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A remote Alabang summer drizzle on my way home yesterday after 13 hours at the office.

'Smiley' in the sky

The sky smiles with the moon, Venus and Jupiter, in our perspective, just behind the main building of University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Alyssa Bautista)

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‘Kilalanin’, a presidential forum

In Government, Politics
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January 10, 2010 | Comments (5)

Untitled

One candidate speaking in front of the audience at a highschool auditorium in Ayala, Alabang.

I had rarely stepped into an education institution since I graduated from college four years ago. But yesterday I went to De La Salle Zobel, home of the junior archers, when it hosted “Kilalanin”, a presidential forum. Four candidates vying for the top Philippine post in the 2010 elections were present: Noynoy Aquino, Richard Gordon, Gilbert Teodoro and Manny Villar. News anchor Mike Enriquez moderated the 3-hour event.

Full audio of the forum was posted by its media partner here and below are four media reports about it.

What’s interesting about recent forums like this is that candidates now use relatively less motherhood statements. There are less of these broad yet good sounding phrases like the ones used by Estrada during the 1998 campaign. Again, they’re still there but spoken less and I’m assuming exaggerated misuse of this deceptive element of political prose would be left on staged rallies.

The stage of Kilalanin has none of the flashy effects and sometimes phony grandiose employed by TV forums. There were some technical troubles but the moderator’s purposive candidness made up for lapses in organisation. There were no timers which made the responses from the candidates casual. Except to one boorish shout that was heard throughout the auditorium in the middle of the event, the audience was participative and civil.

While the presence of fundamental character questions means that our country is still a long way from focusing on platformed governance and we’re still searching a leader of character, with a forum like this, we had a step (however small) forward.

Chiz Escudero's presidential game

In Government, Politics
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November 1, 2009 | Comments (2)

According to analysts, “Chiz Escudero for president” in 2010 is very unrealistic after the bolt with his political party. But listening through the presidential candidate’s new campaign manager Lito Banayo, even without the party machinery and a few billionaires’ contributions, it looks like they’re seeing a political opening that nobody sees. Senator Escudero will still go for a 2010 presidential campaign and see the limit of people politics in the Philippines.

Now, when Escudero realises he can’t really win without traditional resources, he can surprise further and play the Noynoy-endorsement card, while not running for 2010 elections. I’m not sure though if the positive effect of playing with the ’sacrifice’ word will last until 2016 elections. This is after all I can’t imagine him being adopted by anyone at the vice-presidential slot.

Longing for Cory

In Government, Politics
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August 8, 2009 | Comments (0)

Ninoy flags

Seen here are yellow flags with the face of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Cory’s husband, along Manila streets. Senator Ninoy was a staunch critic of President Marcos.

Mrs. Aquino died of cardio-respiratory arrest after 2 years of battle against colon cancer, just 20 days before the 26th anniversary of Ninoy’s assasination.

The death of Corazon Aquino on August 1 made us realise that she was the best president the Philippines ever had.

The stories that were told since Saturday last week reminded me that I must have not listened to my history teachers or, more so, I must have taken the former president’s legacy for granted. She was the mother who helped us claim that this country is a nation of free people. In her 6 years as president, she started the monumental ‘chore’ of bringing back, if not to create, democratic institutions that were destroyed for 20 years under Ferdinand Marcos.

I’m not sure if we Filipinos are as free as today if the then widowed housewife did not transform herself as leader, a credible and inspirational leader along with Cardinal Jaime Sin.

Her funeral on Wednesday displayed the mourning and soon longing of a nation for a president that lives in love, honesty and faith.