Manny's biggest fight

Source: SPORTING CHANCE By Joaquin Henson (The Philippine Star)

ARLINGTON – Now that Joshua Clottey is history, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will begin his campaign for the congressional seat in Saranggani province as soon as he returns home this Monday.

There’s one more foreign commitment tying Pacquiao down before he hits the campaign trail. He’s performing in a concert at the Waikiki Shell in Hawaii on Sunday. His fee is $100,000 for an appearance of at least 35 minutes – a paltry sum compared to the $12 million guarantee that Top Rank chairman Bob Arum reportedly promised for the Clottey fight.

After the elections, Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said the plan is to bring the concert tour to Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver sometime in June.

It will be Pacquiao’s second attempt to land a seat in Congress. In 2007, he battled incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio for the right to represent the first district of South Cotabato and General Santos City. Pacquiao lost by a knockout of about 30,000 votes. There is no question that the Filipino people worship Pacquiao as a fighter and ring icon but as a politician, it appears that he has a long way to go.

Custodio has served her third and last term but Pacquiao decided to run in Sarangani where his sole opponent is Roy Chiongbian. In the one-on-one fight, Pacquiao is the underdog but that’s a role he’s familiar with. Nobody gave Pacquiao a chance to beat Marco Antonio Barrera in their first meeting or Lehlo Ledwaba or Oscar de la Hoya but he wiped them all out. Chiongbian’s brother Edwin was congressman for the last three terms. Chiongbian’s late father James was a congressman and mother Priscilla a governor. Reelectionist Gov. Miguel Dominguez is supporting Chiongbian.

Six candidates are bidding to replace Custodio and one of them, Franklin (Jeng) Gacal, is Pacquiao’s legal counsel. Another is former General Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon.

Pacquiao was advised by close allies, including former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, to run for Congress as a party list candidate instead. He wouldn’t spend as much and a vote of about 300,000 should be enough to clinch a seat. Pacquiao could lead a party list of well-known athletes whose cause would be sports-oriented. As a party list representative, Pacquiao would enjoy the same privileges as a regularly elected congressman. But in the end, he decided to go for the Sarangani seat, presumably because his plan is to focus on the specific district he hopes to champion.

It will be an uphill struggle for Pacquiao because the Chiongbians, Dominguezes and Alcantaras are the clans that engineered the move to recognize Sarangani as a separate province. The three families built the province into what it is today and still control its politics.

Pacquiao, however, is unfazed. Koncz said he has learned his lessons from the 2007 defeat and won’t make the same mistakes. Surely, Pacquiao is now more widely known as a man who sincerely hopes to uplift the living standards of the people in the province he has chosen to represent.

Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times quoted Pacquiao as saying “he wants to assist his countrymen as they struggle with weak education, health care and poverty as he did in his youth (and) that political office is his best chance to do so.”

If not elected, Pacquiao said, “In the eyes of God, I’m at peace – I know I’ve tried to help.”

Koncz said Pacquiao will be back on home soil on Monday, ready to barnstorm Sarangani. Someone once said Pacquiao dreams of being introduced for a fight by Michael Buffer as not only “the pride of the Philippines” but also “the fighting congressman from Sarangani.”

Koncz said if Pacquiao beats Chiongbian, it won’t mean an end to his boxing career. “It will only probably cut back his fight schedule from three fights a year to one or two,” he noted.

* * * *

Make no mistake about it, Clottey attempted to employ foul tactics during his fight against Pacquiao last weekend. But referee Rafael Ramos, warned by media to watch for Clottey’s tricks, made sure nothing untoward happened.

Clottey deliberately tried to step on Pacquiao’s foot in the early rounds as a way to stop the Filipino from moving. When Pacquiao’s corner howled in protest, Clottey backed off. If the stepping was accidental, Clottey wouldn’t have probed with his foot where Pacquiao’s foot was before pinning it down. The intent was clearly malicious.

