What do Nic Garces, Gaudencio Bueno, Alfredo Abcede, Segundo Baldovi, Nic V. Garces and German F. Villanueva all have in common?
They gained notoriety in Philippine history by running for president every time there was an election for president. They ran and ran for the same position but in the end, their quixotic ambitions turned to failures.
Nowadays, politicians are quick to change their strategy.
They don't want a level playing field. They want a field they can dominate.
They annihilate their opponents.
They switch allegiance at the drop of a coin.
They want continuity by grooming their wives, sons, daughters, brothers and other family members.
If they feel they don't hold a competitive advantage in the present field, they change the field.
Their strategies continue to evolve. They try and try until they hit pay dirt.
Here are a few of these notable politicos:
A year after Erap came to power as President, Richard Gomez and JV Ejercito organized the government-funded MAD or Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga in July 1999, although it was already a sort of duplication of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils also organized at that time.
One of it's real intents materialized when MAD registered as a party-list for the May 2001 mid-term elections and gained 11.1% of the total party-list votes, second only to Bayan Muna's 11.9 (PGMA cannot claim franchise on this act, as many would like to believe). It's first nominee was Richard Gomez. In the end, MAD was disqualified, albeit, belatedly, after some sectors filed a protest because it failed to prove that it was marginalized and underrepresented. MAD, thereafter, faded into oblivion.
In 2007, Gomez made a run for the Senate, running as an independent. Relying only on his star power, he failed to make the magic 12 landing 25th among 37 aspirants.
This year, he filed to represent Ormoc City in congress but was disqualified almost at the last minute. He did the next wisest thing and instead of fighting the disqualification case which he was sure to lose anyway due to his residency, he withdrew and fielded his wife, Lucy Torres of the TV daily "Sweet Life" fame. The rest you can read in the news.
Now, if we can't see Gomez' whole physical presence in the halls of congress, at least we can see his better half!
MANNY PACQUIAO:
In July 2006, Pacquiao accompanied by Ali Atienza filed with the Comelec for transfer of his residency from General Santos City to Manila where he owns a condominium unit. He was planning to go up against Isko Moreno, an actor, for city vice-mayor.
Feeling the risks were high, he announced in February the following year that he will run instead for a seat in Congress representing the 1st District of South Cotabato against the diminutive Darlene Antonino-Custodio. He lost.
Not accustomed to suffering defeat, he had another mansion constructed in Sarangani Province, home province of Jinky his wife with a higher payback in mind. In his May 3, 2009 fight against Hatton, he was introduced for the first by Michael Buffer as coming from Sarangani Province formally ending all speculations of his true intentions.
Last May 10, 2010, he walloped the well-entrenched Chiongbian dynasty to finally become the Hon. Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao representing the lone district of Sarangani.
Goodbye, you people of Gensan!
EDU MANZANO:
A dual citizen (American and Filipino), "Doods" as he is fondly called, first became the vice-mayor of Makati from 1998 to 2001. Instead of going for a 2nd term in 2001, he fought Jejomar Binay for the mayoralty post. He did not only lose that contest but lost his house and lot as well. A good turn happened when he was appointed Optical Media Board Chair (OMB) in 2004 replacing Bong Revilla who went on to become a senator.
In the 2007 mid-term elections, Gloria's TEAM Unity recruited Doods to add star power to its lackluster senatorial line-up. Despite Gloria's personal assurance, Doods backed out citing lack of personal funds.
Good decision.
TEAM Unity was massacred at the polls that year establishing the Filipino's (except her cabalens) dislike for PGMA and anyone touched by her hand.
From 2007 to 2009, he made himself visible via "Pilipinas Game KNB" and "Umagang Kay Ganda." In 2009, he co-founded "Ako Mismo" a non-profit advocacy organization supported by Manuel V. Pangilinan of PLDT/Smart fame. He resigned from OMB in August 2009 (apparently, Bayani Fernando was not able to get a good read on this when he insisted on going through the humiliating moro-moro process of being turned down as the VP of Gibo for Lakas-Kampi-CMD).
