As the only member of my country of voting age in this forum, I'd like to take this unique opportunity to share with the world (yes: Bay 12 is apparently the world now) the candidates for the Philippine Presidential Elections! 2010! YAY!
A little background first:
Our current President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. "GMA" GMA is a curious case. She's the daughter of one of the most beloved Presidents in our nation's history, and a member of the powerful Macapagal clan of Pampanga, descended directly from one of the last Kings or Datus of the Luzon Island. Their surname means (in Kapampangan): "Will last forever", or if you want to prettify it, "eternal".
She was elected to the Vice-Presidential office as former actor Joseph "Erap" Estrada's running mate. During the course of Erap's presidency, numerous allegations of graft and plunder piled up. This culminated in "People Power II": the second deposition of an unfit leader by the people. (People Power I was essentially the Crowning Moment of Awesome for Democracy in SE Asia, in case you're not old enough to remember, which I'm not).
At People Power II, she was sworn in as acting President by Jaime Cardinal Sin (who was, well, a Cardinal), with ex-Presidents Fidel V. Ramos (a former General who won some medal or other during the Korean War) and Corazon Aquino, our first female President, standing by - effectively giving her their sponsorship and blessing.
Then everything went to hell.
For the past few years, scandals, side-deals with Chinese IT companies, Korean logging companies, and other unsavory elements have been bogging GMA's tenure down. It doesn't help that her husband, the first gentleman, was named in several of these accounts and has since gone low-profile. This, along with the fact that she was accused of cheating to get reelected in 2004, has contributed to an atmosphere of unhealthy paranoia and suspicion. (Remember the Maguindanao Massacre thing I posted about some months ago? Less than a week after the fact, people began to go, "Well, maybe the President's somehow responsible.)
Thus we go into 2010 covered in McCarthy-era levels of suspicion and mistrust.
The CandidatesThis is technically a face value test. I want to see how you guys react to the candidates despite having no prior knowledge of them, besides the tiny sidebar I'll be putting under their faces.
Benigno Aquino III The son of assassinated Senator Ninoy Aquino, whose death triggered the EDSA revolution. The son of the late ex-President Corazon Aquino, who is widely regarded as a great symbol for hope.
Party: Liberal Party
Basic Platform: Anti-Corruption. Hope. Change.
Notes: Very idealistic. Appeals to the need for change, setting himself up as a symbol for hope. However, he is a Senator with very few notable political achievements. Also, he is 50 years old and used to live with his mother up until recently. He is currently leading in the SWS (Social Weather Survey) polls.
Manuel "Manny" Villar A business tycoon and the current Senate President. Built himself up from an impoverished family in one of the poorest districts of Metro Manila into one of the richest men in the Philippines today.
Party: Nacionalista (Nationalist) Party
Basic Platform: Poverty Alleviation.
Notes: One of the things that makes Manny Villar such a notable competitor in the race is his appeal to the impoverished masses. Literally 70% of the Philippines' population is below the poverty line. The candidate who wins the poor wins the country. As for other things, Manny Villar was accused of corruption on a scam involving roads, then accused of bribing the Senate Commission to let him off. Ironically, he led the impeachment proceedings of ex-President Joseph Estrada. Currently second in the SWS polls.
Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro (On the left)
Former Secretary of Defense, and the Administration Party's candidate for the 2010 Presidential elections. He was Senator of the same province as NoyNoy Aquino, due in part to the fact that they are cousins and Politics runs in the family. Nephew to Danding Cojuangco, who is essentially Vito Corleone, except with less assassination.
Party: Lakas-Kampi CMD (The full name is too long, but it has the phrase "Filipino-Christian-Muslim".)
Basic Platform: Political Growth in the outlying provinces (uhhh...) and improving healthcare and education (yay!)
Notes: Gibo really got the short end of the stick. His uncle, one of the most powerful men in the country, is supporting his cousin instead. Despite this and the taint that he gets as being the "administration's candidate", he manages to soldier along. However, he has a profound disconnect with the poor, and due to this is currently third on the SWS polls.
Joseph "Erap" Estrada I know what you're thinking. "Haven't I seen this guy's name somewhere before?" Well, that's because you have. Near the top of this page. Near the words "Impeached" "Corruption" and "Deposition". Also there was the word "revolution".
Party: Partido ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Filipino Masses)
Basic Platform: Hey, you voted for me before, do it again!
Notes: Americans. Can you imagine Bill Clinton running for President again? No? That's probably because he was impeached. Justly or not, that's the kind of thing that sticks in the public mind. So why is this guy running?
Short answer: Filipinos have the political memory of a goldfish. What? This guy is corrupt? Naw, that was ten years ago, that practically never happened! Yeah, it's a bit of a problem. This guy had 16% of the polls when I checked 3 months ago. WHAT.
At any rate, those are the candidates. Behold them! What do you think? (I didn't put the candidate I'm voting for up there because he has 1% of the polls. But his name alone should be worth 50%, because his name is epic and very, very white. Can you imagine, "And in recent news, Philippine President Dick Gordon..."