Its been a while since my last blog and what got me to blog again is the recently concluded ANC Leadership Forum last May 11, 2009. There were only 5 leaders who showed up. Initially, the mayor of Makati, Jojo Binay and Senator Ping Lacson were supposed to have been present but both canceled the last minute. Senators Loren Legarda and Manny Villar were invited but sent their respective regrets. The same goes with Vice President Noli de Castro. Former president Joseph Estrada was not invited and no reason was offered by the organizers. It was supposed to be a leadership forum which to me meant a discussion of issues, policies and to a certain degree platforms. It turned out to be just an opening salvo to maybe a series of fora in the future.
Interestingly, it was held at Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola campus. It wasnt really the venue where you can get your typical Filipino voter (Classes DE). Even the organizers introduced the leaders as two were alumni, 2 taught in Ateneo and one was a product of Dela Salle but was a law classmate of the Dean of ADMU School of Government.
In my book who came out good copy was Secretary Gibo Teodoro NOT for what he said but because of the freshness and novelty of what he said and how he said it. He was presidential, he was cool, he was articulate in both english and tagalog. Clearly he painted himself as the protector of his president. But when he started to recite the "positive contributions" of his president, my stomach started to churn. Its good his audience was so polite that even while he was already spinning, no one in the crowd wanted to voice their objections to what he was saying. As i termed it after the forum, Teodoro was "amusingly surprising." But then again, no talk was made about his record as Secretary of National Defense and almost all critics were saying by virtue of being Secretary of Defense, he had experience. Media should start putting the so-called record into scrutiny in just the same way they viciously questioned Mar Roxas and Chiz Escudero.
Roxas, despite of his so-called Wharton degree ( a Bachelor's degree) and his investment banker experience (look what happened to his tribe in Wall Street) was to my book a downhill run. The only thing I can remember is about Korina, padyak, him being the positive contribution of PGMA and his closing of "di ko kayo iiwan, tuloy ang laban" mantra. When 10 minutes was wasted on Korina and padyak, who can say Roxas had what it takes to be President? I don't know who placed him in that light but whoever thought of padyak and his "di ko kayo iiwan, tuloy ang laban" is highlighting an obvious character flaw in the guy. Let me leave it at that for now.
Dick Gordon was his typical self. Surely this man could have been president. He had the track record, the command, and he can get his people to rally for any cause. "Vision, values, volunteerism=victory". He was in his usual self: the national cheerleader of Team Philippines and yet despite all of what he has done, he just fails to connect with Generation X and more so with Generation Y and the Millennials. Gordon will be an exciting player in formal debates because even in this forum, he was zeroing in on all the gimmicks of another. And one thing I noticed about the guy is that he has mellowed. He smiles more often and in fact quite emotional in several events already. His EQ is a lot better now and he addresses his audience. But he has to check his kilometric answers. As my neighbor said, "nalulunod sa haba ng sasabihin, nawawalan ng gana tuloy ang nakikinig."
Among Ed was like being in church when he spoke and answered questions. The audience was generally quiet (probably the Jesuit training was literally showing). "Wala tayong pera" was taken as gospel truth unlike when Chiz Escudero said "ang weakness ko Tina, hindi ako pinanganak na mayaman, hindi ako pinanganak na may pera at hindi ako pinanganak na may kapabilidad na gawin yung nagagawa ng iba." Critics of Escudero were one in saying that the answer was just a charade. That because he was an Escudero, he is rich. Media should check his claim. That's public record. Escudero is middle class. So they judge Among Ed differently from Escudero. When Escudero said he had donors, they took it to mean as being glib. Why? Didn't Among Ed had donors too?
Among Ed's engagement at the national level will definitely frame the debate. These lines are lines that the youth will rally on: "gusto kong tumulong sa aking bansa", "leaders should not compromise principles in serving the people", "we are in a point in time when our country has been so shamed."
So what about Chiz? Well I may not be the neutral pundit on this matter but I will try to be impartial. 1) Chiz was not a "bad communicator". If he was, then the audience would not have connected with what he was saying or the other leaders would have stuck to English throughout the night. When Chiz answered in tagalog (he was first speaker in the Forum), those who followed after him talked in tagalog save for Gordon. 2) His demeanor was not what one would expect for a polished candidate and yet he remained true to his age which appears to be his strength because the younger ones can connect. If critics were in the hall, they would have seen young faces nodding and old and weary faces grudgingly agreeing. Sans the image consultant work, Escudero was as original as he can be. 3) Chiz is not "sincere"? Really, can one show determine sincerity? Just because he talks in a rapid fire fashion, one can readily say Escudero is not sincere and because he was not sincere, he was not respecting the listeners??? That's a lot of BS. So what do you make of a leader who was born with a gold spoon in his mouth and drives padyak to prove he is one of the masses? Or another who describes his peace and order expertise as "balansiado"? Surely there are so much more criticisms against a young guy offering his future for a country in disarray and yet a critic said Escudero was like Senator Palpatine... and in another Escudero was only "capable of criticisms and not critical thinking." C'mon, the guy is not just hot air like how old fogeys paint him to be. Escudero is a product of UP from elementary, high school, college. He completed law from UP and got his Masters from Georgetown. He has 11 years tacked under his belt from Congress and previous to that was in media rendering legal advice and practicing law.
Record? Everything is public and media should be able to put those things together or would you rather he copies the style of old politicos and come out with paid releases just to plaster around town his accomplishments? Well, the search of a President is really hard to do especially when being the youngest is looked down upon. If it is insulting to question the motives of lurkers afraid to reveal their names but consistently snipe at Escudero, it is also insulting to tell young voters that they do not know how to vote.
For me, I would just let history be the judge, keeping in mind that our very foundation has been tested by young minds and fought for by young hearts.#
