FULL MOON: Watch for developments about a “Project Full Moon,” which might eclipse the results of the semi-automated elections tomorrow. This is the latest of cheating scenarios being reported by concerned groups in the military.
It is being mentioned here just for the record — something to watch out for as we ask citizens to stay alert and resist any attempt to subvert the people’s will.
Let us look forward to successful elections. A grade of 80-percent credibility will be good enough considering that we are having semi-autoated elections for the first time.
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MY VOTE: Friends and foes alike have been demanding to know who my choice for president is. I have ignored the question, mainly because I was not ready with a pat answer. But now I will open up, somewhat.
The bedrock of my selection process is: If there is anyone who can still save this country, he is not a traditional politician, but a no-nonsense manager. What we need is a really good manager.
That is the main reason why my vote for president goes to Manny.
Unfortunately, Manny Pangilinan — the brown taipan and manager par excellence — is not running.
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TRACK RECORD: Let me try eking out a second choice. Although most of the presidential candidates have admirable qualities, they all have a disturbing character flaw. Other times, I am turned off by their coterie salivating behind the curtains.
If the ballot had, as I wrote in jest here one time, an oval for NOTA (None of the Above) for the choice for president, I would shade that.
There being no bilog na hugis itlog for NOTA, I will probably skip that presidential part. But if by the time I am alone in the polling booth and I spot a really good manager with a proven track record, he will likely get my vote.
I strongly suggest that we make managerial skill, proven over time, as a requirement for our choice for president.
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NO OJT HERE: Management implies a total hands-on repertoire that includes planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and other aspects of employing time, people and resources to achieve a defined vision or a program of government of at least 10 years.
Every presidential candidate should be asked if he has successfully run any enterprise of significance to indicate that he may be capable of managing a huge body that is in constant flux and in urgent need of deliverance from corruption and poverty.
As paratrooper-later-president Fidel Ramos said once, an incoming Chief Executive must hit the ground running. We cannot install in Malacanang someone who is a green on-the-job trainee.
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MAR FOR VP: For vice president, my choice is Sen. Mar Roxas. No need to explain this, as everybody else running for VP pales in comparison.
My choice for Roxas has nothing to do with Sen. Noynoy Aquino, his presidential mate. I am not one prone to block-voting or who gets carried by party affiliations.
The Roxas-Aquino combination looks to me as a political marriage of convenience. Note that Aquino campaigns wrapped in yellow ribbons, while Roxas insists on his blue Liberal Party uniform. It is just about color, but they cannot seem to agree.
That the survey firms of Aquino’s relatives are conjuring up a darkhorse VP who looks like Makati Mayor Jojo Binay — who happens to be a Cory Aquino original — is another sign that not all is well within the Liberal camp.
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SENATE CHOICES: For senatorial choices, I will not vote for showbiz personalities and the children of senators treating papa’s Senate chair as a family heirloom.
Sorry to my friends, but I will not vote for Ruffy Biazon, Jinggoy Estrada, Pia Cayetano, Gwen Pimentel, Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid. If I omitted some showbiz characters and a senator’s kid running, please add them to the blacklist.
I still have to go over the senatorial candidates, but off hand, I can tick off some of those who I will vote for: Kit Tatad, Satur Ocampo, Toots Ople, Miriam Santiago and Juan Ponce Enrile.
I ticked off the first three because they are friends who are highly qualified. As for Santiago and Enrile, we need them to throw thunderbolts on the Senate floor and the airlanes when public interest demands it.
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GOD BLESS US: Here are some thoughts from lawyer Romy Macalintal, who resigned as President Arroyo’s election attorney after they disagreed on the issue of postponing the elections on account of scary technical glitches:
“Our elections will always have God’s blessing because our election period is within the very same biblical period when the ‘nomination and election’ of the replacement of Judas Iscariot, the apostle who deserted Jesus Christ, was held. Scripture says that after Judas deserted Christ, St. Peter together with 120 apostles and disciples gathered together and ‘nominated Joseph (called Barsabbas) and Matthias’ to replace Judas.
“After nomination, they prayed ‘O Lord, you read the hearts of men. Make known to us which of these two you choose for this apostolic ministry.’ After praying, ‘the choice fell to Matthias, who was added to the 11 apostles’ (Acts 1:15-17, 20-26).
“We should also pray and discern that we be guided accordingly in choosing our leaders. Significantly, the Feast of St. Matthias is observed by Catholics every May 14 which (call it coincidence), falls within our election period. In fact, our last election was May 14, 2007.
“May I also offer to all candidates a portion of Berton Braley’s Prayer of the Sportsman which says: ‘If I should win, let it be by the code with my faith and my honor held high; if I should lose, let me stand by the road and cheer as the winners go by.’”
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