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.

Strategy for Winning the Election (by Nick)

(Editor's Note: this is post by Nicasio Umadhay. He's a teacher in Iloilo and has a vast experience in journalism.)

Presidentiables raise the hands of their local bets. That’s the usual picture. Everybody is happy.

The chances of winning of presidentiables depend much on the number of votes their local leaders deliver to them. These presidentiables have perhaps taken note that a new strategy has been developed by these local leaders during a presidential election. Their party hopping and jumping show that their main concern is funding for their own campaign.

This strategy makes them hit two birds with one stone. Use the party’s money for your campaign and win the election first of all for yourself. What a way to win! Make them raise your hands while you dig their pockets!

After elections we hear stories of local politicos who pocketed the party’s money and won while their national candidates lost.

Presidentiables know they could not win just with infomercials and mass media campaigns. In 2004, Prospero Pechay had the most campaign ads but he lost. He must have noticed that those who campaigned for him won.

Politicians know that in politics there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. During elections the permanent, unchangeable interest is funding. For Trapos if you are able to have it you have a great chance of winning. If others can provide you with it, you hit a jackpot.

Facebook, Twitter and the 2010 Presidential Candidates

Thank God for social networking sites. I don't have to watch TV or read newspapers just to be updated with related news and activities of the candidates. All I need to do is to "become a fan" and I'll get the latest updates of these guys.

That is why I'm a fan of them all - except those who do not have groups.

The following are Facebook groups that have very strong activity. Believe me that their page is updated almost 24 hours. Please take note that some of these pages were created by supporters and not sanctioned of official candidates. Click on the names to be directed to their Facebook pages.

Jamby Madrigal

Somebody should step up to the plate for Jamby Madrigal. Her fan page does not contain any information except for the latest updates. She only has 317 fans as of this writing and she only had 2 twitter posts. The first post was on January 6 (I'm on twitter now… Happy New Year) and her 2nd post was January 19 which is just a reTweet (RT @inquirerdotnet: Plunder raps set vs Villar at Ombudsman http://bit.ly/4P7kLp)

JC De Los Reyes

NONE - Their website is under maintenance for some reason. Please post on comments if you find something.

Richard Gordon

Gordon now has 5K supporters as of this writing. I don't know if this is a verified account on Twitter but it has a very vigorous activity as it has at least three posts in one day. I think someone is doing it for him which is a good thing. Wall posts on Facebook are constantly updated by people supporting him.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva

It's no secret that Bro. Eddie's supporters are some of the biggest users of social networking sites. Since they can't spend billions in advertising, they just use the internet to spread the message. As of this writing, he already has more than 16k supporters. His twitter page is a lot more active as it has constant updates on the news related to the candidate.

Erap Estrada

The former president has more than 4k fans in his Facebook page and the twitter account posted on the info has 594 followers. But even with the small number of supporters, the posts are all pledges of support. The activities are not as vigorous compared to previous candidates discussed.

Gibo Teodoro

We're entering the hot seat now…starting with Gibo Teodoro. Updates on the wall posted by supporters are coming fast. Almost every minute you'll see posts on the wall saying the full support to the candidate. As of this writing, he has more than 53,000 fans. His twitter post is relatively active but it's done by his supporters which reTweets some information and posts some links to latest news.

Noynoy Aquino

Noynoy already has 410,000 fans - and that's a lot. My favorite show (The IT Crowd) only has 190,000 fans and that's worldwide. The posts on the wall are even crazier compared to Mr. Teodoro. His official twitter account though needs some serious work. His last official Tweet? January 1st. Get someone to post some statements Mr. Aquino and fast.

Manny Villar

Manny Villar has the most advertisements not only in television but also online. I've seen his Google ad links many times today and his Facebook ad could have stayed there if I said didn't say no more. He already has 350,000 fans and like the most of candidates, continues to increase. My only beef to their Facebook page is that no one can post in the wall. Everyone can just comment. C'mon, we need to place something there that's original. His Twitter is not as vigorous but constantly updated.

Note: the two new candidates (Perlas and Acosta) will have detailed posts later.

Thanks for the Poll Votes

I want to thank those who voted on the poll on my blog. More polls are coming so keep posted on the latest :)

Anatomy of a "Trapo" Speech

Speeches can provide a lot of information about the speaker. The knowledge and expertise on the subject, the ability to provide professional predictions and how the speaker relates to everyone can be determined in one speech. This is very applicable to a TRAditional POlitician or TRAPO.

