I have to wonder if the President got an earful about human rights behind the scenes in Davos. This may explain why she came home grumpy. And it accounts for the President having to grudgingly, of course, admit there has been some kind of military involvement in the assassination of activists. The diplomatic community – particular attention being paid to the Vatican and the US ambassadors– certainly indicated that this remains a touch issue with foreign governments.
Election-related news has it that the Catholic bishops have rejected the President’s latest effort to smooch them; the new Defense Secretary (whose welcome parade takes place today) will be hounded by allegations as to what he did during the last election;
In the senatorial merry-go-round, the United Opposition finally releases its almost-full slate:
1. Loren Legarda
2. Ping Lacson
3. John Osmeña
4. Chiz Escudero
5. Koko Pimentel
6. JV Ejercito
7. Noynoy Aquino
8. Allan Peter Cayetano
With the scuttlebutt being the remaining four slots are for the LP-NP-PDP coaltion:
9. Manny Villar
10. Joker Arroyo
11. Ralph Recto
12. Kiko Pangilinan
Which means, essentially, bye-bye to the other candidates being mentioned (the other Liberals, for example, will quietly shelve their candidacies, more likely than not) and the elimination of the civil society component as electorally irrelevant to both sides. The UNO leadership continues to pooh-pooh the idea of a Third Force.
The Palace, meanwhile, continues to add to its glorious line up of senatorial candidates: Richard Gomez and Luis “Chavit” Singson.
1. Michael Defensor
2. Miguel Zubiri
3. Gilbert Teodoro
4. Tessie Aquino-Oreta
5. Tito Sotto
6. Richard Gomez (Kamasupra is a fan. Not.)
7. Chavit Singson
8. Raul Lambino (the talk, anyway, is that he is being prevailed upon to run for the chamber he wants abolished)
On TV, Eduardo Cojuangco, kingpin of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, was shown huddled with Tessie Aquino-Oreta and Tito Sotto, both of whom said that if the Boss says they will ally with the administration, they will hear and obey. As was expected all along.
My column for today is A coalition and not a force while Billy Esposo suggests that Lakas-CMD read the handwriting on the wall, and, for the sake of survival, ally itself with a Third Force and fight the administration. The news above, I think, paints a different picture from what Esposo sees: an LP-NP coalition growing in strength as UNO crumbles. I disagree; UNO seems to have gained more than it lost from the defections, and the LP-NP weren’t able to hold their press conference yesterday afternoon to announce their candidates to fill out the opposition ticket.
Lito Banayo takes off from Esposo left off, with regards to the raiding of Lakas by Kampi, the President’s pet party. He says that Rep. Luis Villafuerte is making no bones about Kampi being the dominant administration coalition partner after May. Banayo also has the latest scuttlebutt on various provincial races.
Dong Puno (the talk is he will be running for a House seat in the district that includes Alabang) says Namfrel might be down and out for the coming elections. Efforts such as Halalang Marangal might just fill in the credibility and other gaps.
Useful reading for the day, in the light of the Ebdane appointment: Pimentel vs. Ermita.
Overseas, Project Defense Alternatives comments on George W. Bush’s proposal to increase the armed strength of the US Marine Corps and the US Army (increasing force strengths will be attractive to Filipinos and Filipino-Americans who sign up to gain US Citizenship, etc.)
In the blogosphere, Philippine Commentary reacts to last Tuesday’s The Explainer.
Technorati Tags: elections, Philippines Free Press, politics, president, Senate
Does the administration think the defection of Oreta and Sotto to their slate is a plus? I wonder how the electorate would feel about these two turncoats. Although Sotto used to be with GMA’s Kampi and was supposed to be the VP candidate of Gloria in 98, he is associated with the opposition. I wonder how Ms. Susan Roces feels about Tito Sotto now that he has jumped over the to the other side of the fence. I think Sotto made a serious blunder here. He was already in the original UNO slate but still opted to drop out. What is he cooking? This is interesting.
