Teodoro: Don't vote for 'messianic' candidates

MANILA, Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro warned the electorate yesterday against going for “messianic” candidates and urged them to vote based on substance, not popularity.

In a statement issued weeks before the start of the campaign period, Teodoro said popularity, while it looks good in opinion surveys, hardly translates into competent and effective leadership in office. 

“I am urging our electorate to please look carefully into the qualifications and platform of governance of the candidates they intend to vote,” he said.

Speaking before students of the University of the Visayas in Cebu City, Teodoro said voters must be wary of candidates who pledge to solve all the country’s economic and social woes.

“If those candidates tell you that they can solve all the ills afflicting the country, provided you vote for them, don’t believe them,” he said.

“No politician can do that. A credible and sincere politician, in contrast, will pledge at the most to employ a team of advisers and policy-makers to respond with policy initiatives in an effort to stem the tide or reduce the problems to make them more manageable and minimize their impact on the population.

“We can only hope to stem the tide of the various problems besetting our country so that the next crop of national leaders will have a much easier task in rectifying the situation.”

Rene Miguel Dominguez, Lakas-Kampi-CMD national president, said voters will eventually shift in favor of Teodoro, who is widely seen as smart, intelligent and capable of bringing the country to a new level of development.

“Don’t count Gibo and Lakas-Kampi-CMD out of the race. Popularity isn’t the only basis for choosing a leader,” he said.

“With a majority of provinces, cities, and municipalities supporting Gibo because of his leadership qualities, competence, integrity, the electorate will make an intelligent choice in the next five months.” – Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude