Vetellano Acosta - Douche of the Year? Probably

A few months ago, the Filipinos and other those from countries who cared scratched their heads when COMELEC approved Vetellano Acosta out of nowhere. According to Mr. Acosta, he's the official standard bearer of KBL which used to be the party of the Marcoses. Yes, the public got accustomed to his name and gradually accepted his claim. But the clamor for information about this guy is never lacking. In fact, one of the top articles in my site is my little research about this guy which yielded nearly nothing.

But after a few months, COMELEC (like the supreme court) changed their mind regarding this guy. Apparently Acosta is no longer interested in spending for the campaign. He will just let God push him to presidency. Smart move Mr. Acosta but that's not enough. You see, no one knows you. Jay Sonza, which supposed to be your VP do not have an idea about you. Bong Bong Marcos will never recognize you even if he hits you in the face. In gist - no one knows you, except the COMELEC.

If the smart guys at the COMELEC disqualifies you last week of December, then I could have forgiven and even praised them. But they disqualified him just a few days ago - after 9 million ballots have been printed!!! That's a waste of money - a lot of money. I don't think LP are not the only guys who should be *issed on this situation. Everyone should be. What do we do with the ballot? The system? Even if we erase his name manually we will still end up spending more just to remedy the situation.

Unfortunately, the damage is already done. We're left with 9 million ballots worthless than toilet paper. But instead of cursing the wind, here's what we do:

* Let the LP Fund the Reprints - If the LP is so angry about the late disqualification and possible ramifications, let them churn out some funds. Or at least help the government reprint the ballots.

* Sue Mr. Vetellano Acosta - Please, saying he "may" face criminal charges means you're not sure. He SHOULD answer to the law because he just wasted tax payers money, COMELEC's time and even the name of KBL.

A Look at the Senatorial Candidate's Website (Part 1)

Honestly, I don't know a lot about our current senatorial candidates. And as a person who sits in front of the computer for more than 12 hours a day, all my information comes from the internet. So it's always a big plus for me if the candidate has an official website rather than getting things from Wikipedia or other sources.

But not every senatorial candidate has a website (maybe for now). Obviously, we'll skip them and we'll look for the first 5, in alphabetical order, the candidates who has an official website.

Please let me know if I skip a candidate :)

Neric Acosta (http://nericacosta2010.com/main/)

Information: 5 - Neric Acosta's website is very simple but has a lot of information and articles on what he thinks about a certain topic, legislation and platform. This really helps because it's a big jump for the guy as he's a former Congressman gunning for the rare 12 seats.

Interaction: 3 - Not much can be done on the site except to read the articles, watch some videos and click on links to the site of LP, Noynoy, Mar and a Volunteer movement. Oh, there's a catchy jungle in the lower right side.

Aesthetics: 3 - it's not the best website in the world but it's very readable and easy to understand.

Conclusion: a good enough website for those who wanted to learn more about the candidate.

Martin Bautista (http://www.martinbautista.com/)

Information: 3 - There are many things everyone needs to know about this guy. After all, he just came back to the country to help us as a Senator. That's a tall order and unfortunately, the website doesn't provide a lot of help. The blogs are quite extensive but aside from reaction to the news, nothing more. There is a small profile that will want the reader to seek for more.

Interaction: 3 - If you really dig in the website, you'll most likely find his Twitter and Facebook page. but aside from that, nothing more.

Aesthetics: 2 - The homepage is too long and the links to know more about him are simply additional links to site and they are located in the right side and in smaller fonts.

Conclusion: More information about the candidate (not just reactions) could be added to the site and a little revamp would do.

Ruffy Biazon (http://www.ruffybiazon.ph/)

Information: 5 - what you need to know about the guy you can get it here. He even posted his CV (aka Resume) in the website for everyone to scrutinize. One thing that caught my attention: he posted his speeches, resolutions and anything that he has done in the congress for the past 9 years.

Interaction: 4 - he has a forum which, unfortunately, do not have any posts yet. Links to his blogs, wordpress, Friendster and Facebook are also provided. His email address as well as official office address is even included.

Aesthetics: 4 - Maybe it's just me but the site seems a bit too imposing on other links. They do have great content but it is limited by the links to other sites.

Conclusion: great website for anyone who wants to know more about the candidate. Hopefully, his forums will have some questions for us to read.

Pia Cayetano (http://www.senatorpiacayetano.com/senpia/index.php)

Information: 5 - if you are asking for an information overload about a candidate, go to this site. But we're not complaining as the more information we can get, the better. Very extensive provide, information on what she did while in power and reactions to recent news.

