Roxas-Lacson tandem, a plus or minus?

Hello everyone! After the Pulse Asia survey results were made known to the public, showing that Senator Mar Roxas jumped from 8% to 13% in the derby of 2010 presidential aspirants, a new survey conducted by the Issues and Advocacy Center headed by former President Fidel V. Ramos' PR chief Ed Malay, place our bet in tie with former President Joseph Estrada and fellow Senator Manny Villar.

Roxas was in tie with Estrada with 15% and Villar with 14% in a 13-way presidential race. In a 9-way presidential race, Roxas shared with Vice President Noli De Castro and Senator Chiz Escudero the third to fifth place with 14% each while Villar had 17% and Estrada 15%.

Wake up! Our candidate is already in a double-digit place and we need to keep the momentum going. He's "in it to win it".

Another interesting thing is this: just last week, Senator Panfilo Lacson quit his 2010 presidential bid citing "high cost of presidential campaign." Rumor has been that Lacson is poised to endorse Roxas for President and a possible Roxas-Lacson for President and Vice President is looming to happen. Roxas has made no comment on this and Lacson too. But in the same survey by the Issues and Advocacy Center, it also included a survey on possible 2010 team-ups. The Escudero-(Loren)Legarda tandem got 37% and an Estrada-Legarda tandem got 31% while a Roxas-Lacson tandem got 33%. This is somewhat surprising to me. I never expected that this tandem will work knowing that Roxas and Lacson were both aspiring for the presidency. But now that Lacson has quit his bid, he's now open to aligned with another 2010 presidential bet.

Then, here's the thing: Is a Roxas-Lacson tandem a plus or minus. I don't know if it's really a plus or a minus but if this comes true, big things would really change but not for sure if it's positive or negative change. Some would say that Roxas having Lacson as his VP might be dangerous because Roxas will be tainted by Lacson's alleged wrongdoings thus blemishing Roxas' clean record. Others also would say that a Roxas-Lacson will give a big boost to Roxas because it's a great tandem. You have someone who's good in the economy (Roxas' expertise) and someone who's good in peace and orders (Lacson' expertise). But whatever is Roxas' and Lacson's decision, is up to them. Weigh in the pros and cons and make a good decision.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 | posted in campaign, chiz escudero, ed malay, erap, fidel ramos, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson | 2 comments [ More ]

Roxas statistically tied for first; gains big in the latest Pulse Asia Survey

Wait, it's not yet time to celebrate that much because there's still 11 months before the May 2010 Presidential elections, but as of now, this one is a good news. According to the latest Pulse Asia Survey dated May 4 to 17, 2009, our presidential bet, Senator Mar Roxas, is now on the circle of 5.

Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News

Roxas was the biggest gainer in the latest Pulse Asia survey for the period February to May 2009. He was also statistically tied for first given the survey error parameters of +/- 3%.

In his press statement, he said:

"Nararamdaman na ng taumbayan ang aking pakikipaglaban para sa mahihirap. Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga taong naniniwalang mababago ko hindi lang ang kanilang mga buhay kundi ang pamamalakad ng ating bansa."

Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News

Roxas was also number one in the Visayas region, where my place Cebu is in and my province Biliran is in too. But let us remember that we must not be put all our effort in one or few provinces. We must get every single vote in all of the provinces in the Philippines to be able to win. No matter how small or big that province is, every vote should count for us. In that same press statement also, Roxas thanked the people of Visayas for their continued support on him:

"Malaki ang utang na loob na tinatanaw ko sa taumbayan, lalo na sa aking mga kababayan mula sa Visayas na patuloy na sumusuporta sa akin," he said.

As Stella Arnaldo puts it on her blog post:

"Anything can still happen between now and May 11, 2010."

Indeed. Roxas has been saying that no matter what the result of these surveys are, there is only one survey that would matter, and that's the 2010 presidential elections. If we succeed, then good. But if we won't, then we must look back on where we got it wrong. But I know we don't want to fail. Do you?

This is the third straight poll showing an increase for Mar Roxas who in 2004 garnered almost 20 million votes when he topped the 2004 senate elections. The vote garnered by Mar Roxas in 2004 was and still is the highest number of votes garnered by any candidate in the Philippines.