On November 13, 2009, given these credentials and his popularity, he agreed to be the running mate of Gibo Teodoro, riding on the largest and most formidable political party machinery at that time - Lakas-Kampi-CMD. But he was in for a disappointment.
PGMA's annointment guaranteed that they would lose the elections and lose they both did by wide margins.
IMELDA MARCOS:
She was the wife of a dictator who ruled the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 until their family was deposed to Hawaii.
She was allowed to return in 1991. With 9,001 criminal and civil cases originally filed against the Marcoses the only way to delay or gain favorable resolution on these cases was to get back in power.
She lost no time and in the 1992 presidential elections, she ran for president but placed 5th in a 7-way race. Fidel Ramos was the topnotcher in that contest.
In the mid-term elections of 1995, she ran once again and was elected representative of the 1st District of Leyte, her home province.
She made another stab at the presidency in 1998 but backed out near election day to support the eventual winner Joseph "Erap" Estrada. This move was calculated as Erap's popularity became insurmountable. Notwithstanding, she still placed 9th among 11 contenders. In the next 10 years, she took a background role, letting her son, Bongbong, and daughter, Imee, take leading political roles in their bailiwicks.
Circa 2010. Imelda has claimed the congressional seat of the 2nd district of Ilocos Norte vacated by Bongbong Marcos who is about to be proclaimed a senator of the Philippines.
So why do people want to be elected? Of course, to make a living!
Case in point: The Congressman. Following are some of the perks of this much-maligned position based on PCIJ's report written by Alecks P. Pabico (www.pcij.org):
AVERAGE ACTUAL EXPENSE OF EACH CONGRESSMAN (SOURCE: 2005 COA AUDIT):
1. Salary: P420,000/year, or, P35,000/month
2. Foreign travel: P221,000/year
3. District Staff Allocation: P650,000/year, or, P54,000/month
4. Contractual Consultants: P120,000/year, or, P10,000/month
5. Research Cost: P396,000/year, or, P33,000/month
6. Consultative Local Travel: P789,000/year, or, P66,000/month (i.e. going home by
plane)
7. Communication: P130,000/year, or, P11,000/month
8. Supplies: P120,000/year, or, P10,000/month
9. Public Affairs Fund (?): P308,000/year, or, P26,000/month
10. Central Office Staff: P1,980,000/year, or, P165,000/month
11. Equipment/Furnitures and Fixtures: P21,500/year
12. Maintenance and Operating Expenses: P600,000/year, or, P50,000/month (This is incorporated in their monthly salaries and therefore not subject to liquidation).
AND HERE, THE REAL PERKS BEGIN:
1. Juicy allowances for committee chairmanship/membership
2. Appearance fees when important quorums or votes are required (P50,000 is the minimum. Remember the P500,000 and P300,000 brown bag from Malacañang during the impeachment?)
3. The Speaker of the House has the power to determine each congressman's monthly allowance ranging from P50,000/month to P100,000/month (He is powerful!)
4. The Speaker of the House has the power to determine each congressman's Christmas' bonus ranging from P100,000 to P200,000 (He is so powerful!!!)
5. They get paid whether they report or not (and they don't get censured for being late or absent. Jules Ledesma is the best example)
6. Free meals and drinks at the Batasan's South Lounge as long as it is open (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks... eat all you can!)
7. Pork Barrel of P70M/year.
8. Foreign Travel Allotment of up to P1M/year
9. They are not required to submit a payroll report for their District staff or report their individual function, salaries and withholding taxes.
10. They are not required to report on the research their offices reportedly undertook.
11. There is no demand for them to disclose the so-called consultants they allegedly hired and the contracts they have made with them.
12. They are not required to liquidate their Public Affairs Fund.
13. They are accorded preferential treatment in queues, in airplanes, air lounges, boats, etc.
And these perks are just for the congressman. Think of the mayors, the governors, the senators, the vice-president and the most powerful of all, the Philippine president who holds the real and big-time power of the purse.
Filipinos earn money by getting employed, going into business and of course, getting elected!
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