Perspectives: Why Gordon is a political dumb?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Presidential bet Richard Gordon is a lousy candidate. His criticism against presidential rival Manny Villar only exposes his ignorance about what is a political campaign.

He assailed Villar for using poverty as an electoral strategy. He said his mother was poor than that of Villar’s mom but he was not exploiting the issue. He added that he went to public school, while Villar went to catholic school.

Di pala kayo marunong sa political strategies, Senador! Dahil diyan sa pagiging gimmick na mahirap ni Villar noon bumulosok iyong popularidad niya, at kayo naman ay nanatiling kulelat.

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Are some of our generals dumb?

Look at General Leo Ferrer of the 6th Infantry Division based in Maguindanao. He just incriminated himself before the TV camera. He said that he accepted a gift – a $2,800 (P128,800) worth M4 modern assault rifle – from the Ampatuans when they invited him as guest at their palatial home.

Ferrer stressed that he accepted the gift because he avoided offending the giver.
Because he did not read a must law (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees or Republic Act No. 6713) for a government official like him, he is now vulnerable to an administrative charge.

It says there that it is a prohibitive transaction for public officials and employees to solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office (Section 7, Paragraph (d).

He is a far cry from some intelligent generals I know who did not put themselves in a bind but instead even successfully forayed into public service. Some of them are retired generals Rey Velasco and Art Lomibao.

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Electoral saber-rattling in the 4th Congressional District in vote-rich Pangasinan becomes more exciting as the official campaign period in March comes nearer.

Supporters of congressional bet Gina de Venecia vehemently protested the actuation of rival Celia Lim of putting two huge tarpaulins (at the city’s main thoroughfare Fernandez Avenue in Dagupan City) showing the faces of the latter and presidential front runner Manny Villar of the Nationalista Party.

“That’s sheer deception before the eyes of the people! How could Lim do that when Villar has a black and white endorsement for Gina as a guest candidate of the Nationalista for congress?” a supporter cried.

Susmariosep, I pitied Villar for this. Why? If he would not do something for this brouhaha, he will find himself a casualty in terms of the precious votes he needs to defeat fellow presidential front runner Noynoy Aquino.

“Villar should know that the 4th District is the bailiwick of the de Venecias. And the latest survey of 92% in favor of Gina against Celia speak for itself,” another die-hard butted in.

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How much is the 30-second “infomercial” at ABS/CBN (TV)?” I posed to former Speaker Jose de Venecia whose son Joey is at the top 12 of the Pulse Asia latest survey.

“It is P250, 000,” he told me.

“How much it is at GMA-7 TV?”

“Halos magkapareho (almost the same),” he answered.

(By the way, at the recent sortie here of Partido ng Masang Pilipino Presidential bet Joseph Estrada I asked former GMA-7 investigative reporter and congressional candidate Maki Pulido how much the 30-seconder. She told me if the infomercial is shown at the prime time “Biente Kuatro Oras” news of GMA-7, a candidate would shell-out P330, 000. She said GMA-7 billed a political client higher than rival ABS-CBN)

I asked this question at the height of the resolution by the Commission on Election (Comelec) in limiting TV ads for national candidates to 120 minutes. It starts from February 9, to May 8, 2010.

With a limited national exposure on TV ads, does it mean the propaganda blitzkrieg of presidential bet Manny Villar especially against those of presidentiable Noynoy Aquino would mellow?

Villar, who spent millions of pesos a day of infomercial at GMA-7 and ABS-CBN, was able to statistically tie-out with poll leader Aquino in the January 24-26, 2010 Pulse Asia Survey.

With Noynoy and Manny slugging it out in a “ceteris-paribus” playing field, does it mean the former inherent popularity will eclipse that of the latter eventually?

Probably yes.

But for me Noynoy has still the comparative advantage in the propaganda’s spin.

Since his family is a friend of the Lopezes who not only owned TV giant ABS/CBN but an obvious partisan for Aquino, he would gain an edge every time the TV station includes him on its positive newscast with regularity.

Villar’s friend actor Willy Revillame and his popularity noon show Wowowie at ABS CBN could not do this for him since he would be sued with electioneering by the poll body.

Unlike the producers of the prime time newscast Umagang Kay Ganda and TV Patrol, they can shrewdly and partially cover the sorties of Noynoy as news since that can be justified as freedom of expression under the Constitution.

A freedom much higher to any Comelec resolutions in limiting the public exposure of national candidate I mentioned recently. (Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)