PRESIDENT Aquino is now panicking. He is desperate—with 55 days before Election Day in May 9, if it will ever be held as mandated by law.
Now, I am convinced more than ever that Mrs. Llamanzares is the “Manchurian Candidate” of BS Aquino who knows that the administration candidate Manuel Roxas II cannot win.
Mrs. Llamanzares, who has an American husband and American children, is the alternative candidate of BS Aquino to prevent him from landing in jail when charges of treason, bribery, malversation of public funds, betrayal of public trust, and many others are filed against him after he steps down on June 30.
My gulay, why else would BS Aquino use his awesome powers as president, to the extent of using the Ombudsman and now the Anti-Money Laundering Council, to demonize Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is Mrs. Llamanzares’ closest rival in the surveys?
All this was clear from Day One, when BS Aquino started having one-on-one meetings with Mrs. Llamanzares to convince the Senate neophyte, also has an all-consuming ambition to become president, to become the running mate of his anointed one. Palace insiders told me that BS Aquino has gotten an assurance from Mrs. Llamanzares that he would not land in jail if she wins.
It is no wonder, too, that Mrs. Llamanzares terminated the hearings just as Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was seeking clarifications on the Mamasapano killings. She said that her report on the events surrounding the death of the 44 SAF commandoes stands, and that while the President was ultimately responsible, his liability and culpability are negated.
And, of course, we know that the Supreme Court has declared the senator qualified to run for president. Effectively, the Comelec has become toothless because the Supreme Court has overturned its decisions on Poe, with the justices deciding according to their whims and caprices.
Santa Banana, I saw this happening when Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, supposedly the “People’s Tribune,” lawyered for Mrs. Llamanzares, and Aquino-appointed Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, and Justices Marvic Leonen, Francis Jardeleza and Benjamin Caguioa started also lawyering for Mrs. Llamanzares during oral arguments. My gulay, they could not even be subtle about it.
The way I see it, in the last stretch of the campaign before Election Day in May 9, it will boil down to a fight between popularity and a well-fueled political grassroots machinery—between Mrs. Llamanzares and Vice President Binay.
With our kind of elections where it’s a fight of personalities, it’s not difficult to guess who will make it. Philippine history will attest to this.
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In the race for vice president, it looks like it’s between Senator Chiz Escudero and Senator Bongbong Marcos, who are statistically tied in the latest Social Weather Stations survey.
While there are efforts by some sectors to demonize Bongbong, recalling the “dark days” of Martial Law, I believe that people do not believe that Bongbong will be another Ferdinand Marcos. I also believe that the sins of father should not be inflicted on their sons. This is why Bongbong’s numbers have improved, catching up with Chiz’s.
I have witnessed presidential elections since the time of the battle between then-President Elpidio “Apo Pediong” Quirino and Jose P. Laurel. I know that the difference is made by having a solid constituency.
I also cannot believe that popularity is all there’s to it in winning a national election. Sure, Chiz is popular among the youth. But, Bongbong has much more than that, having Imelda’s charisma and the looks of Ferdinand E. Marcos. And that what’s bothering BS Aquino. This is why he has zeroed in on the young Marcos.
If you think I’m for Bongbong Marcos, I am. As an Ilocano, while Chiz and his wife, Heart, are still my friends (I think), I believe it’s time for another Ilocano to rise.
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The postponement of the May 9 Election Day appears the most likely alternative in the face of the problems the Comelec is having. This comes after the Supreme Court’s decision mandating the Comelec to furnish all registered voters, some 54.3 million of them, the mandated verification audit report under the law.
What bothers me is why the Comelec did not provide for this eventuality since it was also a problem during the 2010 and 2013 polls. But, nobody questioned it. That’s why I must give credit to returning Senator Richard Gordon for raising this issue to the Supreme Court. It’s the law and the Comelec must comply!
Thus, if the May 9 polls must be postponed, the Comelec can’t blame anybody but itself. Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and all the commissioners know the law, but they never lifted a finger to do anything about it.
The option of resorting to manual voting is certainly out of the question. That would be in violation of the Automated Election Law.
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I mourn the death of former Senate President Jovito Salonga, a statesman a nationalist and a national builder, having been a well-respected and admired legislator.
I recall the days when I was still a bachelor. Just having passed the Bar, my first job was with the Salonga Padilla Law Office, which later became Salonga and Ordonez Law Office, as a junior associate. I recall that my first assignment was the ejection of some squatters occupying the central part of the erstwhile ABS-CBN and Chronicle Building in Intramuros.
I prepared for that case for at least three weeks, and when I appeared before the judge at the Court of First Instance at that time, he asked who was the petitioner, and I stood up, and said, “Your honor, I am, and my name is Attorney Emiliano Jurado Jr.”
The judge and asked, “Compañero, you must be new, and how are you related to Professor Jurado.” He was referring to my elder broker, Desi, who was teaching law at that time.” I said “He’s my elder brother, your honor.”
Then the judge told the lawyer of the squatters and myself, “both of you come to my chamber.” When we were inside, the judge told me to tell my principals to tell the Lopezes just to pay the squatters to solve the problem. The judge then turned to the lawyer of the respondents if it was all right to pay the squatters. The lawyer said, “Yes, your honor.” And the judge stood up from his seat, and said, “Case dismissed.”
That incident caused my disillusionment to further my career in law. I said to myself that if cases can be arranged and settled by mere compromises, I’ll have none of it.
Thus, I became a journalist, instead of furthering my law career.
Insofar as Jovy Salonga is concerned, while I may have differed with him in some cases when he was PCGG chairman under the Cory Aquino administration, and as a legislator, I had nothing but respect and admiration for him.
To my former boss, Jovy, I’ll pray for you, and wish that you rest in peace with God.