Now I love speeches made by TRAPOs during caucuses and political rallies. But I hate it when they are done outside these venues. Why? They ruin everything. These speeches delay fun and activities in the town fiesta, they are too boring that the fun is no longer there when they show up and make the same statements again and again…

THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!

Forgive the writer for these capitalizations because I just want to emphasize my anger to this type of speech. But let's get to the point shall we?

The Long, Long, Long, Long Greeting

Politicians take forever before they can start their actual speech. You don't just get "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" as a greeting, they will greet everyone in the stage they know. Here's an example:

"To our awesome President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who has given us a lot this year. To our dear Vice President Noli de Castro who has worked harder to give us what we want. To our Congressman (insert name) who has give us (insert money and project), Sir/ma'am (insert stupid comment here)."

The speaker will name EVERYONE in the stage so that everyone will be pleased…except the listeners. Unfortunately, this is not worst part because this type of greeting will be repeated by every politician in the stage. By the way, every politician in the stage will most likely ask for time in the pulpit because they also want to *iss *ss to everyone there.

The Vague Statements

Don't think that the politician will talk about what they did in the past. No, that type of speech is very rare because they actually didn't do anything. Here's an example of a vague statement:

"I thank everyone for coming here because this only shows our support to the cause we want to push. We are not afraid to change so we took time to travel for hours just to show up in this rally. Times are challenging so we have to be united and get everyone behind our leaders to get what we want."

It's a great "pom-pom" speech because it cheers everyone up but doesn't give anything, ANYTHING at all.
The What I Do/What I Did Variety

During election period, the candidate will say something like this:

"I built something, I contributed something now I'm planning to do something if I win."

This sounds nice but that's just "subjective memory working" you really can't pin that speech to the candidate. Why? Because there are too many factors to consider. The politician's "frienemies" will block, support, praise or burn the project. But they still win because they "tried". We lose.

New Trend: Get the People Pumped Up

There's a new trend I notice in candidates especially the young ones. While they practice the traditional pattern of speech, they end up by chanting something and getting the crowd to answer.

Politician: "Hep, Hep?"

Everyone Else: "Horray!!!"

At this point you'll notice the *iss *ss. He/she who shouts the loudest, *isses the *ss most. An exception is given to kids because they seem to enjoy something like this in a political rally.

This is the sorry, sad state of our political speeches. Of course, there are few candidates who are great orators and don’t succumb to TRAPO blah, blah, blah but to those who do something like this - please stop it. Hire someone who can write a good speech that will tell your true feelings. Wait, scratch that - that will get you in trouble.

4 Too Obvious News This Week

(Editor's note: this could be a weekly segment regarding the thoughts of the candidates that were already thought of by the people. Please comment if there's any changes on the title, pictures, etc.)

The current political candidates are definitely smart guys. But they are not really stirring the noodles in their heads with their latest statements. Of course, they want to sound smart but anyone who wanted to make this country a better place would also say the same.

Gibo: Supreme Court selection must be transparent

My take: Of course it has to be transparent. You can't just get someone for the government position without the right process (and conscience) which is already transparent.

Villar wants better collection of taxes

My take: this should have been done eons ago even the current and past presidents knew it.

Noynoy, Mar share Gawad Kalinga vision

My take: There is already a name for this gentlemen and it's called Pag-Ibig Housing. Let GK do it's thing...just donate silently.

Money can’t buy the presidency— Gordon

My take: Sour graping is a bad thing Sir. Besides, you are in a better position compared to other candidates.

Vote and Comment!

Who Made the Most Obvious Statement this Week? (Jan 10 - 17)
	Teodoro: Supreme Court selection must be transparent
	Villar wants better collection of taxes
	Noynoy, Mar share Gawad Kalinga vision
	Money cant buy the presidency (Gordon)
	None - they're spanking new!
pollcode.com free polls

What the Tick is a Guest Candidate?!?

Browsing online for possible topics, I came across a small news about "guest candidates". I already seen this trend in the past local elections. Apparently some of the political parties can't seem to choose the right number of candidates. What they do is let someone become a candidate but only as a guest.

But this trend is now a trend in the national level. Some of the senators are now official candidates in one party but "guest candidates" in other parties. Take note of the word "parties" since some of them have enough balls to be part of various political parties.

