Arroyo Most Unpopular President?

Editorial, Sunday Post

      Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's refusal to reveal her plans in the 2010 elections is disconcerting, to put it mildly. This lead many people to suspect that something is cooking in the kitchen of the country's most unpopular President.

      The President's spokespersons say she has a right to her silence. Well, yes and no. It is true that silence is a right that any person can enjoy. No because the President is not just any other person.

      Her clear, unequivocal declaration on her 2010 plans is needed to calm fears stoked by her running dogs in Congress. Pained, betrayed and left holding the proverbial empty bag far too often, the last thing that we need is more of her.

      It could be that she is well aware of the fact that most Filipinos no longer trust her word. This is the reason why she would rather not make a categorical declaration since it would be taken with a grain of salt anyway.

      Or perhaps she has learned her lessons after being reminded again and again of how she broke her promise before a gathering to honor the national hero. If she makes no categorical declaration, there would be no promise to break.

      Regardless of her reasons however, the point is that Filipinos deserve to plan Weighed down by the difficulties brought about by the international economic meltdown and scandalized by the politics of payoffs and tradeoffs of the Arroyo administration, there is little doubt that they need a break.

      With the next election just a corner away, it all boils now to who deserves what. If Pres. Arroyo deserves her silence, the Filipinos also deserve their peace of mind. Insisting on what she believes is due her while disregarding what the rest of the nation deserves even more is the height of selfishness.

      The strange thing about this is that the President's habit seems to have infected her fellow conspirators in the monumental plunder of the country's coffers far more than the feared influenza A(H1N1) virus.

      While their mouths are shut, their body language betrays their intention to hold on to power. They don't have any qualms about insulting the intellect of the people perhaps because this has become the rule in their scheme of things.

      The best that Filipinos can say about Pres. Arroyo is that she has been the longest staying president after Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. His lengthy stay did not augur well with Filipinos. There is little indication it will augur well with her.

      If GMA failed to uplift the lives of Filipinos in her eight years as president, she won't be able to do that as prime minister. Eight years is too short for a good head of state. A good one she is not.

Philippine DILG Donation to Dependents and Survivors

GRATITUDE from the government for services rendered came to 19 dependents and survivors of barangay officials who died in the performance of their duties.

  Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno himself, assisted by Bohol provincial director Rustica Mascarinas handed checks worth P12,000 each to dependents and survivors of barangay officials in simple ceremonies at the Legaspi Suite of the Bohol Tropics Resort last week.

  During the turn-over of the financial assistance checks, Sec. Puno reiterated that the "small contribution from the government [is] in recognition for the public service rendered by [your] loved ones".

  "Take this as acknowledgment from the government", he said.

  "While this may be not enough to heal the wound left by your departed loved ones who worked in government, take it as the government's expression of gratitude", he said in Filipino.

  A recipient who asked not be named said she would like to thank the government because the assistance goes a long way in helping the family cope with a lost husband and the hard times.

  The government has set aside a fund for the payment of death benefits of barangay officials who died during the term of office, one aptly called Barangay Officials Death Benefits Fund.

  The fund, managed by the Department of Budget and Management for payment of death benefits of Barangay Officials such as the Punong Barangay, Seven Barangay Kagawads, SK President as Ex-officio Barangay Kagawad, Secretary and Treasurer who died in their term of office.

  The funds are released to and administered by the DILG in accordance with its rules and regulations.

  Secretary Puno came to Bohol Friday to witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the Philippines through Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado and Canadian International Development Agency for project assistance in Local Government Support Project Local Economic Development.

  While here, Puno also met the entire DILG family as well as attended the joint conferences of the key councils and leagues in Bohol. (PIA)

Manny Pacquiao as Philippine Senator?

"Manny Pacquiao will be my senator in the 2016 elections," declared Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim. 

    Lim issued the statement after spending time with the Filipino pound-for-pound great last week. 

    The mayor said that Pacquiao has all the qualities of a leader that he is looking for. 

    "He is dedicated, humble, determined and sincere," Lim said. 

    The mayor said he wants Pacquiao to run in the 2013 senatorial derby but he can wait for 2016 if the National Fist desires to serve for another term as congressman. 

    Lim declared that if only Pacquiao were qualified, he would top the senatorial race hands down next year. 

    The only hitch is that the 30-year-old Pacquiao will still be ineligible. 

