Why Vote For Rico Puno, Victor Wood, Among Other Clowns?
"They know enough who know how to learn" HENRY ADAMS
How dare some people underestimate the showbiz entertainers and other celebrities now running for senator and other elective positions in the May 14 elections.
As long as there is no law that prohibits these celluloid movie and entertainment personalities from filing their certificates of candidacy (COC), it’s none of our business if they aspire for public office and present themselves to the electorate in a fair and honest election.
After all, it is not the first time that clowns and other misfits have won elective posts and served (dismally) the public. And people are already used to this kind of set-up however weird, to say the least. In fact, they are not complaining, they are enjoying the circus.
If they didn’t like certain candidates from showbiz and entertainment (this include sports) world, they may just any way reject them in the polling precincts. No hard feelings.
Not all adoring fans though have succeeded in catapulting their showbiz and basketball idols to public office. If Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revillia, Lito Lapid, Tito Sotto, and Robert Jaworski were lucky in the past, some of their fellows were also sent to their proper places in a loud thud.
In the forthcoming elections, don’t be surprised if the likes of Richard Gomez, Rico Puno (he was once charged with acts of lasciviousness by a guest relations officer, for those who still don’t know it yet). Victor Wood (I heard he filed his candidacy under the Marcos KBL party) might make it in the top 12 ahead of the more illustrious candidates.
Given the dismal state our electoral system has sunk into, it is not even far-fetched for these run-in-the-mill singer-cum-politicians to land in the top 5, if I may add insult to the intelligence, or the lack of it, of some of today’s qualified voters.
Actually, a vote for these charlatans is equivalent to a protest vote for those who abhor showbiztocracy. And since the administration failed last year to dismantle the Upper House (Senate) and shift to a parliamentary system of government via con-ass, we might as well fill up the Upper Chamber with showbiz and sports alphabet names that will assume their roles in the whole charade.
It was in the coffee lounge of the Senate many years ago where I first heard then Senator Francisco "Kit" Tatad grumble and frown over the "defects of the electoral system." Tatad rued that if the "defective electoral process" is not remedied soon (read: change the law on qualifications for aspirants in public office), even comedians and bloodsuckers will someday aspire for the presidency of the Senate and speakership of the House.
Tatad was and is correct. He reiterated his frustration in his recent well-publicized letter to former Pres. Erap Estrada.
Republic of Durian
And since we are still very much in this squalid system with no immediate change in sight until probably 2010, why don’t we try this time voting for Victor Wood, Richard Gomez, Rico Puno, Cesar Montano and other screen heartthrobs? (If voters in his congressional district sent Manny Pacquiao to the House of the Representatives, then why not box your way to the legislative or executive department of the government?) If our honorable national officials can’t stop ‘em, they might as well join ‘em. (If this happened, that is the time when the Republic of the Philippines is transformed to the Republic of Durian, objectionable to the nose, yet tasteful to the mouth. Do elect showbiz people, boxers, and other sports personalities so that we deserve to belong to the Republic of Durian.) (By Alex P. Vidal) /MP
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