Here are the candidates and their guest appearances:

• Miza Maza (Gabriella) - guest candidate of Nacionalista Party (NP)
• Serge Osmeña - GC of Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)
• Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. (Lakas Kampi) - GC of PMP, NP, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), and Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC)
• Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos, Jr. (KBL) - GC of NPC, NP, PMP
• Miriam Defensor Santiago (People's Reform Party) - PMP, NP, LDP, NPC, Lakas Kampi

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of being part of this party fiasco?

Pros:

• Your name will appear in more sample ballots. Senator Santiago will appear in 5 sample ballots which means she will be advertised like crazy in the coming elections.
• You might not lose much because you have bet on everyone.

Cons:

• Awkward introductions - Former President Erap Estrada introduced Senator Santiago as guest candidate but she was not there. She appeared instead of Manny Villar's rally which was held in the same day in a nearby location.
• Conflicting ideas - although our political parties are like basketball teams where you can just jump from one group to another, there is still some identity in philosophy followed.

In gist, candidates who became guest candidates clearly has some issues with their current party. It doesn't matter if they are asked to be a guest because you are also a competitor for a few slots in the government position.

What do you think? Are guest parties a good idea for the party?

5 Alternatives to Private Armies

The government and COMELEC are paranoid nowadays because of the private armies. Although they are doing this because of the recent cases especially the Maguindanao Massacre, it's still good that they are holding the politicians in the neck. This prevents every politician to go out and bring someone with a gun who looks like a villain in Jeric Raval’s movies (where’s he anyway?).

For those who are not approved by the Comelec, don't fret. I stayed up really, really late and missed my deadline in posting an article to give you some recommendations. Here are 5 things you can have instead of a private army.

1. Buy a lot of Samurai Swords and give it to your "companions". Because "guards" are not allowed, you can always have someone walking around with a sword in their side. This is even more dangerous compared to a guy with a gun because of the brutal possibilities your "companion" could do.

2. Hire Ninjas and Samurais as your "companions". No one said that you can't bring any Ninjas to your rally. Imagine if Ninoy Aquino actually walked around with 3 Ninjas in complete costume. That would be fun if he meets Manny Villar with five samurais in full battle regalia. This is also great for crowd control because people don't just approach guys with long blade in their side or the back. Plus, shuriken shows are awesome.

3. Get four VERY VERY big guys - I don't think the presidential candidates are the biggest guys in the country. With that said, there are a lot of really tall muscled men who can stand in the candidate's way to protect them from any harm. Just remember to differentiate obese guys from the muscled ones. I'm sorry to discriminate the fat-intensive dudes (I'm one of you), but we can't run with Ninoy in case he shows up with Kris Aquino, James Yap and Baby James for the rally.

4. Twitter and have Live Feed Videos - there two online tools will not protect you from any hail of bullets but it will not protect the culprit or the mastermind. Get an assistant to "tweet" where you’re going and who you met. The live streaming can also become a great tool to show what you do even in the most boring time of the day. Show me that you actually eat dirty ice cream every 4pm and you will have my vote.

5. Don't run. Live a simple life and avoid politics. If you don't want to get mobbed let the braver ones run. Having a bodyguard just tells people that you have a lot of enemies and you're a bit paranoid.

P.S. Please comment on this. If you have more input, maybe we can extend the tips to 3 million J

5 Arguments Against 10-Year Limit on Marriage (Without Using Religion)

Party List "Isa-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso" (1-ABAA) is trying to get the recognition and support of the people by proposing something radical. They plan to push for an expiry on marriage. After 10 years, a man or a woman can just say to their partner "I'm through so I'm walking out". He or she can remarry with no questions asked. It's a very simple proposal that's supposed to save marital problems…after 10 years.

I have to disagree to their arguments and here are my reasons without being preachy

1. Paperwork = Red tape - after 10 years, the couple would have to renew their marriage. They will still have their marriage license (supposedly) so they can easily get married. But this just means you have to visit various government agencies. You have to pay them some fees and you have to spend time and more money dealing with the red tape.

2. What about the kids? - Here’s a question for you "1-ABAAers": what if the family has two kids and decides to separate. Before you answer the question, let me quote a news clip from ABS-CBN:

"There are existing provisions in the law that deals with children of separated parents. Tajon said they will not meddle with that aspect of the law."

Leaving the kids alone to the existing law means you will just leave them to their moms which would lead to single parenthood. Kids will be neglected no matter what.