    Going by the same logic, Lim said that if only Pacquiao were eligible in the 2016 polls, he would make a good presidential candidate. 

    Lim brushed aside doubts about the boxer's ability and fitness for the position. 

    "I don't think anybody would doubt his dedication, his humility, his determination and his sincerity," the mayor added. 

    He anticipated that the only weak spot in Pacquiao's credentials would be his educational qualifications. 

    Lim however argued that the world's 6th richest athlete is pursuing his Business Administration degree at Notre Dame University at present and is expected to graduate in 2011. 

    The mayor revealed that Pacquiao has plans to take up Law after finishing his baccalaureate degree. 

    "I have no doubts that he will not only become a lawyer but a good one when the time comes," Lim, himself a mayor, declared. 

    The mayor said that Pacquiao gives the same dedication and commitment to his studies as he does to his boxing training. 

    Lim also noted that the holder of a record six world crowns in different weights has a sharp mind contrary to the beliefs of many who look down on him. 

    "His native intelligence will make him catch up with the lost years in school," he added. 

    The mayor said he is impressed with Pacquiao's sincerity and humility in spite of the successes he has achieved. 

    Lim also took note that the most popular Filipino athlete adopts the same determination to anything he does. 

    "Another thing, Pacquiao has the heart that few people have," he added. 

    Lim said Pacquiao himself pointed out that while there are many good boxers, he beat them all because he has the heart of a champion who is not afraid to get hit to get the job done. 

    "Above anything else, he has the humility to give God the credit for all the good things he has in life," the mayor noted. 

    Lim said that regardless of what other people say, Pacquiao always insists he is where he now because of God's provisions. 

    "God loves to bless people who give Him the glory," the mayor concluded. 

DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno as Vice-President?

      DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno holds the ground that way to shape an edge over the other aspirants for a nomination to the vice-presidential slot in the administration slate.

      Building track record of pacing presidential candidates to sure seats, Puno's cross-camp alliances seemed to have smoothened the red carpet to his vice-presidency ambition that confirms an election to look forward to in 2010, contrary to speculations from the opposition side.

      Though Puno hinted his edge through generations of partnership with the Macapagals and the Ejercitos and even a successful campaign strategy that sent Fidel Ramos to presidency in 1992, he said he would respect whoever the Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) would push for the vice-presidential race.

      Bur if chosen as vice-presidential bet of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Puno said he would set the example by shunning character-attack type of campaign and focus, instead, on tackling issues and finding better venues to effectively deliver his message to the people.

      It would be his first time to aspire for a national elective post, but Puno already knows the ropes in a nationwide campaign trails as he had been behind the successful campaigns of President Fidel Ramos in 1992, Joseph Estrada in 1998 and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004.

      Puno also won in the May 2004 elections as representative of the first district of Antipolo.

      In February 2006, Puno reluctantly left his post as congressman when President Arroyo asked him to become the secretary of DILG for the second time. The first time was in 1999 during the term of President Estrada.

      Puno interacted with the local media last Friday at the Bohol Tropics after the joint meeting of the Peace and Order Council, Provincial Development Council, Provincial Board, League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Bohol chapter, Vice Mayors League of the Philippines-Bohol chapter, and Liga ng mga Barangay.

      He also witnessed during the meeting, the signing of the memorandum of agreement on the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development between the provincial government of Bohol and the Canadian International Development Agency.

      When asked on his real ally as the three Philippine presidents he had helped to their thrones have difficulty agreeing among themselves, Puno traced three generations of family ties with the Macapagals, saying his grandfather served as the family doctor of the Macapagals when the late president Diosdado- -the President's father- -was still a young boy. Then, his father became a confidant of the late president and was even appointed to the judiciary when Macapagal became president.

      And, the First Gentleman was his classmate in college.

      On the other hand, he said he started working closely with Estrada when the former president was still mayor of San Juan and he was with the DILG.

      He had also served as consultant of Micron Public Affairs and president of Micrfon Overseas Marketing before returning to the DILG in July 1998 under the administration of Estrada and later became undersecretary until 1999 and chairperson of various attached agencies of the department as Estrada's representative, who was then DILG secretary in a concurrent capacity.

      In April 1999, Estrada named him secretary of DILG and stayed in the post until January 2000.

