ABS-CBN talent Judy Ann Santos shared that she was deeply hurt by Senator Jamby Madrigal‘s comments during a recent forum where she said that she made a mistake when she got a celebrity endorser to back her senatorial campaign in 2004. According to Juday, she went out of her way to really campaign for Jamby and that she seriously believed in the capabilities of Madrigal during the campaign. She goes on to say that she won’t say anything else about the matter since it will just blow things out of proportion again.

Here’s a short quote from the article on ABS-CBN:

During the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s 1st presidential debate last week, Madrigal blasted fellow presidential contender, Sen. Manny Villar, for tapping children and actors in his political advertisements.

But when a panelist pointed out that she too employed the services of a celebrity to endorse her candidacy in 2004, Madrigal replied: “I have seen the folly of my ways. I will not repeat it because I do not believe you (must) repeat a mistake.”

Here’s Jamby’s official statement:

Ako’y nalulungkot na nasaktan si Juday dahil sa sagot ko sa Inquirer debate na sa aking paniniwala ay muli na namang sinakyan at nilihis ng mga kalaban kong pulitiko. Ginawa na namang personal na atake ang isang isyu para lamang sirain ako kay Juday. Kahit kailan ay hindi ko nalimutang pasalamatan si Juday. Noong magdeklara ako ng kandidatura sa pagka- presidente, isa si Juday sa iilang tao na personal kong pinasalamatan at muli akong nagpapasalamat kay Juday sa tulong niya noong 2004 Senatorial campaign. Ngunit para sa akin ang pagtakbo sa pagka-presidente ng isang Senador ay dapat maging base sa plataporma at hindi lamang sa pagpapasikat sa tulong ng mga artista para pagtakpan ang kanilang kahinaan at kakulangan ng kakayahan.

Related posts:

1. Jamby ripping Loren apart
2. To Aquino, Enrile, Madrigal, et. al: File a case against MV!
3. Senator Jamby Madrigal’s “Cory Bracelet”

I think I finally have a solution to this C5 controversy that’s win-win for everyone. First the senators who claim to be champions of TRUTH, HONESTY, JUSTICE, and INTEGRITY should drop their act. You guys are obviously using this as a campaign issue in the upcoming 2010 elections. The one who should be charged with being unethical is the lot of you. It’s hard to say that you’re doing this “FOR THE PEOPLE” when you are also running for office because no one stands to gain more from Villar’s downfall than you guys.

FILE A CASE AT THE OMBUDSMAN
If you really believe that Manny Villar is guilty, then file a case with the Ombudsman and let the axe fall where it may. When it’s done that way, MV has no choice but to really defend himself in court. At least it’s an impartial judge who’s deliberating on the case and not his political enemies.

What’s amusing is that all the ganging up on MV has had a completely opposite effect on his numbers. He’s getting the “underdog” status now and more people are supporting him as shown by the latest Pulse Asia survey (which was taken during the C5 controversy).

So there’s my challenge for the people who believe MV is guilty. FILE CHARGES. And to MV? DEFEND YOURSELF IN COURT.

The sooner he gets charged, the sooner this is resolved. Until then, all I’m seeing is politics, politics, and politics.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Presidential Polls: Villar-Aquino Showdown?
2. The Noynoy Aquino – Manny Villar Facebook War Escalates
3. To the 2010 Presidential Candidates: STOP THE MUDSLINGING!

I never thought that I’d see the day where Senator Jamby Madrigal would rip apart Senator Loren Legarda on various media channels (with basis). In several interviews about her reaction to the recent announcement of the Villar-Legarda tandem, Madrigal has been vicious with her offensive. Other than being aggressive, she was also very creative with her choice of words in describing what happened. Initially she said in an interview that she was congratulating Senator Villar for turning on his enemies into his new girl Friday. To top that off, she recently said that Legarda changes like the climate.

Here are some excerpts from her interview posted on ABS CBN Online:

“Well, she has a history. She used to be with Lakas, which is how she became senator. Then, when she thought that [actor] Fernando Poe Jr. would win [in the 2004 elections], she abandoned Lakas and joined FPJ. But then she and FPJ lost. She became an oppositionist because being pro-Gloria wasn’t very popular. She was given an opportunity but now she’s siding with Villar,” she said.

“So mahal mo ba sarili mo o mahal mo ba ang taong bayan? Siya ang chairman ng oversight committee ng climate change. I know now why she loves climate change. She will always change to the climate that is favorable to her,” Madrigal said.

“Ako’y naaawa sa bayan. Sabi niya she will pray for me. I am also praying for her because I pity her na bawat ihip ng hangin tatalon na lang siya o sasampa siya,” she said.

Madrigal goes on to reveal that Loren has been calling Villar names during the height of the investigation.

