Track Record and Integrity

Post by Nick

Erap as mayor was good. His performance as senator was very poor. As Vice
President and as Anti-Organized Crime Czar his performance was a big
question mark. As President, he relied on his midnight cabinet. His
imprisonment for plunder gave him historical notes.

Gibo as congressman was just like other congressmen who join the Amen
Hallelujah chorus for Malacañang. As Defense Secretary he performed well
during natural disasters. Topping the Bar Exam gives him some points.

Flash Gordon has made several notable achievements as Olongapo Mayor, SBMA
Chairman and Red Cross Chairman. As administration senator he performed his
task for Gloria.

Manny Villar made a name for himself as a man who rose from rags to riches.
As Congressman and Speaker of the house he also left a mark because of his
impeachment speech. As Senator and Senate President the Sword of Damocles
kept hanging over his head because of the C-5 controversy.

Noynoy Aquino as Congressman and Senator did nothing wrong. But it seems he
also did nothing else. He becomes good when his parents are mentioned. Kris
Aquino would see to it that he does.

Eddie Villanueva preaches well. He is straightforward and persuasive. He
knows how to count sheep especially when he is awake.

The other presidentiables have yet to make themselves known.

This time they make promises and pledges. Surely, this is not the first time
we heard pledges and promises. Did Cory, Fidel, Erap, and Gloria fulfill
their promises and pledges? Hehehe!

When will we ever learn?

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First Day of National Campaign…an Afterthought

Before anything else, here's the rundown of the political parties who officially started their campaigns today for the 2010 Presidential Elections:

* Liberal Party (Aquino, Roxas) - Tarlac, Pampanga as Aquino's hometown.
* Nacionalista Party (Villar, Legarda) - Calamba, Laguna as Rizal's birthplace.
* Lakas Kampi CMD (Teodoro, Manzano) - Antipolo, Rizal because of it's geographically higher and a lucky place.
* Bagumbayan Party (Gordon, Fernando) - Imus, Cavite since Gordon's grandfather (Jose Tagle) started his revolution in this place.
* Estrada, Binay - Plaza Miranda, Quiapo to show his commitment to the poor.
* Bangon Pilipinas Party (Villanueva, Yasay) - Rizal Park to reveal the biggest Philippine Flag.

No News: Madrigal, Perlas (announced will start on Friday), de los Reyes, Acosta.

(Update: Sen. Madrigal opted to take things simpler - she attended a mass in Quiapo. If you have a Facebook account. You can view the photos here.)

Everyone wants to have some impact on their first day. These candidates clearly want to start strong to have a good momentum. For that reason, they wanted to start somewhere meaningful and can gather the most followers.

But if you ask me, the latter reason (most followers) is the reason why candidates chose these locations. The decision of Gordon, Fernando is a bit risky if they don't have enough peopel who will voluntarily come out and cheer for these candidates. This is also the same with Villar, Legarda; Aquino, Roxas; Estrada, Binay as well as Villanueva, Yasay. The reason of Teodoro and Manzano is frankly a bit weird because they opted to seek something lucky. If I give it a meaning, they are placing the country's future on luck and higher ground - maybe we'll be in Baguio and things will be better…or Mount Apo. If they told the media they want to start strong by starting in the party's strongest town, it could have been an honor for the town and its people.

To the rest of the candidates - be sure to have something big and set it on a date with meaning. Here's a tip: please don't do it on Sunday citing "Valentine's Day" because it's just stupid.

So what do you think? Are we off to a better start?

Image and Source from Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin

5 Influential Religious Organizations this Election

Our country is a religious country. We are a religious people. It doesn't matter how much we clamor regarding the separation of church and state, we always end up working with the church. You may not have visited a church for the past few years but I'm sure you know someone who has been to a church yesterday (especially if you read this on Monday).

The church can influence people in more ways than simply choosing the candidate. In other countries, mass suicide or ritual execution can happen because of religious convictions. Those are pretty serious compared to the simple act of writing a person's name or shading a person's name in the official ballot.

But I don't think that religion itself is the driving force in our country's election. It's the people behind it. For that reason, I present to you the top 5 religious groups that would have some impact in the coming elections.

Please don't hesitate to add in the comments.

Apollo Quiboloy's The Kingdom of Jesus Christ - head of Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Pastor Quiboloy's congregation is stationed in Davao. He can be a strong ally and a dangerous enemy because of the influence he commands to his followers. Although his followers cannot put a big dent on the election results, he has another tool that the candidates will most likely look out: media. He has a TV station, Radio stations and a great website. He's also a great speaker and usually very passionate on what he says.

Iglesia ni Kristo - the leaders of this religious organization is constantly hounded by candidates for endorsement. Their numbers are in millions and can easily influence the national elections. Add to this factor a TV station and radio programs, you have one powerful medium.