      Also during the press conference, Puno reiterated his stand on the futility of pursuing Constitutional amendment before the 2010 elections.

      He said that the House of Representative's approval of a measure to convene a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) is merely being pursued to seek a clarification on how such a method could be legally and properly carried out, citing the Constitution as ambiguous when it comes to implementing this mode of amending the Charter.

      According to Puno, pro-administration members of the House of Representatives, which include 45 members of the erstwhile Kampi, had earlier made it clear with President Arroyo even with the Con-Ass move, they never meant to spoil her declaration on the assurance of elections in 2010.

      "Mark my words and trust me, there will be elections in 2010 in accordance with the Constitution and our existing laws," Puno said.

      He said ongoing moves to amend the Constitution in Congress will have no impact at all on the 2010 elections as there is simply no time left to go through all the processes needed to push through with a constituent assembly.

      Describing claims of a "No-El" scenario as "frivolous", Puno advised the opposition to stop wasting stirring media hype on this impossible situation.

      Moreover, he noted that the Philippines would completely lose its credibility before the international community if it flip-flops on the holding of elections next year.

      No less than President Arroyo herself already assured the public that there will be elections in 2010 during the May 28 ceremonies at the Manila Hotel, which officially sealed the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi into the powerhouse political party that the disintegrated opposition camp has to face in next year's balloting.

      Puno, who is now co-vice chairperson of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, expressed optimism that the national and local candidates of Lakas-Kampi-CMD will sweep the May 2010 elections and steer the country to continued economic growth into the next decade.

      Puno had served as president, and, later, chairperson of Kampi prior to its merger with Lakas-CMD.

      With pride to take on how his thrust on self-reliance of local government units, through decentralization and devolution, has changed the rural areas into promising economic zones, Puno congratulated the LGUs for having gone far enough in utilizing the capacity-building activities in the past. - Sunday Post

Bohol Governor Against Constitutional Assembly (Con-ass)

At a time when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo wants House allies to put on hold the controversial House Resolution 1109, Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado said the move is inviting a constitutional crisis.

Aumentado, delivering his 111th Independence day message called the controversial house resolution calling for Congress to convene into a ConAs is a violation of the fundamental law of the land.

Early last week, the House Resolution 1109 was passed which calls for Congress to initiate discussions on the charter change, despite an unresolved constitutional issue which the Supreme Court (SC) has to rule.

Questions as to whether the House of Representatives alone, by their sheer number can flatten out the opposition-dominated Senate and rule for the charter change.

The Senate has rejected calls for constitutional change at this time, but Speaker Prospero Nograles says lawmakers can propose amendments without the upper chamber, setting the environment for Supreme Court intervention.

Earlier, Representative Adam Relson Jala has hinted that the people can lodge a case to the SC for a definitive ruling on the interpretation of the provisions to change the constitution.

Aumentado, apparently meaning the sheer number of representatives can flatten out a senate opposition admitted he is a close Presidential ally, but declared his opposition to ConAs via only the House members.

"I can not support the ConAs with only the House of Representatives amending the constitution, without the Senate", he beamed before the crowd gathered for the customary flag raising activities on the 111th Independence Day.

In fact, he wants the SC to shoot the resolution 1109 down.

In his message delivered before a little more than a thousand local and national government employees gathered at the Plaza Rizal, the governor argued that a ConAs must be done in the true intent of the law and that is by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

He however admitted that he thinks the President is truly distancing herself from the measure seeking to convene Congress into a ConAs.

He then appealed for the people to forge a stronger unity in these times when the situation is compounded by a threatening global financial crisis.

Meanwhile, with the President's move to put on hold the resolve to convene congress into a ConAs, sources close to her said Mrs. Arroyo wanted to prioritize other measures that would provide more revenues to the country. (rachiu/PIA) 

Philippine Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Extension with Reform bill

More projects, more agrarian related support infrastructure and services, says Atty. Johnson Sinco on the reports that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Extension with Reform bill has been passed.

Sinco, Bohol Agrarian Reform Officer could not contain his excitement with the development as the bicameral ruling for the extension, when ratified next month would stretch the program for another five years and give it a P150-billion funding with the ratification if the congress when their session resumes on July 27, adds DAR information officer Ma. Lydia Bantugan recently. 

