'C-5 at taga'

As usual, the Filipino humor and rumor mills never stop. Unfortunately, it’s Manny Villar who is getting the brunt of sarcastic jokes with this P200 million “insertion” controversy. Manny says he made his wealth through “sipag at tiyaga.” Now people are turning it around, and the joke is that he became a “villarnaire” through “C-5 at taga.”

This is the problem when you come out too early in the game — you become a moving target. And now there’s a P1.5 billion plunder rap filed by a Bulacan farmers’ group against the beleaguered Senate President, who dismissed it as a recycled case. We don’t know yet what the polls are saying, but the most likely beneficiary in this political MMA (mixed martial arts) brawl is Mar Roxas.

And to think Mr. Palengke never really thought he would be this deep into politics. On many occasions, Mar has said it was the death of his younger brother, Gerry Jr. or Dinggoy, that forced him to go into politics. Dinggoy was deemed the heir apparent to Senator Gerry Roxas, and just when he was making a mark in politics as Capiz congressman, he died of a rare type of cancer. Mar — who obtained an economics degree from Wharton, just wanted to stick with business, having worked as an investment banker with Allen and Co. in New York where he spent a lot of years. Mar had to step in and assume his brother’s Congressional position and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Mar certainly has the political pedigree, his father having been a senator and his grandfather being the former President Manuel Roxas. A lot of businessmen have intimated to me that they are looking at a new “Mr. Clean” and they’re looking at Mar as their potential candidate for 2010. His background in economics, his experience in Wall Street and his stint as DTI Secretary give him additional leverage with the business sector. He has also maintained the image of a “Mr. Clean,” untainted by controversy that could seriously hobble anyone’s presidential aspirations.

Mar’s maternal grandfather Don Amado Araneta used to say that one should “never hire relatives in business or government because they think it is a license to steal.” If Mar were to follow his grandfather’s dictum, then most likely he would not hire relatives for government positions — a definite plus in the eyes of voters.

Mar’s family has never been involved in any shenanigan, and it would be fair to say he does not need government funds to give him the lifestyle that he and his family are used to. And with the Araneta Center having — from what I understand — a P1-billion cash flow every month, what more do you need to keep your nose clean?

It’s plain to see the political season has come early, so people can expect more fireworks and controversies after Christmas. Since we have a multiparty system, we will most likely have five or even as many as seven presidential candidates. Those who have consistently remained at the top of various surveys are Noli de Castro and Loren Legarda, although the vice president has not been seen or heard from lately.

There are some people who are suggesting that Loren and Mar should get together, saying they can really be a formidable team since Loren has the support of the CD crowd and Mar has the AB. 

As for Ping Lacson, his initial punch may have earned him some points and thrown Villar off kilter, but the fight is far from over. Ping has to contend with legal problems that continue to hound him. Joseph Estrada and his followers have not also forgiven him for refusing to give way to FPJ during the 2004 elections. But the most important thing is that if this accusation of an anomalous P200 million insertion turns out to be a dud, this will be a minus point for Lacson if he decides to run in 2010. 

Judging from the latest surveys, it looks like Joseph Estrada is gaining ground but until and unless he works out some kind of deal with the administration, they will definitely throw all kinds of obstacles along his way, like what happened to FPJ when they questioned his citizenship. The administration will undoubtedly throw the issue of constitutionality against the former president, and whether Erap likes it or not, this will definitely disrupt any plans for him to run for president again. His condition that the opposition must unite under a single standard bearer for him not to run is obviously impossible, because more likely than not, there will be four or five opposition candidates in 2010.

As a matter of fact, there are already talks of “dark horses” like El Shaddai leader Brother Mike Velarde and Chief Justice Reynato Puno. There are more and more people who are looking for a leader who is not in the political mainstream, and the names of these two gentlemen are getting frequent mention even during casual conversations among ordinary people.

At the MOPC-initiated lunch with business leaders in Malacañang last Friday, it didn’t look like GMA was trying to change the Constitution to stay in power like some people are claiming. She just wants her economic programs to be continued and to leave a healthy economy despite the crisis. She’s getting ready to leave by 2010, and wishes the next president the best.

Considering the number of presidentiables, it will not be an easy knockout come 2010. This is just the initial round of what some have termed the “preliminary game” of politics, and there will be a lot more punches and more rounds before anyone can finally say the game is over.

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