Bro. Mike Velarde's El Shaddai - this Catholic religious organization is not a push over because of its charismatic and awesomely dressed leader Bro. Mike Velarde. It was even rumored that he'll be running for top political position. Like most of the leaders in the religious groups, Bro. Mike is constantly followed by political candidates for support.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva's Jesus is Lord (JIL) - the single most influential person coming from the religious organization…if he wins. Why? Because he's gunning for the highest position of the land. But this doesn't mean his current influence is not at par compared to previously mentioned religious leaders. He has the support of millions of JIL members and even people not part of the group.

Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) - the group of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines can't be easily reckoned with. Although they are not hounded by candidates for endorsements, they command great deal of influence for their faithful. As the direct head of PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting), they are a watchdog for the upcoming elections.

Track Record and Integrity

By: Nick

Erap as mayor was good. His performance as senator was very poor. As Vice President, he did his assignment as Anti-Organized Crime Czar was almost all for publicity. As President, he relied on his midnight cabinet and People Power II as well as his imprisonment for plunder gave him historical notes.

Gibo as congressman was just like other congressmen who join the amen hallelujah chorus for Malacañang. As Defense Secretary he performed well during natural disasters. Topping the Bar Exam gives him some points.

Flash Gordon has made several notable achievements as Olongapo Mayor, SBMA Chairman and Red Cross Chairman. As administration senator he performed his task as expected and showed some independence.

Manny Villar made a name for himself as a man who rose from rags to riches. As Congressman and Speaker of the house he also left a mark because of his impeachment speech. As Senator and Senate President the Sword of Damocles kept hanging over his head because of the C-5 controversy.

Noynoy Aquino as Congressman and Senator did nothing wrong. But it seems he also did nothing else. He becomes good when his parents are mentioned. Did not know he’d run for President and realized he has a mission to fulfill. He wants to do well and look this time. Kris Aquino would see to it that he does.

Eddie Villanueva preaches well. He is straightforward and persuasive. He knows how many sheep follows him. His moral crusade is changing the government.

The other presidentiables have yet to make themselves known.

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.

8 Videos Related to Presidential Candidates

I could not help but look for their commercials on YouTube. So these are the videos I found. Many of them are pretty interesting - especially the JC De Los Reyes and Eddie Villanueva (Gloc 9 Rocks!). But I'm not endorsing anything. Feel free to have fun on these vids.

By the way, for some reason, the video of Noynoy is bigger and I have no idea why.

Noynoy Aquino Commercials - of course, he has the backing of celebrities :)



Manny Villar - he has been poor once so we should vote for him?



Erap Estrada - Can't find anything good in YouTube so here's the Arthro Commercial



Gibo Teodoro - pushing for social services is good but there's something not there -



Richard Gordon - dwell in the past to prove your future



Jamby Madrigal - unfortunately, I can't find any ad about her presidential bid so here's her speech declaring her plans:



Eddie Villanueva - yep, that's THE Gloc 9 :)



John Carlos de los Reyes - can't find anything for this guy so here's the interview on GMA



So? Will you vote for any of these based on what you so? Me? I wish they would come to my home and explain to me why the country is in the ***tters. Those who can give a good explanation in 5 minutes, gets my vote.

The 4 "Underdogs" in Presidential Election

In a race, there will always be winners and losers...but that only happens after the race. Before the race, there are underdogs and front runners. Today, we're going to look at the 4 underdogs in the upcoming presidential election. Some may disagree with the tag "underdog" but let's face it, their chances of winning is not the same compared to the front runners.

* Richard Gordon - this guy can easily run a country but along the way of pushing the envelope, he lost the charisma of getting everyone to follow him. I was expecting he run as VP (with Bayani Fernando) but it was actually the other way around. He was a senator but he came to the national spotlight when he became the administrator of Subic Freeport :)

* Jamby Madrigal - she is running as an independent candidate which means she doesn't have any financial backing from a party. Last election, she personally financed most of her push to become senator. It's quite a mystery why she decided to run because of her affiliations with a party but I guess she wanted to prove a point that you don't need a party to become significant opposition in the election.

* Eddie Villanueva - a religious leader and an activist, Bro. Eddie is running for the top position the 2nd time. His group "Bangon Pilipinas" is gaining grounds in various areas but right now, the odds are against them. To be honest, he is one of those genuine politicians who might provide something for the country in case he wins. But there is not enough machinery (read: money) to tell and convince the people about his causes.

* John Carlo de los Reyes - John Carlo or JC is a councilor of Olongapo City running under the party "Ang Kapatiran". He has a Vice President and seven senators. Unfortunately, he came to the national limelight only when he filed for candidacy and this is not a good way to push for presidency.