Veteran political columnist Ellen Tordesillas also shared her thoughts on this good news:

"Looks like Sen.Mar Roxas “padyak” ads are effective in making people notice him. Or maybe because of his crusade against Legacy owner Celso de los Angeles whom he accused of swindling thousands of plan holders. Or it could be the "Korina Sanchez" factor."

I really don't know where exactly Roxas hit the right note because there has been so much fuss about his Padyak TV Ad. His public engagement also with Korina Sanchez was called distasteful to some even other accusing the host of Wowowee, Willie Revillame, of being bribed to have them on the show which is so untrue. The Legacy issue has also been a good aspect of Roxas' pursuit for justice to those who are being fooled by people like Celso de los Angeles. Whatever it is, I know these contributed a lot to Roxas' poll ratings.

But here's one point that blogger Ding Gagelonia has observed that might have boosted Roxas' poll ratings:

"I am making the observation after also having closely tracked his performance in the first episode of the ABS-CBN Leaders Foum during which Mar projected a clear vision of what he wanted to do."

Oh! Why would we forget that. The ABS-CBN Leadership Forum was a good avenue to get to know more him and his vision for our country. That surely helped a lot.

As what I have said earlier, the piñata hasn't been broken and we still don't know what's inside it. It's still a wide open race for the potential presidential candidates, unless some of them slide down. We should do all our best to make Mar Roxas succeed. We must do our part, because if not, then this is just a piece of nothing that we are doing.

Please pass this good news to your family members, friends and relatives here in the Philippines and abroad. Lalaban Tayo dahil Mahalaga Ang Pilipino! Mahalaga Ang Tao!

Oras Na! Roxas Na!

Monday, June 1, 2009 | posted in campaign, chiz escudero, erap, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, president, pulse asia | 2 comments [ More ]

Roxas calls admin party merger as PALAKA

So the country's two biggest political parties Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) have merged as the Lakas-Kampi-CMD or the PArtido LAkas KAmpi. Kokak!

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas said the merger of Lakas-CMD and the Kampi was a union of "trapos" (traditional politicians).

Roxas told reporters that the name of the new party was Palaka (Frog) for "Partidong Lakas at Kampi."

Asked to explain, he replied with a frog’s croak: "Kokak."

Indeed, it's not a sure win for the admin despite bragging their numbers in the localities and their so-called "strong" political machinery. The people are tired and angry with the Arroyo administration. They are looking for fresh faces but not on the same page.

This forced marriage was even fueled by anger because of its "undue haste" by no less than Lakas-CMD founder and former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos:

"There was undue haste and lack of consultation in regard to calling of the grand meeting yesterday, which should have been preceded by time given to stakeholders of both parties," Ramos told a press conference Friday.

This might even lead to an early divorce within the new merged party called PALAKA. Signs have been evident throughout the days. Ramos wasn't there so as former House Speaker Jose de Venecia and Kampi head Luis Villafuerte. Possible 2010 presidential admin bets Senator Richard Gordon and MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando also was absent and Fernando is already feeling sore about not getting attention the same way compared to party "outsiders":

"Hindi fair yun sa magkapartido. Umaasa ang partido ng katapatan ng kanyang mga miyembro [at] ganoon din ang isang myembro, naghahanap siya at umaasa siya sa katapatan ng partido sa kanya (It’s not fair to a party insider. If a party expects loyalty from its members, it’s only fair that its members expect a degree of loyalty from the party)," Fernando said in an interview on dwIZ radio.

De Castro is an "independent" who has no party affiliation, while Teodoro was with the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and is planning to join PALAKA.

I love Kermit the Frog, but not the PALAKA that Roxas is talking all about.

Instead of having a "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo" moment, this might just end up into a "Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo" for the PALAKA. Kokak!

Sunday, May 31, 2009 | posted in bayani fernando, dick gordon, fidel ramos, gibo teodoro, jose de venecia, luis villafuerter, mar roxas, noli de castro, palaka, pgma, philippines | 0 comments [ More ]

Mar Roxas and other 2010 presidential hopefuls in leadership forum

Spread the word about this! Senator Mar Roxas and other 2010 presidential hopefuls will be joining the ANC Leadership Forum this May 11, 7 PM organized by the ABS-CBN News Channel and the Ateneo School of Government.

