Tamano sees "weird" 2010 polls

CEBU, Philippines - Nacionalista Party senatorial aspirant Adel Tamano believes that the coming May 2010 elections will be the weirdest elections and people are going to be surprised by the results.

In an interview with The FREEMAN, Tamano said that voters especially Cebuanos are now more discerning especially as the younger generation wants a different kind of leader.

But he said that he still needs to raise public awareness so that the electorate may recognize his plans for the country.

Tamano, who once served as spokesman for the United Opposition in the 2007 elections, said that his ticket to the senate is his experience in the academe having been declared as the youngest university president of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

“I don’t really like so much if tinatanong ang isang kandidato kung ano ang platform, especially in the Philippine context when they just spout their plans. For me, dapat ang tanong kung ano na ang nagawa mo. It should be based on experience parang may koneskyon talaga,” he said.

But he emphasized that after his 17 years in the academe he would like to make reforms in increasing the budget for education.

“I’d like get us back to 1960 level where we spent 30 percent for education. We need to concretize education every year to set up at least 10 local universities and colleges so by 2016 we will double the number of local universities,” he said.

Health programs, he said should be nationalized so that the public will have free access to them.

Tamano, who was the first Filipino president of a university in Manila said that there is no such thing as a Muslim vote but expects support from Mindanao.

Tamano, is the son of the late senator Mamintal Tamano and is married to lawyer Rowena Kapunan.

He has a Master’s Degree in Laws in Harvard University and has served as legal analyst and initially became a regular guest at the ABS-CBN News Channel. — Marjun A. Baguio/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)