Interaction: 5 - Sen. Cayetano's site is one of the rare political website that has a lower bar (like Facebook used to have). The bar allows you to click on various links including Twitter and Youtube videos.

Aesthetics: 3 - the color is ok but I think the website has placed too many things that it can't cater to everything. Still;, it's a great looking website.

Conclusion: this is Sen. Cayetano's personal blurt site which means you will know her personally when you follow this website. (P.S. She has other websites and the links are on her webpage)

(Note: for some reason, Bong Revilla Jr. was placed on my first 10 alphabetical list which is weird but I guess it happens on MS Excel sometimes)

Bong Revilla Jr. (http://www.ramonbongrevillajr.com/)

Information: 4 - my feelings are mixed with this one. I can learn more about the candidate especially his past life. It's a great article as it has mixed his life as an actor and a politician. But his current take on latest news is nowhere to be found. The latest info I can find is the Halili-Kho case which is already ages ago.

Interaction: 2 - it has some great points especially they placed some videos and resolutions on the past congress. But aside from the links, nothing more.

Aesthetics: 3 - the website looks the same compared to other candidates so you'll never be excited at first glance.

Conclusion: It's a good looking site but nothing new to offer.

Stay tuned for part 2!

Who is Vetellano Acosta? Answer: I Don't Know

The better answer is: no one knows.

I am proud of what I do - I stay in front of the computer no less than 12 hours a day scouring for information online. I devour every information I can get so that I can use it for personal amusement and sometimes for profit. I was able to help my family because of this self-imposed skill.

But when the name Vetellano Acosta popped up in the Comelec reconsideration list, I started to look for information and I felt belittled. Who is he? Where did he came from? Is he real?

Apparently he's real but little information is known to him. Even a trusted website for political information doesn't have a lot about him.

Here's the only information I can find online:

Job: Financial Cosultant
Party Affiliation: KBL
Residence: Cityland 10 Building, H.V. De la Costa Street, Makati
Voter on: Precinct 6 of Tejeron, Sta. Ana, Manila

The weird thing about this is that Jay Sonza is actually a lot more popular than this guy. If you're near 30 years old, you will recognize the name from the talk show "Mel and Jay" every Sunday evening in ABS-CBN. He is currently working for UNTV.

I can't even find a decent photo of the candidate. Google for image about this guy and you can't find anything.

My conclusion, it's a small blunder with a hint of conspiracy from Comelec. Mr. Acosta should come out often and explain to everyone who he is where he came from and he's not another Eddie Gil.

If you got sources, please help me. Comelec's site is down (again)

Ranking the Presidential Candidate's Official Websites

Prepare for a relatively long article.

A candidate without a website is like a candidate that doesn't have a mobile phone that contains contacts to millions worldwide. This is where the candidate can express his or her thoughts on certain issues and really boost his profile among the younger generation.

But not all websites are the same. Some are very impressive while others are not that updated. Mr. Vetellano Acosta - Sir, I suggest you set-up a website fast to prove your worth to the Filipinos. I'm sure you know someone who knows someone who can set-up a good looking site for you.

The websites will be evaluated in three categories (Information, Interaction and Aesthetics) and they will be ranked 1 to 5. 1 will be the worst and 5 would be best. Please note that this is my personal evaluation and these ranks are based on what I see on the site and not on who I support. (I still don't know who to vote for by the way).
So we start…hold on tight.

Erap Estrada

Website: http://www.erap.ph

• Information: 5 - Almost everything is placed in this website. Check out his speeches that go way back to 2007.

• Interaction: 2 - There are two ways you can interact with the site. Write Erap and Forums. Unfortunately forums don’t seem to work in my browser.

• Aesthetics: 3 - there are still things this site can do to make it better.

Erap's website is definitely full of information and can be easily improved.

Noynoy Aquino

Website: http://www.noynoy.ph

• Information: 5 - this website is at par with the former President's data. There's a sub-menu every time you click the main menu which provides detailed information on who he is, what he has done and what are his stands.

• Interaction: 4 - virtually everything you need to know if you want to help the candidate is here. There are blogs, twitter updates from followers, links to fan page in Facebook and even a poll to determine who wins the election.

• Aesthetics: 3 - I have to be honest, the website is a bit too long for me. I felt it's a blog (like this one) only with very interactive features.

Another great site. I can see updates while I browse and I should be able to see a lot of activities in the future.

John Carlos "JC" de los Reyes

Website: http://www.angkapatiranparty.com/

• Information: 1 - the official website of Kapatiran is also the official website of their candidate. There is little information about the candidates and for some reason; the president's photo is not showing up.