Joining him in answering the issues that concern us in 2010 are Senators Chiz Escudero, Ping Lacson, Dick Gordon, DND Secretary Gibo Teodoro and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio. In its site, ANC said that they're still waiting for confirmation from Vice President Noli de Castro, and Senators Manuel Villar and Loren Legarda to attend the event. I think they really should. Asides from free publicity, it's the proper venue that would give the Filipino voters an idea on whom they should vote for President in 2010.

Tell your friends, family and relatives about this!

Sunday, May 10, 2009 | posted in abs-cbn, campaign, chiz escudero, dick gordon, ed panlilio, gibo teodoro, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson | 0 comments [ More ]

Senator Roxas surges in new SWS survey

Senator Mar Roxas is surging in the latest Social Weather Stations survey for the potential candidates of President in 2010.

But despite this "still distant" rank in the survey, his party mates in the Liberal Party are not backing down their support and so do I.

Let's remember this: surveys are not what the entire people say. It's only the opinion of a few. We must not be disheartened by its results if we are lagging behind nor we should be overconfident when we are leading.

But surveys do matter also because after all because they condition the minds of the people. What should we do? For me, it's good if we start gathering warm bodies and tell them about who Mar Roxas is and why he deserves to be our next President. Know more about Mar Roxas and his position on different issues.

In that way, we can be able to continue the surge of our candidate, Mar Roxas!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | posted in chiz escudero, dick gordon, erap, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, pgma, philippines, ping lacson, president, sws survey | 6 comments [ More ]

Mar Roxas places 2nd on PUP's mock election

It's OK! At least we can prove that we have a strong candidate here. Being second on the mock election doesn't necessarily mean that you will eventually lose in the general election. Instead, it would suggest that you are a strong contender for the post, it's just that there are still things needed to be done.

In The 7th Magnum Blog, I read about the Polytechnic University of the Philippines' mock election conducted by the PUP College of Economics, Finance and Politics from July 9-10, 2008. According to the blog post, Senate President Manny Villar had an edge of 226 votes against Senator Mar Roxas. Below is the breakdown of votes:

• Senate President Manny Villar - 800 votes
• Senator Mar Roxas - 534 votes
• Vice President Noli de Castro - 330 votes
• Eddie Gil - 65 votes
  

One year and a half to go and voters would be going to the polls to choose a new President. I hope mock elections like this would also be held on different colleges so that they would be able to gain the pulse of their students on who deserves to be the next President in 2010.

Thursday, July 17, 2008 | posted in eddie gil, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, pup | 2 comments [ More ]

An interesting note from political analyst Antonio P. Gatmaitan and some businessmen on the 2010 polls

Political analyst Antonio P. Gatmaitan, speaking in before members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that Senator Mar Roxas would be one of the 14 potential presidential candidates that will contest in the 2010 presidential exercise. He described him as a "vote-getter", and is also expected to join the 2010 polls. It can be noted that Roxas ran for Senate in 2004 and obtained a "historic" 19.88 million votes, Mr. Gatmaitan said.

Meanwhile, PCCI Chairman Miguel Varela said that the 2010 polls were crucial to uplifting the lives of Filipinos.

"We need a massive campaign to educate the public and ensure that mechanisms are in place to maintain the integrity of the ballot. We all want social and economic reforms and we continue to wait for that paradigm shift to a politics of substance from a politics of popularity," Mr. Varela said

Mr. Varela has a point. The upcoming election would really matter and would determine on how we can shift our country from the failed policies of this administration. We can just be sitting there, as if we didn't felt the sufferings. We need to do something and compel our leaders to do their job.

Outgoing PCCI President Samie Lim on the other hand said it was not too early to stage a forum on the 2010 elections.

"We believe that the choice we will make in 2010 is so critical that we have to start early in assessing our potential leaders.

"One of the questions to ask is, are we really having an election in 2010? If we are, who are the best candidates? It will also be interesting to look into the real power of different sectors and the new media in influencing voters’ decisions."

That's one of the main point why this blog was launched. We need to make the Filipinos have a mindset that there will and should be an election in 2010. Charter change would not be an excuse for postponing the elections nor another declaration of martial law. The other point also is to open the minds of the Filipinos and give them an ample time to take a look at our bet, Senator Roxas. In this way, we can exhaust ourselves to do everything and prove to them that Senator Roxas would be the best among the rest. We may be insulted by some people for having this too early but we are determined on changing how elections work in the Philippines starting here in the cyberspace.

We need to get involved as early as possible when another election is done. It not at all time we need to settle down. It's also time to think ahead for the future. Our leaders can address the issues of today and at the same time, work for the future.

To those people who are saying that now is not yet the time to get involved about the 2010 elections, I ask you, when? Would 90 days of campaigning around the country be enough to get to know the candidate? Would we allow ourselves to be blinded by the polishes candidates make by that time?

Now is the time to get involved. Think of the future. Think what's best for your country.

Sign the petition and join the movement!

And by the way, I would also like to share to you Carlo Ople's reaction upon meeting Senator Roxas. Enjoy!

Thursday, June 26, 2008 | posted in antonio gatmaitan, blog, campaign, chiz escudero, dick gordon, erap, kiko pangilinan, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, miguel varela, ning, noli de castro, ping lacson, president, samie lim | 0 comments [ More ]

200 days and counting... Oras Na! Roxas Na!

Happy Valentines Day to all our readers and blog subscribers! Although I don't have a special someone to spend my Valentines, it's just OK!

Today is a great day not only for me but for all of us! It's the 200th Day Anniversary of the Mar Roxas for President in 2010 Blog! Once again, thanks a lot for bringing our blog into this point of success.

Speaking of success, I am very glad to tell all of you that our blog is now gaining momentum more than ever! Aside from having a lot of interested readers and visitors, we are now one of the TOP 200 150 Blogs of the Philippines based on Ratified.Org which uses Technorati, Feedburner and Google stats to measure the top 100 blogs of the Philippine blogosphere.

And perhaps another good news to coincide our celebration is the latest SWS Survey on who should succeed Mrs. Gloria Arroyo in 2010. Maybe others would say that he's just behind the survey topnotcher Vice President Noli De Castro and Senators Manny Villar and Loren Legarda in that survey and ask us why we should celebrate it. Well, Senator Mar Roxas, in that survey, registered the highest increase among potential presidential candidates from 9% in September 2007 to 20% in December 2007! Click the chart below to see the survey results:

YOU can make a difference!

We and our blog contributed to this success! By helping each other, through different media, we were able to spread the message from Friendster to Facebook to Yahoo Groups. All through this hard-fought campaign to urge Senator Roxas to run for President in 2010, YOU and I have met challenge after challenge head-on.

Every time they start to count us and Senator Roxas out, we prove them wrong. And we're going to keep proving them wrong as many times as we need to until we put Roxas in Malacañang by 2010.

YOU and I know that only the people, not the critics, get to decide whether Roxas should be the next President of the Philippines .

Let's show them what we're made of. Sign the online petition NOW!

As what our motto then says, "Together, all becomes possible!" and now, our new motto "Oras Na! Roxas Na!" Hoyhoyhoy! Hoyhoyhoy! Please tell us about your comments and suggestions on how we can improve more and serve you better.

Don't forget also to subscribe to our posts through e-mail and sign the Mar Roxas for President in 2010 Online Petition!

Thursday, February 14, 2008 | posted in blog, campaign, chiz escudero, erap, kiko pangilinan, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, miriam defensor-santiago, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson | 0 comments [ More ]

Whatta year that was!

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome 2008! But before we set our sights for 2008, let us look back the great and not so great moments that we had last 2007.

July 29 - I started this blog Mar Roxas for President in 2010.

August 4 - This blog, together with Peter Laviña's blog, was noticed by the Inquirer in the article "Battle looming between LP and NP for presidency in 2010" by Gil Cabacungan Jr.

August 29 - I posted an article (which I had been drafting for several days) about Senator Manny Villar's copying of Sen. Roxas' Mr. Palengke image.

August 30 - I posted an article in reaction to the offensive remarks of the Team Gordon 2010 blog about Mar Roxas.

September 4 - Team Gordon 2010 apologizes but continues to defend their presidential bet Senator Richard Gordon.

September 5 - I made an article that rebuts on allegations that Sen. Roxas has not made a stand on issues. It currently holds that record of having the most comments (6 comments) in my blog.

September 26 - I made an article that rebuts on allegations that Sen. Roxas was bastos (disrespectful) during the ZTE broadband Senate hearings.

November 6 - This blog celebrated its 100th day in the blogosphere.

