Philippine presidential and local elections 2010:
A returning Filipino's perspective
A returning Filipino's perspective
By Heidi M. Pascual
May 10 was the biggest day of 2010 in the Philippines as the Filipino people went to the
polls to elect their new president, vice president, senators & congressmen, and local
officials from governor down to municipal council members. There were several firsts in
this year’s elections:
• The incumbent President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA), ran for Congress to
represent her district in Pampanga Province. (The new Philippine Constitution prohibits
the re-election of the president whose term is 6 years.) Macapagal-Arroyo won her
congressional seat. She now hopes to be the new Speaker of the House. Many consider
this as a demotion for her, while others believe that the move will protect GMA from legal
problems brought about by a legacy of alleged worst corruption scandals in the Philippine
political history.
• Former President Joseph Estrada, who was booted out of office by EDSA 2 (People
Power#2) in 2001 due to his jueteng collections, and was placed on house arrest until a
few years ago, ran for the presidency and landed in second place. Many question how
forgetful the Filipino voters have always been.
• Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, son of former President Cory Aquino, will be the second
Aquino to be in Malacanang Palace. There are lots of talks about why a "non-performing
senator" has become a president of a country. Oh well, he is the son of the late Cory
Aquino and the "Marcos regime martyr," Ninoy ...
• Voting was fully automated and results came in so fast (except some glitches in places
where human errors caused confusion due to wrong flash cards carrying mock election
results submitted to election authorities).
• An incumbent world boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao, ran for Congress and won in
a landslide victory. Let's face it, Pacquiao is so popular, his district doesn't care whether
he doesn't have the skills and the experience to legislate, because unlike Trapos
(traditional politicians), Pacquaio has been helping his people in so many ways ever since
he got wealthy knocking out foreigners on the ring. And, say many, he can afford to hire
the brightest minds to help him craft bills and push them through the legislative mill.
Schools are voting places
Schools in the Philippines are converted into polling precincts during elections, so I
went to North Fairview Elementary School in Quezon City to observe how voting was
taking place. I have not voted here for more than 11 years since I immigrated to the
United States, so the excitement was up as I prepared to get my camera ready for the
purpose. The streets leading to the school were full of people –election canvassers of
candidates in tents, persons distributing sample ballots of candidates (a prohibited act
during election day!), voters with umbrellas and fans to protect them from extreme heat,
street vendors of cold bottled drinks and snacks, and a few police officers to keep order –
and the streets were littered with election banners and flyers. When I entered the school
grounds, I was surprised to see thousands of people waiting in several lines in all the
three floors of the school. Hundreds more were looking for their names and their precinct
May 10 was the biggest day of 2010 in the Philippines as the Filipino people went to the
polls to elect their new president, vice president, senators & congressmen, and local
officials from governor down to municipal council members. There were several firsts in
this year’s elections:
• The incumbent President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA), ran for Congress to
represent her district in Pampanga Province. (The new Philippine Constitution prohibits
the re-election of the president whose term is 6 years.) Macapagal-Arroyo won her
congressional seat. She now hopes to be the new Speaker of the House. Many consider
this as a demotion for her, while others believe that the move will protect GMA from legal
problems brought about by a legacy of alleged worst corruption scandals in the Philippine
political history.
• Former President Joseph Estrada, who was booted out of office by EDSA 2 (People
Power#2) in 2001 due to his jueteng collections, and was placed on house arrest until a
few years ago, ran for the presidency and landed in second place. Many question how
forgetful the Filipino voters have always been.
• Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, son of former President Cory Aquino, will be the second
Aquino to be in Malacanang Palace. There are lots of talks about why a "non-performing
senator" has become a president of a country. Oh well, he is the son of the late Cory
Aquino and the "Marcos regime martyr," Ninoy ...
• Voting was fully automated and results came in so fast (except some glitches in places
where human errors caused confusion due to wrong flash cards carrying mock election
results submitted to election authorities).
