Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: Sen. Legarda fulfilled her vow not to team up with an administration candidate. Unfortunately for her, many PGMA allies will try to discredit her candidacy.
Leandro Tolentino, Batangas City: I haven’t bothered to think about them yet, because my thoughts are now with the other tandems that are not as wealthy as they are.
Loren once tried to destroy Villar
Airho Millagracia, Cabanatuan City: I’m not quite in favor of their new tandem. I find Loren fickle-minded. She was just pursuing the C-5 road issue one moment, and next moment she’s Villar’s running mate.
Arvin Padual, Quezon City: The Villar-Legarda tandem is a great manifestation of political infidelity. Sen. Legarda was just throwing mud at Sen. Villar, and now, they are running mates.
Gil Planas, Davao City: Setting aside principles, this can be called “the accused-accuser tandem”. Nothing is impossible in politics.
Louella Brown, Baguio City: The Villar-Legarda tandem is a typical example of how previous enemies unite for political and selfish interests.
They make a formidable tandem
Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: Well, it’s a formidable tandem, indeed, but can it survive the other contenders vying for the same positions? Let the voting public provide the answer.
Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: This is a formidable team that may spoil the Aquino-Roxas tandem. I wish them luck, but I’m sorry to say that my vote is reserved for somebody else.
Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: The Villar-Legarda tandem is very formidable. Personal and geographical chemistry is present. Our past and present presidents were all born rich and what happened? They practically cornered all the basic needs of the masses and their monopoly victimizes the poor. It is the impoverished masses that are mercilessly strangulated by unscrupulous moguls who capriciously hike prices for the basic necessities. If we want to have a major and meaningful change, we should now try to produce a leader who was born poor for he knows how it is to be poor.
C.B. Manalastas, Manila: Villar-Legarda is a formidable teamup that may yet cause the collapse of the whole opposition.
Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: They’ll be an exciting pair to reckon with.
Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City: The Villar-Legarda tandem is the team to beat.
Jemz Ramos, Metro Manila: Villar-Legarda is the team to beat, what with trapos surrounding the Aquino-Roxas tandem.
Lydia Reyes, Bataan: They’re a big threat to Noynoy-Mar tandem.
Ferdinand Rafer, Cavite: Villar peaked too early; it’s tough to regain the lead. As for Loren, all vice-presidential candidates have equal chances of winning.It’ll be an exciting match.
Politics makes strange bedfellows
Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Politics makes strange bedfellows. We have political prostitutes and wimps who are willing to be branded as such for political convenience. No delicadeza.
Ricardo Tolentino, Laoag City: It’s like a reunion of estranged husband and wife filing for divorce then canceling it at the last minute to save each other’s necks.
Col. Ben Paguirigan Jr., Ret., Zamboanga City: THe Villar-Legarda tandem was expected after Loren announced her candidacy before Chiz bolted NPC and NP’s Villar kept postponing his announcement on who would be his running mate.
Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: They are strange bedfellows pretending to be comfortable with each other. Chiz is much better, despite being in a more precarious position, because he is true to himself.
Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: In politics, your enemy today could be your friend tomorrow. Villar-Loren is a better tandem for the 2010 polls.
Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: It’s a very good showcase of how politics works. Enemies today, friends tomorrow, for the sake of self-interest.
We deserve something better
Armando Tavera, Las Piñas: The Villar-Legarda tandem doesn’t ring a bell to me. I think I deserve a better tandem other than the two.
A marriage of convenience
Leonard Villa, Batac City: It’s a mutually convenient act. Villar needs Legarda’s charisma and popularity while Legarda needs Villar’s multi-billion campaign funds.
Johann Lucas, Quezon City: It’s a marriage of trapos. In this grotesque marriage between a billionaire and a political courtesan, the groom seems to be on the losing side and the so-called bride has all the goods. Villar has logistics; Loren does not. Villar has the organization; Loren, zero. But Loren has her charms working for her. I wonder if that charm will benefit her political husband.
Maricel Maralit, Naga City: It’s a marriage of convenience between two opportunist politicians. Indeed, in politics, there are neither permanent friends nor foes, only permanent interests.
Valentino Cantara, Parañaque City: The tandem of Villar and Legarda was the product of what is called “last man out”. Legarda chose Villar as the last moneyed candidate to adopt her.
William Gonzaga, Marikina City: The Villar-Legarda tandem for 2010 is no earthshaking event but a marriage of convenience for two traditional politics. One perpetually harps on his poor background, yet brags of his business acumen which gave him billions to splurge on his presidential bid. Thus, it confirms public perception that he buys people’s loyalty. The other likes to eloquently expound on her grandiose plans but her record of being the quintessential political butterfly can never be erased. If I recall correctly, in the 2004 polls, she followed Ping Lacson during his provincial sorties. Then, she shifted her attention to Danding Cojuangco and finally accepted the vice-presidential post with the late FPJ. Of course, she lost. She deserves an A for persistence. But, history repeats itself and she is likely to be a loser again in the 2010 polls.
Felix Ramento, Manila: All I can say is that the tandem is just a partnership of convenience. Forgetting the value of honor, Villar and Legarda forged an alliance that the people already know to be an actual contradiction.
Cris Rivera, Rizal: Ms. Legarda, having no home party, is rocking a chair that is taking her nowhere come election time. What I don’t like about our politicians is they keep changing partners, to their followers’ dismay. They are unfaithful to themselves.