November 26 - I met personally Senator Mar Roxas and several personalities (Judy Araneta-Roxas, Adel Tamano, Franklin Drilon, Kiko Pangilinan, Pong Biazon, Satur Ocampo, Etta Rosales, Enteng Romano, Leah Navarro, Jovito Salonga, Bobby Tañada, Gwen Garcia, Tommy Osmeña, Senator Roxas' Senate Staff, etc.), with the help of his Chief-of-staff Susan Ople, during the Liberal Party event at Club Filipino, San Juan City, Metro Manila.

We look forward to a prosperous 2008. I hope that this year, more and more developments about 2010 would happen. ORAS NA! ROXAS NA!

Monday, December 31, 2007 | posted in bayani fernando, blog, campaign, dick gordon, erap, feliciano belmonte, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, noynoy aquino, pgma, philippines, ping lacson, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Alfredo Rosario on Sen. Mar Roxas

In his column today in the Manila Times, Mr. Alfredo Rosario elaborates why Senator Mar Roxas is "a formidable contender for the presidency."

Here's an except of his column:

[...] Many believe that the senator possesses all the political advantages in seeking the country’s top post within the gift of the Filipino people. They see him as a formidable contender for the presidency.

First, he enjoys the advantage of name recall, being a scion of a well-known family. His mother, Judy Araneta Roxas, belongs to the affluent Araneta clan. He has a distinguished political record. In 1993, he ran for congressman in the first district of Capiz and won handily. Later he became the House majority leader and eventually Cabinet member as Trade secretary.

He surprised the whole nation with his extreme popularity in 2004 when he ran for the Senate and topped the race with an overwhelming 20 million votes, a record still unmatched in the history of the Senate.

Roxas has the political machine and the logistics to support a long and expensive campaign. The LP is one of the oldest political parties with grassroots organizations all over the country.

Above all, he has the integrity and passion for work. His educational, moral and leadership credentials have projected him as an articulate, intelligent and dignified person. He does not wear his social superiority on his sleeve and interacts with his fellowmen with humility and grace.

The central theme of his public life has always been the promotion of the national interest and the people’s welfare as evidenced by legislation he has authored and his innovations in job creation and consumers protection. His reputation has preceded him and earned him the recognition of the international community as “one of the global leaders of tomorrow” and “one of the young leaders in politics and business who will bring Asia and the Pacific to the forefront of world affairs.” [...]

Thursday, November 29, 2007 | posted in campaign, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, pgma, philippines, ping lacson, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Will Mar Roxas Run in 2010?

Is Senator Mar Roxas running for President this 2010? That's the question that bother his core of supporters.

Will Mar Roxas run in 2010? Why can’t you guys take “no” for an answer?

As of this time, he has never said "NO", thus giving us the wider opportunity. He reiterates that 2010 is still far away and who knows what would happen.

I am not a protégé of Senator Mar Roxas nor I know about his plans for 2010 whether he would run for President or launch a re-election bid as senator. Thus, I can't surely tell you that he will run for President in 2010. But, I must tell you that he never said that he won't run for President in 2010 -- only that he has "no plans" to run in 2010 right now. Maybe he's still soul searching.

I admit that 2010 is still far away but change and hope can't be long enough. Starting this early doesn't mean that it's already final. Who knows what would happen now up to 2010. I trust that when he does run for President, he will make an announcement to the Filipino people considering his dedication to service as House Representative of Capiz, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary and Senator of the Republic. I believe that he’ll answer the call to service of his people and run for President.

What are the goals of this blog?

1. We hope to demonstrate to Senator Mar Roxas the groundswell of support he enjoys among the Filipino people down to the grassroots level;
2. We'll present him the signatories of the online petition that urges him to run for President in 2010 so he can hit the ground running should he declare his candidacy;
3. We hope to persuade him that it's a moral imperative that he run in 2010.

Senator Mar Roxas is being called back by popular demand now as a presidential candidate and we're giving a voice to that demand.

Do you communicate with Senator Mar Roxas or his office?

Yes, I admit. His chief-of-staff Susan Ople noticed this blog and right away, gave me a call. But, I must assure you, that this blog is not backed or funded by anyone connected to Senator Roxas. The creation of this blog was solely my decision to air the outpouring support among people of all political persuasions at the grassroots level.

