september – month of reckoning for presidentiables

it looks like the month of september is the key month for the 2010 presidentiable elections:

• noynoy aquino will announce his 2010 election plans.
• it is the month when mar roxas withdrew his candidacy. mar is one of the major contenders.
• other presidentiables will firm up their plans within the month as well.
• the admin party says they will announce their candidate by the end of the month.
• noli de castro will announce his 2010 election plans on september 15.
• the admin party has given de castro 1 week to decide on his plans.
• loren legarda might give in to chiz escudero

  

Lakas-Kampi to De Castro: You have 1 week
By Christian V. Esguerra, Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:31:00 09/08/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Make up your mind.

Vice President Noli de Castro has exactly one week to decide whether to join the selection process for the administration party’s standard-bearer in next year’s presidential election.

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090908-224144/Lakas-Kampi-to-De-Castro-You-have-1-week

 

Legarda giving way to Escudero, says solon 
 By Christine Avendaño, Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:51:00 09/08/2009

MANILA, Philippines—A member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) Monday said Sen. Loren Legarda was on the verge of giving way to Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero as the party’s standard-bearer in 2010.

Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza told reporters that “Loren will give up her presidential ambition [in favor of] Chiz soon” based on ongoing talks between the camps of the two parties.

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090908-224147/Legarda-giving-way-to-Escudero-says-solon

opposition presidentiables vow no cheating, admin presidentiables fail to vow anything

this is rare in philippine politics, even among the opposition. its a good photo op.  interestingly, key admin presidentiables teodoro, de castro and vice presidentiable puno were not in the group. the only admin presidentiable who was present was bayani fernando while mike velarde from the opposition was also not there.

does that mean those who did not attend plan to cheat in the 2010 elections? hello, garci you there? again?

No cheating in 2010, poll aspirants vow 
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:06:00 08/31/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Burying their political rivalries for a moment, 13 prospective candidates for president and vice president Sunday walked arm in arm in Taguig City for clean and honest elections next year.

The aspirants—who included survey front-runners Sen. Manuel Villar, former President Joseph Estrada, and Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, and Loren Legarda—also signed sworn statements, duly notarized, declaring that they would not cheat in the elections and would observe the rule of law if elected.

—

The event was also attended by Senators Francis Pangilinan, Richard Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, evangelist Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” Villanueva, environmentalist Nicanor “Nikki” Perlas, and Olongapo Councilor Carlos “JC” delos Reyes of the lay Catholic political group Ang Kapatiran.

Other aspirants who were supposed to attend but did not make it to the event were Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro and Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno. They were reportedly sick. Vice President Noli de Castro was not around, either.

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090831-222802/No-cheating-in-2010-poll-aspirants-vow

Fr. Ed, The Unlikely takes the high ground – will withdraw his candidacy to support noynoy for president if noynoy runs

we applaud Fr. Ed, The Unlikely for taking the high ground and announcing he will withdraw his candidacy for president to support noynoy if he runs for president.

we think it is a very principled stand and we admire him even more for it. this kind of announcement has its costs but he does not seem to mind. announcing

 he might withdraw will give pause to his own supporters, their energy and interest will pipe down and those still undecided will remove panlilio from their radar. in other words, he can stand to lose supporters. but it appears that side of it  fr. ed, the unlikely does not mind.

he is taking a principled stand, behind the idea of the opposition unified under one candidate and supporting a candidate that he probably sees as someone who believes in the same principles he does. noynoy’s greatest strenght is his name and his being, having cory and ninoy as parents. that is the twin legacy that noynoy will uphold.

while the announcement might cost fr. ed, the unlikely some supporters and some momentum, it will also gain him supporters and admirers for taking such a principled stand.

we applaud fr. ed, the unlikely.

read more about fr. ed, the unlikely in this blog: https://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/category/ed-panlilio/

 

Panlilio to back Noynoy for president

By Tonette Orejas, Michael Lim Ubac, Central Luzon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:32:00 08/28/2009

MANILA, Philippines — Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio Thursday raised the possibility he would drop his presidential plan and instead rally behind Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III should he run for president.

“I’m thinking of not running. That’s a big probability. I want to support Noynoy because with so many [candidates for president] from the reform movements, it would do our country more good if there is just one reform candidate. This would be Noynoy,” Panlilio told the Inquirer.