"We are very thankful to all farmers, agrarian reform beneficiaries, district representatives, local leaders and social justice advocates for believing in us and allowing us more time to help farming communities improve their lot and see better future," Sinco said.

Early this week, a members of the bicameral committee reviewing the extension through a reconciled version of both House and Senate CARP measures approved the extension and pushes for the immediate ratification of the measure, sources said.  

The reconciled measures agree to the five year-extension, the restoration of compulsory land acquisition and distribution and the establishment of a congressional oversight panel to eye on the program implementation.

The Senate bill, however, allocates a budget of P147 billion, while that of the House states that the program be provided at least P100 billion.

Another irritant, which the bicameral settled is for the mode of land distribution, which is now limited to compulsory acquisition and voluntary offer to sell.

Voluntary land transfer (VLT), which was allowed in the original CARP law, was scrapped on the ground that it is not an effective mode of land distribution.

To help secure food production, the consolidated CARP extension bill also bans the conversion of irrigable and irrigated agricultural land, bicameral reports bared.

With the ratification, the land acquisition and distribution (LAD) component of CARP, with compulsory acquisition as the dominant mode, is extended for five years from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2014, Bantugan stressed. (rachiu/PIA) 

Philippine Scholarships for Technical and Vocational Courses

Some 150 President Gloria Scholarship Coupons (PGSC) for technical vocational courses were given Friday as the country celebrates the 111th Independence Day with a highlight on the country-wide "Kalayaan 2009 Mega Jobs Fair".

The awarding of the scholarship certificates happened during the flag raising ceremonies and Independence Day program here attended by about a little more than a thousand as part of the government's efforts to spur jobs and keep Filipinos above water in this time of economic crisis. 

Technical Educations and Skills Development Authority Provincial Director Francisca Opog presented the beneficiaries to Governor Erico Aumentado and the Boholanos a few minutes before Bohol Employment and Placement Office (BEPO) also opened its jobs fair at the second floor of the Capitol.

The scholarship coupons allow job seekers some more job skill competencies through the TESDA trainings, says agency information Officer Jaminel Damolo, during a casual talk.

Damolo shared that Bohol still has about 856 scholarship slots and even with the 150 awardees, TESDA still has to award some more scholars soon. 

TESDA started with 2273 scholars, some 1477 have already graduated and while some are already working, others are still hoping to land jobs soon. 

"The activity is part of the President's economic resiliency program where the beneficiaries are expected to land future jobs and boost their spending power," he said.   

While Bohol was not part of the 19 cities nationwide where the "Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job Fair" was simultaneously held, BEPO Head Romulo Tagaan bared that Capitol also initiated its move for local and international job seekers to tap and match skills with vacancies.

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa PIA and aired at DyTR, Tagaan shared that with TESDA, BEPO has considerably done its mandates to allow local job seekers to get into jobs.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo tasked the Department of Labor and Employment to spearhead simultaneously job fairs from June 12 to 14 with about 1000 employers from the private and government sectors including those from overseas recruitment industry participating. 

The three day activities hope to employ as many workers who would fill vacancies in government emergency employment programs, sea-based and land based overseas employment and other related jobs. (PIA)

We have to begin and end with God always!

ENTERPRISING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL

By FR. ROY CIMAGALA

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

The good thing about problems and difficulties like what we are having now with the much-talked-about global financial crisis is that we can surface again an often ignored truth.

And that is that the human spirit can take on anything, even to the point of heroism and martyrdom. If one wills something, nothing from outside nor inside him can stop him from carrying out what he has decided to do. Much depends on how we use and turn our will.

This is how our spirit is. It has the capacity to be above the fluctuations, the ebb and flow of life, its unavoidable wear and tear. Though in our case, it is inseparably united to the body, it still can function according to its nature and rule the body. This is when we can talk of the spiritual man.

The problem is when we allow that spirit to be dominated by the law of the flesh, instead of having it the other way around. This is the challenge we have at the moment—how to make that human spirit rule the ups and downs of the flesh and the outside world.

As chaplain of a technical vocational school for boys, I clearly see the need to give a continuing and effective reason for the spirit of the boys to float and even take off. Their faith has to be nourished steadily.

This is a task that truly demands the art of brinkmanship. We have to go to the limits of reason and to other human devices to be able to infuse the needed hope and optimism to otherwise harassed souls.

