In 1987, then President Cory Aquino tapped Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to serve in the Department of Trade & Industry as Assistant Secretary and Undersecretary.  She was one of Cory’s bright stars so much so that my vote and a million others catapulted her to become the topnotcher in the 1992 Senate elections.  In each Senate election that she ran Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was #1 in my list.  When she ran as Vice President under Jose de Venecia, I chose her over the rest.  When she took over Erap — like Cory, I supported her.  I had high hopes for the Philippines under her leadership.  Then her house of cards began to show cracks  – corruption charges were hurled left and right.  It seemed that it was the end of her colorful political career.  Her December pronouncement that she will not run again somehow caused a big rebound — people thought she meant it.  That would be the first of the many times that she renege on her word.  After winning the 2004 Presidential elections, the Hello Garci controversy almost cost Gloria her presidency.  She went on TV to announce that she was sorry for her “lapse of judgment.”  Like most of the populace, I forgave Gloria.  That was the single biggest mistake that I’ve done in my life — letting Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo get off the hook that easy.  For six years she cannibalize the political and judicial system of the country.  And as if six years wasn’t enough, she ran (and won) as Representative in Congress.  Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo remained seemingly untouchable thanks to the nincompoops that she put in place.  Then the tables began to turn.   Karma has finally caught up on her.  I voted for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.  I am ashamed that I did.

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2. Philippine Chamber Speaks Out
3. September 7 and 21 declared as non-working holidays

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2. And Then There Were Four
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Matagal ko nang kilala si Jun Acharon

Magkasama kaming naglingkod sa P.R.E.X.

Pareho kaming deboto ng Poong Santo Niño

Hindi man kami malimit magkasama

Matatag pa rin ang suporta para sa isa’t isa

Sa mahigit siyam na taon bilang alkalde

Umunlad ang bayan

Sa kabila ng maraming pagsubok

Progreso ay di naudlot

Sa pagtakbo nya bilang Representative

Hindi lamang Gensan ang aasenso

Si Jun Acharon ang pipiliin ko dahil

P – anatag ang

B – ayan kay

A – charon

Related posts:

1. Noynoy Still Leads The Pre-election Polls
2. The Local Political Scene
3. My Ten-Seconds of Fame

courtesy of arnel joshua bucoy lim

Nagkaroon uli ako ng pagkakataon para makausap si Atty. Adel Tamano

Kasabay ko ang mga kasama ko sa SoCSKSarGen Bloggers

Mararamdaman mo talaga ang excitement ng mga nandun

We were told that Atty. Adel will answer any of our questions

Kuya Avel even had a list of suggested queries

Kanya-kanya kaming naglista para hindi namin makalimutan

courtesy of arnel joshua bucoy lim

We were just finishing our dinner when he arrived

Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!  Oh my goodness!

Nagmukha kaming mga fans ng isang matinee idol!

His handshake was firm.

He looked you in the eyes

His smile was very disarming

And that dimple is soooooo distracting.

Lahat ng questions na hinanda ko sa utak ko biglang nag-disappear!

Ganun ang dating ni Atty. Adel sa tao

Natural na natural sya hindi peke

He grips your hand with his right hand

His left hand warmly taps your right shoulder

And his gaze never leaves your eyes too

Parang kakilala mo na sya ng ten million years

courtesy of arnel joshua bucoy lim

Pero may ibubuga kaya ang idol ko?

Ang takot ko kasi baka he’s just another pretty-faced politician

Na wala namang ibubuga bilang Senador ng Pilipinas

Nang magsimula na kaming magtanong

Atty. Adel literally brought the house down with his answers

Very candid sya – mapagbiro pero ang sagot naman, MALAMAN!

Right that very moment, he won not only our votes but also our hearts

courtesy of arnel joshua bucoy lim

Marami kaming tinanong sa kanya

Hindi nya ininda kahit ang mga kontrobersyal na questions

He also listened to our unsolicited advices

Although he agreed to most of them

Alam mo pa rin  that in the end

He will make the FINAL decision

Bakit si Atty. Adel Tamano ang No. 1 Senator ko?

Bakit hindi?