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090828-222375/Panlilio-to-back-Noynoy-for-president

Pulse Asia august 2009 presidentiables survey – villar’s lead jump aggressively, overtakes de castro

some points on this new poll results:

the major candidates:

• villar catapults to top place, overtaking de castro with an impressive  gain this polling period versus  previous. he showed great strength with a significant increase of +11 pts from previous period. he  continues to  be very strong in leading across the board, in all geographic  areas and among socio-eco classes. villar is way ahead versus other presidentiables except in mindanao and the E socio-eco class where he ties estrada on the lead.
• estrada moves up from 3rd to as he continue to show strength and is surprising to be now at second. his strengths are in mindanao and the E socio-eco class.
• de castro from lead drops to 3rd place but is within range from estrada who is in 2nd. 
• escudero is a strong 4th. his strongholds are NCR and the ABC socio-eco class. this can be a problem as he also needs to reach and build appeal in areas outside NCR and the poor. he needs advertising.

the “other” candidates: 

• the other candidates need to look at this data seriously and must start some very serious  marketing and advertising efforts as soon as possible if they intend to be a contender in next year’s election.
• or decide to bow out of the presidential race  in the coming weeks.
• binay is just an NCR candidate as he gets a double digit rating only in NCR while in the other areas weak single digit ratings.
• it is shocking that fernando is not making any dent at all even at NCR, his theoretical stronghold. for binay to rate better than fernando at the NCR shows just how weak fernando’s candidacy is.
• teodoro not even getting a vote in almost all areas and socio-eco classes inspite of heavy advertising says he is totally not a factor in this election. he needs to rethink strategy or bow out of the race.
• we are getting very close to that time when the “other” candidates will need a miracle to even have a fighting chance to win.  

 

The survey fieldwork was conducted from July 28 to August 10, 2009 using face-to-face interviews. Among the major developments immediately prior to and during the conduct of the interviews for this survey were the prolonged hospitalization due to terminal illness and subsequent death of President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino; the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her latest visit to the United States (US); the unexplained growth in the President’s wealth since assuming the presidency in 2001; the increasing number of probable presidential candidates for the May 2010 elections; the controversies surrounding the selection of two new members of the Supreme Court and this year’s National Artist awardees; and the loss of lives and destruction of infrastructure caused by two powerful typhoons. On the economic front, inflation in July fell to a twenty-two year low.

source: http://pulseasia.com.ph/pulseasia/story.asp?ID=684

big time surge for bro. eddie villanueva in 2010 Presidentiables Blog Poll

August 25, 2009

the top rankings have not changed – escudero continue to lead at 23%, villar at 2nd with 16%, binay at 3rd with 14% and fernando at 4th with 13%. while the rankings may have not changed, the gaps have tightened and that is because of the increase in votes for the tail enders.

noteworthy is the big time surge for bro. eddie villanueva who  after just 4 days of

bro. eddie villanueva

being included in the poll now has 6% of the votes putting him at 6th place behind 5th placer roxas who has 7%.

this is the first time we have seen such a magnificent surge in the 2010 Presidentiables Poll. we did not see this kind of surge for newcomers like perlas, teodoro, panlilio nor madrigal.

the surge is obviously being fueled by villanueva supporters who are in the internet. they were probably just been waiting for us to include him in the poll. in fact, there have been complaints before questioning our decision not  to include him in the poll. we said that he was not included because he has not declared his intention to run. in fact, we included villanueva in the polls on the day he announced he is a presidentiable.

there are just a few candidates who have a strong presence in the internet – these are villar, escudero, binay, fernando and now villanueva. we have seen the votes of these candidates surge at certain times when they start to ask their supporters who are also in the internet to go to this blog to vote.

we are particularly impressed with villanueva as this is the fastest, most massive surge we have seen in the 2010 Presidentiables Poll, congratulations to bro. eddie’s supporters.

vote in the polls and see the results here: https://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/2010-presidentiables-poll-cast-your-vote/

June 2009 SWS Presidentiables Survey: laggards fernando, binay, teodoro, gordon, panlilio remain stuck at the bottom

the bottom dwellers fernando, binay, gordon, panlilio and teodoro are, well  still at the bottom.

there are significant gains for binay and teodoro but their previous ratings are too low to make something out of it. 

these presidentiables need to get their campaigns going as soon as possible in a most major way if they want to make something out of it by election time next year. the window of opportunities are getting closed one by one.