“[Legarda] hasn’t been very visible lately maybe because she’s busy negotiating or campaigning. But we in the majority know na talagang galit na galit siya kay Villar. Marami pa siyang unsavory names na sinasabi sa kanya,” Madrigal said.

She said Legarda even chided her and Sen. Panfilo Lacson that they might switch sides and not push through with the ethics investigation.

The senator said she does not see Legarda’s decision as a personal affront but a betrayal of her fellow senators. “She betrayed the institution of the Senate at nataksil din niya mga taong bayan na umaasa sa kanya na isang taong me prinsipyo,” Madrigal said.

Will Loren fight back? Abangan, hehe.

Related posts:

1. Loren Legarda’s previous statement against Manny Villar
2. Senator Loren Legarda needs to explain
3. Senator Loren Legarda & Darna

The latest SWS Survey commissioned by Senator and Presidential aspirant Manny Villar shows that the top three front runners are: Senator Manny Villar (22%), Former President Joseph Estrada (19%), and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero (18%). It’s not surprising to see this because Senator Villar has really been pouring out massive amounts of resources in trying to build his name for the upcoming 2010 elections. He’s been doing television, radio, print, and online for almost 6 months straight now and I can only assume that his spending will intensify even more when the real campaign season kicks in. By the way, I had coffee with Senator Villar a few weeks ago. You might want to read about it in my previous post.

Erap Estrada – Icon of the Masses
Former President Estrada, who has been reported to be going all over the Philippines in political sorties also put up good numbers. I can understand perfectly why he can get jailed for plunder and still enjoy the support from the masses. I’ve seen him on television and I’ve seen his Arthro commercial and there’s one thing that I can say confidently – this guy has the most charm and appeal for the average normal Filipino. The way he moves and speaks has been refined by years in the movie industry. He knows how to tickle the funny bone of the masses. What he lacks in actual political savvy, he makes up for it with wit, humor, and the ability to inspire.

Chiz – Constant Performer
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has been a constant solid performer in surveys since last year. This is interesting since he really hasn’t gotten out of his way to promote himself yet through television or radio. The most he’s done is to appear during Presidential forum events which are usually organized by TV stations or non-government agencies. His ability to easily connect with the youth is one of his strongest traits. Other than that, I believe that his hard line opposition to the Arroyo administration has sky rocketed his political capital in the past few years. Not once have I seen him stand down in favor of the administration. You can expect his ratings to soar even higher if and when he finally decides to announce his candidacy for President in 2010.

Like Senator Villar, I’ve had the honor of having coffee with this guy. You can read about the “Chiz” experience in my previous article.

Following the top 3 are VP Noli De Castro (14%), Senator Mar Roxas (10%), Senator Loren Legarda (6%), Senator Lacson (3%), Mayor Binay (3%), MMDA Chairman Fernando (1%), and Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro (0.3%).

Just some random thoughts on the other placers:

- Despite all the ad spending and his highly publicized engagement with Korina, Senator Roxas is still at 5th place. Awareness for Senator Roxas is there… but why aren’t the people picking him over the other candidates? Some people say that the SWS survey is biased since Senator Villar commissioned it. I would love to validate this survey through the next Pulse Asia report which should come out soon.

- Another puzzling trend is the decline of Senator Loren Legarda. She used to place fairly well in surveys but she’s been constantly going down in the past few months. I wonder what’s going on here. Maybe it’s the lack of media exposure?

- If Gibo’s performance doesn’t improve in the next Pulse Asia survey, I highly doubt he’ll be picked by the administration party to be the standard bearer.

- All three religious leaders: Among Ed, Bro. Eddie, and Bro. Mike are not even on the list. This maybe because they only declared recently. Would love to see the next survey to see if they can actually make an impact on the list.

- Also noticed that Senator Jamby Madrigal isn’t on the list as well. Let’s see next time if she’ll show up given her recent announcement. Since she’s insanely wealthy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her match the intensity of the ads of Senators Villar and Roxas.

- Lastly, would love to see Senator Noynoy Aquino’s impact in the next survey.

Your thoughts on this guys? Feel free to leave a comment.

Related posts:

1. Latest SWS and Manila Standard Surveys say Villar is tied with Aquino; Pulse says otherwise
2. Pulse Asia Survey shows Villar still on top
3. Aquino and Villar dominate latest SWS survey

The Blas F. Ople Policy Center and DZMM presented the USAPANG OFW LEADERS FORUM last August 15, 2009. It was aired live on radio, TV (Teleradyo & TFC), and online. According to one of the ABS CBN Executives, this was one of their first efforts in doing a multimedia broadcast across different channels simultaneously. In the forum we had Senators Chiz Escudero, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, and Jamby Madrigal. Makati Mayor Binay, who confirmed, had to cancel due to the death of his daughter-in-law. Pampanga Governor Panlilio also backed out in the last minute to attend to urgent matters in his province. I’ll be writing more about the discussions that happened in a separate post. For now, let me share some pictures that I was able to take during the forum.

