Ducky Paredes

“Villar dismisses the first surge of Noynoy to “emotions” following the funeral of Cory Aquino. Noynoy’s mother.  Villar believes that this  “emotionalism” will soon fade”

by Ducky Paredes

The way that things are moving, we may be on our way back to more halcyon times when we had only two political parties. Back then, one was either a Nacionalista or a Liberal and being one or the other meant something. My grandfather was a dyed-in-the-wool Nacionalista and, although he would usually think deeply before making decisions, in politics, he would only always go for the Nacionalista.

For now, even before the campaign has officially started, the choice seems to be between the Nacionalista and Liberal presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Manny Villar, NP, and Loren Legarda, NPC, are the Nacionalista bets for president and vice president. It is a strong team.  Villar has what it takes to win an election – deep pockets; and there is a sense in the electorate that we owe Loren the victory that she was cheated of in 2004 when she ran as vice president to FPC and someone stole that election.

While Villar is currently just second place in the presidential polls, he could get a big boost from Loren’s presence on the ticket. She has been, after all, an acknowledged vote getter; she topped the slate in the two times that she ran in 1998 and again in 2007 for a senate seat.

For now, Social Weather Stations and other pollsters have the Liberal Party’s Noynoy Aquino on top with  Villar at second place and the other three contenders — Joseph Estrada, Chiz Escudero and Gilbert Teodoro trailing far behind.

Villar himself seems confident that the gap between him and Noynoy will continue to narrow. Villar dismisses the first surge of Noynoy to “emotions” following the funeral of Cory AQUINO, Noynoy’s mother.  Villar believes that this  “emotionalism” will soon fade and the voters’ realizing that they must, after all, choose the pair that can ultimately save them from poverty, despair and instability.

As the Nacionalistas see it, members of the administration party, Lakas-Kampi-CMD, seeing that their candidate is going nowhere will be looking to join either the NP or the LP, with most of them (the NPs hope) going over to the NP-NCP alliance of Villar and Loren.

According to a Nacionalista, the Manny-Loren tandem is a powerful attraction to voters who want a real change in the country’s directions.  They are tired of voting on the basis of personalities, especially for traditional elites, who are mainly responsible for the poverty of the great majority of Filipinos.

He says that Manny and Loren were born of poor and middle class families that represent the great majority of the voters.  They both know how it is to be poor and to struggle for existence, and therefore have a natural sympathy for the lower classes, even after they have achieved success in life.

Because of his success in business, Manny clearly has the managerial expertise that could turn the economy around and provide more jobs, while Loren, an ardent environmentalist, whose advocacy for a green and protective environment, would improve the quality of life and protect the people, especially the poor, against harsher natural disasters.

Both are ardent protectors of OFWs, recognizing their sacrifices and contributions to the national economy, while Loren is known for her advocacy for the rights of women and children.  Because of this Loren is expected to bring in the women’s vote.

The Manny-Loren tandem is a powerful combination and could well be the team to beat in the 2010 elections. In fact, although they got together primarily due to chance and circumstance the Villar-Legarda doesn’t look like a hastily made decision.

Villar himself has said on more than one occasion that they were not in a hurry to find a running mate and would just wait for the political dust to settle.  And as the fourth tandem to be officially announced—after Noynoy-Mar, Erap-Binay, Gibo-Edu— Villar –Legarda does not disappoint.

What distinguishes the Villar-Legarda tandem from the others is that they both come from humble beginnings. Villar grew up in Tondo. At a very young age, Manny helped his mother by selling shrimps in Divisoria Market. Legarda traces her roots to perennially flooded Malabon. But both their parents realized the value of having a good education. Thus, they were able to enroll at the University of the Philippines. Villar graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, while Legarda finished AB Broadcast Journalism.

After college, both became successful in their respective careers. Villar started a small gravel-and-sand business using borrowed money. This later became Camella Homes that focused on building low-cost housing, with clientele consisting mainly of OFWs. Over the years, Villar’s Vista Land has emerged as one of the biggest property development firms in the country, earning him a place in the ranks of the world’s billionaires.

For her part, Legarda found work after college in ABS-CBN, the largest television network. She built a reputation as a conscientious journalist, and hosted her own news and public affairs show.

  Having built successful careers—Villar as an entrepreneur, Legarda as a broadcast journalist—they realized that they could help more people if they ran for public office. Villar ran and won as congressman in Las Piñas, while Legarda succeeded in snaring a seat in the Senate in her initial foray into politics in 1992.

But there’s more than a common background of a steady climb in their chosen careers. There’s also a convergence of advocacies and ideas. 

Villar is banking on his experience as a successful entrepreneur through “sipag at tiyaga” to bring the country to the path of sustained economic growth. He has also been very visible in assisting OFWs in distress, dipping into his own pocket to have them repatriated after their traumatic experiences abroad.

Early on, Legarda became well-known for her concern for the environment. Today, she represents the country in many international conferences on climate change. But as a senator she has also tackled a host of economic issues as well as women’s concerns.

* * *

The Blue-Green rivalry continues.

After the wife of Gibert Teodoro made the evening news and the morning papers by kissing Gibo on the lips on his proclamation as the Presidential candidate of Laks-Kampi-CMD, a Lasalian joked (in my Rotary Club) that his team-up with Actor Edu Manzano (both from La Salle) their team would henceforth be known as the Lover Boys; and, as for the Ateneans – Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas – they are the Mama’s Boys.

# # # #

hvp 11.22.09