Breaking News: Fr. Ed The Unlikely declares he will run for President, will leave the priesthood

BREAKING NEWS!

fr. ed, the unlikely has declared he will run for president and as a trade-off, he will leave the priesthood. he is the the nobody priest who was the unlikely winner of the election for governor in pampanga. he won over the candidate supported by the administration, lilia pineda a member of one of the richest families in pampanga rumored to be a family involved in illegal gambling and the incumbent, Gov. Mark Lapid  who ran for reelection. fr. ed, the unlikely won by only 1,147 votes a very close race among the three contenders.

fr. ed the unlikely had no experience, no machinery, no funds and no connections but he won just the same. in a province where the rumored king of illegal gambling lives and operates, this unlikely priest won. ironic or is it fitting that a catholic priest won in a province known for gambling and arroyo’s hometown. many saw it as good winning over evil. we see it as the unlikely happening that is very much deserved and someone the country needs.

we wish fr. ed, the unlikely well in his pursuit for the presidency. God speed, fr. ed.

 

‘GOD’S CALLING’

Priest-governor to run for president in 2010 Panlilio says ‘God is calling’
By Dona Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 16:25:00 07/21/2009

MANILA, Philippines – Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio announced on Tuesday his intention to run for president in 2010 and leave priesthood.

“I have every intention to file my candidacy on or before November 30 [the deadline of filing of candidacy]. I’m ready for all the consequences, including dispensation from priesthood,” he declared at the weekly forum arranged by the Catholic Media Network in Intramuros, Manila.

Panlilio, who became the first Filipino priest to sit in public office when he was elected governor in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s home province in 2007, said he believed running for president was God’s calling. “When I decided to offer myself [as candidate] I felt at peace. I’m doing this not for me, not for myself. I felt God wanted me to go on a higher service,” he said. “I have said time and again I have no political agenda. There have been groups telling me to run for the presidency and thought I would pray again. After a period of discernment I said, yeah God is calling me to run for the presidency,” he continued.

Panlilio said he was not expecting the Catholic Church leadership to campaign for him since the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines never endorsed and would not endorse candidates. He said he would formally request for dispensation from the Church “anytime between next month and November.”

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090721-216565/Priest-governor-to-run-for-president-in-2010

Fr. Ed, The Unlikely And The Not So Little Brown Envelope From Malacanang

it is a miracle! no. we’re not just talking about fr. ed the unlikely winning in the election for governor in pampanga. that is also a miracle but the picture below we think is the biggest miracle we have ever seen in philippine politics.

this is a picture of a governor showing to media and the world the contents of the not so little brown envelope from malacanang. we wanted to to say little brown envelope but after seeing this picture, we figure with such a big bundle, the brown envelope cannot be small, it needs to be big.

now is a good time to read about fr. ed, the unlikely and the story of the not so little brown envelope from malcanang.  

 

fr. ed, the unlikely shows the contents of the not so little brown envelope from malacanang

 

Panlilio to Palace: Tell truth on money
More officials admit getting P500,000

By Tonette Orejas
Central Luzon Desk
First Posted 02:32:00 10/16/2007

MANILA, Philippines — Declaring no one could suppress the truth, Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio Monday showed on television the bundle of P500,000 he said he received in Malacañang, triggering similar admissions from another governor and a congresswoman.

Their decision to go public about the monetary handouts that Malacañang had tried to downplay prompted calls in the Senate for an investigation to find out who was behind the handouts and if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was involved.

“It’s very crucial that Malacañang should confirm which particular office the funds came from,” Panlilio said during a press conference in the City of San Fernando.

He said if subpoenaed by the Senate, he would appear and tell the truth.

Bulacan Gov. Joselito “Jonjon” Mendoza and Pangasinan Rep. Rachel Arenas also came out in the open to admit they had received money from Malacañang, amid Palace attempts to douse an impeachment move against Ms Arroyo.

Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco had also previously admitted receiving monetary “gifts” from the Palace. Several other congressmen and governors made the same admissions but chose to remain unidentified.

“I am a priest … I cannot lie,” Panlilio, a Roman Catholic priest who defeated well-entrenched politicians in the May elections to become governor, said at the Pampanga capitol.

Asked if he was declaring war on Ms Arroyo, his province mate, the governor said: “I am not declaring war on anybody … I am declaring war against untruth and lies.”

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20071016-94677/Panlilio_to_Palace%3A_Tell_truth_on_money

is governor ed panlilio the way out of the cross for the philippines?

ed panlilio was the unlikely winner in the governatorial race in pampanga. he had no money. he had no political machinery. and he ran against someone who had all that and one or two very powerful high governement officials as backers. but Fr Ed Panlilio, The Unlikely won just the same.

and did we mention ed panlilio is a catholic priest?

so now, he has declared he wants to be president. is this unlikely winner and an unlikely candidate poised to win the presidential election in 2010?   is he the country’s salvation from the cross?