Edukasyon para sa lahat ang isinusulong nya

Tatag ng paniniwala sa kabataan ang nasa puso nya

Pagmamahal sa Mindanao ang nagpapatatag sa kanya

Anong pang hahanapin mo?

Kaya’t kung mahal mo ang bayan mo

ATTY. ADEL TAMANO DIN AY IBOTO MO.

Related posts:

1. My Moment With Atty. Adel Tamano

The word on the streets is that the incumbent Mayor Jun Acharon and Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio will give their challengers a beating come May 10.  Thanks to strong name recall and a sturdy party organization, both officials remain to be  the number one choice of the common voter.  Vice Mayor Flor Congson, on the other hand, remains confident that her zero-corruption campaign will give her the upper ground and make her win the mayoralty race.  Underdog Toton Acharon, the mayor’s younger brother, believes that it’s time to break away from the Antonino stronghold of Gensan politics.  Toton’s run painfully divided the Acharon clan.  This being so, people has also become more interested with the Vice Mayoralty race.  Conventional wisdom believes that Odjok Acharon will suffer the brunt of the anti-dynasty sentiment.  His closest opponent, the very eloquent Shirlyn Banas-Nograles has used this issue to the hilt but that doesn’t make her an easy winner.   The snowballing of support coming from different sectors to the Noynoy Aquino candidacy has given AIM Party the additional boost.    The big question is whether or not the blessing of the church will guarantee the candidates the votes.  Unfortunately, the religious vote by any standard has never been an indicator in elections past.  Well, I just hope we end up with the right leaders.  Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

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3. Mark Herras Invades Gensan

Manny Pacquiao will need every bit of goodwill he has earned for the many glorious moments in the ring.  He is running as Sarangani Representative against a formidable family.

Manny has weathered many storms in his life. Most of them made him a stronger person, inside and out. Some of his merry-making ways (and indiscretions) has not escaped the public eye but these escapades never really hurt him. He was clearly being tolerated by a grateful nation. Manny’s charisma cuts across all political affiliations. In fact, it cuts across everything. He has united the Filipinos where every President has failed. And he is still in his prime – at his top boxing form.

His intention to run AGAIN was no surprise at all.  His most ardent supporters could only shake their heads. Manny might have good intentions but good intentions are not enough. Wanting to improve the plight of his fellow Sarangans is noteworthy but it is going to be a rough ride for an inexperience political neophyte. But the Pacman is hell-bent on pursuing the course.  And for that alone, he has a fighting chance to become Congressman.

Clearly, this is Manny’s decision and nobody else’s.  It only proves that the Pacman is determined to win the second time around.  He has learned the mistakes of his first political salvo three years ago.  Surprisingly, the bandwagon effect is holding.  Sarangans are giving him a second-look and the undecided are slowly shifting gears.

If Manny plays his cards right, he just might swing the election to his favor.  If he does, then the Pacman magic is alive and well.  Good luck, Manny.

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Villar still refuses to attend the Senate to face questions, and it only reminds me of how GMA used the privilege of her office to avoid questioning. What will happen if Villar wins and more corruption scandals surface?

With Villar catching up to Noynoy in the polls, I am honestly quite terrified of the prospect of him winning. There is a clear case of graft in this instance, and instead of delving into the issues, his allies in the legislative are simply brushing off the allegations as “politically motivated”. As a citizen, we should not accept this. If there is smoke, we must see if there is a fire that needs to be put out. Yes, the timing of the allegations seem a bit off. ( Joker Arroyo was pushing these issues as early as 1998). A known crook and political opportunist, Juan Ponce Enrile, is the person leading the censure. However, when the facts are presented, it is clear as day that something is amiss. It just further builds on my strong suspicions that Villar is a businessman simply looking to control the political arena to make a boat load of money.