3. Why the Magic 10? I don't understand why a person has to wait for a decade just to ditch his cheating wife. This is also the same for the women. If my husband beats me up everyday after 1 year of marriage, why should I wait for 9 years more? Maybe you should propose daily renewal so that you can check their marriage status.

4. Can they rewrite the Family Code? The family code is just one part of the constitution but it will radically change with this proposal. You have to think a lot of things about alimony, child support, the process of annulment, ownership of property etc.

5. Why now? You should have pushed for this years ago. Coming out during the elections simply means you are just doing this to get the attention of media and everyone else so that you can have free publicity.

Please…Really think about your proposals…There are good stunts and bad stunts to gain public attention. So far you have done the latter.

5 Tips on Jingle Making (For Candidates)

First off, here's the video:



Now. There are two sides of the story.

Rico Blanco's and Warner Music's side - the song was copied from one Rivermaya's song.

Dennis Garcia (the "arranger" of the tune) - the song was actually based on "Posible" which was no way related to "Sulong, Laban" of Rico Blanco.

It's a tough call, so you be the judge if it was actually pirated or copied. The only weird part is that the song's "owner" Lizza Nakpil, is the former manager of Rivermaya.

So for future references , here are some tips for those who wanted to create a tune for their future campaigns. If you want, I can create something for you. The quality will be so terrible that you'll win because everybody hates it.

Now on to the tips:

1. Hire someone popular and do a press conference for that agreement - the first option (hiring someone popular) is not a necessity but the second option is not negotiable. If you want to create a tune for the campaign, let the media know that you are doing something. It doesn't have to be that popular but a small news should ensure you're doing something right.

2. Listen to popular songs - this is the reason why the song "Posible" became a bit controversial. Note to composers: before you release a tune or copy a tune, make sure that it doesn't sound like anything popular today ir in the past few years. If you are thinking of copying "Nobody, Nobody…" Just make sure the Wonder Girls and their representatives here will not come to your office and kick your a** with legal fees.

3. If they use a popular song, double check the legality of the song - lawyers were made for a reason and one of them is to prevent from bad things happening to your campaign. Mr. Teodoro should be a bit paranoid and not too trustful about the arrangers. Sir, let them feel bad because you're not a nanny. You're running for presidency.

4. Create a full length song - I don't know if there's a full length song exists on "Posible" the Teodoro version but I already saw Ninoy and Bro. Eddie's videos online and they look great. Gloc 9 is really pushing it for the evangelist. This will prevent any confusion since you have created a full length song.

5. Learn the Song! - Although the leader of the land doesn't have to sound like the best singer of the land, at least they should be able to hum their tune. Think about it: you have paid someone with a chunk of your political campaign fund. Not singing it simply means you ordered something tasty for dinner but you just started at it.

Hope this helps. Again, if you want a tune - I can give you one. In fact, I'm humming right now.

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.

4 Things You Should Know About Vote Buying

Vote buying is already considered a "tradition" in the Philippines. If you're looking for a proper defintion of this phrase, you're out of luck because it's defined as it is - candidates for political positions buy (cash) the votes of the people. It's an unfortunate state of our country but happens in a massive scale.

Before you accept that money - here are things you should know about vote buying.

1. The money you receive did not came from the candidates because they came from your pocket - This is already an obvious data but we are always fooled by what we see. The cash we received rarely comes from the pocket or hard earned cash of the candidates.

2. The more money they give, the more powerful they feel - this is a trend observed everywhere. If the candidates spent millions in vote buying, you can be sure that he or she will control everything. They will never care about your welfare because they plant to earn more when they are in power for three years.

3. The bidding war for vote buying is just a taste to come - if the rival candidates in your town are bidding for your vote (one gives out 300 and the other gives 500), be very afraid. The future of your town, district or province will only get worst. Because they have spent more than they expect, they will get everything they spent on taxes and other projects.

4. You don't have to vote for the candidate who gave you money - do not be pressured in voting for the candidate who gave you money. In fact, vote for the person who DID NOT gave you cash for your vote. A vote buyer should never be placed in the office. He or she can't go after you if you don't vote for them. They will not stand behind you on election day.

Please share! (image from http://secondhandsmoker.wordpress.com)

5 Ways to Know if Your Politician has Election Fever

Election is just months away and even though our automated poll machine has failed miserably on its latest test (only 30 out of 600), the show must go on. Although we're scared **itless about the possibility of massive cheating, the show must go on. Even politicians believe that the show must go on.