Bax Cadiogan, La Union: Sen. Villar badly needs a popular running mate and Sen. Legarda had nowhere to go, so there you are.
Clearcut platform of government
Jim Veneracion, Naga City: The Villar-Legarda tandem presents a clear-cut platform of government just likes their rivals. They have to effect positive change for our betterment.
L.C. Fiel, Quezon City: They are both easy on the eyes. Kidding aside, it’s a good and balanced tandem. I’d call it, the “Double E Team”, for economics and environment.
Ruby Ann Santos, Nueva Ecija: It’s good. They both have experience and their plan for our country is better when combined. One is for the environment and one is for the people.
Chonalyn Galang, Bulacan: Villar and Legarda are both influential people in our country. I think their tandem can earn the nod of the Filipinos. Sen. Legarda is very much concerned about protecting the environment, while Sen. Villar is dedicated to helping people, especially OFWs. We need them.
Chiz-Loren would have been better
Enn-Arr Tapoc, Nueva Ecija: The ideal tandem for me would have been the botched Chiz-Legarda tandem. This tandem will not work!
Indira Ganias, Nueva Ecija: Villar and Legarda are both intelligent, but they were once in a controversy or, shall I say, a fight because of the C-5 mess. Looking at them individually, Loren is a highly respectable and dignified woman. Villar used to have a good image, but it was messed up by the C-5 controversy that changed our perception of him. If they would be running together, I think their views and perspectives will contrast. I think Loren is best fitted to Chiz. I hope it’d be a Chiz-Loren tandem.
They make a good tandem
Pryncez Seira Fajardo, Nueva Ecija: The Villar-Legarda tandem is great. I think both of them have the ability to manage our country and make it progressive.
Meecko Camacho, Nueva Ecija: The Villar-Legarda tandem will be a big threat to other candidates. Who wouldn’t want to have leaders like Villar, who knows how to help others and how it feels to be poor, and Legarda, who is the image of a strong Filipina? They have an immense advantage over their opponents. They are both competent.
Buenvenido Arban, Laguna: Sen. Villar and Sen. Legarda make a good tandem, but, in my opinion, Sen. Legarda will be the best vice-president.
Lucas Banzon Madamba II, Laguna: These are two senators from two different political parties but with a common vision for the country. The Villar-Legarda tandem is a strong team for the 2010 elections.
Villar should watch his back
Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: “Please let me introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and fame. I’ve been around when Jesus Christ saw Pilate washed his hand and sealed his fate.” Sympathy of the Devil, The Rolling Stones, 1969. This song played in my head as I read the Inbox question, “What do you think of the Villar-Legarda tandem?” Inadvertently, I recalled, beware of the ides of March, before Julius Ceasar was killed by his senators. Manny Villar just sealed his fate. As I texted before, Manny, if you take Loren as your VP, malamang mag-Edsa 4 at palitan ka niya within a year, Sir. ‘Yun lang.
C.B. Manalastas, Manila: The Villar-Legarda tandem is just a political marriage for convenience. Sen. Villar should watch his back.
Loren may drag Manny down
Eddie Sarte, Metro Manila: Legarda will pull down Villar. He teamed up with a known political butterfly and opportunist.
I.Q. Calata, Parañaque City: I haven’t met anyone enthusiastic about any of the female aspirants for the two top posts in government since the start of the election season. With apologies to women and to the supporters of Tita Cory and PGMA, I must say that we have had too much of female leaders at the helm and most agree with this. Loren may have been a topnotcher in past senatorial derbies, but there are many issues against her that people say negate her positive traits and so, the tandem of Villar-Lergarda may not be good for the Nacionalista presidential candidate. It may cost him some votes in the 2010 elections.
Fortunato Aguirre, Bulacan: I will not ride the harsh and unlady-like words of Jamby. I will just say that Sen. Loren is a political butterfly whose habit is to sip a variety of nectars.
They are trapos and their tandem is weak
Rose Leobrera, Manila: It is weak. The two are trapos with nothing new to offer, except to emphasize the problems of this country, to which they themselves are still groping in the dark for solutions. As of now, they are focusing on being on top and winning. Villar-Loren only gives us false promises of hope.
Robert Young Jr., San Juan: Sen. Villar must have been desperate to get Sen. Loren to be his running mate. Just recently, Loren was accusing him of a P400-million C-5 illegal insertion. She suddenly turned around! But it’s a win-win situation for them both. Villar couldn’t get Chiz or Noli to be his running mate; Kampi, PMP and others did not accept Loren. Will their team boost Villar’s rating as his allies in the Internet want to depict? Highly doubtful. Villar wasn’t able to answer Ted Failon’s question about why he didn’t answer accusations against him on the C-5 insertion, or why he is spending billions vying for president when interviewed on TV Patrol. People’s impression now of Villar is that he will spend any amount to get what he wants. He is becoming more and more a trapo each day.
Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: I thought the C-5 issue brought Villar down. Now, not only is he down, he’s also out of the race.
Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.
NEXT INBOX QUESTION: Between a leader who is more honest than competent or one who is more competent than honest, which one would you choose?
You may also email your views to: inbox@philstar.com.ph.
(Editor’s Note: We have just added another channel to reach Inbox World via the growing Facebook community. If you have a Facebook account, add up PhilStar Inbox and give us a glimpse of your views on raging issues of the day. Selected comments will be published in The Philippine STAR Inbox World. Readers may also post intriguing questions for other Inbox friends to comment on. See you there.)