“My family does not understand why I am getting into politics. (My father) does not really want me to run. His advice to me was to stay in the private sector if I want to help,” said Vivienne Tan, an entrepreneur and educator.

Despite this, the slim, smartly-dressed Tan is throwing herself completely into the role of candidate, mixing with the weathered, sun-tanned street vendors and bus drivers whose votes she is seeking.

Tan, 41, is running in the May national elections for a congressional seat in a grimy, blue-collar suburb of the Philippine capital, a long way from the skyscrapers of Manila’s financial district in which her father rules.

Her 74-year-old father, who was a close ally of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was listed by Forbes magazine last year as the second richest man in the Philippines and 522nd richest in the world with a net worth of 1.4 billion dollars.

His business empire includes national flag-carrier Philippine Airlines, while he also has interests in banking, tobacco, real estate and alcohol.

Ethnic Chinese tycoons such as Tan have largely avoided running for national posts in the Philippines, usually preferring to wield power behind the scenes by providing funding to politicians.

But Tan said she had long dreamed of directly entering politics.

“I am an independent person. I have an independent mind and I know what I am doing and I know what I want to do with my life and what I want to do is to be able to serve,” she said after giving a speech recently on the campaign trail.

Tan’s father has long been a controversial figure because of his close ties to Marcos, whose dictatorship ended in 1986 with a “people power” revolution.

The government has for years been trying to prove that Tan’s assets were ill-gotten through illegal deals during the Marcos years, but it has met with little success.

Vivienne Tan sought to distance herself from any comparison with her father and insisted she was not running to protect his interests.

“That’s my father. That’s not me. Leave all that to my father,” she said.

“I can’t do anything (about that reputation). All I can say is when I enter congress, they will know what I can do.”

Tan attributed her independence to her experiences in the United States where she studied mathematics, computer science, fashion design and manufacturing. She also worked there in a law firm and a shipping company.

Except for a stint as her father’s assistant in Philippine Airlines, she has also avoided getting involved in her family’s businesses.

Instead, Tan set up business schools and worked on social projects promoting entrepreneurship in the Philippines.

However, while Tan said she and her friends were funding her campaign, she conceded she was prepared to dig into her family’s enormous pockets if needed.

“If necessary, maybe I will approach them. We will see when we cross that bridge,” she said.

Despite her powerful family name, Tan is facing an uphill battle in her bid to enter the nation’s lower house.

Her opponent is incumbent congressman Vicente Crisologo, a scion of an established political family known to play rough in elections.

Crisologo spent five years in jail for burning down two villages that backed a rival politician in 1970.

“Even I’m a bit scared of him because of his experiences and his reputation,” Tan said.

Tan has positioned herself as a reformer against a traditional politician she accuses of not truly helping the people of her district.

“It’s time to trash the old politics that does not truly uplift and inspire the people,” Tan told a crowd of supporters, most of them female market vendors, this month.

But political science assistant professor Gladstone Cuarteros, of the De La Salle University in Manila, said he doubted Tan’s chances in this election because her opponent was so well-entrenched.

“The key is mobilising voters and, in the case of Mr Crisologo, he started as city councillor and he has been very strong in that area while Vivienne Tan is new in the area,” he told AFP.

“That area has a large number of urban poor and these voters will consider the previous help that was given to them,” he said, citing the many times Crisologo resisted efforts to demolish squatter shanties in his district.

He said he would like to be president but not at all cost, thus the decision to bolt the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), his party since 1998.

And while it was reported that Sen. Loren Legarda, his fellow NPC member, would be his running mate, Escudero said he was not thinking about their tandem anymore. Legarda is reportedly running with Nacionalista Party standard-bearer, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.

Asked whether he was indeed considering either Sen. Panfilo Lacson or Tourism Secretary Ace Durano as running mate, Escudero said he is not yet scouting for anyone.

“(I’m) not thinking about that yet. Haven’t even decided if I will run. I speak only for myself. As I said, I need time to think and decide as an independent oppositionist what I will do or what role I will play in 2010. I have not yet arrived at a decision,” he said.

ut he added that he was true with what he wanted to do and would want to institute the reforms needed in the country, emphasizing that one could not do it if he or she were part of the old system.