And what a show they are putting up. Every three years, our politicians go on a battle far more complicated, brutal and funny than the Battle of Mactan (except the funny part). The politicians are on election fever and there is no cure. In fact, the more we watch the greater the fever.

Here are the indications that your politician is about to be hot on his heels this election season.

1. Increased block time on radio and television - give your politician credit for giving jobs to retired and sometimes, annoying broadcasters. Months before the election semi-journalists (like me) go on a rampage against the opponent. Additional kudos if the politician gains enough money to spend on television shows dedicated to praise what he has done and thrash the opponents.

2. Legal battle has started - one of the many tricks a politician will use to destroy the enemy is to dig up past problems of go to the court. The weird part is that almost everyone knows about the past problems of the politician and only now that the election is coming they have opted to go to the court. Most of these are just threats so that the people will realize what the politician did but these are just ploys.

3. Posters, calendars, t-shirts, caps, jackets, wall clocks, bags, notebooks, pencils with the politicians name - if you receive any two of these before the end of the month from the same politician, then that politician has the fever. Be prepared because they will spend millions on these things. When that time comes, the fever has landed.

4. Challenge to a debate - this is a bit unique in the election much like the legal battles. To show their true supremacy over their opponents, they will usually challenge their enemy to a debate. Of course, the opponent will just walk away, do not reply or say "no". But after the elections, you can't seem to see them shouting at each other to prove their point.

5. Increasing friends - "paid for by friends of". 'nuff said

Setting up a Podcast

This year, we are going to have a small podcast dedicated to what is happening in Iloilo. The podcast will be in Ilonggo. Please share this to your friends :)

DVDs of the Maguindanao Massacre? C'mon!

Now this is just insane…

The Optical Media Board is now looking into the piracy of DVDs containing the footage of Maguindanao. The contents are gruesome (allegedly) as you'll see heads were crushed and body practically mutilated because of the massacre. The DVD has been circulating in Mindanao for days. The DVD allegedly contains 4 hours of footage - 2 hours for the first day of digging and 2 hours the next day. According to the newspaper, the DVDs can be purchased for 60 pesos.

There are two conflicting ideas in the report:

The OMB is clearly against this type of "exploitation" earning from a gruesome event is not something a regular person should do.

On the other hand, a lawyer in Mindanao is sees "nothing wrong" with the distribution of DVDs. Because this should show how gruesome some people are in this senseless murder.

Both parties have a point but both parties are missing out something.

For the OMB - guys, you better do something about this fast. The weird part is that you only new this because someone sent in a complaint online. Don't you have guys down there in Mindanao? If there's any place you should be aware of piracy it's in Mindanao. I know Manila is also hotbed for piracy but our brothers in Mindanao are doing much more simply because of the economic situation. Why should I watch "Panday" in MMFF when I can have it on DVD for half the ticket price? Don't just investigate - go down there and do something. Sir Ronnie (Rickets), you should be the one more concerned about this because your movie is also heavily pirated.

For the Lawyer who Encourages the Distribution of the Said Movie - I know how you feel and I understand it. I'm also curious what's inside the DVD. But selling them? I don't see any justice for the families there. The persons behind this distribution are the only ones earning from this mishap. They are exploiting the situation and tries to earn big from it. The earnings should be given to the families but I don't see that happening.

That is why I think the distribution should be stopped. The families are the ones on the losing end of this alleged DVD fiasco.

Zombie Streamers are Coming!!!

The election period will start in January 10 and the current politicians are aware of this restrictions. In fact, they are all aware that they can't tell people to vote for them until the fateful 10th day of January. So what do they do? The circumvent the law and have "political ads" wherein everything is paid for by "friends of...".

The gloves are officially off in January 10, 2010 - Sunday. But it doesn't matter because politicians are already busy convincing people to vote for them one way or the other. You can already see banners of politicians reminding the people what they have done and what they dream for the city. Please take note, they dream of something big but many are still experiencing nightmares.

Before I completely go off topic...I'll just go to my main point. Streamers of politicians are already popping out here in our city and it's only a matter of weeks before the country is engulfed or covered with political banners. These are not just your average banners - they are tarpaulins which costs hundreds of pesos each. The politicians are not just printing 20 banners in an election, tell me if I'm wrong but I think a politician might print no less than 4,000 tarpaulins just to remind people who they are. If a tarpaulin costs 100 (very unlikely) per piece then he or she could be spending 400,000 on tarpaulins alone!

