Presidential Wannabes & Nazarene Devotees

An article by Antonio Abaya on Presidential fever sounds like his predictions may indeed come true that there are indications and probability of no election come 2010.

So many presidential wannabe’s jockeying or rather scrambling to position themselves this early is just pathetic and if he is right would be another comical if not tragic chapter in the annals of dirty politics of the nation. Should Abaya's prediction come true this will be a big blow to a struggling democracy (more of thinking they are a democracy) with the emergence or resurrection (mind you not in the biblical proportion) of what maybe a little Marcosa in the person of Gloria Macapagal.

Will La Gloria push through with the parliamentary form of governance? What kind of monkey deal errr horse trading is in the offing for Joe de Bola errr Venecia and GMA to be in good terms again and once more do a Houdini trick (my apologies to Houdini) in shoving charter change in our throats?

I just can’t imagine how they will react and then there is even one blog touting itself as the “first” (typical infantile behavior) presidential blog ever….. Yeah I thought there is a law against electioneering and campaigning this early like 3 years before election must be a violation of electoral law? Oh wait what law? Yeah like people follow the rule even the rule on common decency is ignored what more with this presidential fever as Abaya pointed out.

So, what has the Nazarene procession got to do with presidential fever? Well, there is this uncanny similarity, contrast, and contradiction all rolled into one if we compare this with the presidential fever (more than a fever but a delusional spell) illogical as it may appear had all those ingredient. This yearly event has been around for quite sometime and the devotees’ strong faith sustains what could be a death defying dash to wipe the Nazarene with a towel amidst a throng of other people trying to do it also at the same time. While the presidential wannabes’ are similarly on the same path theirs is more of a devotion to perpetuate their political stranglehold for the sake of their vested interest.

To be honest being a fan of Laz’Andres’ photographic imagery the picture which he titled Nazarene is a good coffee book table material that has a contrasting effect of balancing the ugliness of the mad dash and positioning for the 2010 presidential election with an imagery captured through the lens of a photographer with a keen eye for the aesthetics.

When JM posted the article of Antonio Abaya Gen. Jose (Kumeh) Comendador compiled the list of wannabes based on what Abaya wrote and posted it at PPP yahoo group:

Presidential Wannabes

1 Sen. Mar Roxas

2 Senate President Manny Villar

3 Sen. Loren Legarda

4 Sen. Chiz Escudero

5 Sen. Panfilo Lacson

6 Joseph Estrada

7 President Fidel Ramos

8 Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay

9 Vice-President Noli de Castro

10 Sen Dick Gordon

11 Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte

12 MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando

13 Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro

Gen. J. Comendador included Tony Meloto in the list and I am in agreement with Rob Ceralvo on why Meloto should not be in the list, to which I quote:

Please, huwag na natin isali si Tony Meloto sa ating kalo..ohan. Huwag na nating lasunin pa ang pag-iisip ng mga taong tama na ang landas na tinatahak. Malinaw naman at kitang-kita natin ang kanilang 'role' sa mundo. Tama na yung na-experience natin kina tita Cory at Erap, pawang nasa kasikatan nuon at may pang-emotional na appeal, subali't sadyang hindi hinubog ng tadhana ang kanilang pagkatao upang maging mga effective na lider-pulitika sa ating bansa.

It will be a very selfish move to even consider a non-political personality, a gift of God to Humanity, and take him away from his 'mission' work, just to run for Phil. Presidency.

Will taking Tony away from his 'mission work' satisfy our thirst for a moral leader? I doubt. The Filipino people have no monopoly of Gawad-Kalinga, their good flock and their shepherd. Their noble mission transcends Philippine politics. The best we can do for now (until Tony dis-associates himself fully from GK, and in good taste), is to treat their domain as sacred so that they can continue to focus and be effective on their mission work, not only in the Philippines but in the most marginalized communities of the world.

We should not allow Tony to be used by 'us' or any politician, even for photo-ops. He may be the only one left with 'integrity'! Let's leave it that way.

Just my 80 centavos na lang as of today,

-robc

Rob raised a valid point here besides, Meloto is not sounding off any ambition according to the article and I am glad he is not, for obvious reasons already pointed out by Rob. Well let me venture a guess why Meloto is not showing any inkling..…… after seeing how Fr. Ed Panlilio is faring with those local jueteng errrr politicians ganging up and scheming conspiratorial tyranny of the mob errr majority being a president is more of a liability

After all there is only one Ed Panlilio and he is definitely a tough act to follow, not that I think Meloto will succumb and get swallowed by the proverbial monster of greed and lust for power…. But who knows? He is the only one who can determine that. I believe his being pragmatic and being realistic helps a lot when good men should really make it a point not to join the maniacal dash for presidency this early.

People of good moral character should also learn from the lessons of Cory Aquino presidency where if the reports were true she can’t even prevent her “kamaganak inc” from doing their thing then who wants to be a president…… not when the majority of politicians are crooked acting more like mobs.

Look at what happen to the 2nd EDSA “uprising which we now know to be as nothing but plain and simple conspiratorial power grab with Jueteng “Lordship” (geeez I just love saying that…. it is so elegantly royal, lol) from the Singson/Estrada payola going right to her province earning the province the notoriety of being the Jueteng Capital of the Philippines.

Yes, one good man installed in the presidency of impeccable integrity is no guarantee that meaningful and comprehensive change for the better will happen in an instant like a magic wand…… let us get real here. The corrupt vested interest still controls political power and as such they dictate where they bring us which obviously has always been in the muck and quagmire of wretchedness and never ending misery.

2010 is a long way to go to even bother with the election and let me just say this, the reality is it just the same old thing and recycled traditional politicians doing their song and dance routine…. Geeez now how can we get excited over that?

The real fight is in Pampanga where the nations’ symbol of hope is being sabotaged by the local government officials and the success of Panlilio’s moral crusade is akin to unleashing the moral sword into the heart of corruption and bad governance. One province at a time and we may taste victory, plunging on the national political arena this early can be likened to persecuted Christians being fed to the lions of ancient Rome.

Now if only we have good number of people with a devotion like mentality of the Nazarene devotees in protecting the gains of good governance in Pampanga maybe and just maybe it will affect the conduct and outcome of the 2010 election.

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Feast of Black Nazarene
Photo courtesy: Andre Cawagas

Philippine Politics