It's also a very delicate task, because one has to enter into the interior life of the boys. One needs how to deal with their character and temperament, their psychological frame, their cultural upbringing, etc.

Given their youthfulness, the boys can be unstable and volatile, quickly alternating between buoyancy and lethargy, creativity and routine, razor-sharp interest and dulling indifference.

It's clear their spirit is not yet in full control of their own selves. They can easily be held captive by their moods and the fads and gimmicks outside. They are not yet with God's grace self-propelled. They have to be propped up most of the time.

Thus, we have implemented some kind of universal mentoring, that is, providing everyone with a mentor or a buddy with whom they can talk about all sorts of things.

But with the present global economic downturn where some of our boys now find difficulty in getting a job, there is great need to elicit in them their enterprising and entrepreneurial possibilities. Only those who work with faith and hope can survive any onslaught of trials.

For this, we have thought of pairing each one with a business mentor, no matter how modest the business may be. This is just to expose the boys to the real world of making business, of making money from any venture.

It's also a good way of snatching them from the claws of helplessness, always a threat to them given their background. It would be quite a blow to them if after all their sacrifices in trying to get some education, they'd see that everything just fell to futility.

Difficulties are actually challenges and occasions either to rise or fall, to win or lose. We should not allow these trials to just scare us. They should be confronted properly in a variety of ways.

One would be to generate an air of optimism. Everything that would contribute to making the atmosphere hopeful should be done. We have to be careful with our words and spontaneous reactions to negative developments.

This hope and optimism should be ably supported by a strong, solid spiritual life, first of all, and by practical plans and practicable strategies. There has to be a way of making more available quick and flexible retraining programs, for example, spearheaded by both government and NGOs.

The world nowadays is in faster flux. To effectively grapple with the challenges and possibilities, there has to be a tighter sense of solidarity and cooperation, a quicker transmission of ideas and translation of insights into action.

All of these should be deeply anchored on the true foundation of our life, God himself! Let's disabuse ourselves from thinking that with our cleverness and our resources, we can manage to solve problems. We have to begin and end with God always!

Kayaking in Negros Island, Philippines

"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be." – Karen Ravn

Most of us ordinary mortals exists on a "routinary" lifestyle, a monotony of acts and deeds we have been so used to, that we don't even notice that this has become our way of life; and then we start to believe, that this is living life to the full.

To the more enlightened however, there is more to life than simply waking up getting dressed, for work, pay, exercise, come home, sleep, and waking-up the next day for more of the same.

For in between these ordinary activities, he squeezes a dream, crafts a plan and creates the time for the execution of something that would bring him out of his mundane existence to test his mental faculties and physical limits.  He starts to live on instincts, tests himself not against anybody, but alongside nature and its unpredictable temperament.

Among these rare breed are the outdoors people.  Living life on the edge every now and then, gives them a unique appreciation of what life is, how it should be lived and how the trappings of modern living, most of us think essential are irrelevant to life.  We know them as those who have an irrepressible desire for living simply, they are either insanely happy or serene individuals who we could only describe as "Way Kurat".

With these outdoors people are the Bohol Paddlers, a motley group of Kayaking enthusiasts under the umbrella of Paddle Philippines.  Aside from regular test of physical endurance and mental strength against the seas on their ocean touring kayaks; these people have a two pronged advocacy: (1) to help preserve the environment through the need of clean coastal waters for recreation use such as kayaking; (2) to promote tourism through kayaking.

Kayaking on the other hand is an eco-friendly water sports activity; that causes very minimal impact on the environment.  This, while allowing the paddler to reach into hitherto unreachable areas along the coast, in hidden coves and mangrove areas.  A kayak is the perfect man-powered touring vehicle on the water that could take you anywhere, akin to what and where a bike can take a rider on land.

By early June this year, the Bohol Paddlers would again take on a challenge that would test the limits of their endurance physically and mentally.  The group would take on the First circumnavigation by kayak of the island of Negros.

In 2001, it was Bohol the home province, circumnavigating it in 8 leisurely days.  It was during this time that, the dream to circumnavigate all of the islands of the Central Visayas, started; promoting the advocacies of the group was an essential part of that dream.

It took some time for the dream to materialize, as other worthwhile activities came-up; such as the montly "moonlight paddling" and the weekend "day paddles".  Finally on the 1st of June, 2007, the group took on Cebu and in a blistering pace of 50 kilometers average per day, conquering that island in 81/2 days.

