Photo by Le Montage
Drum roll, please…

SWS 3rd Quarter Survey Results:

De Castro – 29%

Villar – 28%

Legarda – 26%

Malacanang, as early as now, eyes several other people as successors to PGMA — Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Senator Richard Gordon, Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte. These people are being considered aside from VP Noli de Castro who has been enjoying wide popularity in recent SWS surveys.

And, as early as now, I think it doesn’t take a genius to see that their additional choices don’t have a slight chance in hell at winning the presidency even with Malacanang’s so-called “political machinery”. In a country as disillusioned as ours, popularity is still a major factor for winning. And while popularity isn’t everything (as proven by the many “celebrities” who lost in their quest for electoral positions in the previous elections), it is still undeniably a major consideration or shall I say, a significant determinant of a candidate’s winnability.

Taking that into consideration, it is safe to assume that Malacanang will inevitably place their bets (all of it) on De Castro. I don’t understand why they have kept mum on this issue for the longest time, only to eventually speak up with a long list of names of presidential bets. We all know they will endorse and support De Castro all the way anyway, so why delay? And if the reason for the delay is the absense of a formal agreement with De Castro, I find it too hard to believe. I just do. While popularity is sure to buoy De Castro’s presidential ambition, it can only take him so far, perhaps a mile short of the shore of Presidency, but never quite exactly to dry land, unless he has a sturdy political machinery to back him up. Running independently might sound noble and valiant (specially if he will do so in an effort to distance himself from the reputation of PGMA’s troubled government), but it would definitely be a politically-unwise move. If he wants the post so bad, he would have to take calculated risks. And that includes playing his cards well.

As I’ve written before, I’m not a De Castro fan. I find it extremely difficult to picture him as our president, really. And if I remember it correctly, I have even mentioned in a previous entry that a De Castro win will only mean a “virtual PGMA term extension”. Of the many issues faced by the Arroyo presidency in the past, De Castro’s show of either “sheer loyalty” to the PGMA or his usual “play safe” tactics has made me see him as someone too bland for my taste. And as early as now, I can say that I have no plans of voting for him. I am currently on a wait-and-see mode, on the look-out for a possible better choice.

But you know, looking at it differently, I find it ironic that there’s this media frenzy as to who the Palace will endorse for 2010 when it fact, the way PGMA’s government is tainted, we should all the more shun whoever it is they will support, right? Because if you’re not satisfied with the way PGMA ran her office, why must we be so excited or at the very least, be interested in who they will annoint?

I say, forget about who endorses who. Forget about what political party endorses who. Let’s get past that. Let’s see beyond political parties and try to see the person vying for the highest post in the land. Will you support De Castro if he runs independently, all because you think doing so would mean an assurance on our part that he won’t replicate a PGMA government? Or, on the flip side, will you not vote for De Castro if he gets endorsed by Malacanang because that simply means he will definitely do a Gloria? Will you vote for Villar just because he belongs to the opposition? Or just because you are a firm supporter of the Nacionalista Party?

Know your candidates. Know their values, what they stand for, what they believe in, what they are capable of doing and what they have accomplished in the past. Political parties remain the same, but politicians jump from one party to another. This could only mean one thing then, that their parties are only as good as their political ambitions. And politicians’ loyalty to their current party is only as good as the benefits they reap from it. As soon as the benefits wane, so does their loyalty.

So for the good of this country and for the good of our children, let’s do some extra work. Let’s do some extra research. Know the presidentiables. It’s never too early to investigate. And it’s never too late to hope for a wonderful political change.