NOTES
NOTES
11 January 1998
If KAMPI was swearing in members by the thousands in the last year or two, Arroyo's decision to join the administration party has nothing to do with lack of party organization. KAMPI has established arguably the most extensive party network around the country. The real problem is money. Note that Arroyo did not just switch sides after one weekend. The idea got floated around for a good two weeks before she admitted that talks were being held. She allowed the rumor to circulate probably to send a clear message to her potential benefactors that she might very well settle for VP if their pledges do not translate into real cash. Since no one really rushed to block her possible move with bundles of money (in addition, of course, to Cardinal Sin's derogatory comment on her candidacy and the stubborn insistence of other alternative candidates to further divvy up the non-Erap, non-administration vote), she took the road of least resistance.
Will Arroyo's decision cause a backlash? In theory it should. For a while, she presented herself as a real political alternative--efficient as a bureaucrat, prolific as a legislator, untainted as a politician. People rallied behind her refreshing, clean image. Her popularity equalled, sometimes even exceeded that of Erap; and what did she do in return? She used her political leverage to strike a Faustian bargain with Joe De Venecia! What a way to betray supporters who saw in her an alternative to traditional politicians. To make matters worse, prominent allies such as Sotto were bypassed in the process. Word is out that the Peping Cojuangco camp is not happy with the decision either. And so, in theory, Arroyo's political obituary should now be written in the papers, her epitaph etched (something like: Backlash Queen). In reality, a creative rehash of her campaign in 1995 (her cute face plastered in every nook and cranny of the country and dancing the Tango with husband Mike in political rallies) will keep her in strong contention.
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By accepting Arroyo as his running mate, De Venecia must realize that it is counter to the administration's divide and conquer strategy. What made the Lakas strategists think Arroyo's popularity will rub off on their candidate? Good question.
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It's good to know that Cory Aquino and Cardinal Sin are actively "unifying" alternative candidates. They have apparently initiated talks with De Villa and Lim. Perhaps they should talk to major political donors too. If the Zobels and the Ayalas continue to assure De Villa of financial support, the latter is unlikely to yield to political pressure. (He's probably still giddy with his 7.5 percent rating in the last SWS survey.)
Sotto is reportedly also talking with Roco and Santiago. A Tagabicolonggo block is even better than my Bicolonggo suggestion. Actually, Sotto is also partly Cebuano, so a Tagacebicolonggo alliance will be a political dream team. Again, the problem is, Will anyone give in? While Roco and Santiago are two of the most fiercely independent-minded politicians the country has ever seen, this will be a good time not to do it solo. To paraphrase Senator Magsaysay, you can be the smartest, most qualified person, but if it's not your time, it's not your time ... especially with Erap and De Venecia seemingly doing the right things.
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The difficult economic situation may work in favor of reducing the number of serious presidential contenders. The estimated three billion pesos (around 75-100 million dollars) required to run a national campaign is not exactly pocket change. Even the administration will be hard-pressed, unless perhaps they are able to renegotiate the Amari land deal.
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If his allegation is true, Vice Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad should be lauded for his courage to expose the existence of some 1,300 ghost employees in Pasay's City Hall. Allegedly averaging 2,000 pesos a month, these "15-30 employees" (they show up only on the 15th and the 30th to pick up their checks) steal more than 30 million from the city's coffers every year.
The absolutely outrageous practice of payroll padding is actually still rampant in many cities and towns around the country--costing billions. I wonder if any of the presidential contenders has the guts to take on this important issue. The guilty mayors and the beneficiaries will be unhappy--and those are lost votes--but I'm sure the electorate in general are sick and tired of this "dirty little secret" and will seriously consider the candidate who makes a big fuss about it.
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Another trapo scam that should be raised by alternative candidates is the rampant and despicable practice of political kickbacks. It is widely known that many congressmen receive up to 30 percent "commission" in every project that they sponsor. Entitled to around 12.5 million in Community Development Funds and up to 60 million in "congressional insertions" every year, each of these "Honorable Representatives" may be pocketing up to 22 million of the people's money every single year. And guess who the presiding officer is and who controls the purse strings: House Speaker Joe De Venecia! (This would be a good clue if you're wondering why this Web site and many of its readers are not too fond of the Honorable Speaker.)
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