He is cooking a surprise: eat bulaga.
Will somebody please upload to YouTube the video of Tessie Aquino Oreta’s “Dancing Queen” moment? We need to remember.
BTW, just for those who don’t yet know: “Hello, Garci” is available anytime from YouTube as well.
Nakakasuka itong si Tessie Aquino-Oreta! Can you imagine her aligning with the erstwhile antagonist of his brother Ninoy? Ninoy must really be turning in his grave. It would have been alright if Danding had confessed that he was party to what happened to Ninoy and sufferred consequently for it but until now, he still has not admitted his complicity to the crime committed against Ninoy, at least not on record. Shame on you Tessie! Oh to covet a Senate seat! Must you really be a whore Tessie?
Goma and chavit should campaign together.
Goma. the vernacular for condom. is the perfect shield for chavit, a diseased dick who’s out to screw the entire country this time around.
The Aquinos and Cojuangcos play the political game very well. There are always kins, relatives and friends in both sides.
Tessie Oreta must have known that Noynoy is going to be dratfted in the UNO slate so she jumped over the bakod. Butch Aquino did not want them to be running together. What is Lupita doing in that side of the fence? To facilitate the jump, in the same manner when Mike Defensor help Miriam’s jumping as well.
Whichever Aquino they vote for, they are voting for Aquino family.
In the same manner that
TIto Sotto was a spokesperson of Honasan when he was caught jumping (this time really ) jumping from out of the window of his alleged lover.
Hmmmm. He was the one who briefed the media about the “truth” of Honasan’s captivity. Therefore he knew which is true and which is “praise” erm press release.
sayang. i’d rather have sonia roco than john osmena. and sotto should replace loi instead of JV ejercito.
they shouldn’t. unless they want to see the third farce help arroyo win.
All is fair in Love and War… And Politics… Tessie is running for survival.
I wish Raul Lambino will not accept nomination to run for a Seante seat.
Ex-Senators Tito Sotto & Tessie Aquino-Oreta should just stay out of politics and give way to younger politicians. I believed they have done enough for the country.
For Richard Gomez, we have enough actors and actresses in the Senate. He should just do movies for now or become a suporter.
Mga kababayan let us use our “utak” when voting come May 07. Further, let us protect the votes to be counted. Enough with “dagdag – bawas”. Remember the future of the country.
I wish Vicky Toh runs for the Senate.
I thought Edu Manzano will be drafted in the administration slate. Ang saya saya, showbiz na showbiz ang line up.. Nakakasuka nga lang iboto…..
The administration should be careful in adding celebrities to its slate. Imagine, if they have Richard Gomez and Tito Sotto, then there is news that they are also talking to Edu Manzano and Cesar Montano. By golly, should they all win, they will join Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid and Jinggoy in the Senate. That will be a record high of 7 Senate seats out of the 24 for actors!
then we will have a senate in an acting capacity. and if cayetano, ejercito, and pimentel wins, a family dynasty as well. it will become apparent the uselessness of this chamber and justify their abolition. whatever happens to the high moral grounds of the opposition inflicting on the people these family dynaties. sen pimentel was so adamant against dynasties and look what he is doing. i always voted for him, sayang ang boto ko.
*groans*
I’m missing the likes of Lorenzo Sumulong: real professional legislators who use power to protect the interests of the people, as opposed to today’s circus of a lineup, designed to delay and retard progress and real changes in society.
actually, kung gustong tumakbo ng mga artista as congressman, sa Governor’s race, o as Mayor, pwede rin. at may dynasty rin sa House.