I have never trusted Villar since day one. I never trust businessmen who enter politics, because in the end, their core value is and always will be profit maximization. It is well documented that Villar‘s real estate empire ran into some serious financial problems when his overexposure to the real estate market and the Asian Financial Crisis made him unable to pay debts he took out to expand his real estate business in the early 1990s. After the Asian Crisis hit, Capitol Bank, owned by Villar and heavily exposed to his real estate investments was essentially ran to the ground and needed to be bailed out. In 2005, Villar tried to solve his debt problems by hiring a group of investment banks to advise him on how he can consolidate all his assets into one company (Vista Land). With the local and foreign investment bankers, Villar came up with a growth story for investors: “Invest in my company because we need it to fund all these wonderful project!” However, what was downplayed during the IPO roadshow was that instead of financing growth, resources from the offering would be used to finance his debt. To appease creditors, Villar even had his investment bankers pitch some form of a debt-to-equity conversion that raised skeptical eyebrows of many. In 2007, the IPO of Vista Land did not do as well as planned, in part because many investors and brokers were the same people who were burned by Villar‘s inability to pay back his loans.

Now, as part of a corporate growth (or should I say corporate restructuring) plan, Villar is lusting for the highest position in the land. This scares me because Villar already has a track record of using his political position to gain the upper hand for his businesses. To save his empire and increase shareholder value of his business, Villar used his influence as Senate Finance Chair to shrewdly derail a Cavite road project that was supposed to be BUILD, OPERATE, and TRANSFER. Villar built a longer and more expensive road, the C-5 extension, adjacent to it; subsequently forcing the private investor in the initial project to pull out. The fishy thing is that this new road, longer and more expensive than the previously planned project, passed through all of Villar‘s land in Cavite. It is a clear case of graft, pointing to Villar use of influence and government funds to substantially improve the values of his real estate properties. To add insult to injury the right of way the government would have to pay in order to complete the project was substantially higher for the land that Villar owned. These funds could have easily been used to build needed schools.

This scandal should be a red flag for all voters. However, the scary part is that Villar is spending billions to keep this out of the picture as he continues his attempt to brainwash our masses that he is their saviour. He convinces the masses that he is one of them. A poor boy from the slums of Tondo. In actuality, he is more like the 5-6 and syndicates, slum dwellers themselves who make a profit out of their poor brethren. Villar‘s ad agencies are doing an excellent job of maintaining this image as well as doing damage control. TV and radio continues to churn out Parokya Ni Edgaresque jingles that compete with “Nobody, Nobody.” Dolphy is Villar‘s new spokesperson and Wowowee is one giant ad for him. In this process of brainwashing, the masses are not cognizant of how Villar conducts business as a politician. What they do not see is a man hell bent on turning our archipelago into his own personal piece of real estate.

It is sad that the efforts of Juan Ponce Enrile, who is leading the censure for Villar, is actually giving Villar more sympathy votes. People do no trust Enrile, and when Enrile pounces on someone, it is usually met with a high degree of skepticism. I do not blame people for feeling this way. I also think Enrile is a crook who should be jailed for conspiring to implement Martial Law, for coup attempts, and for the human rights abuses during the Marcos regime. If someone with a more respectable reputation were to level these charges on Villar, I am sure the surveys would tell a different story.

I also fear from some credible reports that Malacanang has actually made a deal with Villar (under the table). Essentially, GMA‘s goons said, “We will help you, in return, leave us alone when you win”. Villar‘s behaviour in recent forums further adds credence to these reports as Villar has been very tame and quiet when it comes to how he will treat GMA after the elections. Appealing to common sense, it makes ALL THE SENSE for GMA to support someone who has a chance of winning, not a person rating at 4% in the surveys. GMA tried to reach out to Noynoy after Tita Cory died. All she got was rejection.

Who can stop Villar in his quest for the presidency?

I am known to be a Noynoy supporter, but to those skeptics and to those who are still undecided, I do concede that he is not perfect. His record as a politician is average and unspectacular at best. He does not have the charisma of his father. Before the death of his mother, he did not get much mileage. But I am going all out in support for Noynoy in 2010 because he stands for clean governance and appear willing to accomplish this. In addition, he has the best chance of preventing a opportunistic businessman, the assured next President of our country before Cory died, from using the Office of the President as a personal growth asset to his business empire.