Is Senator Mar Roxas aware of your efforts and if so, what's his response?

Yes, Senator Roxas is aware of this blog and its efforts. I have already talked to him through cellphone and he has been very thankful of my support.

He has encourage my efforts in any way ranging from using blogging, Friendster, Youtube, Eventful, Petitionspot and etc. But he has also consistently declined to object, comment, or stop my initiatives. That in itself is a positive response.

One poll shows Senator Loren Legarda in the lead. What chance would Senator Roxas have to edge her out?

His odds would be very excellent. Pulse Asia's survey that was conducted between June 28 and July 10, 2007 with a total of 1,800 respondents nationwide showed indeed that Senator Legarda had a net trust rating of 71% but don't discount Senator Roxas because he had a net trust rating of 58%. That's a difference of 13%! Poll numbers don't increase sharply overnight. As days, weeks, months and years past, these poll numbers would change dramatically.

As what I have said again and again, 2010 is still far away and who knows what would happen. Senator Legarda might just give way to Senator Roxas and run for Vice President instead. The voters know him, support him and understand that he's the most electable potential presidential candidate.

What are your odds of success? How will you change Senator Mar Roxas' mind when powerful politicians could not?

Like his late grandfather former President Manuel Acuña Roxas and his late father former Senator Gerardo Roxas, Senator Mar Roxas is a patriot and a populist. He is more likely to heed the genuine show of support from the people than request from politicians.

I know that we, together with his supporters, are fighting against difficult odds. There is an increasing list of potential presidential candidates like Manny Villar, Ping Lacson, Loren Legarda, Dick Gordon, Noli de Castro and more to come. But history will tell us that no big or significant movement ever started with good and easy odds.

We need to persuade him to run for President in 2010 for he has the vision, leadership and strength to do it not because he is rich but because he is the right man for the job. We also need to persuade the people to institute change and have an impact on this election by encouraging Senator Mar Roxas to run for President.

Monday, November 5, 2007 | posted in blog, campaign, dick gordon, eventful, friendster, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson, president, youtube | 1 comments [ More ]

Emil Jurado on Mar Roxas

Here's a part of Emil Jurado's article in the Manila Standard Today wherein he said the Senator Mar Roxas "has the edge over the others insofar as public perception is concerned." Try to read this and

"Among the presidential aspirants for 2010, I’d say that Senator Mar Roxas has the edge over the others insofar as public perception is concerned. First, he has an organization and the Liberal Party to support him. Second, his image as “Mr. Palengke,” and his being no. 1 senator in the 2004 polls give him that edge.

People may not know it, but had Mar wanted to be Senate President, he could have been so. The position was offered to him when the alliances in the Senate were not yet firmed up.

But Mar declined the offer since he did not want to be perceived as having allied himself with the administration. That’s the reason he opted to be with the minority of eight oppositionists.

I like Mar not because of Korina Sanchez, who I admire as a broadcaster, but because of his background—he was, after all, secretary of Trade and Industry—and more importantly, his integrity and independence."

Indeed, Mar Roxas has the upper hand in this upcoming 2010 elections! Though, public perception should not always replace performance and track record.

If ever it was really true that Senator Roxas would have aimed for the Senate Presidency, it would have been better having a great track record in the House of Representatives, Department of Trade and Industry and in the Senate, but I know Senate President Manny Villar would not give way because he wants to make his position as a starting point of his presidential ambition.

Monday, September 17, 2007 | posted in campaign, dick gordon, korina sanchez, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Team Gordon apologizes

In their blog and comment to our post entitled Why Mar Roxas refuses to talk about his 2010 plans, the Team Gordon 2010 has issued an apology and explanation. Here's the complete text of it:

Hi Kevin,

Peace!

Team Gordon admires your stand on an issue as crucial as the next presidency and your commitment to informing people about someone whom you believe will be truly right for the job. It is a noble commitment to think about your country's future and it is commendable that you are doing something to do what you think is best for your country.

If you will permit us, let us make our position clear.

