I should be busy puttering here and there, excitedly preparing for our 25th wedding anniversary celebration that will happen three days before election day. Here… Read More »No to Noynoy Aquino
A mention of my twitter name @momblogger alerted me .
“Is it true that you have chosen Villar?” , someone tweeted.
I replied that I will neither confirm nor deny that as I have stated in my entry, My presidential candidate
It does not matter who my candidate is. As project editor of Blogwatch.ph, it is prudent that I keep that choice only to myself and my close friends, the people I trust. Certain quarters cannot distinguish me as a voter and me, as the editor. Blog Watch remains non-partisan.
You are free to speculate, of course.
Most of the comments agreed with my short list (Manny Villar, Dick Gordon and Gibo Teodoro). A few raised eyebrows “Villar?!?” as if I just uttered the devil’s name.
The skeptical often are bewildered…Why oh why is Manny Villar in your short list? That’s what I’d like to talk about. Why Manny Villar?
With the negative campaigning and half-truths being flung around, one is confused with propaganda, counter-propaganda and black propaganda.
I am blessed with this wonderful opportunity as project editor of blog watch where I get to scrutinize these candidates, at least seven out of the nine presidential candidates.
A rational decision based on research, intensive interviews and attendance to three presidential forums was slowly forming in my head the past months. Insights gained by this experience paved the way for my decision to include Manny Villar because of his leadership, managerial ability, experience (I wrote more about it here with Dine and Wenchie.) I believe our presidential candidate should have all three characteristics to manage the economy well enough to create more jobs and address this issue of poverty. Understanding of issues against him included fact checking and discernment.
It helped a friend vouched for Villar’s high moral standards since she worked with him in the senate for many years. ( read Pia Cayetano‘s comments on Manny Villar)
But…a friend’s testimonial, his track record, competence and platforms were not the only factors to consider in the selection process.
The way a candidate handles his campaign gives me an insight to the governance of this candidate.
“I can’t believe Tita Pia is now Senator Pia”, my two daughters exclaimed in awe after we told them that she had won the senatorial race in 2004. My girls knew their Tita Pia and played with her toddlers way back the time my husband and her then husband started a law office in the mid 90’s. Pia was there to hold my hand during the wake of my son who took time to talk to me, who took the trouble to order me a grief recovery book from the states. There are not many who know how to console a bereaved but like her brother Alan (who was there with me by the hospital bed with Luijoe), she truly showed compassion and sincerity.
When Pia won in 2004, I knew she was going to accomplish a lot. Even if she trailed in the surveys at the start of the campaign, I was confident she’d top it and she did. Health is her advocacy . I asked her “what motivated you to focus on Health?”
I am a lawyer as a profession . I believed no matter the training, emotions and background dictate the path. I talked about the loss of my son and my father due to severe illnesses. I was thankful we had the means to keep them happy and healthy. I was mindful of the fact of the work that my dad had done. There was much to be done. When I ran in 2004, I ran in the campaign of health. I lost my father and my son in my speech. Advisers told me to change my speech. I have nothing else to talk about. I talk about my background. I am a lawyer. I graduated with honors. That is where my competence and qualification come in. What is my passion? What do I have to offer? I want to do something with health care. I still talk that way.
I am so sick of the negative campaigning and black propaganda. The latest is in reference to Manny Villar‘s ad where he says ““Nakaranas na ba kayong … mamatayan ng kapatid dahil wala kang pera pangpagamot” (Have you experienced losing a brother because you did not have the money to provide him proper medical care)? Manny Villar asked in his ““PANATA(Advocacy)” TV commercial. Villar and referred to his younger brother Danny who passed away on October 1962. In the same commercial, Villar’s 1962 photo with his younger brother was shown.
The writer claims that ““Villar was not really poor as he claimed. Really, is it hard to imagine that he was once poor? I am sure you all have read the allegations , accusations or whatever you call it…BLACK PROPAGANDA.
Manny Villar has this to say on the question of “Ginagamit ba ang kapatid”
Ginagamit ang kapatid?
Ngayon me mga grupo na nagtatakang guluhin at siraan ako na hindi daw kami mahirap dati. Nais kong ulitin noong araw, ako po ay ipinanganak…kaming lahat na magkakapatid, dun kami sa 500 Sta Maria, Moriones St, kanto, at dun po kami, 9 kami na isang banig, isang kulambo. Nagtitinda kami ng nanay ko ng hipon.
Sa sobrang sikip naming, nangutang ang tatay ko, nagpatayo ng bahay…pinapalabas ngayon na kami’y hindi mahirap. Hindi naman tama yon. Hindi kami wholesaler, hindi kami broker. Nagsimula kami, nagtitingi kami ng hipon, yan po ay paulit-ulit kong sasabihin.
Yung kapatid ko na namatay ng cancer, yan po ay dala din ng kahirapan, hindi namin — kung saan-saan lang namin dinadala. Nung mamamatay na ang kapatid ko ay napilitan kaming dalhin sa ospital. Nangutang kami ng pera, at sa charity pa.
