Huffington Post: Who is this guy? Philippines President Elect – Mr. Vanilla of Manila
From: Huffington Post
With his penchant for badly fitting shirts, dorky hair style, and complete lack of personal charisma, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino appears the most unlikely person to win an election by a landslide. But with most of the votes counted, Mr Vanilla of Manila has galloped into Malacanang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines.
There were nine presidential contenders in this week’s general election and Noynoy seized close to 40% of the vote. In a country with over 7000 far flung islands, the call usually takes days, sometimes weeks, but with a new electronic voting system and such a handsome lead, it was clear 16 hours after the polls closed that Aquino was the winner.
Not that it all went smoothly. There was violence and murder and flaws in the new electronic voting system. One frustrated election worker was even seen bashing a voting machine with a broom handle.
But Noynoy was always the favorite. Hard not to be with two such substantial parents – his late father – the assassinated opposition senator Benigno Aquino jr., is a national hero. And who could forget his mother – ex President Corazon Aquino, elevated to virtual saint hood since her death last year?
Noynoy is the comfort candidate. In a country where crooks, charlatans, film stars, sportsmen and nut jobs routinely stand for, and get voted into office, Mr. Aquino represented a steady and secure vote. He campaigned heavily on anti corruption – “If there is no corruption, there is no poverty” is a rough translation of his election logo – and has promised to start prosecuting corrupt officials with weeks of his swearing in.
His anti poverty message reveals a liberal (for the Catholic Philippines) attitude towards family planning, which has been a tough and controversial topic for politicians to navigate. He believes in “responsible parenthood. As to how many, as to what method to utilize, we leave it up to the couple, who can best decide.” (The Catholic Church in the Philippines as elsewhere, has always believed it should control family planning).
Mr. Aquino says he will acknowledge the rights of homosexuals, another issue which will have him in conflict with the church. “Gays shouldn’t be discriminated against in terms of occupation and other aspects,” he has said, although he is “not prepared to support gay marriage.”
Mr Aquino will have to tackle the problem of developing a stable middle class, who have created the foundations for economic, political and social stability elsewhere in South East Asia. Keeping the educated, the population of under 30 year olds and the floods of other Filipino workers in the country, ably occupied and properly compensated for their labor has not been solved by any President. If Mr Aquino can tackle that problem and succeed, the millions of Filipinos who queued for hours this week to vote for him shall be well rewarded.
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reynz is one Uragon and a Filipino-American, has many years of public accounting & auditing, broadcast investments, housing tax credits and equity investments as his background. Based in the US, he maintains his personal and humor blog at reyna elena dot com. A graduate of Aquinas U, he went to GWU and Temple U in the United States.
Wish ko lang magawa mo yung sinabi ni Manny V. na gumawa ng sariling pangalan at hindi pangalan ni Mother and Father ang iyong sandigan. Good luck!
Noynoy Aquino has his own name. Mga anti-noynoy camp lang ang bitter to think that he hasn’t.
Whatever yaya!
hay! thank you. ngayon tatapusin ko na ang entry ko: “Why I will vote for Dick Gordon.”
ohmy reynz “whatever yaya” wala na tlga ibang masabi tong jasper na to. hay, some people tlga bitter to the end. nakakawrinkles yan ano.
he does have his own name. especially to the young who don’t even realize, and can’t give a rat’s ass, about his mom and pop.
the younger generation (read: everyone below age of 18-21) is the “gloria generation” as all they’ve known since half their lives was gloria gloria gloria is the norm… aquino’s campaign and message opened their eyes that corruption, expediency and political strife IS NOT the system, that it doesn’t have to be that way.
not even in office yet and he has already left a legacy.
Jasper, the original NEGA STAR
it is really a big relief. 12% man ang E-VAT, di nakakasama ng loob magbayad. Unlike before, after striving so hard for the family, abiding the law tapos I will file my monthly, quarterly, annual tax nakakapanghinayang because alam kong hindi naging fair ang gobyerno partikular si Arroyo at dahl alam kong yung binayad ko, kasama ng tax na binayad ng bawat Filipino, ay gagamitin lang sa isang marangyang dinner, pangsuhol kung kanikaninong pontio pilato at marami pang ibang imoral na gawain.
Sa mga susunod and next year, won’t be bitter anymore in filing and in paying taxes. I know I am in good hands.
Evat, oo nga. Dat is why I always insist na humingi ng resibo sa gas stasyon…na palaging mukhang ayaw mabigay ng resibo (lalo na dito sa amin…5 min bago ka bigyan)- 12% din yon…ano?
Maliit na tulong sa incoming Aquino administration: Ask for a resibo!
tama ang sinabi mo GCOL (di ko yata gusto ang tunog nang pangalan mo – gee-KOL sus!)
pero balik tayo sa resibo. oo! sa hayop na gasolinahan dito sa kanto namen, sinusulat ang resibo, minsan bibigyan ka BLANGKO!
huwag ninyong tanggapin ang blangkong resibo. dapat printer.
Noynoy as President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III is fondly called is different from the others that when he speaks of prosecuting errant public official, past and present, he has a political will to see it through. His commentary when he reportedly shamed Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona bespeaks of his iron will, though to some are unpopular, as I personally believed he had done what was right and proper under the circumstances. Repeated effort of several members of the the Supreme Court, most of whom were past President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s appointees to support the latter, needs to be examined from the point of their sworn duty to support whom, ex PGMA or the people of the Philippines. I am in a quandary why was it that instead of supporting correct prosecutive actions by the Secretary of Justice and the Chief Executive, there was obvious attempt to bar the same. I believe the Office of the President may in his sound belief and discretion, did not err when he criticized what seemed questionable actions of some of the Supreme Court Justices for perceived attempt at obstructing the effort to prosecute former PGMA, now a Pampanga representative, despite Judge Mupas of the Regional Trial Court (a lower court)finding ‘probable cause.’I believe that in disregarding the TRO issued by the SC, must be set aside after a case of ‘Electoral Sabotage,’a non- bailable offense was filed and a warrant of arrest was issued, unless sooner lifted or the case withdrawn against the former President.
Recent events unfurling before the very eyes of every Filipino or even international observers must be seriously focused to the impeachment being hurdled against Chief Justice Renato Corona for anti graft and corrupt practices act, betrayal of public trust via questionable decisions favoring the former President. These spring from a series of incidents touching on the issuance of SC TRO to stop the Secretary of Justice from implementing the WLO and the HDO over travel plans of former PGMA who faces ‘Electoral Sabotage’ case filed against her, thus the TRO was not abided by the Sec of Justice and pushed through with the filing of the case with Pasay City RTC 112, in the sala of Judge Jesus Mupas who earlier found probable cause. It then becomes obviously a battle between the Executive Department supported Legislative Body, the Lower and Upper House against PGMA supporter, the Chief Justice. It is to be expected that with the brewing impeachment complaint against the CJ, there exists option of a Judicial Review of the Legislative Body Decision on issue of unconstitutionality and may order dismissing whatever impeachment result of the Legislature. There is now a perceived constitutional crisis, it is therefore important for the non- intervention of the AFP and other Law Enforcement Office who may now be lured into supporting a destabilization plot against the existing government of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III which must be avoided but to be expected. That spells danger for the safety and security of all aspects of the Philippine society. God forbid.