There are those who dig at Roxas for being cautious in committing to one side or another of an issue. There are those who chide Roxas for keeping his positions on issues, including his bid for the Presidency, close to his chest or at least, indiscernible. On one hand, this keeps people wondering what he'll say or do -- becoming fodder for speculations which sometimes get played up in the media. On the other, even his supporters and followers urge him to make his position known. Some, with or without his 'go ahead', take positions for him and so he has the leeway to maneuver. (Depending on how you see it, his LP partymates were the ones who declared their support for him, if he runs for President -- declaring him as the frontrunner or standard bearer. Almost as if it was an attempt to create an impression that there is a clamor for him to run. And there is such a clamor, as much as there is a clamor for Loren, Noli, Ping, Manny Villar, and even Erap.)

This non-commitment is one thing about his character, which is neither good or bad in the grand scheme of politics (as nothing in politics is really good or bad in the moral sense), but is something we are not comfortable with. Is it a sign of weakness on his part or is it a sign of strength? I guess that will depend on the stand he finally takes, if he takes one.

In contrast, people take a dig at Dick Gordon for the stands he takes and he has a stand on a lot of things. This is something you have to expect of someone who is comfortable with being an Executive.

When he was mayor of Olongapo, he took a stand against moves to end the US bases treaty when the call of the times (the call of recently awakened Nationalism) was to end the treaty that was the lifeblood of Olongapo as well as other provinces in Region 3. He took a stand in insisting that Subic Bay be given a freeport status. He took a stand when he batted for Philippine tourism on the global stage, despite a laughable budget for tourism promotions... despite travel advsiories against the Philippines because of SARS and terrorism... Olongapo rose from the US bases pull out and rose from the ashes of Pinatubo... Subic Bay became tourism and investment destination... Philippine tourism experienced true resurgence, with international tourist arrivals growing every year...

A few days ago, he took a meaningful stand on the situation in Basilan and Sulu after he visited those provinces as Red Cross Chairman. He said people should stop calling Basilan, Sulu, and other areas in Mindanao as War Zones. He recommended for the DTI to start marketing agricultural produce from Basilan and Sulu, he advocated tourism promotion for those areas, he called for national government to beef up basic and social services to these islands. Invest in peace, he said. Perhaps only daring and compassion can put an end to decades old violent conflict. To be daring and compassionate, you have to take a stand.

Just today, he has taken a stand on the issue of whether or not to postpone barangay and SK elections, saying that he'll only consider postponing these elections if it will be automated. This is a stand he took when he filed the Automated Elections bill and worked to get it passed. He fought for its implementation during the 2007 elections and continues to fight for its implementation so that we can finally end problems like 'Hello Garci'... Making investigations future investigations into the 'wire tap controversy' unnecessary.

Leaders rise and fall on the stands they make... Without a stand, you cannot lead... You can choose to publish this comment and if not, we'll understand.

Team Gordon 2010

And actually, I published their comment. In their blog, I also sent my comment on their response on that issue and here's what I said:

Greetings of peace to TEAM GORDON 2010!

I would like to express also my deep regret for taking the issue seriously in a satiric blog. When I was reading on your comment, it was like an offense not only against Mar Roxas but to his supporters. I had already posted your comment on the "controversial post" and I already accepted your apology.

We have diverse beliefs on who should be in Malacañang by 2010, but we have a common vision, and that is to help our compatriots choose the right leader that would lead our motherland. You're for Dick Gordon and I'm for Mar Roxas.

We're in a democratic country that's why it's hard to achieve unity. We respect each other's views and there's nothing wrong with that. I hope that we would not resort into smearing campaign because we are all Filipinos.

I was just concerned on the Senators or any other people out there who have presidential ambitions because they can't perform their functions properly. Anything they will do would be viewed as early campaigning. That makes me concerned actually.

I hope that this issue would now come to rest. We are the pioneers of the 2010 presidential elections Blogging campaign! BTW, I had already linked your site to the Philippine 2010 elections in Wikipedia.

Once again, PEACE!

KEVIN RAY N. CHUA
Mar Roxas 2010 Blogger

Your campaign, Team Gordon 2010, is now on the roll. Dick Gordon has already expressed his interest on the Presidency, but Mar Roxas has still not. I had already talked with Mar Roxas but he not yet said to me that he is indeed running. What I'm doing here is based on my own and those who are for Mar Roxas as President in 2010. If he decides to run, then it would be great. If not, then it's OK!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | posted in campaign, dick gordon, erap, hello garci, loren legarda, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Senator Mar Roxas texts back

Just this Sunday afternoon, it was 3:30 PM, I was privileged to ask Senator Mar Roxas one question, and that's through TEXT message. My question was this:

"Senator Mar, good afternoon. What can you say about JDV's pronouncement that the LP and NP would not be capable of fielding its own presidential candidate because they (Lakas-NUCD) would still be in 2010?"

