh convicted plunderer ano pa kaya ang ipinagmamalaki mo sa kanya, he he he…di ba pati sarili niyang asawa at pamilya pinagloloko niya he he he…yan ba ang idolo mo? gising kabayan dahil kung tunay at buhay ang idealismong inaasahan mo, noon pa sana ipinagkaloob na ng Diyos yan para umasenso na tayo. sige lang, tayo ka lang sa harap ng US embassy at ituloy mo yang kasisigaw ng ibagsak! at baka may milagrong mangyari sa buhay mo.
Good luck!
chiebart
kung gusto natin talaga ng pagbabago, bakit hindi natin simulan sa Brgy Level?
brgy level pa nga lang hindi na tayo makapamili ng matino at dapat maupo, paano pa sa National Level?
marami sa atin ang nag iingay pero wala naman ginagawang panimula na pagbabago sa sarili.
for how many years, we are always shouting for a change, pero bakit until now e ganito pa rin? hindi ba natin naiisip kung saan may mali?
subukan natin isipin at gawan ng aksiyon, baka sa darating na eleksyong yung totoong pagbabago na para sa kabutihan natin ang makuha natin.
Angelo Umali
Bakit naman pipiliin ko ang isang subok ng failure gaya ni erap, he had his time and he wasted it, enough of Erap at duon po tayo sa subok na at may nakikita tayong pag asa. Bayani Fernando siya po ay may political will para umunlad ang bansa natin, nagawa niya sa marikina at magagawa din niya sa buong bansa, matatag at hindi populist at hindi natitinag yan po ang katangian ng tunay na leader. Disiplina ang kailangan para sa ikauunlad ng bayan Bayani Fernando ating suportahan.
Ben Villares
Hindi na ba tayo nadala kay Erap at nanaisin pa nating ibalik muli sa puwesto gayong binigyan natin siya ng pagkakataon at di niya pinahalagahan. Tama na Erap ipaubaya mo na lang sa iba at di lang ikaw ang may kakayahan para mapaunlad ang Pilipinas. Bobo at mangmang ang pipiliin si Erap kaysa kay Bayani Fernando na subok na maraming nagawa at may magagawa pa para sa bayan. si Erap sumikat lang sa pamimigay ng sardinas at bigas at maghagis ng kendi ayun mahal na siya ng mahihirap. si Bayani Fernando ang mga squatter binigyan niya ng mga lugar na kaayaayang tirahan ng isang tao. Kay Bayani Fenando tunay na may political will para umunlad ang bayan natin. BF GETS IT Done
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