• An incumbent world boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao, ran for Congress and won in
a landslide victory. Let's face it, Pacquiao is so popular, his district doesn't care whether
he doesn't have the skills and the experience to legislate, because unlike Trapos
(traditional politicians), Pacquaio has been helping his people in so many ways ever since
he got wealthy knocking out foreigners on the ring. And, say many, he can afford to hire
the brightest minds to help him craft bills and push them through the legislative mill.
Schools are voting places
Schools in the Philippines are converted into polling precincts during elections, so I
went to North Fairview Elementary School in Quezon City to observe how voting was
taking place. I have not voted here for more than 11 years since I immigrated to the
United States, so the excitement was up as I prepared to get my camera ready for the
purpose. The streets leading to the school were full of people –election canvassers of
candidates in tents, persons distributing sample ballots of candidates (a prohibited act
during election day!), voters with umbrellas and fans to protect them from extreme heat,
street vendors of cold bottled drinks and snacks, and a few police officers to keep order –
and the streets were littered with election banners and flyers. When I entered the school
grounds, I was surprised to see thousands of people waiting in several lines in all the
three floors of the school. Hundreds more were looking for their names and their precinct
numbers in either the hard-paper copy of voters’ lists that hung on a board, or checking
them with the help of volunteers in front of laptop computers. Some people who couldn’t
find their names despite all efforts left for home, complaining why they were “not being
allowed to vote.” Apparently, citizens should have registered months before this year’s
elections if they haven’t voted in North Fairview in the past. The Commission on
Elections has ruled that those who have failed to exercise their right to vote had to re-
register and follow certain procedures to be able to get their new Voter’s ID.
The voting place looked chaotic at some point, but there was no untoward incident,
compared to a few violent election-related incidents reported on TV that happened in
certain places outside the Metropolitan Manila region. Some foreign observers were
quoted as being harassed and followed by plainclothes folks or the military. They talked
of massive vote buying in the province of Abra, intimidation of voters inside polling
places, and physical assistance by candidates’ followers of voters while in the voting
booths. Authorities said some voters needed help in understanding how the automated
voting process is done, but that only authorized election aides were supposed to do that
job; military spokesmen explained that they needed to “protect” foreign observers from
harm due to the possibility of heated confrontations between opposing candidates’
followers. One particular incident came to mind – that of the massacre of 57 people in
Maguindanao, including journalists who accompanied the wife of the candidate-
challenger for the gubernatorial post in that province. Recently, some people were
gunned down by rival candidates’ followers in a number of towns and cities outside
Manila. It makes one wonder how precious the cost is of being elected to a position even
on the local level!
Politics and entertainment
Another observation—there were a lot of candidates who came from the entertainment
industry. I guess Ronald Reagan made a mark in the Philippines in that regard. Former
President Joseph Estrada (and now a presidential candidate again) was an actor well-
known for his action movies, KO punches, and mass appeal. (He became mayor of San
Juan after leaving the movies and was well loved by his constituents.) A number of
senators were former actors as well, such as the number 1 re-electionist senator, Ramon
“Bong” Revilla (an action star); Tito Sotto (a comedian); and Manuel “Lito” Lapid (an
action star). I guess voters felt they will re-create their reel characters in real life as
fighters for what is “right,” and defenders of the poor. Senator Loren Legarda was a
former TV anchor before she ran for the Senate; unfortunately she lost her most recent
Vice Presidential bid but will remain a senator to finish her term. The governor of
Batangas Province is Vilma Santos-Recto, a superstar in the ‘70s, who carried her
popularity to the polls and kept it there for many years. Married to Senator Ralph Recto,
Vilma has learned the value of service to the people on the job, and she is reportedly
doing well as governor. The new mayor of Quezon City is Herbert “Bistek” Bautista,
formerly a well-known TV personality and teen star. He started as a community youth
leader and grew from there as a political leader. Former child actor Roderick Paulate
also ran and won a seat in Quezon City Council. The Ejercito-Estrada clan of movie fame
produced several more candidates: an Estregan in Pagsanjan, Laguna; Guia Gomez
(former actress and Joseph Estrada’s “other woman”) in San Juan; JB Ejercito in
Congress; and Jinggoy Estrada in the Senate.