It was a really great event. I got good feedback from a lot of friends and family who were able to watch the program. ABS-CBN Executives were also talking about broadcasting replays and some of them even asked when we’re going to do part 2.

To all those who supported by watching, thank you very much!

Related posts:

1. Senator Chiz Escudero in the Usapang OFW Leaders Forum
2. Latest SWS Surveys says it’s Villar, Estrada, and Chiz
3. Meeting the faces of 2010 in 2009

My good friend sent me an e-mail with a blog post from a Facebook user named Happy Feraren. While she was waiting for President Cory Aquino’s cortege, she and her Mom decided to buy a yellow umbrella. They were then given a yellow beaded bracelet afterwards for free. However, when they looked closer at the bracelet, it had the picture of Senator Jamby Madrigal, who recently declared her intention to run for the Presidency in 2010. Senator Madrigal, with all due respect, I think you’ve crossed the line with your politicking. Giving away campaign materials during the memorial service of former President Aquino is just foul and disrespectful.

Here’s the full narration of Happy:

Shame on your Jamby Madrigal by Happy Feraren

Now that we’ve remembered, relived and recreated the spirit of ’86 let’s make sure this yellow ribbon doesn’t get tangled up in other people’s political campaigns.

Subtle electioneering IN A FUNERAL?!?! SHAME ON YOU. Do not ride on Cory’s wave to pursue your vested interest. The people who waited in the streets weren’t there to see you! The revolution doesn’t belong to you, phony politician, it belongs to the people. And what makes you think you could get away with such a dirty trick? Cory’s lasting impression of sincerity, humility and honesty is now the benchmark of what leaders are supposed to be. You think people don’t see through you? The respect we have for Cory is not something you acquire with falsity (or through endorsement from Judy Ann Santos) it is earned. How dare you pose as someone offering sympathy to the Aquino family while you think about the votes you’re going to get come election time.

As I waited for the cortege (news networks’ new favourite word) along the South Super Highway, my mom and I bought 2 yellow umbrellas from this street vendor who was also selling nuts. And then as we paid, he pulled out something from his pocket – a yellow beaded bracelet nicely packed in a small clear plastic bag. Upon handing it over to us, he said: “Eto o, bonus para sa inyo.”Of course my mom and I were pleased and were all “awww how sweet.”Until I actually looked at the bracelet and saw a little tag with the name and photo of Jamby Madrigal.

I called out to him and asked, “O bakit may Jamby Madrigal itong bracelet na ito” and when I looked at the vendor for an answer he had already walked away.

Maybe an hour before this incident, I saw her car passing by the growing sea of people. Window open, flashing the L sign and strangely enough, a cameraman in front filming the people. My mom started shouting “Transparencyyyy!” and then I looked at her asking if I could put up my middle finger and my mom looked at me and said I should just shout transparency, accountability or good governance. In other words “BOOOOOOOO!!!!” And then the two of us just started shouting BOO JAMBY!!!

I am utterly disgusted by you, Ms.Madrigal. And to you other filthy politicians, behave yourselves because we are all watching you, even if you’re supposedly Cory’s “favorite” mayor. Genuine democracy is People Power and everything Ninoy and Cory stood for. It also means that now, whenever there’s a phony claiming he or she is there to protect Cory’s legacy, we will be able to speak up and act with the same fearless fervour we had before.

You know sometimes I wish I could march in the government offices with a magical broom that can sweep away all the dirty politicians we have in this country. A giant clean up, but this time not just for the environment but for our government. Haha, imagine if we could really do that? I’m already writing down the names of the people I’d attack first with my magic walis!

So, before you file for candidacy (a bit too late though in this case) think again. Actually, good luck! The people have remembered.

Taken from Facebook Notes

Senator Madrigal, if memory serves me right, there were close to 300,000 people during Cory’s memorial service. By spitting at her memory by campaigning, you just lost 300,000 votes for 2010. I’m sure you will lose millions more when this piece of information spreads out to the general public. This Jamby Madrigal Bracelet fiasco is something that I just can’t stomach.

To all bloggers out there, please re-post. Let’s get the word out.

Update from the Author: Senator Madrigal’s camp has released an official statement denying that they were the ones behind the distribution of the bracelet during the memorial service.

Related posts:

1. Cory “Kid” Toys in Divisoria
2. “Cory is campaigning for us.” – Frank Drilon
3. Jamby ripping Loren apart