Clottey also threw some low blows, one of which infuriated Pacquiao into retaliating and getting a warning in the process from Ramos. The Ghanaian elbowed Pacquiao in the back, locked his head with an arm then hit with his free hand and occasionally pawed to lace him. Clottey butted twice but luckily, Pacquiao was too shifty to get hit squarely. Writer Gareth Davies said, “Clottey has a record for landing low blows, holding and notably, head-butting. Pacquiao did struggle with unorthodox, awkward fighters earlier in his career. Last year, the Ghanaian left Miguel Cotto with a cut, which required 20 stitches to close as the result of a head-butt. There are theories that the most dangerous weapon in Clottey’s arsenal is his head and while Freddie Roach has already been vocal against it, Pacquiao must remain conscious of it when they are working on the inside.”

Ramos wasn’t the only man who clipped Clottey’s dirty wings. Pacquiao did more than his share by avoiding what could’ve been sticky situations.

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3 men kill boy for P500 phone

Source: By Jovy T. Gerodias (www.sunstar.com.ph)

FOR a cell phone worth P500, a 14-year-old boy who was out on an errand was shot and killed in a robbery in Horseshoe Hills, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City yesterday morning.

Three men on a motorcycle robbed Carlo Sacedon Mangit-ngit, a second-year high school student who also served as an altar boy of the Alliance of Two Hearts in Banawa, Guadalupe. He died of a gunshot wound at the back of his head past 4 p.m. at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Mangitngit was walking at 8 a.m. to a vegetable stall, along with an eight-year-old companion, when the robbers struck, said Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes of the Theft and Robbery Section.

Investigators learned he was tinkering with his Nokia 3310, using a stick from a broom to tap a text message, when the black XRM Honda motorcycle boarded by three men passed by.

“Gubaon man daw to iyang cell phone. Iya lang daw tong tuslok-tuslokon aron makatext (His cell phone was falling apart. He had to tap the keys with a stick to send a text message),” Bastes said.

Shortly after Mangitngit put his cellular phone in his pocket, the robbers turned back, stopped in front of Mangitngit and declared the holdup.

The suspects all wore helmets and black jackets, and covered their faces with T-shirts.

They probably thought the boy was using an expensive touch screen phone, Bastes said.

When Mangitngit tried to run away, one of the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. Mangitngit took a bullet in the head.

With the phone in their hands, the robbers fled.

One of Mangitngit’s relatives, interviewed over radio DyAB yesterday, said the phone was given to the boy by his brother last January.

The relative, who declined to be named, said Mangitngit was a responsible boy who went home straight from school and during Sundays, served as an altar boy at the Alliance of Two Hearts.

Rammy Cabonelas, the victim’s neighbor, said the suspects passed by the area thrice before the attack.

Bastes led a team of TRS operatives in searching for the suspects.

As of 8 last night, two men were picked up for questioning. Bastes said his team will not stop the operation, until they got hold of the suspects.

Guadalupe Barangay Councilor Dino Faelnar, committee chairman for social services, said he will check on the family to determine how local officials can help.

He urged the police to step up their effort in solving the attack on Mangitngit.

He said the tanods conduct regular patrols in the barangay, including Banawa and V. Rama. He, however, said the tanods can only do so much in crime prevention but have no idea which part of the barangay is vulnerable at any given time.

Gang

Hours before the attack, a jeepney driver was stabbed by a group of suspected gang members past 10 p.m. last Saturday.

The incident also happened in Barangay Guadalupe, at the corner of V. Rama and M. Velez Sts.

Fortunato F. Ibon Jr., 28, told Homicide Section investigators he and his friend Elmond Lazaga were aboard a jeepney, clinging to the rear portion of vehicle.

At the intersection of V. Rama and M. Velez, the jeepney stopped for a red light and about 10 gang members approached the jeepney. One of the suspects, identified only as Topak, attempted to stop Lazaga.

