Philippine Newspapers - Philippine Asian News Today

Any Filipino who wants to be presi­dent of the Republic of the Philippines must possess not less than a billion pesos in his political coffers to spend in an election that would catapult him/her to the Palace by the still-stinking Pasig River. Thus was the assertion of a states­man named Manuel Villar, Senator of the Philippines who declares he wants to be the next One after the current chief of state vows out of the political ring by January 20, 2010. In a recent Reuters interview that broke into print, Villar was quoted as saying that “there is one golden rule – he who has the gold rules.” And Villar has billions to use in the 2010 presiden­tial derby to lay claim to fame, absolute power and more billions to his already bulging coffers. Pathetic. What Villar insinuates was that no ‘poor’ patriot, brilliant, maka-masa, economic genius, church-backed-up, trad-pols and top businessmen pick could beat him in the 2010 presiden­tial poll simply because he’s got all the needed billions to wrap up an election? “How sad,” rival Loren Legarda ob­served. “Ibig ba n’yang sabihin, kung wala kang pera ay huwag ka ng mangarap na makapaglingkod bilang pangulo ng ating bansa? Nakalulungkot pong isipin na paliliitin natin ang usapin ng paglilingkod sa bayan sa isyu ng pera. Pera -pera na lang ba ang eleksyon? Talaga bang ang tingin nya sa taong bayan ay mukhang pera? Pwera na ba ang pagmamahal sa bayan? Pwera na ba yung uri ng leadership na ibibigay mo? Pwera na ba yung vision para sa kinabukasan ng ating bansa? Basta may pera, pwera na ba ang lahat?”, Legarda asks.

Sorry, Ms. Legarda, but, Villar could be right. Kahit na gaano mo kamahal ang Pinas; kahit na gaano mo gustong maglingkod ng taos-puso; kahit na gaa­no mo nais ibigay ang pinaka-malinis na paglilingkod sa bayan, KUNG wala ka nga namang bilyones na gagamitinsa kampanya sa Print, Radio and TV ads para ipaalam sa buong bansa ang iyong plataporma at ipakita ang iyong maamong larawan na nakangiting ala­angel na di makabasag-pinggan sa mga boboto, AT, higit sa lahat, kung wala kang bilyones na pambayad sa iyong libo-libong watchers, “panglagay” sa mga obliging teachers, barangay-tagays at barangay officials, fraudulent re-elec­tionist municipal mayors, congressmen, governors and some crooked COME­LEC officials and PNP men in uniforms, ala, eyh, talo ka nga sa labanan dahil sa Pinas, ang election, lalo na sa pagka­pangulo ay ...
Pera-pera ang laban!

* * * *
In the said Reuters interview, Villar said that he would parlay his “entre­preneurial acumen and experience as a politician... as vital assets in leading the nation”. The same report puts his family’s assets at US$1-billion dollars or Php48-billion at an exchange rate of $1 – Php48.
“The next president of this country... should on day one know how to man­age this country – day one,” scoffed Villar according to Reuters. Don’t forget kabayans that the Philippines is com­posed of 7107 islands; one huge chunk of real estate put together. hehehe ...
And Villar, considered a real es­tate magnate even before he ventured in politics, indeed had multiplied his wealth a number of times over at about the same time he was a congressman for nine years - two and a half of which as Speaker of the House – thereafter passed on to his better half of the dy­nasty, now completing another round of nine years. Villar has also been senator for eight years; was the Senate President and seat as chair of the Finance Com­mittee, during which the money kept multiplying. Maybe it is entrepreneurial acumen, eyh?

“I believe that while a lot of us will be announcing our candidacies, in the there wil be just a few who will remain,” Villar told Reuters. Why so? Simple, kababayan. Tatlo hanggang apat lang naman ang posibleng kalaban na may mabubunot na bilyones sa kanilang bulsikot, eh.

“If you can’t even raise one billion pesos, why even run?” Vil­lar proudly declared ... And the right honourable Senator Manu­el Villar has some Php48-billions to lean on. So, who’s gonna an­swer Villar’s challenge? O, hano, Senators Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas, Ping Lacson, Chiz Escu­dero, Mayor Jojo Binay, MMDA chair Bayani Fernando, or even Erap Estrada, kayo ba ay ...
Kakasa kay Manny? Villar, hindi Pacquiao, ha?

* * * *
Ipinagmamalaki ni Villar na siya ay may sariling bariles ng ginto at ang ibang ‘presidentables’ ay aasa pa sa ibibigay na “ginto” ng mga supporters. Well, if that would be the criteria in running for the presidency in the Philip­pines, bakit hahanap pa tayo ng iba, eh, nandiyan naman ang mga bilyornariong Lucio Tan, Gokongwei, Danding Cojuangco, Ramon Ang, Manny Villar, Don Jaime Zobel de Ayala o’ di kaya ay si ‘preacher’ Mike Velarde ng El Shaddai na kinokonsiderang ‘bilyonario’ na rin sa dami ng ‘koleksiyones’ at benta ng put­ing panyolitos.
‘Wag na nating pahirapan pa ang ating mga utaks dahil nandi­yan na ang mag-awang Gloria at Mike Arroyo na ‘di ba mga bilyonario na kung papaniwa­laan ang mga kritiko nila? Kung tutoo ang ‘chismiz’ na bilyonario na nga dahil sa pangungurakot ang mag-asawang ito, eh, bakit paalisin pa sa Malacanan ang mga Arroyo? Let them be ...
‘King and Queen of heart’... err... Malacanang Palace, pala, forever.

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