Local politics and dirty tricks
Emil Jurado - Manila Standard Today
THERE are interesting, if not amusing, political developments shaping up with only six months to go before the May 2007 elections.
There is, for instance, the proxy fight of Malacañang against Makati Mayor Jojo Binay with the Palace endorsement of the candidacy of Senator Lito Lapid against the entrenched Binay dynasty. While there are those who claim that Binay is unbeatable having been mayor, then husband of the mayor, then mayor again, there are also those who say that with the Palace support of Lapid, it will be a mano-mano fight on who has all the money to spare.
After all, they say that in local politics, it’s always the Golden Rule that sways voters, translated: “He who has the gold rules.” It all boils down to whether or not Malacañang can afford to lose.
In the provincial level, another interesting political development is brewing in Zambales with Gov. Vic Magsaysay ineligible for re-election. During our trip to China, Vic told me that he would ask his son JV to run in his place. How about you, I asked him. “Well, I can always run for Olongapo mayor,” Vic said. This makes the Magsaysay dynasty face the Gordon dynasty that has ruled Olongapo City for years.
Recall that Vic Magsaysay had his daughter-in-law, Mitos, wife of JV, run for mayor in Subic. Mitos won against Kate Gordon, wife of Senator Dick Gordon. And since Vic has already reconciled with his cousin, Rep. Tony Diaz, the Magsaysay dynasty becomes formidable.
. . .
Blame it on political warfare and the coming elections, but after the President’s political foes failed to pin down the First Family on various charges, mostly fabricated, the anti-Arroyo elements are now training their guns on officials close to her.
As the political cauldron starts to boil once again, the public should be made aware that dirty tricks operators —and there are many of them in the opposition—have already activated their black propaganda machinery.
The targets logically include people closest to and most trusted by the President, and those being mentioned as the administration’s possible candidates in the national and local elections.
I would count among the targets the President’s son, Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo, Executive Secretary Ed Ermita, presidential chief-of-staff Mike Defensor, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Neda Secretary General Romulo Neri, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes, and perhaps, even National Police Chief Oscar Calderon and Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon.
The fact is that some demolition teams of certain political groups have already mounted a sustained mud-slinging campaign intended to smear the reputations of top administration officials. The black propaganda job is obviously orchestrated to sow intrigues within the Cabinet.
The dirty tricks campaign has gone overdrive and has used not only traditional media but even text messages calculated to subject the target officials to public ridicule. It’s a really sad and lamentable reflection on media that radio, TV and print are being used to spread the canards without basis in fact.
THERE are interesting, if not amusing, political developments shaping up with only six months to go before the May 2007 elections.
There is, for instance, the proxy fight of Malacañang against Makati Mayor Jojo Binay with the Palace endorsement of the candidacy of Senator Lito Lapid against the entrenched Binay dynasty. While there are those who claim that Binay is unbeatable having been mayor, then husband of the mayor, then mayor again, there are also those who say that with the Palace support of Lapid, it will be a mano-mano fight on who has all the money to spare.
After all, they say that in local politics, it’s always the Golden Rule that sways voters, translated: “He who has the gold rules.” It all boils down to whether or not Malacañang can afford to lose.
In the provincial level, another interesting political development is brewing in Zambales with Gov. Vic Magsaysay ineligible for re-election. During our trip to China, Vic told me that he would ask his son JV to run in his place. How about you, I asked him. “Well, I can always run for Olongapo mayor,” Vic said. This makes the Magsaysay dynasty face the Gordon dynasty that has ruled Olongapo City for years.
Recall that Vic Magsaysay had his daughter-in-law, Mitos, wife of JV, run for mayor in Subic. Mitos won against Kate Gordon, wife of Senator Dick Gordon. And since Vic has already reconciled with his cousin, Rep. Tony Diaz, the Magsaysay dynasty becomes formidable.
. . .
Blame it on political warfare and the coming elections, but after the President’s political foes failed to pin down the First Family on various charges, mostly fabricated, the anti-Arroyo elements are now training their guns on officials close to her.
As the political cauldron starts to boil once again, the public should be made aware that dirty tricks operators —and there are many of them in the opposition—have already activated their black propaganda machinery.
The targets logically include people closest to and most trusted by the President, and those being mentioned as the administration’s possible candidates in the national and local elections.
I would count among the targets the President’s son, Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo, Executive Secretary Ed Ermita, presidential chief-of-staff Mike Defensor, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Neda Secretary General Romulo Neri, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes, and perhaps, even National Police Chief Oscar Calderon and Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon.
The fact is that some demolition teams of certain political groups have already mounted a sustained mud-slinging campaign intended to smear the reputations of top administration officials. The black propaganda job is obviously orchestrated to sow intrigues within the Cabinet.
The dirty tricks campaign has gone overdrive and has used not only traditional media but even text messages calculated to subject the target officials to public ridicule. It’s a really sad and lamentable reflection on media that radio, TV and print are being used to spread the canards without basis in fact.
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
7:56 AM
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