By 5:07 PM, he replied my TEXT message and said:

"The administration party should heed the message of the last elections. The public is tired of politics done through an entrenched system of patronage. Unlike the Speaker, I believe it is essential to bring back romance to politics because leaders ought to listen to and embody their people's aspirations and dreams. Without such lofty goals and aspirations, politics will just be about deal-making and power-brokering and our country will remain as backward and divided as it is now."

Indeed, Speaker Jose De Venecia's belittling of Liberal Party and the Nacionalista Party to shake-up Lakas-NUCD by 2010 is a myth. As the 2010 Presidential election comes near, more and more local and national leaders would realign their forces to their presidential bets. Who would be left in the Lakas-NUCD? Vice President Noli de Castro is an INDEPENDENT though he is identified with the Lakas-NUCD for alliance purposes. Speaker JDV denies rumors that he's running for Prime Minister (if ever Charter Change resurrects in Congress) or President in 2010. MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando might be fielded for Senator in 2010, or even Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte. Let's just watch this very exciting movie, showing this 2010 at theaters near you!

Sunday, August 12, 2007 | posted in bayani fernando, feliciano belmonte, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, president | 1 comments [ More ]

LP, NP ready for 2010 polls sans JDV's word

Despite the belittling of House Speaker Jose De Venecia on the capability of the Liberal Party and Nacionalista Party to field and win their own presidential candidate, the grand old parties of the Philippines are ready.

Roxas said that “In fact, politics, governance, is focused on the romance of hope, on the romance of change, of reforms. That is what our people are waiting for. That is the message they want to convey and simply counting the members of a party as against another party is only a politician’s talk.”

On the other hand, Senate President Manny Villar said “Of course, we are ready," but he also told the media that it's too early to know if he's the NP's bet.

Then there's Sen. Richard Gordon who just admitted his plans for 2010. Well, he's qualified, though, he may need to realize that if he'll run under the administration ticket, he should give way to Vice President Noli de Casto being the anointed successor of President Gloria Arroyo.

Senators Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson and Chiz Escudero haven't made a comment yet about their plans for 2010.

| posted in dick gordon, loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson, president | 0 comments [ More ]

A challenging start for the Mar Roxas 2010 campaign

The results are in, for the first survey of potential Presidential candidates for 2010. It seems that Sen. Mar Roxas is struggling behind other potential 2010 Presidential candidates. I would like to ask your help, those who are willing to support Sen. Mar Roxas for President in 2010, please spread the news about this blog, Mr. Laviña's blog and the Mar Roxas for President in 2010 petition. By the way, here's the first 2010 election survey made by the Pulse Asia as reported by The Daily Tribune:

Sen. Loren Legarda (32%)
- She's a popular person especially her long media exposure as journalist and a public servant. Proof to that was her election victories in 1998 and 2007 wherein she both placed number in 1. That may be one of her greatest assets. But still, it's too early to call her the winner.

Vice President Noli "Kabayan" De Castro (21%)
- The groomed successor of the unpopular President (is she the President?) of the Philippines. He has also a popular image to the image especially on the masses because of his media exposure as then journalist. Will he get close to Mrs. Arroyo as the 2010 election gets close?

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (19%)
- The third placer in the last 2004 Presidential elections. He was blamed for disarraying the opposition in 2004 that's why FPJ lost to GMA. Will he be still in the 3rd Place if he AGAIN decides to run in 2010?

Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II (8%)
- Somewhat disappointing, but still, 2010 is still 2 years and 9 months away. We can still build-up on the grassroots level and spread the news to the people. Sen. Roxas has still the ample time on proving to the people that he's worthy to be in Malacañang by 2010. Together, let's intensify our advocacy!

Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon (3%)
- The political hypocrite in the Senate. He already declared that he's indeed running for President in 2010 and he's forming his own party! That's the power of money. Will he get the sweet "YES" of the voters?

Wednesday, August 8, 2007 | posted in loren legarda, manny villar, mar roxas, noli de castro, philippines, ping lacson, president | 1 comments [ More ]