In the 2010 Presidential elections, I endorsed NoynoyAquino for President.
I also wrote: “Mar Roxas must be elected as Vice
President to work with Noynoy. To institute the educational, environmental,
economic, electoral, military/police, judicial, civil service, social and
constitutional reforms needed, it would take more than six years; in fact, a whole generation. Mar is needed as a Co-Manager to
tackle them. He prepared and invested to be President. He sacrificed and gave
way to Noynoy. He deserves to be Vice-President.”
LP leaders Senate President Frank Drilon and Budget
Secretary Butch Abad recently revealed the LP plan for an 18-year tenure for
the Liberal Party running the Philippine government. They meant having Aquino,
Roxas, and then Poe being President successively. This is to maintain and
continue the gains of the “Tuwid na Daan”
policy and programs as well as guaranteeing a quality of leadership that
reflects the 4Hs: “Honesty, Hope, Honor
and Humility.”
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| (Photo from Rappler.com) |
I am glad that the LP and its allies are planning
long-term. I am sure that depending on the performance of Congresswoman Leni
Robredo in the next Senatorial elections and as an elected Senator thereafter,
she and Bam Aquino are considered in the line of succession. Within the period,
I am further sure that an aggressive recruitment, development, and maintenance
program would produce a new set of leaders among the Millennials.
It looks like the favored tandem is Roxas-Poe. Based on
the discussions among friends and political pundits in the barbershops here in
Washington, D.C., the Roxas-Poe combination would be formidable.
How would you convince Poe to become a Vice-Presidential
candidate? Remember, she is really NOT sliding down being a Senator now but
aiming at a higher position. But polls show her placing second as a
Presidential candidate and no.1 as VP. Her supporters, of course, would prefer
her to run for President.
There are other factors outside
of polling in determining the winning viability of a Presidential candidate.
Machinery (Organization); Money (Resources); Manpower (volunteers and paid
employees); Message (Traditional Media, Social Media, PR,
Propaganda/Advertising); and Management (Planning, Leading, Organizing, &
Controlling) are very important factors.
At this point, Poe knows that unless supported by
President Aquino and the LP machine, she is unable to compete given the
requirements. “Ambition,” as Mark Anthony said, “should be made of sterner
stuff” – meaning, ambition by itself does not get a job done. It must be
combined with the above-mentioned M’s, “determination, perseverance, and a
passion to get the job done well.” Five to six years of Vice Presidency and
running a Cabinet department like DSWD to win the “war against poverty” or DILG
to localize and distribute resources and power in the exercise of sovereignty
by the people would be an effective preparation.
To win, Roxas and the LP must convince the Poe followers
to support the tandem. They must be assured that when they vote and campaign
for the team, they are also voting for Poe as the next President. How can this
guarantee be made?
The suggestion is this: PNoy, Roxas, and the Liberal
Party (including Drilon and Belmonte) must commit that if the team wins, Poe
would be the next President. How? Roxas resigns before his term ends and Poe
succeeds him. Why? This is because before the end of Roxas’ term, a
Semi-Parliamentary Federal System would be instituted installing Poe as
President and Roxas as Prime Minister. Or the Liberal Party and its allies may
elect a new Party Chairman who becomes Prime Minister automatically after the
next elections.
If the Semi-Parliamentary Federal System is not
instituted, Roxas must agree to govern only for 5 years and so Poe could become
President and run with the benefit of incumbency. (Roxas and the LP would
therefore make sure that a Semi-Parliamentary Federal System is instituted).
Poe must also serve only for 6 years, thus – resigning
after 5 years of her term to give way to the new VP who could be Leni Robredo (first
Bicolana) who will run for the Senate and is expected to do well in 2016.
Robredo should also serve only for 6 years, thus –
giving way to her VP who could be Bam Aquino or another young LP stalwart from
Mindanao.
A Semi-Parliamentary Federal System could produce a
different scenario but the LP and its allies would be able to rule continuously
assuring the gains of “Tuwid na Daan.”
Poe and her supporters should not delude themselves by
the fact that she topped the Senatorial elections in 2013. Claro M. Recto, Jose
Roy, Raul Manglapus, Jovito Salonga, Loren Legarda, Noli de Castro
and Bong Revilla all garnered the highest number of votes as Senators.
They never became President.
Poetic justice catapulted Cory and PNoy to the
presidency. Poetic justice also got Poe to top the Senatorial elections and is
now bringing her closer to the Presidency. Poe must exercise enlightened
discernment and practical, pragmatic, political positioning.
The next president of the Philippines is the candidate
endorsed by PNoy. I have said this in an earlier column. I find no reason to
change this view.
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