Who would’ve guessed?

Today’s entry will be brief.

The scuttlebutt today is that Tessie Aquino-Oreta and Tito Sotto who’ve moved to the administration-allied Nationalist People’s Coalition, are poised to join the ranks of the administration’s senate slate. The next recruit just might be actor Richard Gomez. JB Baylon has an interesting column, incidentally, on what the public thinks might make for an effective administration slate.

Take a look at Jove Francisco’s report on how the administration tried some hard-sell to try to foster the impression it’s in cahoots with those forming an alternative slate.

Then ponder Manuel Buencamino’s argument that determining non-administration senate slates should bear a primordial priority in mind: Hitler first, Stalin later.

My Arab News column for this week is Edsa Dos: The Defining Issue.

The Inquirer editorial comments on the administration being found wanting in comparison to the South Koreans.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

33 thoughts on “Who would’ve guessed?

  1. Well, Tito Sotto’s and Tessie Oreta’s move should not have come as a surprise but it still did. Tito Guingona, who set into motion Erap’s impeachment was the very first to cross bridges. There were many others who did, prior to that. Oh.. the great Apo Ferdie went to become NP’s standard bearer after losing the LP endorsement, several years ago.. Ideology is almost nonexistent in Philippine politics nowadays.

  2. mlq, you’re mixing up the links to manuel b and jove’s blog. or are you just as confused as this political horse trading taking place?

  3. “A fax accordingly arrived in the Supreme Court at 11:26 a.m. on Saturday Jan. 20, 2001. An hour later, the vice president took her oath as, depending on how you recall that fateful event, acting or full and actual, president.”

    i believe this is what she said:

    “I accept the privilege and responsibility to act as president of the republic,”

    i remember because this famous line was included in one AM radio commercial a few weeks after edsa dos.

  4. so what else is new? tito “the I accused erap” guingona & sons are now firmly in the camp of erap. so is loren “the crying lady” legarda, so is nene “i resign as senate president” pimentel, so is manny “the hero of impeachement” and many balimbings. tito sotto & tita “balato queen” oreta are being eased out by escudero & cayetano. these are their just reward for sticking it out with erap. now they are joining NPC of danding cojuangco. ninoy aquino must be turning in his grave with dissapointment.

  5. WE SHOULD NOT Vote for these people …

    MGA OPPURTUNISTA !!! WE NEED A NEW BREED OF
    POLITICIANS, THOUGH THEIR YOUNG – THEY HAVE THE
    MAKINGS OF A “TRAPO”

    1. MIKE DEFENSOR
    2. KIKO PANGILINAN
    3. MIGUEL ZUBIRI

  6. There is no such thing as a strong party system in Philippines Politics, where individuals joined based on their ideologies, beliefs, programs of governance, or even to the extremes, their biases and prejudices, but just personal interest and agendas.

    For 12 long year we (the conservatives) were in the opposition and before that our party was totally decimated, winning only two seats out of 308 and was in the Brink of becoming irrelevant, but the party members (including yours truly) stuck it out thru the lean and frustrating years and for a year now, (today we are celebrating a year in minority government) we are back, and getting ready for the next election that may come as early as spring. Just got a message that we are having candidates nomination next month. All the years, very few candidates or members of the house jump from one party to another as a matter of principles. Losing nominees don’t jump to another party or run as independent, but instead campaign for the winning nominee.

    In the case of Oreta and Sotto, the administration line up is weak and what we have here are two opportunists, who know where the “ mullah” is. Until then, we will be seeing same same old results and kind of governance and it may even get worse..

  7. since they can’t all fit the UNO slate. they might as well run in another ticket, the administration’s even. Sotto and Oreta can run n Gloria’s ticket anyway they will bot for her impeachment when the time comes, if they win

  8. i think there’s a good chance na boboto si sotto at oreta for impeachment kung manalo sila. kung pwedeng maging trojan horse ang third force ng wednesday group, pwedeng maging trojan horse rin sila sotto, oreta at tatad sa adminstration, LMAO!

  9. the trick here is for the traditionl opposition (erap, binay, etc.) to always keep in contact with sotto oreta and tatad even if they’re already running under the administration slate.

    always keep in contact, never burn bridges so when the time comes, they can easily be convinced to vote for arroyo’s impeachment.

  10. another important tip for the UNO to remember is NOT to go hard on oreta sotto and tatad during the campaign. only attack those who are clearly allied with the admin like mike defensor, crocodile tears zubiri and other GMA toadies.

  11. I guess Gloria Arroyo’s senatorial slate will end up with trojan horses and horses’ asses.

  12. ninoy aquino must be turning in his grave with disapointment

    Ninoy was smart enough to know politics en da Pilipeeens.

  13. The JOKERS of this campaign are: TATAD, SOTTO, ORETA, RECTO, PANGILINAN & VILLAR.

    Most do not want an Opposition that will be comprised of recycled TRAPOS. UNO listened to the voice of the people. Those who refused to listen, went to their corner, cried, & into to the arms of their Dirty Mama, GLUERIA ! What UNO did was to EXclude the likes of Tatad, Sotto, Oreta, & Honasan. UNO threw out their BASURAS. Why all the sour graping coming from Tatad, Sotto & Oreta ? UNO just recycled their trash, & placed them where they belong – to Dirty Mama, GLUERIA !

    We must not forget CHAVIT SINGSON as part of the slate.
    Ah, nothing like a “winnable” ticket for the Administration !