Noynoy‘s clean record is a big plus for me. It is a trait that I think should be the most important quality that we should look for in our next president. His appeal is that his track record is not tarnished by corruption scandals and his political debts are minimal. I know that many critics are trying to make an issue over his involvement in Hacienda Luisita, but Noynoy is not even heavily involved in the company. As a shareholder, Noynoy only owns .04% of Hacienda Luisita, a drop in the ocean and hardly in any position to do something about it. The case of the Hacienda does not have the substance that the C-5 extension controversy has a lot of.

In addition, Noynoy also has an incredible legacy to live up to. All the pressure is on him to be clean and stay clean. He can’t afford to tarnish the Aquino name and the immense legacy that his parents left behind. Cory and Ninoy practically sacrificed their family for their dream of a better Philippines. For Noynoy, to know that your father and mother went through so much hardship to improve our country is a heavy burden to think about if you do decide to become a crook and destroy everything that they fought for.

We all have to make a choice. In my opinion, it has to go to the presidentiable who has an independent mind, stands up for what he believes in, is clean, and has the legacy his parents to live up to and maintain. For me, Noynoy, with all his flaws, is that candidate. For what this country needs is a clean president who can set an example top-down for the entire state; it needs a president with the will to change things and stamp out corruption; it needs a President who can set an example and is willing to perfect our dysfunctional democracy.

I want someone who stands for being clean. He does not need a degree from Harvard. He does not need to have a multi-million peso business to show me he can make us all rich. He does not have to speak well. He just has to be clean. Nothing else should matter. He has to prioritize a platform of clean and effective governance and make sure that it delivers on that promise. Policies on the economy, education, energy, environment and health can all follow after the fundamentals are taken cared of. So far, the only candidate who promotes my vision with a clean record to back it up is Noynoy.

Our urban landscape is replete with political slogans that attempt to convince people of certain candidate’s ability to lead our nation

Galing at Talino? Sorry Gibo, those were the supposed qualities of GMA, rubber stamped with a Phd in Economics. And what happened? She only worsened our economy. To GMA‘s credit she did balance our budget at one point, but it has again ballooned to the level where the next president will have to deal with the same economic issues she faced in 2005. During GMA’s watch investment in infrastructure was insufficient, poverty incidence worsened, public education deteriorated, our nautical highway is still incomplete, goons like the Ampatuans flourished in the south, and a culture of corruption flourished in our institutions. Instead of creating jobs, GMA focused on a policy of exporting labor without measuring the social costs of such a policy- thousands of broken OFW families and children of OFW’s who do not have the proper parental supervision to teach them the differences between right and wrong. In effect, our next generation is left on their own to figure out how to become empowered patriots who love their country and will fight to defend it. In effect, whatever statistics in GDP growth GMA and her allies love to advertise, non of it trickled down and benefitted the poor..and none of it accounts for the social costs to her policies.

Good speaker? Sorry Gibo, Marcos had that quality and he did nothing good for our contry. In fact, Marcos squandered the opportunity to be our Lee Kuan Yew and Dr. Mahatir. If I want a good, charismatic, and eloquent speaker, let’s just run down the list of effective public speakers and vote them in.

Para sa mahirap? Sorry Erap, you had your chance and failed miserably. Your only accomplishment is in convincing our masses that movie roles do not carry over into the political area.

My only concern with Noynoy is how deep he might be in the Liberal Party and whether he has accumulate political debts to Liberal trapos. The Liberal PArty, like any party, has its own share of crooks (including those bandwagon trapos who jumped off GMA“s boat to ride on Aquino’s popularity). How much will Noynoy have to give back to the Liberal trapos (and bandwagon Liberals who jumped GMA‘s ship) if elected? We will never know. However, I am willing to live with that unanswered question if it means preventing someone like Villar from turning the Philippines into Vista Land’s next subdivision development. I am also reassured by the fact that he has that “Aquino” name and the ghosts of his parents to answer to if does decide to go down the immoral path.

Noynoy will not solve all our problems. One person can’t. But we need a start somewhere and it should be with someone who pushes honesty, reform, and good governance. It will be a tough battle, but I want to give Noynoy the chance to build on what his mother tried to accomplish. And I hope that if Noynoy wins, he will have the courage to make tough decisions and go after crooks, even if it means hurting a lot of friends and colleagues in government.