Many other candidates who didn’t quite make it came from the movies as well: Edu
Manzano (Vilma Santos’ ex) ran for Vice President; Cesar Montano ran for governor in
Bohol; Aiko Melendez ran for Vice Mayor of Quezon City; Imelda Papin (a well-known
singer) ran for the Senate; etc.
The Marcoses are back
While Noynoy Aquino is now the elected President of the Phiippines, the Marcoses are
silently getting their political power back. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, only son of the
deposed late President Ferdinand Marcos, was formerly governor of Ilocos Norte
Province) and is now senator; Imee Marcos took his place as governor of the same
province; and Imelda Marcos, their mom, is back in Congress, representing a district in
Marcos’ province. She used to represent her district in Leyte (in the Visayas) and
them with the help of volunteers in front of laptop computers. Some people who couldn’t
find their names despite all efforts left for home, complaining why they were “not being
allowed to vote.” Apparently, citizens should have registered months before this year’s
elections if they haven’t voted in North Fairview in the past. The Commission on
Elections has ruled that those who have failed to exercise their right to vote had to re-
register and follow certain procedures to be able to get their new Voter’s ID.
The voting place looked chaotic at some point, but there was no untoward incident,
compared to a few violent election-related incidents reported on TV that happened in
certain places outside the Metropolitan Manila region. Some foreign observers were
quoted as being harassed and followed by plainclothes folks or the military. They talked
of massive vote buying in the province of Abra, intimidation of voters inside polling
places, and physical assistance by candidates’ followers of voters while in the voting
booths. Authorities said some voters needed help in understanding how the automated
voting process is done, but that only authorized election aides were supposed to do that
job; military spokesmen explained that they needed to “protect” foreign observers from
harm due to the possibility of heated confrontations between opposing candidates’
followers. One particular incident came to mind – that of the massacre of 57 people in
Maguindanao, including journalists who accompanied the wife of the candidate-
challenger for the gubernatorial post in that province. Recently, some people were
gunned down by rival candidates’ followers in a number of towns and cities outside
Manila. It makes one wonder how precious the cost is of being elected to a position even
on the local level!
Politics and entertainment
Another observation—there were a lot of candidates who came from the entertainment
industry. I guess Ronald Reagan made a mark in the Philippines in that regard. Former
President Joseph Estrada (and now a presidential candidate again) was an actor well-
known for his action movies, KO punches, and mass appeal. (He became mayor of San
Juan after leaving the movies and was well loved by his constituents.) A number of
senators were former actors as well, such as the number 1 re-electionist senator, Ramon
“Bong” Revilla (an action star); Tito Sotto (a comedian); and Manuel “Lito” Lapid (an
action star). I guess voters felt they will re-create their reel characters in real life as
fighters for what is “right,” and defenders of the poor. Senator Loren Legarda was a
former TV anchor before she ran for the Senate; unfortunately she lost her most recent
Vice Presidential bid but will remain a senator to finish her term. The governor of
Batangas Province is Vilma Santos-Recto, a superstar in the ‘70s, who carried her
popularity to the polls and kept it there for many years. Married to Senator Ralph Recto,
Vilma has learned the value of service to the people on the job, and she is reportedly
doing well as governor. The new mayor of Quezon City is Herbert “Bistek” Bautista,
formerly a well-known TV personality and teen star. He started as a community youth
leader and grew from there as a political leader. Former child actor Roderick Paulate
also ran and won a seat in Quezon City Council. The Ejercito-Estrada clan of movie fame
produced several more candidates: an Estregan in Pagsanjan, Laguna; Guia Gomez
(former actress and Joseph Estrada’s “other woman”) in San Juan; JB Ejercito in
Congress; and Jinggoy Estrada in the Senate.
Many other candidates who didn’t quite make it came from the movies as well: Edu
Manzano (Vilma Santos’ ex) ran for Vice President; Cesar Montano ran for governor in
Bohol; Aiko Melendez ran for Vice Mayor of Quezon City; Imelda Papin (a well-known
singer) ran for the Senate; etc.