  14. PACQUIAO :
    WE SHOULD NOT Vote for these people …

    MGA OPPURTUNISTA !!! WE NEED A NEW BREED OF
    POLITICIANS, THOUGH THEIR YOUNG – THEY HAVE THE
    MAKINGS OF A “TRAPO”

    1. MIKE DEFENSOR
    2. KIKO PANGILINAN
    3. MIGUEL ZUBIRI

    January 24th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
    =====================================================

    And Chiz Escudero, Coco Pimentel, Allan peter Cayetano, JV Ejercito… is not ????????? Oh Pleeeeeeaaaaassssse!!!!

  15. so you see…senatorial election is but a political travesty.

    unicameral anyone?

    no more hair splitting..less political burden to us all.

  16. This is just too much fodder for us bloggers to contend with… I’ll be typing until I’m 100 y/o… everyday, a new announcement. Everyday a new horse in the running.. and at the end of the day, the same old politicians being voted in, and the same old politicians at the helm. Does it really matter that there is new blood, when the mind who controls the head is one and the same?

  17. oh, i’m just curious how admin supporters will explain away this one. – mlq3 at January 24th, 2007 at 11:15 pm

    so you see…senatorial election is but a political travesty. unicameral anyone? – James at January 25th, 2007 at 8:29 am

    I guess that answers that.

  18. Mlq3,

    On the defining issue of EDSA Dos,

    The period 2000 to 2001 was the turn of the millennium. The nation was gripped by the Erap scandals. The spirit of divisiveness had possessed the Filipino people, un-sparingly, cutting across our society, that even a ‘political schism’ in the church was scandalously laid bare by clergies squaring off on prime-time media; parishioners walking out on anti-Erap sermons; members split apart emotionally polarized – the angry righteous and the hurt downtrodden.

    In what ‘state of heart’ was nation at the turn of the millennium?

    Isn’t the social apathy we now lament a manifestation of an in-dwelling that entered into the Filipino soul at that moment of choosing that was EDSA Dos?

    We escape into politicalizing the context because we dare not un-cover the realities behind our choices.

    Un-cover our minds of politics – finger pointing others — to see clearly that the defining issue is ‘you’ – us.

    EDSA Dos is better defined not apart from its sequel, EDSA Tres, in the aftermath of which Bishop Bacani, author of Church in Politics, said sadly, “There’s been a failure of evangelization.” There lies our failure – and our hope.

  19. oh, i’m just curious how admin supporters will explain away this one.

    oh, they’d probably parrot Mike “The Bullshitter” Defensor’s line and say that this is a “reconciliation” move.

  20. the admin is waiting for UNO to self destruct and it seems that this early it is breaking up. tatad is right. if UNO wants to retain its so called moral ascendancy over the admin, it should not allow this “Kamaganak Inc.” (shades of tita cory) to tarnished their slate. sotto & oreta joining the admin will be a joke since the admin will not allows certified vipers to its fold. kawawa naman sila hindi kasali…

  21. In what ‘state of heart’ was nation at the turn of the millennium? – jm

    JM, i largely agree with your analysis. From what i remember, the middle forces were angry at Erap for bringing back crony capitalism and they largely blamed the masa for electing Erap. After EDSA Dos, the middle was in a ‘righteous’ mood, determined to bring back good government.

    The masa resented the middle for deposing their President and things came to a head with Erap’s humiliating arrest, which triggered EDSA Tres. EDSA Tres and the specter of Erap’s return struck fear into the middle forces so the original agenda for good government took a back seat to the agenda of survival at all costs.

    I believe that State of Heart (fear, distrust, resentment between classes) which existed as of May 2001 persists up to today. Hello Garci, social apathy and the Cha-Cha steamroller are all offshoots of this condition. Our own version of the cold war.

  22. It’s good that Sotto, Oreta, and Gomez are likely to be in the Admin Senate slate.

    I’m not planning to vote for them anyway.

  23. Mlq3, cvj,

    EDSA Dos — the state of the nation’s heart at the turn of the millennium.

    Was EDSA Dos the defining event that determined the state of the nation’s heart at the turn of the millennium?

    How profoundly significant was the advent of the new millennium?

    How crucially pivotal was EDSA Dos in our nation’s history?

  24. JM, when Chinese Premier Chou En Lai was asked to assess the consequences of the French Revolution, he supposedly replied that it was “too soon to tell”. I would have to give a similar response. I believe EDSA Dos was a pivotal event, but as far as being a defining event for the millenium, it’s hard to say. The contingent and reflexive nature of society means that it is continuously defining and redefining itself.

    Nonetheless, just like the others, i’m proud to have been a participant in EDSA Dos in the same way that those who were in EDSA Tres should be proud of their participation. Much needs to be done to protect the legacy and fulfill the ideals of both EDSAs.

  25. VOTE FOR THE OPPOSITION – JUST FOR HER OUSTER !!!!

    PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ……… FILIPINO UNITE

    AND OUST THIS FAKE PRESIDENT !!!

  26. Jose Luis Alcuaz”Linggoy” is most qualilified person to run for senator. He is very brave man. He is not afraid to fight to anybody as long he is right And the most important he is not a corrupt public official.Let’s try Linggoy Alcuaz to run for senate.

  27. Jose Luis Alcuaz”Linggoy” is most qualilified person to run for senator. He is very brave man. He is not afraid to fight to anybody as long he is right And the most important he is not a corrupt public official.Let’s try Linggoy Alcuaz to run for senate.

  28. alam na naman natin na halos lahat ng politiko mapagsamantala. from mayor hanggang dun sa luklukan ng lilliput sa tabi ng ilog pasig… ang nunal na tinubuan ng mukha…

  29. Yes, why not Linggoy Alcuaz, rather than same recycled boring opportunistic trapos, like Pangilinan, Sotto, Oreta and the likes.

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