• Interaction: 2 - if you look closely, there is the "Ang Kapatiran Blog" which offers links of blogs of some of the candidates. Unfortunately, Councilor de los Reyes do not have a blog.

• Aesthetics: 1 - is it just me or the flash on the homepage not working? I can't really recognize the other links and the GoDaddy.com says the page is hosted for free which means it has ads.

Get to work guys. You can do better than this.

Jamby Madrigal

Website: http://www.jambymadrigal.com/

• Information: 2 - Senator Madrigal has not updated her site. The latest press statement was dated December 1, 2009. The Profile is not that that extensive either. The only saving factor is the addition of statements, bills and resolutions.

• Interaction: 1 - there is only one interesting link I found in the site: free reflexology training but the last date filed was February 27, 2009.

• Aesthetics: 3 - I am reminded of the websites of Erap and Noynoy. They use a lot of border instead of exploring the entire area. But it looks good enough and the links are quite clear.

Someone should help Senator Madrigal on her site. A volunteer who can update the site would be nice.

Gibo Teodoro

Website: http://www.gibo.ph

• Information: 3 - my rate is mediocre because the information I was looking for is not that satisfying. I mean, where's the beef? I see the profile which is good but I notice that no additional information aside from a single page data about his past.

• Interaction: 5 - if you want interaction, you'll get interaction from this site. If I'm not mistaken, he is the only candidate who has a link in MySpace! The "My Views" and "Strategy" is also impressive as it provides detailed information on what he wants to do and issues on certain subjects.

• Aesthetics: 3 - What's with the large border people? Nearly 1/3 of the site is the green border.
A great site that was really planned out. Just wish the borders were reduced. We know you're green so no need to splash it.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva

Website: http://broeddie.ph

• Information: 4 - the website offers a lot of information not just about the well known Pastor but also on his vision. You just have to dig deeper and click on the links to find out more.

• Interaction: 4 - raise your hand if you want to download Gloc 9's song for free. This is actually a great strategy for Bro. Eddie. There's also a toolbar at the bottom of the page which will allow you to translate and share. Twitter updates, videos from Youtube are added. Unfortunately, the Twitter was last updated 2 days ago and the Calendar link is a bit confusing because it doesn't contain any dates or schedule.

• Aesthetics: 3 - the border is no longer that wide but it's still there. I was enthusiastic about the site at first but the Calendar link discouraged me. The photos direct to Flickr page.

Great website but it can be better without being too flashy. Free downloads of Bro. Eddie's prayers and the official jingle is actually interesting.

(update: as pointed out by our readers, the link for prayer is actually a PDF type of flyer that provides info about Bro. Eddie. )

Manny Villar

Website: http://www.mannyvillar.com.ph

• Information: 5 - the Senator's site is full of everything. Videos, Audio (his jingle plus minus one and lyrics) and articles can be found in this site. While there are some pages that lack the needed information, it's compensated by other parts of the page.

• Interaction: 4 - if there's a thing called too much interaction, it's this site. There's always the sign-up page and I don't know what's the reason you have to sign-up because it's never explained. Links to various interviews are added so there's a lot to watch in this site.

• Aesthetics: 4 - website gets too crowded that instead of providing some additional information on the site, it's just another link that will lead you to his ad or speech.
Sen. Villar's site is really impressive but I think the data has to be sorted a bit so that the information can be user friendly.

Richard Gordon

Website: http://www.dickgordon2010.com

• Information: 3 - I was expecting a lot of laws and bills since he is in the senate for sometime now but I only found two which is a bit weird. His vision and profile is also a bit short and it doesn't deal with very specific actions.

• Interaction: 3 - The basics are there: Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The interesting part is the blogger which leads to another website and there's a part where he proposes Kindle to schools! Cool! But other than that, nothing else got my attention.

• Aesthetics: 4 - I particularly like the streaming photos of the Senator and it's not too intrusive or pushy with data.

Sen. Gordon's page is great. But I think his blogspot is a lot more interesting. Go with the Kindle thing Senator!

Nicanor Perlas

Website: http://www.nicanor-perlas.com/

• Information: 5 - everything you need to know about Nicanor Perlas is in his official site. Period. Although the writings only provide the titles, you will have a feel on the guy's advocacy and education.

• Interaction: 4 - there's a specific part of the page dedicated to the 2010 election and it comes with tons of information that you need to know about his plans for the country.

• Aesthetics: 4 - The website is clearly all about information on what he has done and what he can do for the country. But it has become a virtual list with no real message.

I could be mistaken but Nicanor Perlas' site is actually the most informative site compared to other candidates.

So what do you think? Who do you think has the best site and why. Again for Mr. Acosta - Tick, Tock Sir. Let the people know who you are online.