Countdown to 2010: An ANC Leadership Forum, introduced us to the five presidential aspirants in a two-hour question and answer format anchored by TV journalists Ricky Carandang and Tina Monson-Palma. It was sponsored by ABS CBN in conjunction with the Ateneo School of Government. The five presidential aspirants were Gilbert Teodoro, GMA’s Defense Secretary, Fr. Ed Panlilio, governor of Pampanga and the three senators, Mar Roxas, Richard Gordon and Chiz Escudero.
Teodoro lauded the economic achievements of GMA citing NLEX, SCTEX among others. Roxas and Escudero of course belongs to the political opposition. Roxas touched on the government’s failure to address the present corruption in the public sector which “amplified the negative impact of the global economic crisis”. Escudero as usual, seemed to give those rehearsed responses, coming out like the best debater among the five but I admire his fluency in speaking Tagalog.
I wonder, I couldn’t place where Gordon was coming from. Is he a part of the administration or he was just trying to impress the people with his on and off criticism of the Arroyo government? But, Teodoro and Gordon gave more concrete answers than the rest.
Ed Panlilio was soft-spoken, more like delivering a good homily on a Sunday mass, but of course, he is still a man of the cloth.
Teodoro said that he was in favor of charter change but should be through a Constitutional Convention but he also declared that he needs the go signal of Malacanang for practical reasons before he could run.
Gordon said that Arroyo’s biggest fault was to engage in “transactional politics”. he further said that he would lead by example. Panlilio was put on the spot by co-host Ricky Carandang about his views on the issue of family planning. ‘”These things are delicate matters, critical issues, I believe that there should be more opportunities and room for discussion and dialogue”. Escudero emphasized the corruption issue against Pres. Arroyo.
Tina Monson-Palma minced no words when she asked Mar Roxas if he was merely using Korina Sanchez to boost his presidential bid and he answered that his critics are just “inggit”. (They are already engaged to be married). Actually Korina’s early morning radio program on DZMM was replaced by another anchored by Pinky Webb and Ricky Carandang. She said that she would just maintain her weekly TV show Rated K and help Mar in his campaign.
When they were asked by Ricky Carandang about the person they admire the most, living or dead, Gordon chose his father and he was emotional about it, getting teary-eyed while recalling how his father valued work ethics. Roxas said he admire Cory Aquino.
I wonder why, the other presidential wannabees were absent, Manny Villar, Loren Legarda, Ping lacson and Noli de Castro. Or is this a case of less talk, less mistakes?
Dreams And Escapes 
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