Are you shocked? I'm sure most people who know me and who are well aware of where I stand on the issues have fallen off their chairs by now knowing that I, in fact, voted for President Benigno Simeon Aquino III in the 2010 elections. And as if voting's not enough, I actually actively campaigned for the guy. (Don't judge me, I'm not perfect. Lol)
I've minced no words explaining why I remain unimpressed with Noy's governance style and why I find his evident vindictiveness toward his predecessor a massive turnoff. But this has not always been the case. In the months leading to the May 2010 presidential polls, I wore yellow baller bands, put up yellow ribbon stickers on our cars, and went out of my way to conduct pulong-pulongs in the most dangerous regions, all for Noy (and I shudder at the mere recollection). I even joined his sister Kris at a caravan in Mindanao-and yes, I also waved the “Laban†sign and handed shirts to people who came out to see the popular and controversial would-be presidential sister.
Some would be quick to quip, “Ah, because you're close to Boy Abunda and know Kris personally.†To be fair to Boy, he doesn't impose his politics on his closest friends; we're okay to agree to disagree. And to be fair to me, personal ties are never enough to win over my support. Truth be told, I feel rather insulted when people reduce my brand of politics to merely 'who I know' as opposed to 'who is most qualified vis-à -vis the existing political climate.' And my reason for voting for Noy is a mix of idealism and pragmatism; and more than emotional, it involves a scientific process that I would discuss in a bit.
A number of Cebuano friends and relatives who went for Gibo Teodoro would also demand an explanation-“Why not Gibo?†Okay, Gibo Teodoro has impressive credentials that made him, among the crop of presidential aspirants then, the most cut out for the presidency (and what a lovely First Lady Nikki Prieto would have been! She would've given Imelda a run for her money-gold bullions included-in any 'most beautiful Philippine FL' contest!). But the problem for me is, Gibo included in his slate a political family from the south notorious for being on top of a robbery syndicate responsible for many of the bank holdups in Manila, Cebu, CDO, and Davao. He was Secretary of the Department of National Defense, how can he not know? If he didn't know, then he was a crappy DND chief who was remiss of his duties. If he knew, then he would've been complicit and he isn't any better than your average trapo.
Apart from that, he was a nonentity as far as the surveys were concerned. All surveys confirmed that he was an elitist choice, popular mostly with the upper class. The masses who define political realities were focused on two candidates only: Noy Aquino and Erap Estrada.
So why Noy? Here's why…
Months before the elections, in an effort to better understand the prevailing political ecosystem of the time, I compiled the survey results from the different survey outfits (SWS, Pulse Asia, etc.) and plotted them on an Excel program we developed for our campus-based political party, USC- TINGOG Carolinian. I substituted the variables and values with those from the national surveys and tweaked the program a bit and projected results well into the May elections. The results? The graphical representation of the projection showed Noynoy Aquino on steady decline from the top spot, Erap Estrada on a stable ascent conquering number two, Villar (affected by Villa-royo accusations, among others) on a sharp descent, and the rest-Gibo, Gordon, etc.-remained irrelevant.
The graph showed that by election day, Noynoy would still have lead the presidential contest but with a marginal difference of approximately one million votes from number two in rank Erap Estrada. An estimated one million vote difference that is the exact same margin as Gloria Arroyo's in the 2004 elections against closest rival Fernando Poe Jr. The same margin Arroyo credits Cebu for delivering for her.
And these figures do not include yet the influential Iglesia Ni Cristo votes, estimated at four million strong. So that's a block swing vote of around four million (block because the INC take their block vote seriously, and swing because the INC's leadership give out the church's endorsements on the last minute, like a day or two before elections). And empirical data would show that the INC has never supported an Aquino (I was told that many of the farmers who died in Hacienda Luisita throughout the years were INC members) and has always supported Erap from the get-go (from when he ran in San Juan until the presidency). After all, the Manalo and Ejercito families go a long way back-they were neighbors and close family friends in San Juan.
Now it's all moot and academic. The INC, with a new spiritual leader (the elder Manalo just passed away and the son was at the helm), went for Aquino (after intense and successful lobbying from Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda?). But imagine how it was before that: the INC vote would've been a game changer. Had they voted according to record, the four million votes would've wiped out Noynoy Aquino's lead by 2-3 million votes and Erap would've been president. Que horror.
Picture it: A convicted plundered is elected once again into the presidency of the country. I just couldn't fathom that happening. I mean, what face do I, do we as a people, have to show to the world? We ousted him, convicted him, and here we are, one million votes shy of reinstating him? No words.
So you see, that's why I went for Noynoy. I just couldn't take any chance. To campaign for Gibo or Gordon would've been too risky because a vote for either would've been a vote less the person who could very well beat Erap. And that candidate was Noy.
Do I regret my vote? Of course I do! I regret that Noynoy is the way he is. I regret that he is the kind of leader who condemns others whilst taking credit for their achievements. In my book, that is the worst kind of leader, the very worst. But what I do not regret is my process. I will choose that way, God forbid, if the elections gave me very few choices, very little leeway.