It's not yet the campaign season for the 2010 presidential elections. But the presidential wannabes are already stumping the country in the guise of friendly visits. The other week, former president Estrada came with two other hopefuls: Senator Loren Legarda and mayor Jojemar Binay. They had an abbreviated motorcade in Cebu City aboard a top-down jeep. Smiling and jubilating as they made their way through the main thoroughfares, they were faintly suggestive of conquering heroes coming home from war zones - except that they were no heroes and there was no crowd lining the way.
The group touched down in a university where they socialized with students and teachers. But the reception was lackluster, according to an observer. And later when their "talkshow" took place attendance was an embarrassment. An improved reception happened in the towns they swung to later in the day, but most of well-wishes were local government people who must have been requested to be around by their superiors.
Perhaps Estrada was hoping that with the ever-smiling Loren L and Boy Scout Binay by his side Cebuanos would find his image more tolerable. If he felt that way he underestimated the perceptiveness of Promdi folks. For what has LL to show in her stint as a legislator? And what has the Scouter chalked up as head of the country's richest city? The truth is, it was business that built Binay, and not the other way around.
Next to come was Senator Manny Villar who toured some towns in southwest Cebu. Local executives and their supporters seemed ecstatic as they greeted the senator. But whether such reaction would translate into a political commitment is difficult to tell. Cebu's folks in the south, "taga-salot" they say, are extremely hospitable to visitors, more so if these happen to be high-ranking officials. A senator lost in the backwoods of Cebu's poorest towns? Unbelievable!
So there were oh's and ah's from the hastily gathered well-wishers. As they watched their leaders exchange amenities with the multi-millionaire presidentiable who would not think of a windful of goodies coming their way? These were humble simple folks and their kind of goodies are simple too: Roads, lights, water, food for themselves, schooling for their children. Could a new president give these to them at last?
The senator likes to expound his rag-to-riches story before young listeners. He is a real estate magnate who built his fortune in housing ventures. But some dwellers of his Camilla homes are complaining of substandard structures, poor drainage, inadequate lightning and water system, not to mention high cost per unit. Of course many are touched by his mercy work with stranded OFW's. But is this reason enough to gift him the Pasig office?
Senator Mar Roxas was the last to show up around. Apparently a champion of Legacy victims, he conferred with these people and listened to their tale of woes. Can he do some spectacular rescue work? He seems sincere but can be really do something to compel Legacy to return what it spirited away from its hapless clients? Mr. Palengke seems to be the darling of market vendors and his insistent call for a stimulus package to whip up the economy is getting ample media mileage. But what are his plans of how to revive the economy on a short and long term basis? Like other oppositionists he seems to be content with merely pointing out what is wrong, but is seldom explicit of what he can do to make things right.
Senator Lacson, another Malacañang aspirant, has not been seen in Cebu lately - except on tv with his anti-corruption footage. He seems to be serious in his concern for a clean bureaucracy, a concern every right thinking Filipino should entertain. But pity, his policeman personality is always etched on his visage, and one cannot help but call to mind the Kuratong-Baleleng massacre and the Bobby Dacer salvaging, every time his face shows up on the screen. Perhaps, these are mere perceptions. But with his former henchman surfacing with a damaging statement, that perception is morphing into a suspicion. Now his dream of getting to the Pasig office seems to stay what it has been - just a dream.
While this craze for "friendly visits" is on the upswing, other presidential dreamers are frequenting tv shows for exposure. In fact, one of them, the MMDA chairman, was seen recently crooning a kundiman, even as another was getting pogi points in an interview about kidnapped victims.
All these are current scenarios of the country's political circus. These are campaign sorties, no doubt about that, despite the no-no for off-reason politicking. How much of the people's money is being flushed down the drain for these? It would be interesting to know.
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Email: edioko_uv@yahoo.com