By-stander, reacting the the administration’s “star-studded” lineup of edu, goma, sotto, cesar montano, and political dynasties:
get real. sa US, they have bush , clinton, bush, and soon Clinton for president.
i don’t really consider anybody elected to a national position as “dynastic”.
ang political dynasty lang na ayaw ko ay yung mga katulad nina marcos at singsons dati na tumagal sa kanilang pwesto dahil para silang warlords doon sa lugar nila. o katulad ng mga arroyos na na-elect bilang tongressman sa lugar nila dahil kingpin sila doon, but have no cross-over appeal whatsoever on the national stage. o yung mga kamaganak na ina-appoint lang bilang official, like ali atienza was.
re abolishing the senate, after looking at the partial administration senate lineup, i guess they are serious about abolishing the senate. we need to ask goma, edu, singson et al kung payag sila na gamiting dahilan ng administration para i-abolish ang senado, once na manalo sila.
[quote]The Palace, meanwhile, continues to add to its glorious line up of senatorial candidates: Richard Gomez and …[/quote]
if that was a joke; i am [i]not[/i] laughing.
Q3 states : “I have to wonder if the President got an earful about human rights behind the scenes in Davos. … The diplomatic community -particular attention being paid to the Vatican and the US ambassadors –certainly indicated that this remains a touchy issue with foreign governments…”
/.. Who among the actors, dancing queens, names and personalities crying “elect me, elect me!!!” have denounced Ebdane and other military or PNP officials for human rights abuses? Even GMA accepts the Melo Commission report that there has been some kind of military involvement in the assassination of activists.
Richard Gomez desperately wants to be a senator, so that even if he has declared at one time to support anybody but GMA, he’s swallowed his big, bloated showbiz ego and decided to join the administration. Im sure he just wants to be in the same league with Jinggoy so that he can have the clout, bodyguards and stuff to have the temerity to slap (or ‘batukan’) anybody in public. He has it on good authority — maybe Philip Salvador and Rudy Fernandez, both mayoralty losers — that it’s easier to win a national seat than a local post, so the hell with Bulacan. (He might have consulted Lito Lapid too).
We shouldn’t even be talking about these clowns, but that’s how our system has gone down to: a Looney Tunes Senate. Shame on the Filipino if this man gets a senate seat. I hope he and Mike Defensor finish dead last, they can share that honor. Let me puke now.
mlq3,
Who’s Lakas’ senatorial candidate?
Does Lakas have the ‘military strength’ to keep or further its political position?
Is there a power-play in the Palace beteween Gloria loyalists and those whose loyalty is suspect?
am sure richard gomez will win if he runs as a barangay kagawad….i support him 100%…but running for the senate?…..people of the philippines run as fast as you can…..lmao….richard spare us please
chiz escudero masyado ka pang hinog sa pilit para sumabak sa senado….the only reason your a congressman is because of your family name….funny wala ka naman ginawa sa constituents mo kung di dumakdak dyan sa kongreso…cmon chiz get real umpisahan mo alalayan ang people of bicol….ngayon pa lang wala na kaming napapala sayo….tapos ngayon gusto mo iakyat ka namin sa senado…..ano ka sinuswerte
Chiz Escudero will be a great senator!
Oh I see, CHIZ is an active member of the U.P. Law Alpha Phi Beta fraternity, the same frat who caused the death of law student Alexander Icasiano in 1998 during a fraternity hazing! The anti-hazing law was passed last 1995. This case went down the drain , there were no witnesses. Well I guess the Icasiano clan will never forget what the Alpha Phi Beta fraternity did to Alexander, by the way Chiz was a solon when that nasty hazing killed Alex.
Well Chiz is not blind or deaf during that time , Being a notable member as a solon , he had an idea regarding the truth of that mysterious death caused due to hazing by his fraternity brods!
Alam mo Bino, before blurting out stuff, alamin mo muna mga nangyari. You’re just giving out half truths about the Alpha Phi Beta. Alexander Icasiano is a brod, a member of the Alpha Phi Beta, who admittedly died. The case did not go down the drain as it was settled, and the people who were responsible were held accountable for it. Sen. Escudero could not be blamed for whatever wrongs the resident fratmen did during that time.