We should also remember the possible implications on paper - we'll ravage forests and cut down trees just to print calendars, leaflets and sample ballots so that everyone will be "guided" on who to vote for in the coming elections. Millions of paper will be wasted just to remind people who to vote for...mother nature is going to go through something difficult this coming election.

All these wasted paper could have been used for books. All these tarpaulins could have been used to shelter someone during a storm. Or at least the money could have been used for something else.

Note to politicians: please tell us who your "friends" who pays for your advertisements and election funds. We also would like to be friendly to them so that we can also have something.

Photo taken from uncyclopedia.com

The Upper 4 Candidates in the 2010 Philippine Election

Yesterday, the 4 "underdogs" were given a quick look for the upcoming election. Today, we're going to consider the 4 powerful candidates and see why they have strong following and might win the election.

* Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III - Noynoy Aquino has gained a lot of praises and criticisms since he declared his decision to run for the top position in the country. Those rooting for him claims that he has been in the government for many years and there are no anomalies attached to the guy. On the other hand, others argue that he is simply riding the popularity of the late president (Cory Aquino) and his hero father (Benigno Aquino, Jr). But he has been the focus of media for many months and many are seeing some good in him. Plus the fact that one of the strongest contenders (Mar Roxas) stepped aside in the party for Noynoy is a big boost.

* Joseph "Erap" Estrada - many argue that the ousted president should not be allowed to run again. If you have read the country's recent history, millions went on the streets to throw Erap out. But don't think that he has no supporters. The former president won on a landslide and his supporters are still strong. The biggest supporter of Erap is actually his VP - Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay. The "masa" support is still strong and he can easily gain a good percentage on the upcoming election.

* Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro - he came into the spotlight when he was chosen by LAKAS KAMPI over Bayani Fernando. He is the former defense secretary and aside from that fact, nothing else is known by regular Filipinos. He is expected to be the chosen candidate of the current president which will do good and bad for him - depending on the voter. His choice for VP is quite odd since he opted to partner with Edu Manzano (OMB Chairman).

* Manuel "Manny" Villar - one of the richest persons in the country is about to be one of the most powerful man as well, if he wins. Manny Villar has already invested millions in advertisements stating that he has been a poor guy once and he can relate to everyone. He used to be the Senate President and he has chosen Loren Legarda as his VP.

These are our options for the upcoming election. Should they provide new wind of hope if they win can only be determined in the future. Let's just pray or cross our fingers (if you don't pray) that we'll improve with the new president.

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.

5 Things from 2009 and 5 Things from 2010

2010 is here and we're back. It's been a while since the last post but I want to start strong so here you go...

We look back in 2009 and look forward in 2010. These are the things that haunted, entertained and inspired us in the past. Hopefully, everything will be entertainment and inspiration in the future.

5 Things from 2009

* Manny Pacquiao - the guy is practically everywhere: Beating up Hatton and Cotto, joining politics, movies and a little brush up with controversy. I don't think the news will have a vacation on this guy anytime soon.

* The Ampatuans - thinking about them simply makes us think twice about the value of human life. Is it worth to kill a person so that you can stay in the office for only three years? Their utter disregarded for life is just sickening.

* MV Baleno-9 and Catalyn-B - twin sea tragedies...I don't think I'll be in the waters for now.

* Efren Peñaflorida - Hero of the Year. I don't know what this guy did until I heard in the new but it's just astounding.

* Online Connectivity - this is not necessarily news outside the Philippines but personally, I'm just too happy about this because almost everyone can connect to the internet.

5 Things in 2010

* The 2010 Election - this event scares and gives us hope at the same. The hopeful part is that we might be able to change the country one vote at a time. The worst part is that the people we hope to change are the same people who are slowly destroying the country.

* World Cup - Yes, Philippines is not in the world cup but a small portion of Filipinos is crazy about this game.

* Call Center in the Provinces - I live in Iloilo and call centers are growing like mushrooms here and I've seen some aggressive expansions in other cities so I'm pretty psyched about this possibility.

* Worsening Weather - I personally don't care if you believe in global warming or not. But the storms are getting a lot fiercer in the 2nd half of the year.

* Improved Blog! - hey, I get to have one wish :) Please stay tuned to this blog and learn everyday.