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.

The Best Website: VP Edition

We have extensively covered the official websites of the presidential candidates. It's now the turn of their running mates who will be the 2nd most powerful person in the country. There are only eight VP candidates so this will be relatively shorter compared to others.

Before proceeding, we would like to say thank those people who voted in the last poll. To those who didn't…there's always a next time.

Now on with the reviews:

Edu Manzano
Website: http://www.edumanzano.ph/

Information: 2 - there should be more than this. I can't seem to find more than just basic information about his track record although they are impressive. There are only 4 blogs and they should be updated at least twice or thrice to reach out to more people.

Interaction: 2 - not much to be seen here. The only impressive feature in the site is the link to Facebook which is faithfully updated.

Aesthetics: 3 - the Wordpress theme is actually good but it has not lived up to its full potential.

This could have been better if more information were gathered about the candidate. He's an actor so there should be a lot of videos and photos out there.

Bayani Fernando
Website: http://bayanifernando.com.ph/

Information: 4 - his official website simply had the high score because there are a lot of things you can learn from this site. I have to admit this is actually the first time I learned that he's an Engineer. The photos, videos and personal bio is actually well presented.

Interaction: 5 - his site has a very active forum which really helps because you can practically say anything (short of bashing). There is also a poll and various social network.

Aesthetics: 4 - it may not the best website but it's very easy to navigate. The tabs (like Edu's) makes it easier to find what you need to learn.

His website can be called "just enough" which means it's not overloaded with information. The forum is actually the best feature in the site.

Loren Legarda
Website: http://www.lorenlegarda.com.ph/

Information: 5 - one of the most detailed official website of a national candidate. Her site has many features only some candidates can dream of. The streaming headlines, videos (especially her stint on Big Brother), links, bills passed and speeches are all found in the website.

Interaction: 5 - shoutbox, blog that links to ning.com, twitter widget and bookmarking tools should be more than enough to overwhelm the user. You can practically spend an hour in the site clicking on the links trying to see what's in store in the next page.

Aesthetics: 5 - going for green is a great call.

Call me biased but compare her site to any official website. Only Perlas', Gibo's, Noynoy's and Manny's can rival hers in terms of content and she crushed them all with the interaction and presentation. Kudos to anyone who created this site.

Jejomar Binay
Website: http://www.jejomarbinay.com.ph/

Information: 3 - it could be the browser but, from my end, the window is very small. The information provided is not that extensive as the links will lead you to relatively short paragraphs.

Interaction: 3 - it could be the "Makati thing" but a Flash (or maybe JavaScript) based page is not that enticing. Internet in many places is slow so accessing his site could be a bit challenging because they have to wait until the full page loads.

Aesthetics: 4 - the redeeming factor for Mayor Binay's official website is the look. It's very good looking and it's not too dazzling. It's good enough for everyone to enjoy.

Mayor Binay's website is good but more information is needed. The Flash page is ok but it could have been used for additional presentation of information.

Mar Roxas
Website: http://www.marroxas.com/

Information: 5 - you really have to appreciate Mar Roxas' official website because of its candidness. I really think it's him on twitter and his blogs are just amazing. The Politics and Web 2.0 piece explains his stand on what's good online. He has also extensively discussed his plans for the country.

Interaction: 5 - this is my first time visiting his website and I visited Loren's site before his. This actually rival Loren's site when it comes to interaction. There are also forums, links to his social networking sites and testimonials.

Aesthetics: 5 - another winner because it's so simple that it works. You can't find a lot on the homepage but it will lead you to a lot of information to what he believes and what he'll do for the country.

Candidates, please heed my call. If you want a good looking website, browse Loren's and Mar's official website.

Jun Chipeco
Website: http://junchipeco.livejournal.com/
(Note: the party website http://angkapatiran.org only lists the candidate, here's his personal website)

Information: 2 - I have to give him credit for blogging as early as September. But we're looking for more information about Jun and it can be found in another website.

Interaction: 2 - the website is a blog and they are not that updated.

Aesthetics: 2 - A very simple site that shows every blog post in one page.

More work should be done in his site or at least more blog posts so that we'll know what he really wants for the country.

Jun Yasay
Website: http://www.junyasay.com/

Information: 4 - this website is perfect for those who are not aware who this guy is. His background is detailed and his vision for the country is also provided. The Q and A portion regarding various topics is very informative.

Interaction: 3 - there's not much to enjoy except the articles regarding his belief and past.

Aesthetics: 4 - Mr. Yasay's website looks great. You don't have to scroll a lot just to find an interesting link.

A good and informative website. More interaction could be added aside from the Donation page :)

Jay Sonza
Website: None

For some reason, a guy that knows the power of media ignores the internet to spread his message.