Ibon reportedly intervened, and that’s when Topak stabbed him many times. He was taken to Chong Hua Hospital.

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Top bets for president grow wealth despite poll expenses

Source: MALOU MANGAHAS, PCIJ

A billionaire and four other millionaires lead the pack of those who want to serve as the15th president of the Philippines, all invariably swearing by an anti-poverty platform, and with some purposely harking on their poverty roots to spin and curry favor with majority of voters who are poor.

The costs and benefits of running and serving as president are a skewed equation. Various election and policy experts say that to run a decent campaign and win, a presidential candidate might have to fork out sums running from P2 billion to P6 billion (as Sen. Manuel Villar famously said, "If you can't even raise one billion pesos, why even run?").

And yet the new president, if he keeps honest, would earn only P60,000 a month or at most P4.68 million in six years, before tax. The total six-year income for the new president would add up to just P3.18 million, after tax.

It is a matter of public wonderment, or cynical speculation, why these candidates are committing what appears to be financial suicide by deciding to spend so much money for so little in lawful income they could receive once in office.

But the PCIJ’s database of the statements of assets and liabilities and net worth (SALNs) filed by the five presidential candidates who have served in public office point to a bigger mystery: Rather than slipping into poverty because of fortunes they might have lost in elections, these candidates in fact managed to grow their wealth and net worth by small to phenomenal amounts over the years.

And the biggest mystery of all: The spike in these candidates’ declared net worth typically came after an election year – while they were serving in office and should not have benefited from other business or financial transactions. Too, the spike in their net worth even defied the slump in the local and global economy because of the financial crisis that visited in 1997 and again in 2008.

Indeed, the PCIJ’s extensive inquiry into the wealth of Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, Jose Marcelo Ejercito (Joseph Estrada), Richard Juico Gordon, Gilberto Cojuangco Teodoro Jr., and Manuel Bamba Villar Jr. yielded curious results.

By all indications, costly election campaigns had not made a serious dent in the personal wealth of these candidates.

For sure, their declarations suggest a tendency by some for token compliance with the law on SALNs, a requirement for good governance for those who will serve as President. They submitted only minimal data on their assets and stocks, some reported the same amounts to the last centavo for years, or did not disclose other assets and business and financial interests in their name or that of their spouse and family members that are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A separate set of reports on campaign spending and contributions they filed with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed a consistent tendency by these candidates to understate their campaign expenses and shield the identities of their major campaign donors.

Net worth

According to their SALNs, the five candidates for president all belong to the country’s affluent minority, and have built their wealth on real estate, stocks, and inherited assets.

Aquino (member of House of Representatives, 1998-2005, senator since 2007) started with a net worth of P8.42 million in 1998, grew his wealth to P11.98 million in 2002, raised it further to P13.47 million in 2005, and ended 2007 with P13.94 million.

Estrada (movie actor, mayor of San Juan in Metro Manila 1968-88, vice president 1992-98, president 1998-January 2001) reported a net worth of P1.18 million in 1985, grew this to P3.82 million in 1992, and filed his last SALN in 1999 before his ouster from Malacanang at P35.86 million.

A PCIJ investigation in 2000 showed that Estrada, his spouses, and children were listed as board members and beneficial owners of 66 corporations, mostly formed after he became vice president, including a dozen established during his 18-month stint as president. The recorded assets of 14 companies alone total more than P600 million as of the year 2000.

In addition, since 1998, individuals or companies appearing to be fronting for Estrada or his family members acquired 17 properties in swanky subdivisions in Metro Manila, Tagaytay City and Baguio City. According to official zonal values and PCIJ’s estimates, these properties added up to about P2 billion by 2000.

Gordon (mayor of Olongapo City 1992-95, 1998-99 and 2004-07, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority administrator 1995-98, tourism secretary 2001-03, and senator since 2004) started with a net worth of P8.3 million in 1992, grew it to P11.87 million in 1995, P22.38 million in 2002, P24.92 million in 2005, and ended it at P26.52 million in 2007.