To give you a better sense on how Villar conducts business, here is also a link to Joker Arroyo‘s 1998 privilege speech:

http://www.malayang halalan.com/2010/01/ 26/joker- arroyo-raises-issue- of-accountability-of-public- officers-against-manny- villar/

I guess “if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck..” Well, as the saying goes……

Vote wisely Philippines. And continue to work towards uplifting the masses and freeing them from their state of hopelessness. Defend them from opportunists. DEVELOP THEM (FIRST) SPIRITUALLY AND BEHAVIORALLY; THEN ECONOMICALLY! When we lift up the poor and ween them off the mentality of hopelessness, our country will become first world. Only then will we have the powerful middle class that our young democracy is screaming for.

Joker Arroyo’s Privilege Speech on Manny Villar’s business deals and methods

Related posts:

1. Abangan Ang Susunod na Kabanata
2. Noynoy Still Leads The Pre-election Polls
3. Noynoy Was In Gensan

This article was written by Karim Raslan for The Jakarta Globe last March 04, 2010.    Reading this made me even more resolute in my decision to vote for Noynoy Aquino as President.  Read on…

Having lived through the interminable Bank Century crisis, Indonesians will know that three weeks is a very long time in politics.

The Philippines is little different. Over the past 21 days I’ve watched as Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the front-running presidential contender, has patiently taken charge of what was initially a ramshackle campaign.

With his running mate Senator Mar Roxas (yet another scion of a political dynasty), he has imposed some order on what had been a disparate if well-meaning collection of NGO activists, academics, Liberal party apparatchiks and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo “haters.”

In so doing, Noynoy has revealed three important character traits: a quiet determination and self-confidence, an inherently rational and deliberate mindset and a determination not to become indebted to entrenched business and political interests.

Meeting Noynoy on the campaign trail in Tacloban, Leyte — the hometown of Imelda Marcos , whose husband Ferdinand was the nemesis of the Aquinos — I was pleasantly surprised by how considered and thoughtful he was. Contrary to what many think, Cory’s son is a pragmatic and process-driven leader.

However, there’s no denying that the nature of his sudden ascent into the political stratosphere initially obscured these qualities — he was propelled into the limelight by his mother Cory Aquino’s death from cancer last year.

Moreover, the Aquino legacy fell onto his shoulders at an opportune moment, just as the republic was gearing up for its next presidential election. His dignity while the nation was mourning attracted a great deal of positive comment.

The dramatic wave of grief also meant many underestimated him. Having experienced the family’s tragedies — he was 23 when his father, Benigno Jr., was gunned down on the Manila airport tarmac in 1983 — Noynoy was a reluctant candidate. Moreover , he narrowly survived an assassination attempt during his mother’s administration in which three of his bodyguards were killed. A bullet from the attack remains lodged in his throat.

In person, Noynoy is approachable and straight-forward. There is nothing remotely “princely” about him. When asked to expand on earlier comments about his “open skies” policy for the Philippines, he explained the rationale step by step.

“My central concern is the welfare of my people. They need jobs. Our manufacturing industry has withered away. The toothpaste and shampoo we use is even imported from Thailand!” he said.

“So what are our options?” he asked. Business process outsourcing, he noted, and “tourism are critical growth areas. Take a look at Leyte and Samar. The hotels aren’t as good as they should be and the infrastructure is poor.

“I’m struck by Bali’s example. Here’s an island destination that’s gone from a few hundred thousand visitors to three million in part because of an open-skies policy. We need to adopt the same approach in the Philippines. We need to make it easier for tourists to visit, improve our roads and airports.”

He was equally blunt when asked about his country’s many millions of overseas foreign workers.
“Yes, they send back billions of pesos (currently $1.5 billion per month),” he said. “However, there is a social cost of having so many families split up, what with children growing up without their parents.
“We need to create these jobs at home. We need to work to lower electricity tariffs, improve infrastructure and impose the rule of law.”