Siquijor was the third island to be circumnavigated, taking the island in just 11/2 days, this was more like a weekend outing, than a quest for limits as the island had very friendly people and magnificent coastal rock formation, that could take away the pain of weary muscles.

Negros would be by far the greatest challenge that the group would be facing so far.  It is estimated that if the paddlers would take on the pace by which the Cebu circumnavigation was done, Negros would be completed in just 14 days, with a full days rest in Bacolod, starting from Dumaguete.  The circumnavigation core group would be Dok Doyet Dumaluan, Atty. Peter Mende, Angelo Ybañez, Junie Dumaluan, Jerome the paddler, Patrick Mahumot, Vincent Limpo, Joel Cagas, Ritchie Montanez and Glenn Oceña.

A lot of us may venture to ask, "Why?" and the paddlers answer to that question would be "Why not?".  The whole world as we know it now, was opened up because of these kind of people, intrepid individuals who dare to do what most people would not even dare imagine, to venture out and test their limits, to go into unpredictable and unknown territories.  They are the people who try to live life to the fullest.

A person will be called to account on Judgement Day for every permissible thing he might have enjoyed but did not. – Talmud

If I had my life to live over again, I'd try to make more mistakes next time.  I would relax.  I'd be sillier than I have been on this trip.  I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets.  I would have more actual troubles and less imaginary ones.  Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them.  In fact, I'd try to have nothing else, just moments, one after another…I would pick more daisies. – Nadine Stair (at age 89)

Political Parties and Political Interest in the Philippines

By Romy Teruel

Sunday Post Columnist

The marriage of  Lakas-CMD and Kampi political parties last week was described in many ways.  Some said it was a merger that ensures a political sweep for the party in the 2010 elections.  Others said it was a political suicide given the track record of the administration on issues like corruption. 

 The absence of key party leaders like former President Fidel Ramos, President Emeritus of Lakas-CMD, Congressman Luis Villafuerte, President of Kampi, Jose de Venecia, Lakas Founder, presidential hopefuls Bayani Fernando and Senator Richard Gordon was also viewed as cracks in the new political party.

 Ramos claimed many members were kept in the dark about the merger.  He said there was no consultation with the major stakeholders and the haste with which the merger was done signified a hidden agenda of some party leaders.

 On the other hand, former President Erap Estrada viewed the merger as a publicity stunt and will not have any negative effect on the opposition.

 While Bayani Fernando said he won't leave the party, he was disturbed that non-party members were being considered for the Presidential standard bearer like Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Vice President Noli de Castro.

 By all measure a bigger party as a result of merger will always be strong notwithstanding issues among the members. Thus it cannot be denied that the merger is a looming typhoon set to swoop upon the opposition who are up to now as divided as ever as they have been.  Unless the different political parties of the opposition can gather their acts together and field just one Presidential candidate, they will have a problem wresting power from the present dispensation no matter how divided.

 The worst that can happen to the opposition is when Senators Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Ping Lacson, Manny Villar. Chiz Escudero and Jejomar Binay would all be running for President.  If they run for President, Erap said he would also run for President.  How will they fare against the lone standard bearer of Lakas-CMD-Kampi?

 What differentiates Filipino politicians with those of other countries like the United States is that Filipino politicians are politicians first and party members second.  That's how the multi-party system came about in the Philippines.

 Expect more political parties being organized when the Presidential hopefuls don't win their political party nomination.  Everybody will think he can do a Ramos and become President of the Philippines even without the support of his/her political party.  They think they know the Filipino voters very well.  Filipino voters don't consider political party platforms and philosophy.  They look for the popular and the moneyed candidates when voting for a candiddate.

 On the local level, it is not yet clear whether the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi has helped Gov. Erico B. Aumentado on his Solomonic problem of who to anoint between Cong. Edgar Chatto and Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera as the Lakas-CMD-Kampi candidate for Governor in the next elections. Neither Edgar nor Julius has bolted the party. So they remain contenders for party nomination.

 What has helped the two perhaps is that whoever is rejected can always run in the opposition political party. After all the Presidential candidates will always be looking for their local candidates to run their campaign in the local level.

 This is proof that in the Philippines there are no real political parties, only political interests. And that's pathetic, to say the least.