PH’s 2016 Presidential Race Comes Into Focus

By: Joe Mauricio

 

With several months before the 2016 Philippine presidential election, once a fuzzy picture, is now gradually coming into focus. We now know several things with high degree of confidence, starting with party of the incumbent President Aquino–the Liberal Party.

The party endorses the former Philippine Interior SecretaryMar Roxas along with party-mate Rep. Leni Robredo, who is running for VP. The election is May 9, 2016, and Aquino’s six-year term ends in June.

Senator Grace Poe, who is the adopted daughter of former movie couple Susan Roces and Fernando Poe, Jr., filed her candidacy with political ally Senator Francis Escudero, who is running for VP.

The current Vice President, Jejomar Binay from the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), is also running for president and will campaign with Sen. Gregorio Honasan, running as his VP. Honasan, an ex-army officer, is best known for helping lead a number of failed coup attempts in 1980’s, mostly against Cory Aquino, Noynoy Aquino’s mother.

These are the wannabes for the presidential position who wish to grab a seat at the Philippine national government on May 9, 2016 national election. Some of the names are familiar and some are like mushrooms sprouting out of nowhere for the slice of pie of Philippine politics. This is the beauty of the Philippine democracy, anyone has the right to run for any elected office in position.

The collision is between two parties–Liberal Party of President Aquino and United Nationalist Alliance of VP Jejomar Binay; but the force to reckon with came with the entry of upcoming political duo of Senator Grace Poe and Senator Chiz Escudero as independent candidates for president and vice-president respectively. But Poe & Escudero tandem is being supported by the nation’s second largest political party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, founded by business mogul Danding Cojuangco.

How about Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and Senator Bongbong Marcos tandem? Are they for real? Or are they nuisance candidates?

Remember the two senators that destroyed VP Binay for corruption charges are also running for vice presidents–Senator Alan Cayetano and Senator Trillanes, without any presidential running-mate.

There are troubling signs for President Aquino… the incumbent president’s job ratings and the state of the economy. Since June 2015, no survey has given Aquino a higher approval rating. That’s a flashing warning sign for his would-be successor.

The economy’s performance over the next year will do more to shape public attitudes toward Aquino administration than will any other factor. In the recent months, leading business organizations have been scaling back their expectations for Philippine economy in 2016.

Among major international forecasters, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund put Philippine growth at 2.1%. All these groups see more risks on the downside than on the upside. If the projections are borne out, the prospect for the Philippines breaking the wage and household income stagnation of recent years is not bright. The poor Filipinos will remain poor regardless who will win the presidential election.

The Philippine election of 2016 is a popularity election that never addresses any issue that could help the country’s economy…all talks, no substance.

The country will confront the most ideologically polarized election since 1986, with similar results in electing actors and actresses for political seats in Congress and the country,

When is the Tiger of Asia going to roar?

Filipino voters, wake up and vote wisely in 2016 Philippine election!