As a close neighbor of China and a long-term ally of the United States, Noynoy adopted a conciliatory position:
“We have to find a way of maintaining our old friend [the United States] while working together with emerging powers in a win-win manner. I think Chinese corporations have realized the complexity of the Filipino market after the problems over ZTE,” he said, noting a messy scandal involving Arroyo’s husband and ZTE, a Chinese company that was to provide a national broadband network for the country before the dirty dealing came to light.

Noynoy has certainly benefited from the family legacy. However, it would be unwise to think that he lacks substance and ideas. Despite his undoubted pedigree, life has been tough and traumatic for the 50-year-old candidate.

It has hardened and prepared him for what is a very bitter electoral contest with the billionaire property tycoon, Manuel Villar. If he does emerge as the victor at the polls on May 10, his integrity and intelligence may well propel the Philippines forward and surprise its neighbors.

Related posts:

1. Noynoy Was In Gensan
2. Noynoy Still Leads The Pre-election Polls
3. Abangan Ang Susunod na Kabanata

Tatlong buwan bago sumapit ang May 10 elections, naghahari pa rin si Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III ng Liberal Party sa mga surveys.

Ipinapakita sa pinakabagong Pulse Asia Survey, isinagawa mula Pebrero 21 hanggang 25, na si Sen. Aquino pa rin ang napipisil na kandidato sa pagka-pangulo ng 36%.

Si Manny Villar naman ng Nacionalista Party, sa kabila ng pagbaha niya sa TV at radyo ng mga adverstisements na nagkakahalaga ng P1.3 Bilyon at higitan sa gastos ang lahat ng kandidato sa pagka-pangulo bago pa sumapit ang panahon ng kampanya, ay pumapangalawa lamang sa 29%, bumaba ng anim na puntos kumpara sa marka niya nuong Enero 10.

Ang Pulsa Asia survey na ito, inilapat sa nagrespondeng 1,800 katao, ay nagpapatibay rin sa naging resulta ng survey ng Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), ginanap nuong Enero 28 hanggang Pebrero 3 kung saan ipinakitang lamang ng 11% si Aquino kay Villar. Lumalabas na ang dalawang surveys ay nagtataglay ng halos magkatulad na resulta.

Noynoy in Gensan with Mayor Jun Acharon

Ipinabatid ng mga nagresponde sa Pulse Asia survey na ang pagkakaroon ng isang presidenteng hindi korap, at may malasakit sa mahihirap, ang kanilang pangunahing dahilan sa pagpili ng kandidato.

Pumangatlo si Erap Estrada sa 18%, pang-apat naman si Gilbert Teodoro sa 7%. Sina Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Richard Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, Nick Perlas, Vetallano Acosta at JC de los Reyes ay halos magkakapantay naman sa gradong 0-2%, sa dahilang “plus/minus 2%” ang “margin of error” sa pagitan nila (dagdag-bawas na 2% bilang palugit sa posibleng mali).

Sa mga kandidato sa pagka-bise presidente, nangunguna si Sen. Mar Roxas, ang katambal sa pagtakbo ni Aquino, sa markang 43%, samantalang pumapangalawa naman si Loren Legarda ng National People’s Coalition sa 27%.

Ipinahayag ni Sen. Aquino na ang resulta ng survey ay isang patunay na matatag at matalas kumilala ang botatentang Pilipino sa mga kasinungalingang ikinakalat ng kanyang mga katunggali.

Noynoy Aquino with Gensan's First Lady Rose Acharon

“Ako po’y nagagalak sa pagpapatunay ng survey na ito na patuloy ang pagbuhos ng suporta mula sa sambayanang Pilipino na naglalayon ng tunay na pagbabago para sa ating bansa,” pahayag ng senador. “Hindi po ako titigil hangga’t hindi natin naibibigay sa ating kapwa Pilipino ang isang lideratong malinis at mapapagkatiwalaan.”

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2. Noynoy, A Thoughtful, Pragmatic Leader
3. Give Kris Aquino A Break

Nung binalitaan ako ni Mayor Jun na mula sa airport ay tutuloy si Noynoy Aquino sa pageant night ng Queen of Mindanao Festivals, nataranta ako.  Una dahil number one fan ako ni Cory, na nanay ni Noynoy.  Gusto ko syang makita ng personal!  Pangalawa, hindi ako sigurado kung mapupuno ko ang atrium ng Robinson’s Place para hindi naman magmukhang nilalangaw ang pagbisita nya.  Pangatlo, napigtas ang hook ng pants ko at hindi ako nakapag-belt!  Panic attack talaga ako!

