Juan Country » Ronaldo Puno

Vice Presidential Derby Heats Up

Carlo Ople — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:25:22 +0000

Today was a milestone moment in Philippine politics with regards to the upcoming 2010 elections. First, DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno released a statement saying that he’s withdrawing from the VP run in 2010. Shortly after that, Senator Loren Legarda announced her bid for VP in Luneta under NPC which is reportedly fielding Senator Chiz Escudero for the Presidency. It looks like we will be having a Chiz-Loren tandem for the NPC in 2010. They’ll be facing off with Aquino-Roxas (LP), Teodoro-??? (Admin), and Villar-??? (Nacionalista).

Other than announcing her candidacy, she also shared her platform of government. Below are her major initiatives should she get elected:

• Gear public resources towards providing social services that all Filipinos can afford.
• Ensure the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
• Crack down on corruption.
• Protect the environment and address the problems relating to climate change.
• Forge genuine peace, especially in Mindanao, by addressing the root causes of the conflict and seeking dialogue with armed groups.
• Rejuvenate Filipino culture.

Puno’s withdrawal from the race and Loren’s VP NPC declaration makes you wonder who the admin and Villar will get as their running mates. Here’s my guess:

For the admin, it will be Teodoro and Vilma Santos. For Nacionalista, it will be Manny Villar and Noli De Castro.

2010 Presidentiables – Box Office Hits?

Carlo Ople — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:39:09 +0000

This album was posted on Facebook by Gerald Magno. It basically has several movie posters but instead of the Hollywood stars an artist edited in and put in the pictures of the candidates in 2010. Really interesting and funny stuff! Hopefully these pictures will put a smile on your face. We definitely need light moments now more than ever.

Here’s my personal favorite. First poster shows Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas in the Martin-Gary poster. Second is the Twilight poster but it now has Chiz and Loren.

Next up we have former President Estrada being “dragged back to jail” by Senator Lacson:

But wait, there’s more! Here’s Vice President Noli De Castro:

And last, but not least, we have the administration slate.

O diba, panalo? Hahaha! I personally loved the Twilight poster the best. How about you guys?

Why not Puno?

Carlo Ople — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:00:52 +0000

I’ve been reading the latest articles on Inquirer.Net and I was really amused with how some administration veterans are reacting to Puno’s bid for the Vice Presidency. Two high ranking officials have already publicly stated that they would prefer it if Batangas Governor Vilma Santos was to become Sec. Gilbert Teodoro’s running mate. This makes perfect sense since I find both Puno and Teodoro to be insanely boring at times. They lack charisma, passion, and life. I’d love to see them become more “human”. With Santos as Teodoro’s running mate, she’ll be able to put some kick into the campaign.

Not just because she’s a celebrity
One thing going for Ate Vi is that other than being popular she also has a credible background in governance. I don’t live in Batangas but from what I hear she’s been doing a good job. I’m sure she’s a sure win if she decides against running for VP and sticks to her original intention of just seeking reelection. Puno, on the other hand, is painted as a very traditional and old-fashioned politician. Ever since he declared his bid, he’s been getting a lot of criticism from various sides of the political arena – both administration and opposition.

What’s interesting to note is that people are desperate for someone else to the point that Sec. Ebdane’s name is being floated as a possible running mate for Teodoro instead of Puno. Is he really that bad? Hahaha!

Here’s the article on Inquirer for everyone’s reading pleasure:

MANILA — Who’s afraid of a Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino-Manuel “Mar” Roxas tandem?

Not the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, especially if it could convince Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos to be the running-mate of its standard-bearer, Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, interim party president, said on Wednesday that a Teodoro-Santos ticket would be a good match to the Aquino-Roxas tandem of the Liberal Party.

He said Santos could complement Teodoro’s improving popularity — as purportedly shown in a recent unofficial survey — with her own, considering that she is a veteran actress with years of experience in local government.

“Why not?” he told reporters, reacting to the possibility of fielding Teodoro and Santos against Aquino and Roxas.

“It is one thing to have charisma and to be in tandem with someone who can push you up. So the benefit is mutual,” he said in Filipino.

Santos has indicated that she preferred to seek reelection in Batangas. But Prospero Pichay, a Lakas-Kampi vice president, has said the party was still “courting” her.

So far, Ermita said the party was supporting the “endorsement” of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno as Teodoro’s running mate. But he left the door open for Santos, with the choice of Puno yet to be ratified in a party convention.

“Between now and that period of ratification by the national convention, we could expect that things can happen,” he said.

Ermita, however, all but ruled out the possibility of the party dropping Teodoro as its standard-bearer.

The name of Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane was floated on Wednesday as a possible presidential bet, courtesy of a paid newspaper advertisement portraying him as an unassuming “action man.”

In the ad, Mayor Juanito Alipao of Alimodian, Iloilo, thanked Ebdane for visiting his far-flung town and ordering the construction of a bridge as part of Edbane’s countryside development program.

The ad screamed in bold letters: “Di kaya si Jun Ebdane ang Tamang Daan sa 2010?”

Ermita slammed the door on a possible Ebdane presidential run under Lakas-Kampi. At most, he said the Cabinet official was free to join the party.

