Philippines - Political Parties - 2010
Unlike in the US, where longstanding political parties have clearly enunciated platforms laying out key policies, Philippine politics is largely personality-driven, with supporters coalescing around the most powerful political figure in order to benefit from political and budgetary largesse throughout a President's tenure. As the main presidential tickets firmed up, candidates at every level -- national, provincial, local -- began their routine pre-election migration toward the presidential candidate they calculate had the best chance of succeeding in the 10 May 2010 poll. The election campaign remained almost purely a popularity contest, as no candidate elucidated a coherent policy platform, and serious discussion of the many challenges facing the Philippines -- terrorism, insurgency, poverty, grossly inadequate economic and social infrastructure -- was the exception.
Senator Manuel "Manny" Villar, the Nacionalista Party's presidential candidate, announced on 17 November 2009 that Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) Senator Loren Legarda would be his running mate. This pairing gave Villar a high-profile running mate (previously seen as a potential strong presidential candidate) who has the popularity of a former television personality while also having engaged as a Senator on climate change, women's rights, and other issues.
Legarda had often shown a populist slant, voting against the ratification of the U.S.-Philippines VFA in 1999, and signing a Senate resolution to abrogate the agreement. Legarda is separated from wealthy husband Antonio Leviste, who was convicted for the murder of his business partner. Having gone though a costly senatorial campaign, Legarda is banking on party resources to augment her campaign kitty. Attractive and articulate, Legarda is a former television newscaster.
The presidential candidacy of Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Noynoy Aquino's cousin and a fellow scion of the elite Cojuangco-Aquino clan, received a significant boost week when 49 governors loyal to the Lakas-KAMPI-CMD ruling coalition of President Arroyo endorsed Teodoro to be the ruling party candidate over his coalition rival, Vice President Noli DeCastro. The governors' move drew praise from President Arroyo, who had been stinting in her public praise for Teodoro. Teodoro's peers in the Cabinet acknowledged he was presidential material, noting his youthful idealism, intellectual capability, leadership, sense of national pride, and firm understanding of challenges facing the country. Teodoro is one of the best educated presidential aspirants, holding a Master's Degree in law from Harvard and placing first in the 1989 Philippine Bar exam. Some political insiders speculated that Teodoro came across as too elite to get the necessary lower-class votes to win.
Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro, the presidential candidate from the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, announced on 13 November 2009 that former actor Eduardo "Edu" Manzano would be his running mate. This selection followed the withdrawal of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno from the competition for the second spot on the Lakas-Kampi-CMD ticket. Teodoro, who remained near the bottom of opinion polls, likely hoped that Manzano's selection would help energize the public and provide additional charisma; Manzano has government experience, having served as Vice Mayor of Makati City from 1998-2001 and chaired the Optical Media Board from 2004-2009, but his selection surprised many political observers.
The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) Party is chaired by Teodoro's uncle, business magnate Eduardo Cojuangco. Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero resigned from the Nationalist People's Coalition, surprising the many who expected he would be the NPC's presidential candidate. Escudero announced his decision on 28 October 2009, delivering a broad swipe against all political parties, saying that they impose improper obligations on their candidates and restrict politicians' abilities to serve all people equally. Escudero reportedly was unable to secure sufficient financing for his presidential run; his condemnation of political parties likely was his way of framing a pragmatic withdrawal from the race as a principled move.
The Force of the Philippine Masses party's candidates were the duo of ousted former President and pardoned felon Joseph "Erap" Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay. Estrada's conditional pardon granted by President Arroyo had prohibits him from seeking any elected office. In a constitutionally questionable move, a sub-panel of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) ruled 20 January 2010 that former President Joseph Estrada could compete for the presidency in May's election despite the Constitution's stipulation that "The President shall not be eligible for any reelection." The COMELEC ruling accepted the argument of Estrada supporters that the constitutional restriction applies only to an incumbent running for reelection to the same office, although some Constitution drafters publicly explained that they intended to cover reelection at any time. Estrada's campaign was hampered by a significant number of Filipinos who feared a repeat of the morally bankrupt and inept governance during the Estrada Presidency. Legal wife Luisa Ejercito (he supports several mistresses) served in the Senate from 2001 to 2007.