Unang pumasok sa atrium sina Representative Ruffy Biazon and TG Guingona.  Parehong malalaking tao.  Pero mas malaki pa rin ako.  Grabe ang palakpakan ng audience.  Nilibot ko ang buong atrium.  Punumpuno ang Robinson’s Place.  Hindi na ako mapapahiya kay Noynoy.  Umakyat ng stage ang dalawang congressman.  Isa-isang nagsalita.  Sana manalo sila bilang senador.  Having illustrious fathers like Senator Pong Biazon and Teofisto Guingona should help them get the votes.

When Senator Noynoy entered the atrium, maramdaman mo talaga ang spontaneity ng emotions ng tao.  Ang palakpakan was very real, very warm.  Almost everybody was sporting the LABAN hand-sign!  Reminiscent nga ng panahon ni Cory.  Naiyak talaga ako sa tuwa.  I think naramdaman din ni Noynoy ang pagmamahal ng tao sa kanya.  His speech was short but it came from the heart.  Kung anuman ang paninira laban sa kanya, I must say, this man, can be a GOOD president.  Iba ang aura ni Noynoy.  Maganda ang pagpapalaki sa kanya ni Cory.  For that alone, sulit na ang boto para kay NOYNOY bilang PRESIDENTE ng PILIPINAS.

Ay siyanga pala, before dumating sina Noynoy, dumating din si Peter bitbit ang belt ko.  Saved by the driver, ‘ika nga.  Kaya nakarampa tuloy ako at nakadaupang-palad ko si Noynoy.  And nabanggit ko nga sa taas, hindi ako napahiya kina Mayor Jun kasi nga punumpuno ang Robinson’s Place Atrium.

Related posts:

1. Noynoy, A Thoughtful, Pragmatic Leader
2. Noynoy Still Leads The Pre-election Polls
3. Sun City Suites Sponsors Gensan’s First Night Fun Run

In 2008, these photographs began circulating in the internet and forwarded via emails describing them as Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s mansion.  The same pictures were used to depict the lavish lifestyles of celebrities and politicians which included  Nigerian military ruler Ibrahim Babangida, Indian film star Shahrukh Khan, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God founder Edir Macedo and of late, Philippine Senator and presidential hopeful Manny Villar. (source: snopes.com)

This mansion is actually located in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA.  Said mansion has been extensively photograph, inside and out, as this has been a venue and site  for many location shooting for movies and television shows in the past.

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1. THIS IS A HOAX: Heart Attacks and Drinking Warm Water
2. Anybody But Villar

In her column with the Philippine Daily Inquirer last January 30,2010, Economist Solita Monsod gave a factual explanation about the C-5 hullabaloo.  Monsod’s basis are official documents and not just hearsay assertions.  In the video below, Monsod concludes:

1. Since there was already an ongoing project (the MCTEP) linking C-5 to the Coastal Road, it was totally unnecessary to build a second one.
2. Which means that there was a waste of scarce resources. Instead of using only P2.6 billion of government funds for the first project, the government had to spend an additional P6.9 billion for the second, which practically duplicated the first, except for the additional length which happily for Senator Villar, traversed his properties.
3. This unnecessary, wasteful project was certainly Villar’s idea. It is specious to argue that it is a DPWH project. As the DPWH feasibility study states (in black and white), both the CX-5 and the LPPLP were conceived and initially funded by Villar.
4. Villar benefited tremendously from the second project. Certainly, his companies were paid significantly more per square meter for the road right of way (which were mostly bought from him). But that pales into insignificance compared with the tremendous increase in the values of his real estate holdings in the area—at least 50-52 hectares.

Find more videos like this on DON’T-VOTE CAMPAIGN

Related posts:

1. Villar’s Mansion A Hoax
2. Monsod’s Musings