Campaign Profiles : Penson wages guerrilla campaign to win voters

MANILA, Philippines - For independent senatorial candidate Ricardo Penson, a “guerrilla type” campaign is the most effective way to win the minds and hearts of voters in the coming elections.

A guerrilla campaign, Penson said, “is reaching out (to) the poorest of the poor and educating them on the evils of political dynasties that is hindering progress, particularly in the countryside.”

Penson said his campaign sorties reach the poorest among the poor voters in the countryside and he presents himself as their voice in the Senate, which he considers as the last bulwark of democracy.

“Instead of rallies, motorcades and other traditional campaign activities, I concentrate on meeting the people to educate them on the real issues affecting the country today,” he said.

Penson has mobilized a network of supporters to educate people on his political agenda, which is dismantling political dynasties and empowering the poor to become self-reliant and entrepreneurs.

He also said he has the support of progressive groups like Sanlakas, which has a mass base of at least three million votes.

Although he placed 25th in the recent SWS survey, he is optimistic that he will land in the Magic 12 because of the support of the people in the countryside.

He also said surveys are not supposed to be published because it is only a guide to business and other groups on the pulse and opinion of the public.

“Result of surveys are insignificant because it only involves more than 1,000 respondents out of the 50 million voters across the country,” Penson pointed out.

Penson is an independent, but he is not new to government service.

He served as special assistant for National Security and Political Affairs of the Office of the President from 1987 to 1992. He also ran for congressman of Quezon City in 1992 but lost to actor Dennis Roldan.

Penson took up Marketing at San Beda College and Bachelor of Business Administration equivalency course at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. He also finished Bachelor of Business Administration and Management Development Program at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

He is the author of several political and economic studies such as Marketing Strategies for Developing Countries, a United Nations Development Program staff working paper; Looking Back, Moving Forward for the Center for Asian Studies, University of Michigan; Resiliency and Change in Philippine Political Governance; and Harmony in a Multicultural World for the Centre for International Studies, University of Adelaide.

Moreover, Penson was a private proponent of the $177-million Diosdado Macapagal International Airport Terminal 2 project in the Clark Special Economic Zone, together with equity partners San Miguel Corp. and Korea Airports Corp.

At present, Penson is the president and chief executive officer of Ausphil Tollways Corp., a proponent of the North Luzon East Expressway Tollway Project.

He is also the chairman and chief executive officer of Penson & Co. Inc., which is engaged in PPP infrastructure development related to renewable energy, bulk water, defense and transport.