Escudero said it was liberating that no one was telling him now what he should do or when he should declare his bid for the presidency, if and when he decided to pursue it.

He admitted that although many were pushing him to run, still others were advising him to wait for the proper time.

Read the rest -  The Philippine Star

It’s the presidency or nothing for Sen. Francis Escudero.

Escudero, who made the improbable decision to bolt the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said he was running for the highest post, ending speculations that he would be willing to run as the No. 2 to one of the presidential aspirants.

“It’s the presidency but not at all cost,” Escudero said in a phone interview Friday.

“If on your way there you will be eaten up by the system then what for? You can’t do what needs to be done anyway,” he said, by way of explaining his sudden decision to quit the second largest political party in the country and run for president as an independent.

Dismissing doubts about his chances without a political party vehicle, he dared his rivals to do the same.

“They should ask themselves that same question. For example, can they take a position vs pork barrel, can they openly fight contractualization?” he said.

Escudero shocked his party mates when he resigned last Wednesday from the NPC, which had been grooming him for months to be its standard-bearer for 2010, in order to ponder whether he should run for the presidency without a party.

Read more – INQUIRER.net

“It would be difficult for me to take Senator Loren because I and my party have already committed ourselves to Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay to be my running mate,” Estrada said.

Estrada issued the statement in the wake of speculations that Legarda, a known opposition figure in the Senate, will team up with the former president after her party mate – Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero – left the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) last October 26 to do away with party decisions and let himself decide on his future political plans.

Political observers noted that Legarda, a staunch campaigner of environmental protection programs, is far better off than Binay in terms of survey results among vice presidential bets.

“And besides, we have already established a coalition between my party, PMP, and the PDP-Laban and there is no good reason to break this alliance,” the 72-year-old Estrada emphasized.

Shortly after Escudero, 40, decided to bolt the NPC, Legarda announced that she will pursue her vice presidential bid under the same political organization “with or without a presidential tandem.”

Faustino Dy Jr., NPC chairman, and party mate Rep. Mark Cojuangco of Tarlac expressed their full support to Legarda’s vice presidential aspiration.

Both Dy and Cojuangco, son of NPC chairman emeritus and influential businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., also declared that they will push through with their line up for the May, 2010 polls even if they fail to choose a formidable standard-bearer.

Escudero, who first joined the NPC in 1998 when he ran for a seat in Congress, forged an alliance with Estrada’s group in supporting the candidacy of the late movie king Fernando Poe Jr. when he ran in the May, 2004 presidential derby.

When asked about his reaction on Chiz’s resignation from the NPC, Erap said: “It is something internal between his party and himself. We have to respect his decision.”

Meanwhile, medical experts gave Estrada, considered the most senior among the presidential hopefuls in next year’s election, a clean bill of health to be able to survive the rigors of the campaign trail in the May, 2010 polls.

Estrada, now 72 years old, said his doctors from the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in Greenhills, San Juan, have given him the “go signal” to engage in political activities after he was subjected to an extensive check-up less than a month ago.

Manila Bulletin

The 40-year old maverick politician, who has been a member of NPC since 1998, cited three reasons for the surprise announcement before a jampacked crowd of allies and supporters at the Club Filipino in Greenhills.

“Sa aking paniniwala, sinuman pong nagpaplano tumakbo bilang pangulo ng bansa, wala dapat partidong kinabibilangan. Ang partido lamang dapat niya ay Pilipinas at ang kanyang mg kapartido ay lahat ng Pilipino,” Escudero said in a speech.

He pointed out only a only a united citizenry, and not a single party or group, can solve the many deep-seated problems of the country.

Escudero, the youngest among the presidential frontrunners, also said that political parties have become obstacles to genuine and meaningful change.

“Para po sa akin, hindi dapat idikta ng isang partido ang gagawin ng sinumang tatakbo. Dahil kung ganoon, papaano niya mapapanagot ang mga tiwali sa gobyerno kung ito ay kagrupo o kasama niya?” he said.
“Papaano niya i-aabolish ang pork barrel at i-institute ang line item budgeting kung kasama niya ay puro kongresista at puro senador,” Escudero asked.

The Bicol lawmaker also deferred announcement of his plans for the 2010 elections, saying that he needed more time to decide for himself what to do next now that he is his own man.

chizescudero.com

The political buzz among stars began in earnest when Kris Aquino, presidential candidate Sen. Noynoy Aquino’s high-profile younger sister, arrived last week from a brief vacation in Hawaii.

On Thursday, at a press conference to launch a laundry product, the actress-TV host named 11 personalities who have pledged support to Noynoy’s campaign—all for love: Boy Abunda, Aiai delas Alas, Claudine Barretto, Mariel Rodriguez, Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis, Sitti, Pooh, Jim Paredes, Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez.

Kris said the Aquino family is having dinner on Sunday with these stars, and others who may jump on board until then. The expanded list could include Dingdong Dantes, whom the Aquinos is actively recruiting—and whose only request prior to an official agreement, according to Kris, is a one-on-one meeting with Noynoy.

Except for Paredes, who only recently resumed performing, all are in the top tier of the current register of stars; and all but two are affiliated with ABS-CBN, like Kris. Alcasid and Dantes are with rival network GMA 7.

Last Monday, ABS-CBN’s late-night news program “Bandila” aired an interview with Kris, one of the network’s top stars, and also one of the busiest product endorsers in the country, in which she pledged a chunk of her earnings to Noynoy’s campaign fund.

In a separate interview, Abunda—Kris’ closest friend and also a prized talent of the network—said he would mortgage, or even sell, two of his houses (maybe a third one, too, where his mother lives, he said), to contribute to various Noynoy-for-president movements.

INQUIRER.net

Ebdane said he is likely to run for president despite the earlier endorsement of Teodoro as the administration standard-bearer by leaders of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

The former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said he is presenting himself to the people as an alternative to other candidates, including, aside from Teodoro, Senators Manuel Villar Jr., Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, and even former President Joseph Estrada.

He said he believes he has the capability to tackle the country’s problems head-on.

Teodoro, also chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), could not be reached for comment as he was supervising search and rescue operations due to widespread flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces caused by typhoon “Ondoy.”

“Saka na muna yang pulitika at malaki ang problema natin ngayon (Politics will have to wait as we have bigger problems right now),” a senior defense official close to Teodoro said when asked to comment on Ebdane’s political plans.

In a radio interview last Thursday, Ebdane said several people have been urging him to enter the presidential race.

Surprised

Ebdane’s announcement of his intention to run for president has reportedly taken the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD by surprise.

“To be honest, I was taken a little bit by surprise. We never talked about this. He never mentioned it to us,” Lakas-Kampi-CMD secretary general and presidential adviser on political affairs Gabriel Claudio said in a telephone interview.

As a member of the Cabinet, Claudio said Ebdane could have said something about his plans at any time to him or to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who is the interim president of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

While Ebdane is not a member of the party, Claudio said Ebdane could always be considered a nominee to the different elective posts available in next year’s polls, being a member of the official family of the President.

“He’s a valued member of the Cabinet. We acknowledge and appreciate his accomplishments as secretary of Public Works,” Claudio said.

Claudio said that technically, Teodoro’s nomination by the national executive committee would still have to be confirmed by the party membership during the national convention to be held later this year.

This means that Ebdane, if he wishes to take part in the selection process, may still have a chance.

“It’s something that will be tossed back to the national executive committee,” Claudio said.

However, Claudio said he was not optimistic about the chances of Ebdane or any aspirant other than Teodoro.

He said the national executive committee’s choice of Teodoro would carry a lot of weight during the national convention where the nomination would be ratified.

Claudio added that Ebdane was being considered as a possible candidate of the party for the senatorial race along with several other members of the Cabinet.

Signs

Ads showing Ebdane supervising road projects and encouraging Filipinos to consider him for 2010 have appeared recently in newspapers.

Apart from the newspaper ads, there are now orange t-shirts and streamers in and around the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office openly displaying support for Ebdane.

A number of DPWH employees were seen wearing orange shirts emblazoned with “We want a new face in 2010!” in front and the words “KALSADA ang daan sa kaunlaran (road to progress)” on the back. There was no mention of the name of Ebdane in the slogans.

DPWH spokesman and Undersecretary for Luzon Romeo Momo said more “voluntary” paid newspaper advertisements are expected in the coming days showcasing Ebdane’s achievements.