The Liberal Party contenders were Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II. In an emotional 01 September 2009 press conference, Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II announced that he would not seek the presidency in 2010, instead offering his support to Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. Roxas' move stunned his supporters; the grandson of the late President Manuel Roxas who founded the Liberal Party, he had already begun an energetic campaign, spending significant funds on televised "infomercials" in an effort to raise his profile. While Roxas was widely recognized as a significant candidate, he was not a front-runner. Over the past year, support for his candidacy, when compared with rivals', remained in the single digits, according to data from credible polling organization Social Weather Stations (SWS). Roxas ended his candidacy amid widespread emotion and nostalgia triggered by the August 1 death of Noynoy Aquino's mother, former President Corazon Aquino.
Roxas' withdrawal came in response to repeated calls from Manila media commentators and former supporters of his mother's political career for Senator Aquino to run for the presidency. Pundits debated whether Roxas, the Liberal Party President, should run with party Vice Chairman Aquino as his running mate, or whether it would be more appropriate to flip that hypothetical ticket.
On the early morning of 09 September 2009, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III confidently announced to the public his intent to seek the Philippine presidency, days after LP President Mar Roxas' gracious withdrawal from the presidential race. "Noynoy" Aquino promised to make democracy work better not only for the rich and well-connected but for the rest of Philippine society, and while he said he would prosecute corrupt government officials, he also proposed using a "carrot" instead of a "stick" to straighten up the bureaucracy. "I want to be remembered as a President who will be missed when I step down. I have to be able to show a list of accomplishments and say I was true to the people and served them well," Aquino said, a clear reference to the low public approval ratings of current President Gloria Arroyo.
Noynoy Aquino's lead in the polls was based primarily on positive voter sentiment toward his deceased parents, which was the principal factor enabling him to secure the Liberal Party's presidential nomination. Aquino's ability to keep attention focused on his heritage was important, not least because the growth in his Liberal Party's followers brought in an array of politically incompatible supporters, for whom the common thread was his parents' legacy. Aquino also benefited from a virtuous cycle in which high poll ratings prompt defections and campaign contributions, which generate more excitement and a sense of inevitability, sustaining his standing in the polls.
Senator Aquino, born on February 8, 1960, received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1981 from Ateneo de Manila and worked in the private sector until 1998. He had never married. Aquino had proven that he can compete politically on both the provincial and national level, winning election as a member of the House of Representatives from Tarlac province in 1998, and winning a Senate seat in 2007. He had also held various positions in the Liberal Party, including Secretary General (1999 - 2002) and, since 2006, Vice Chairman. During a 1987 coup attempt against his mother, Aquino was seriously injured by gunfire, and three of his aides died from wounds.
Most political observers, including his late mother, agreed that he was not a natural politician, lacking the charisma and aggressive political agenda that usually propels political candidates. It had taken a massive effort by the entire Aquino clan -- Noynoy's celebrity sister, Kris, her husband, basketball star James Yap, as well as heavy doses of Cory Aquino's own political pull, to get Noynoy elected to the Senate. Since taking office, Aquino's record as a legislator had been lackluster. He has not played a leading role in the House or Senate, and his views on many controversial issues remained unknown.
Just as the 1983 assassination of Senator Ninoy Aquino propelled his wife, Cory, into presidential politics, so too her death has unexpectedly transformed the political landscape, launching her son on a quest for the presidency. Whether the relatively untested (and admittedly uncharismatic) Noynoy Aquino could unite a fractious opposition and win the May 10 presidential poll remained uncertain. It was not immediately clear who will fund his campaign or provide strategic guidance. It also was unclear how powerfully Aquino's heritage will resonate with younger-generation voters who may not easily recall his parents' role in ending the Marcos dictatorship. But the Aquino surname means much to older Filipinos, and Aquino's entry into the race changed what appeared to be a likely free-for-all into a highly symbolic contest based on Senator Roxas' resonant call to put "country before self." At the very least, Aquino's rapid ascent to the front ranks of presidential contenders illustrated the deep revulsion at all levels of Philippine society with the widespread corruption and influence peddling that had characterized Philippine politics in recent years.
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