“Bayani would have given us a no-nonsense administration that would set things right for the whole country.”
by Ducky Paredes
“Subject to ratification by the national convention to be called by the party in accordance with law, the candidate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD for the 2010 election, as endorsed by the party’s national executive committee, is the Honorable Gilbert C. Teodoro.” Thus was the choice announced by Gabby Claudio, Secretary-General of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party.
I have no quarrel with that. I like Gibo. Six months ago, I wrote about him: “Gilbert is the only child of Gilberto C. Teodoro, the former Social Security System administrator and Mercedes Cojuangco, former Batasang Pambansa member.
“He was president of the Kabataang Barangay in Tarlac from 1980 to 1985 and the KB Federation of Central Luzon. He was also in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
“Teodoro graduated from De La Salle University with a degree in Management of Financial Institutions. He also holds a law degree from the University of the Philippines, and a master’s degree from the Harvard Law School in the US. He topped the 1989 bar exams, becoming one of the youngest bar topnotchers in the country. He also passed the New York State Bar exams in 1997.
“Gilbert is married to Monica Louise Prieto, presently a congresswoman of Tarlac.
“Gilbert holds the rank of full colonel in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Air Force and is an adopted son of the Philippine Military Academy’s “Magilas” Class of 1976 and an honorary member of the Philippine Air Force Class of 1980, and the Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc. He also chairs the board of trustees of the Philippine National Police Foundation (PNPF).
“Teodoro was a lecturer at the National Defense College and a regular assistant professor at the General Command and Staff Course of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Gilbert is also a licensed pilot. He took up a Command and Staff Course class at the Philippine Air Force (under the Air Education and Training Command of the Air Command and Staff College) while in Congress.
“As Defense Secretary, he has been doing a very good job,
“Would Gilbert Teodoro make a fine president? I certainly think so!”
Now that he has been chosen by the executive committee of his party as its first choice as presidential candidate for the May 2010 elections after the choice has been validated by the rest of the party membership and (I suspect) his numbers improve in the surveys. I am glad that I now have two choices for President. The other is Noynoy Aquino, Gibo’s second cousin on their Cojuangco side.
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I have one more preferred candidate who was sadly by-passed and practically ignored by the executive committee that chose Gibo. This is Bayani Fernando, the one politico who has shown a surfeit of political will.
The executive committee, by ignoring Bayani, shows that it is not too interested in setting things right for the country but is more interested in winning the election with what it sees as the more engaging and glamorous Teodoro.
A President Bayani would make sure that the country is working and the trains, busses and ships are running on schedule. He would instill discipline in us which is probably what scares the politicos in the executive committee.
For now, Bayani is not saying whether he will go it alone without a party, join the renegade group of the original Lakas group of former President Fidel Ramos or join another party.
I understand that he is looking at what his options are. He would have accepted the decision if it had been the decision of the total membership of the party. This is what he asked for this but was rejected by the members of the executive committee. Of course, the self-appointed executive committee would reject Bayani’s request. Why bring in the rest of the party when they can decide by themselves who would be the party’s candidate.
If Bayani had been their chosen one, I would have liked that, too. While Noynoy and Gibo give us the possibility of having a younger set of officials and politicians running the country, Bayani would have given us a no-nonsense administration that would set things right for the whole country. Just as he brought change to the City of Marikina when he was its Mayor, as President, he would have left us a better Philippines at the end of his term and, as a people, we would also find ourselves better disciplined and loving our country more.
That’s what Bayani did for Marikina and its residents.
What will Bayani do now?
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The danger of the Internet to politicians is that, unlike before when something is off-the-record, it just isn’t so anymore.
In the U.S., there was that stupid incident where during an awards ceremony, a black singer Kanye West takes the microphone from the Awardee Taylor Swift to say that he thought that Beyonce Knowles had a better music video.
Before going on camera for an interview with CNBC, President Obama is asked that incident.
“I thought that was really inappropriate — it’s like she’s getting an award — (why) are you butting in?” Obama can be heard saying on the audio. He went on to compliment Swift on being a “perfectly nice person” before saying about West, “He’s a jackass.”
The remark drew laughs from those at the scene — and Obama realized what he had said.
“Come on guys, cut the president some slack,” Obama said. “I’ve got a lot of other stuff on my plate.”
In the White House, whatever happens in the press section is recorded by all networks. Someone from ABC was apparently listening and tweeted this on the Twitter.com: “Pres. Obama just called Kanye West a ‘jackass’ for his outburst at VMAs when Taylor Swift won. Now THAT’S presidential.”
ABC later issued an apology for tweeting comments meant to be off-the-record. As for the White House, when it was asked to comment on the incident, its reaction was that it certainly would have no comment on what were off-the-record remarks of the President.
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hvp 09.17.09
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