the campaign period begins...

right now, i'm watching TV Patrol feature the different campaign launch of presidential candidates. as expected, the front runners have their bonggang-bonggang activities. bands. dancing. actors. personalities. willie revillame (*gasp*).

with the debates and the news giving the candidates more exposure, i have more or less an idea who i want to vote for. it has yet to be backed by a decent research but mainly driven by gut feel.

for now, i am quite inclined to vote for nicanor perlas. as i said, we have the same vision when it comes to education particularly first language instruction of which i am very passionate about. another thing that i am quite excited about when it comes to nick perlas is how he wants civil society to be closely involved with governance. having worked for NGOs most of my life, i have come to believe that true sustainable development can only come from synergy among stakeholders.

this is not set in stone though. i have yet to review his track record and determine how he plans to execute his platform. but i will admit to being enamored by the romance of his vision. in this regard, i take back what i said that i will not give my vote to sentimentality. this might be my act of sentimentality... to vote for someone people consider an underdog, way below the radar with hardly the 'financial' goods to back it up.

i have not ruled out the others yet though.

i'm still strongly considering gordon, though he has slid a few points for me after i realized that he was really serious with the kindle and the P40,000 public school teachers' salary. while i wish the salary scheme was possible, i do not find this a realistic vision. (i like how perlas answered when he was asked about this in the inquirer Q&A). gordon is right in saying that this implies repercussions in taxation. as employed middle-class, i do not think i can afford to have more money taken away from me by the government. at the same time, kindle will not make children more educated. a good percentage of schools hardly have access to electricity, much less e-books. train the teachers. provide decent text books and classrooms. that is what we need. i am still considering him because people in olongapo vouch for the good work he has done as SBMA chairman. i was very impressed with his DOT work. i have yet to review his work in the senate though.

now, for the front runners.

when people were wanting noynoy to run for president, i hope that he won't. when he decided to run, i was a bit disappointed but somehow i did have hopes. he is after all the son of ninoy and cory. but despite the disappointment, i was inclined to vote for him. despite the fact that he was reluctant, that he was inexperienced. i was inclined to vote for him because people, many of which are good friends, campaign for him and sincerely believe him. i thought, if he were president, it's good to know that civil society is behind him. that if he will owe people, it will be civil society. HOWEVER, the past few weeks he has been losing points for me. mainly because of how his campaign is being directed. there is too much negative campaigning going on. he seems to talk more about how bad villar is rather than what he can do for the country (aside from not stealing). i forgot was tv patrol was saying in the news tonight, but my reaction was just, "stop it, stop it! why do you make it about villar all the time?' it's really such a turn off. that is not how i envision moral ascendancy.

i do not close my doors on noynoy. i am still hoping that i see something in him that will make me decide to vote for him. i want to like him so bad for so many reasons. but mainly because he has good, nay, great people backing him up. i believe in these people so i want to believe in him. mainly because of this, he is still up for consideration.

ah, yes. he who holds the holy grail of jingles, manny villar. i give him credit for having that thick skin with all the jabs he is getting from jamby and LP. however, this 'i am poor' story is getting old. you WERE poor. you are not now. and i am so unsatisfied with how he has been handling the C-5 issue. we have been subject to endless avoidances of GMA regarding the issues thrown against her. i want him to answer monsod's questions point per point because she does present interesting facts. (however, i do not like how the senate is handling the inquiries either)

i do have this feeling that villar is not after my vote. looking at the strategy of his campaign, from earworm jingles to Willie Revillame and Sarah Geronimo endorsements, it's clear who he wants to talk to. my vote is not his loss because i don't think he's after it in the first place.

jamby is starting to grow on me though. i'm starting to be glad she's running because she provides such comic relief.

i forgot bro. eddie in the other post, by the way.

as for the others, wala na talaga. i dislike GMA so much that, while i am charmed by gibo's wit and good looks, i will not even consider him. i am not comfortable having a religious leader run the country. i do not like how jc de los reyes is cutting off the RH bill. erap and his many wives... no.

there are still three more months before the actual elections. so much can happen. so much can be discovered. this can change within that period. for now, this is my short list.