“The paid advertisement (is a sign) that there is a clamor from (various) sectors. It is a result of the many developments in the country that Secretary Ebdane has accomplished. Many local government units said that their needs were given attention under the leadership of Secretary Jun,” Momo said.

Meanwhile, Presidential Management Staff Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Ebdane’s track record would make him capable of handling a higher and more sensitive position.

Ebdane, he said, had served as defense secretary, national security adviser and acting secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“I think from his previous positions, you will have a sense of how he could run (the country) and how much competence he has gained over the years. If indeed there is a plan, it’s an open field,” Esperon said.

But Esperon, a Lakas-Kampi-CMD member, declined to say if he is supporting Ebdane.

Aside from Ebdane, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando has yet to drop his plans to seek the presidency.

The Philippine Star

“From day one when we pushed for Senator Noynoy’s bid for the presidency, we gave our commitment to him that we were ready to step aside for the sake of unity behind his candidacy,” said Pangilinan in a statement Sunday.

“That time to set aside our personal plans and unite behind Senator Aquino’s bid for the presidency has come. We will support the Noynoy-Mar tandem,” added Pangilinan in the statement.

The senator vowed to help in the Aquino-Roxas election campaign “in whatever capacity and role the Liberal Party might give him.”

Genuine change

In announcing his withdrawal, Pangilinan also said that he would support a campaign that would call for reforms and “genuine change” for the country.

He had previously admitted that he became an inactive member of the LP due to differences of opinion with Roxas, which is why he launched an independent bid for the country’s second highest post.

Before Roxas announced withdrawing from his own presidential run, Pangilinan had also asked him to give way to Aquino.

An LP official said that Aquino and Roxas are set to formally announce their tandem for the 2010 national elections on Monday.

ABS-CBN

Senator Manuel Villar is still shopping for a running-mate, apparently seeing the Aquino-Roxas duo as a strong contender in the May 2010 presidential elections.

Villar is now choosing among Senators Francis Escudero and Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as possible vice presidential candidate to match against Aquino and Roxas.

Gilbert Remulla, spokesperson of Villar’s Nacionalista Party, said on Sunday Escudero, Estrada, and Binay were “logical choices” because they were all affiliated with the political opposition.

“Anything is possible,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “We feel that the situation is still fluid. We still expect realignments to happen as the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy comes closer.”

But Remulla said there had been no formal discussions yet with Escudero, Estrada, or Binay on the possibility of any of them running with Villar.

“We are leaving it to Villar to decide on who he thinks will best complement him,” the spokesperson said.

Aquino and Roxas are set to announce their tandem at the historic Club Filipino in San Juan on Monday.

The name of Vice President Noli De Castro was earlier floated as another possible running-mate of Villar. But De Castro, who had declined to run for president under the administration party, was mum about the idea.

A senior member of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party said De Castro was likely not to run for any elective post in 2010 and would rather return to his old broadcasting job with television giant ABS-CBN.

Malacañang described the tandem of Aquino and Roxas on Sunday as “predictable but a good combination.”

“They have a good complementation of regional support base (Luzon and Visayas) and they have a natural synergy of political beliefs and ideology because of their friendship and shared party loyalties,” said Gabriel Claudio, presidential political adviser.

“We congratulate and wish them both well.”

The administration party had picked Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro as its “consensus” standard-bearer, with Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno as his likely running-mate.

Remulla ridiculed a Teodoro-Puno ticket.

“We don’t even consider the administration tandem as formidable with (President) Arroyo’s popularity way, way down,” he said.

INQUIRER.net

Fresh from a nearly two-month hiatus from his top-rating noontime show, TV host Willie Revillame promised bigger prizes, better games and a more intimate show when he returns to "Wowowee" on September 21.

"Tuloy na ang pag-asa. Tuloy ang saya sa September 21. Sabi nila martial law. Ito yung martial law ng saya, martial law ng kaligayahan ng ating mga Kapamilya," he said upon his arrival in Manila Friday.

Revillame said taking an extended leave from "Wowowee" and appearing in various shows in the provinces and in the US made him think of ways on how to improve the show. "I want to change Wowowee. I want it to be more intimate to our Kapamilyas lalo na sa mga nasa abroad at saka yung mga mahihirap dito na mabigyan sila ng pag-asa. There will be games that we will change," he said.