The Marcoses are back
While Noynoy Aquino is now the elected President of the Phiippines, the Marcoses are
silently getting their political power back. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, only son of the
deposed late President Ferdinand Marcos, was formerly governor of Ilocos Norte
Province) and is now senator; Imee Marcos took his place as governor of the same
province; and Imelda Marcos, their mom, is back in Congress, representing a district in
Marcos’ province. She used to represent her district in Leyte (in the Visayas) and
Clockwise from above: North Fairview Elementary School served as a polling place in the May
10th national and local elections in the Philippines; Thousands of Quezon City residents lined
up at the classrooms, ground floor up, which served as voting precincts; People yet to vote
looked up their names and voting precinct numbers on the lists; Volunteers helped find names
of voters using laptops; a reminder for people to fall in line
10th national and local elections in the Philippines; Thousands of Quezon City residents lined
up at the classrooms, ground floor up, which served as voting precincts; People yet to vote
looked up their names and voting precinct numbers on the lists; Volunteers helped find names
of voters using laptops; a reminder for people to fall in line
Election banners/streamers filled the streets
everywhere.
everywhere.
Sample "ballots" with a complete list of candidates
being distributed near the school.
being distributed near the school.
Election banners/streamers litter the streets later
in the day.
in the day.
now she has apparently fully embraced the Ilocano way of life. Wen, Manong.
I am looking at the possibility of a future contest between the sons of the two political giants in Philippine politics who both carry the names of
their late fathers: Ferdinand Edralin Marcos and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino. That would be another historical moment in Philippine politics! For
those who might not know, Ninoy Aquino was Ferdinand Marcos’ political nemesis. Aquino was jailed when Marcos declared Martial Law in
1972; was allowed to have his bypass surgery in the U.S. in early 1980s, and was gunned down at the tarmac of then Manila International
Airport in 1983 when he went back to face his opponent. It was the seed that started the People Power Revolution in 1986 that put Cory Aquino
– Ninoy’s wife and Noynoy’s mom -- in power as the first woman President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Sons and daughters, wives and kabits (other women): Philippine-style dynasty
In the Philippines, it is so easy to recognize surnames of political leaders because many of them stay on for many years, some through
generations. Politicians of old protect their turfs and keep themselves in power albeit in the background, through their sons or daughters, their
grandchildren and great grandchildren; and even through their "other women" and their illegitimate children. This might not necessarily be the
same reason for some who are running on their own after the demise of their powerful patriarchs/matriarchs; however, the saying that “politics
runs in the blood” often rings true in this country. The most glaring examples would be the Marcoses, the Aquinos, the Macapagals (and
Macapagal-Arroyos), the Roxases, the Revillas, and the Ejercitos/Estradas. Many are following their ancestral footsteps on the local level,
focusing more on controlling a limited, but highly powerful turf (and often profitable, economic base).
A sign of hope
Jejomar Binay, a lawyer, civil rights leader and political activist, became Mayor of Makati – the premier financial city of the Philippines--when
Cory Aquino appointed him to the post in 1986. He was elected and re-elected to the position for a total of 20 years, during which period he
initiated major changes that made him “different” from other local politicians. He focused on social services for the poor; thus he became well-
known not only in this country but all over the world. His free elementary and high school education and free medical help and medication to
seniors, among other accomplishments, endeared him to his constituents. His unparalleled record drew envy and ire among other powerful
rivals, including those being supported by the most recent administration. Binay was harassed, slapped with legal accusations, and
bombarded with lots of political smear campaigns, but the voters knew better. Binay is “the man.” Instead of running for president this year,
however, he gave way to former President Joseph Estrada and agreed to run as his Vice President. Clearly the man for the masses, Binay (as
of this writing) is currently leading the official Commission on Elections tally for vice president, against the Liberal Party bet and Noynoy
Aquino’s running mate, Mar Roxas (former Congressman, Trade Secretary, and Senator).
