in that corner

A recent survey by Pulse Asia showed the following top contenders for the not-so-distant 2010 Philippine presidential elections, ranked according to popularity:

1. Vice president Noli de Castro

(A former newscaster and a testament of how powerful media is.)

2. Former President Joseph Estrada

(This, after all that drama during the Senate hearings, the walkout from the Senate to people power in EDSA all over again, to the court hearings, conviction, sentencing and house arrest, to the incredibly swift pardon which was not even preceded by an apology or acceptance of culpability for plundering the nation. Is this really coming from the Filipino which Ninoy said is worth dying for?)

3. Senator Manny Villar

(This ranking was before Villar lost his position as Senate President just a couple of days ago.)

4. Senator Chit Escudero

(Everybody tells me he's very presidentiable. Except for one thing. He wanted the late FPJ to be president in the last election. Big question mark in the judgment category.)

5. Senator Loren Legarda

(Very intelligent and articulate but when she speaks, she drips cold-blooded-politician from every pore. Chilling.)

6. Senator Panfilo Lacson

7. Senator Mar Roxas

8. Mayor Jejomar Binay

(He actually likens himself to Obama because they have the same color. The nerve.)

9. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando

(I like the radical things I've been hearing about this guy. But he's ranked so low, and maybe the rest of LuzViMin has never heard of him, that I don't know if he can rise to number one.)

10. Televangelist Eddie Villanueva

(Oh, please. Not again.)

That list is of the top ten overall for the whole country.


* Breakdown by geography is interesting.

MetroManila top four: Escudero, Villar, Estrada, Lacson

Luzon top three: De Castro, Estrada, Villar

Visayas top three: De Castro, Legarda, Villar

Mindanao: Estrada by a wide margin


* Notice the breakdown by social class:

Classes A, B, C : Villar, Escudero

Class D (most numerous): de Castro

Class E: Estrada


In a television interview, Estrada said that if the opposition does not unite, he will have no other choice but be forced to run in 2010. He truly, madly and deeply believes that he, being heaven's gift to the Philippines as it is, will be doing our country a big favor.