He said he kept abreast of the goings-on in the show by calling his staff.

Revillame thanked his co-hosts, RR Enriquez, Valerie Concepcion, Mariel Rodriguez and Pokwang, as well as fill-in hosts Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz, Gabby Concepcion and Cesar Montano for doing a great job during his absence.

"They did very well. There’s no comparison. Gabby actualy kept calling me and asked me what to do," he said.

Revillame went on indefinite leave from the show last August 5 after his request to remove a video inset of former President Corazon Aquino’s funeral cortege provoked a firestorm of criticism. Government censors and ABS-CBN management later agreed to extend Willie’s leave until September 20.

‘Almost didn’t go back’

Revillame confessed that he seriously thought about not returning to the show after the most recent controversy.

"There was a time when I thought, ‘Babalik pa ba ako? Maganda yata yung simpleng buhay na lang.’ Kasi gumawa ka ng mabuti, gumawa ka ng masama, laging masama ka eh. Alam mo wala nang nagawang mabuti dito sa bansa natin. Parang isang bond paper yan, kapag naitiman yan lahat ng malinis na ginawa mo madumi na lahat. Pero ganun talaga ang buhay at ganun ang trabaho natin. Bahala na ang Panginoong Diyos sa lahat," he said.

He admitted though that in one show, he got teary-eyed upon watching a video montage of all the people he had helped through the show.
"I remembered seeing the special children, yung mga nanay, those in wheelchairs. I realized the good things that this program was actually doing. It made me realize – if I don’t come back to the show, what will happen to these peple? Talagang tinamaan ako," he said.

Revillame said the controversy made him appreciate people such as ABS-CBN President Charo Santos-Concio who had always talked straight to him about his foibles.

"I look at Mam Charo like a mother. She’s the one who would tell me: ‘Hindi ka na simpleng tao, Willie. Dapat mag-ingat ka na,’" he said.

He added, however, that he has never tried to hide his true feelings both offscreen or onscreen. "Mula umpisa ganito na ako. Hindi ako maruning maging plastic sa tao. Kung ano ka, ganun ka. What I am in front of the camera and behind is the same," he said.

A cruel business

He said that during his vacation, he seriously thought about what he would do if ever he did not return to the show.

One of the businesses he is seriously contemplating is buying a small jet and having it chartered by local businessmen.

He also said he is expanding his plans for the Wil Mal beside the ABS-CBN compound to include a condotel and condominium. He said this would increase the budget for the mall from an estimated P600 million to P1.8 billion.

"Pinag-iipunan ko pa…This is a very cruel business. What happens when I am no longer famous? That’s why I am working harder for the future," he said.

He also said he is interested in mounting a show in the US for Filipino talents such as Charice, Arnel Pineda and Black-Eyed Peas’ member Apl.de.ap. He said he broached his plan to legendary producer David Foster in the US.

"I was invited by David Foster and I had an interview with him. He acknowledged me and said I was a popular host in Manila. He was very warm," he said.

"I also watched Charice at the concert and she received a standing ovation. Nakakakilabot."

Mum on political plans

One thing that Revillame is keeping quiet about is his rumored plan to become the running-mate of Sen. Manuel Villar in the 2010 elections.

Revillame said he joined Villar in two concerts in Cagayan de Oro and Davao City as a gesture of appreciation. He said Villar visited him at his house in Tagaytay after he took a leave from his show. "Natuwa ako sa kanya. It wasn’t politics. He really helped me when I needed it," he said.

For his "Wowowee" fans, he said they should not miss the September 21 show. "Lahat yan pinag-uusapan. I will announce it eventually. Hindi ako magtatago. At saka kung tatakbo ako, hindi ako magnanakaw. Magbibigay ako," he said.

He added that if he does join politics, it would be because of a genuine desire to help the poor.

"If you can do good, why not? Bakit mo aayawan yung makagawa ng mabuti? If I can quit in Wowowee and pwede naman gumawa ng isang bagay sa isang paraan na mas malawak at mas malaki – Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao ang matutulungan mo, siyempre mag-iisip ka rin," he said.

ABS-CBN