Former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca (2004-2010), recipient of the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay and International Women of Courage awards,
although defeated in this year's elections, proved that physical disability and lack of campaign funds were no hindrance to an election victory
against the well-funded political dynasty of the Dys in Isabela province. Would-be public servants have always been reluctant to enter the
political race because they didn't have enough resources and are scared for their lives. But Padaca's unexpected victory inspired them as she
was able to get lots of volunteers that offset her lack of power and money. Ordinary people who felt helpless against powerful dynasties have
been heartened by Padaca's performance. I just felt sorry she didn't make it this time.
I am quite impressed with the maturity of Filipino voters (in general) with the vice-presidential election turnout, though. While the Philippine
society has a long way to go toward cleansing the political system, many Filipinos will vote for the “right” candidates given the “right” choices.
Political parties should take this cue.
I am looking at the possibility of a future contest between the sons of the two political giants in Philippine politics who both carry the names of
their late fathers: Ferdinand Edralin Marcos and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino. That would be another historical moment in Philippine politics! For
those who might not know, Ninoy Aquino was Ferdinand Marcos’ political nemesis. Aquino was jailed when Marcos declared Martial Law in
1972; was allowed to have his bypass surgery in the U.S. in early 1980s, and was gunned down at the tarmac of then Manila International
Airport in 1983 when he went back to face his opponent. It was the seed that started the People Power Revolution in 1986 that put Cory Aquino
– Ninoy’s wife and Noynoy’s mom -- in power as the first woman President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Sons and daughters, wives and kabits (other women): Philippine-style dynasty
In the Philippines, it is so easy to recognize surnames of political leaders because many of them stay on for many years, some through
generations. Politicians of old protect their turfs and keep themselves in power albeit in the background, through their sons or daughters, their
grandchildren and great grandchildren; and even through their "other women" and their illegitimate children. This might not necessarily be the
same reason for some who are running on their own after the demise of their powerful patriarchs/matriarchs; however, the saying that “politics
runs in the blood” often rings true in this country. The most glaring examples would be the Marcoses, the Aquinos, the Macapagals (and
Macapagal-Arroyos), the Roxases, the Revillas, and the Ejercitos/Estradas. Many are following their ancestral footsteps on the local level,
focusing more on controlling a limited, but highly powerful turf (and often profitable, economic base).
A sign of hope
Jejomar Binay, a lawyer, civil rights leader and political activist, became Mayor of Makati – the premier financial city of the Philippines--when
Cory Aquino appointed him to the post in 1986. He was elected and re-elected to the position for a total of 20 years, during which period he
initiated major changes that made him “different” from other local politicians. He focused on social services for the poor; thus he became well-
known not only in this country but all over the world. His free elementary and high school education and free medical help and medication to
seniors, among other accomplishments, endeared him to his constituents. His unparalleled record drew envy and ire among other powerful
rivals, including those being supported by the most recent administration. Binay was harassed, slapped with legal accusations, and
bombarded with lots of political smear campaigns, but the voters knew better. Binay is “the man.” Instead of running for president this year,
however, he gave way to former President Joseph Estrada and agreed to run as his Vice President. Clearly the man for the masses, Binay (as
of this writing) is currently leading the official Commission on Elections tally for vice president, against the Liberal Party bet and Noynoy
Aquino’s running mate, Mar Roxas (former Congressman, Trade Secretary, and Senator).
Former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca (2004-2010), recipient of the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay and International Women of Courage awards,
although defeated in this year's elections, proved that physical disability and lack of campaign funds were no hindrance to an election victory
against the well-funded political dynasty of the Dys in Isabela province. Would-be public servants have always been reluctant to enter the
political race because they didn't have enough resources and are scared for their lives. But Padaca's unexpected victory inspired them as she
was able to get lots of volunteers that offset her lack of power and money. Ordinary people who felt helpless against powerful dynasties have
been heartened by Padaca's performance. I just felt sorry she didn't make it this time.
I am quite impressed with the maturity of Filipino voters (in general) with the vice-presidential election turnout, though. While the Philippine
society has a long way to go toward cleansing the political system, many Filipinos will vote for the “right” candidates given the “right” choices.
Political parties should take this cue.