“As far as the party is concerned, we have already chosen our candidate,” he said. “He should understand that there was already a selection process.”

A giddy Ermita reported the preliminary results of a nationwide survey among presidential contenders, supposedly showing a vast improvement in Teodoro’s rating.

He said Teodoro was now near the top in the survey that also included former President Estrada, Vice President Noli De Castro, and Senators Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda and Richard Gordon.

Ermita said the unofficial results were given to Malacañang last Sunday and were yet to include the ratings of Senators Manuel Villar and Aquino.

“Can you imagine that among the frontrunners, Secretary Teodoro is already next to Senator Escudero and even higher than the others who used to rate high?” he said. “The figures are not yet in but he is already very near to President Erap (Estrada).”

“You’ll be amazed how fast (his rating) has improved,” he added.

Ermita said Teodoro’s rating was likely buoyed by his televised responses to queries on national issues during the Lakas-Kampi executive committee meeting last week.

Ermita called for regular debates among presidential aspirants, confident that Teodoro would perform well.

“Intelligent voters can see through (the candidates),” he said. “I know this call will not fall on deaf ears because we need to know who is most deserving to run our country.”

Puno said in a recent press release that the party should have a national convention to decide who should be the VP for Teodoro.

Sounds like MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando.

Senator Miriam Santiago Goes Berserk Against Infomercials

Carlo Ople — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:21:38 +0000

I remember long ago my late grandfather, Senator Blas F. Ople, told me that one of his favorite senators is Miriam Santiago. When I asked him why, he told me that Miriam “spiced” up the floor. This was echoed as well by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero in our blogger coffee session event. Well… it looks like they hit the mark on that one. In her speech this afternoon about the informercials of cabinet members and senators, she literally unleashed the fury of hell, even calling them “thick-skinned, dimwitted rhinoceros”.

Her first victim was TESDA Secretary Augusto Syjuco. Here’s his infomercial for your viewing pleasure:

And here is Senator Santiago’s fiery comment:

“Pasayaw-sayaw pa, ang puti na ng buhok niya! Hindi ba nakakahiya ‘yan, nakakawala ng respeto sa ganoong uri ng opisyal sa publiko?”

Next up we have one of her favorite nemesis ever – DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno. Here’s his infomercial:

To which Senator Santiago says:

“Sobra pang kapal ng make-up. Tapos pina-bira niya ako sa kolumnista niya na hinahabol ko lang daw siya. Sino ba siya para habulin ko nang mag-isa? My goodness. I married one of the most handsome men in the entire country, and sasabihin niya hinahabol ko siya?”

A lot of people might find her a bit crazy but I agree with her 100%. I fully support her crusade against early electioneering, especially when the funds being used are from government agencies. If politicians want to campaign as early as now, then they should use their own money. The only people who would actually believe them that these are really for the benefit of the people and that there’s no politics involved are probably the stupidest persons on this planet.

Here’s the full article posted on ABS-CBN Interactive:

MANILA – Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Monday again slammed government officials’ infomercials in a fiery speech at the Senate, calling them a herd of “thick-skinned, dimwitted rhinoceros.”

Even before delivering her privilege speech, Santiago was already hitting government officials for their infomercials, which she said was a form of electioneering.

One of the officials she vented her ire on was Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) chairman Augusto Syjuco.

“Pasayaw-sayaw pa, ang puti na ng buhok niya! Hindi ba nakakahiya ‘yan, nakakawala ng respeto sa ganoong uri ng opisyal sa publiko?” Santiago said.

Santiago cited a report by the Commission on Audit (COA) that said Syjuco’s ad cost P28.3 million.

The senator also had words for Interior and Local Government secretary Ronaldo Puno.

“Sobra pang kapal ng make-up,” she said.

Puno’s infomercials from 2008 to 2009 reportedly cost nearly a million pesos.

“Tapos pina-bira niya ako sa kolumnista niya na hinahabol ko lang daw siya. Sino ba siya para habulin ko nang mag-isa? My goodness. I married one of the most handsome men in the entire country, and sasabihin niya hinahabol ko siya?,” Santiago said.

Santiago said that since last year, Cabinet officials have already spent P118 million for their ads.

“Walang hiya na talaga ito. We have been invaded by a herd of rhinoceros that are not only thick-skinned, but also dimwitted,” she said.

While delivering her speech, the senator was sidetracked by some people at the gallery.

“To those two girls there… will you please stop smiling and looking at your cellphones? If you’re not listening to my speech, please step out, now!” Santiago shouted towards two women at the gallery.

Upon resuming her speech, Santiago insisted government agencies should not be given advertising funds.

She also called on television networks and non-government organizations to file a complaint before the Commission on Elections.

Santiago found an ally in her colleague, Richard Gordon, who questioned other senators who have their own infomercials.

Leading that list are Senators Manny Villar and Mar Roxas, who have both declared their intention to run for president in 2010. Maricar Bautista, ABS-CBN News

Lastly, here’s the video of her delivering her speech. This is simply a MUST WATCH.

Panalo talanga ‘tong si Miriam! Haha!

To those who can’t view the video, here’s the direct link.