Maliwanag na nag-iimbento na naman ng mga akusasyon sa akin. Sobra naman ang ginagawa sa akin. Hindi maiaalis sa akin na mahirap ako noong dati.
Ang tatay ko mismo, 9 din silang magkakapatid na pawang mahihirap din. Kaya nagtataka ako kung paanong pati ito ay pinag-iinteresan nila. Siguro para ma-justify kung bakit haciendero ang kanilang kandidato bilang pangulo.
He says more in a press conference.
Read More »On Manny Villar’s brother, black propaganda & negative campaigning
It is two months before May 10, 2010, the Election day. The Day we vote for a president and the rest of the national and local posts.
I made a choice.
I have chosen my presidential candidate.
I want my candidate to win.
Yesterday, my husband and I decided to openly support our presidential candidate (not here online). The past month, we began discussing our choices, analyzing and researching on the nine presidential candidates. I am blessed and privileged to have interviewed seven presidential candidates and attended three presidential forums. It has given me an opportunity to understand their platforms, the issues and over-all impression of the presidential candidates. I know their strengths and weaknesses but there can be only one President.
Read More »My presidential candidate
I have been swamped lately with our interviews of presidential candidates in blogwatch.ph. One of these candidates, JC de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran party moved me so much. Let me make it clear. I am not supporting a presidential candidate as of the moment. But I like JC de los Reyes, the humble person and public servant, and pretty much how I felt when I met Nick Perlas that I even wrote about his views on new politics. These are competent but not too popular presidential candidates. Well, not yet because they are not given a chance by the Filipino people and more so with media. JC de los Reyes was not invited to the de La Salle forum or even the upcoming January 14 Romulo debate in AIM. But really, these presidential candidates have the compassion, the vision and the clear platform. Truly new politics. It frustrates me that traditional media do not give the same media mileage given to Manny Villar, Gibo Teodoro, Dick Gordon etc. Let the electorate decide not those stupid surveys to bring in ratings or brisk sales.
Read More »JC de los Reyes on Servant Mothers, Humble Nation-Builders
Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Hal Borland
Peace , love and prosperity is what I wished for 2009. Though Ondoy hit us and to this day, our cars are still in the shop, life is good. When I wondered what was coming for 2009, I told myself the best is coming, the very best in life and love had to offer, the best God will send and claim it as mine.
As the year ends, I feel blessed to be offered the position of Features Editor of Vibal’s Foundation, Philippine Online Chronicles (POC) in recognition for the editorial work I do for blogwatch.ph.
How did I end up in an election watch project anyway when my only exposure to politics was my student council days? I had long envisioned myself to be of service to our country. Perhaps blogging is one way. New media events just fell into place. Sure, I am a blogger but a new media publisher is the more accurate word, because I create content, collaborate and connect.
Here are the events that brought me to the challenge I face today.
It started when Carlo Ople, the New Media Consultant of Senator Mar Roxas back in August 2008 invited me for a bloggers’ meetup and I almost choked:
““Whaaat? I hope you won’t ask me to endorse him or something”.
Another meetup with Mar Roxas in early 2009 brought me to the realization that politicians will actually meet with bloggers as election nears. I resolved to meet up with each candidate if an invitation is offered to me. It seemed important to share my thoughts to my readers in a simple and effective format.
Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years we must make sure they get a healthy start in life – President Gloria Arroyo, SONA 2009
It is 1984 and the Marcos regime is getting shakier as Anti-Marcos rallies are all over the place. This was my conversation with my then boyfriend (now husband)
Me: Do you plan to marry me? if you have no plans, then I am leaving for the United States to be with my sisters and start a new life there.
The Boyfriend (now husband): Yes, I will marry you next year. (of course he got pressured).
I felt like leaving the country then because the peso-dollar exchange rate dropped drastically. I wanted to be with my sisters.
No, this is not a love story.
See, I got married at the time when the political situation was so unstable. Was there a future for me and my husband? When People Power removed the dictatorship, I was ecstatic. I felt the future seemed promising for my children. My sister sent me immigration papers in 1987 and wanted me to move to the USA with my family. I declined. I wanted my children to stay here and work for the future of their country
our choices of food determine a lot of things from politics to economy – wendell berry
I think most of you know that I have a Food Recipe Blog ( with over 6400 subscribers. I like to keep in touch with my readers so I invite them to add me in my facebook and the Facebook Fan Page for the Pinoy Recipes which has around 3,185 fans.
Everything was fine and dandy until I posted a link Join the Manolo Quezon For Senator a group for people who would like to see Manuel L Quezon III elected as senator on 2010. Of course I know, it is a food fan page but I forgot other facebook members can join. I took for granted that the members were also my readers. It didn’t help that the profile photo of the Facebook Fan page was Leche Flan.
Naturally, I got a few violent reactions