Teodoro (member of the House of Representatives 1998-2006, staff in the Office of the President in 2007, and defense secretary from 2008 to 2009) started with a net worth of P80.17 million in 1998, slid to P75.54 million in 2002, did not file in 2003, grew it to P102.62 million in 2005, and closed it at P232.43 million in 2008 owing to a surge in the value of real estate “inheritance" in Sampaloc, Manila. In 1998, Teodoro reported having “interest in 11 lots" in Sampaloc, Manila.

Villar (member of the House of Representatives 1992-96, 1998-2003, and senator since 2004) started with a net worth of P75.43 million in 1992, grew it to PP310.92 million in 1996, P481.5 million in 2002, P750.82 million in 2005, and closed it at P1.05 billion in 2008.

Real assets

By the declarations in their SALNs, all five candidates for president own several big pieces of real estate and landholdings.

Aquino reported owning shares of stocks in the Cojuangco family-owned Hacienda Luisita that he said were worth an unchanging P718,430 from June 1998 to June 2007, but which rose in value to P761,144 in December 2007.

While former president Estrada's son, reelectionist Senator Jose ‘Jinggoy’ Estrada, reported owning 12 real properties (a house and lot, four residential lots, a farmlot, a townhouse, and five condominium units) over the years, Joseph Estrada himself has divulged few details about his real property assets. The vast real estate holdings of Estrada had to be uncovered by the PCIJ in 2000.

Gordon was the most detailed about the type, value, and nature of his real property holdings. In his SALNs he reported that these were worth P6.89 million in 1992, rose to P12.40 million in 1995, P34.2 million in 2002, P35.52 million in 2006, and ended at P45.43 million in 2007.

In 1998, Teodoro declared three real properties: a condominium unit in Makati that he said he purchased for P30 million, a residential house in Makati that he said he built for P10 million, and “interest in 11 lots" in Sampaloc, Manila that he valued at P14 million. His total real assets as of 1998 was P54 million.

Until 2004 or for six years’ running, Teodoro enrolled the same unchanged values for his real assets in his SALNs. But in 2005, he upped the values of the same three real properties thus: Makati condominium, P32.5 million; “interest in real estate" in Sampaloc, Manila, P26 million; Makati residential lot, P25 million, for a total of P83.5 million.

In 2007, his arithmetic failed. Teodoro enrolled a wrong total for the value of the same real assets at P100.97 million, even as he reported only the following details: Makati condominium, P32.5 million; interest in real estate in Sampaloc, Manila, P26 million; Makati residential lot, P25 million. Based on only these assets, the correct total should still have been just P83.5 million.

A big surprise came in 2008, when Teodoro suddenly racked up the values of the same three real properties, albeit with still an erroneous total value. He reported this time that his Makati condominum unit was worth P39.98 million; interest in real estate in Sampaloc, Manila, P125.74 million; and the Makati residential lot, still P25 million. Teodoro’s SALN in 2008 reported a total value of the assets at P205.04 million, when the right sum should have been only P190.72 million.

Villar disclosed the following real assets in his SALNs from 1992 to 1995: residential property in BFRV Las Pinas that he said he “purchased" for P2.8 million, residential property in BF Vista Grande purchased for P115,000; residential property in BF International, Las Pinas, purchased for P65,000; residential property in Putatan, Muntinlupa, purchased for P521,370; residential property in San Nicolas, Cavite purchased for P412,360; and residential property on Naga Road in Las Pinas purchased for P800,000.

The total value of these six declared real assets of Villar as of December 1995 add up to just P4,713,730. In 1996, however,Villar stopped listing his properties and instead reported that these were worth only P4.09 million.

From June 1998 to December 2001, Villar enrolled the same unchanged value for his real properties, minus the details: P4.59 million.

From June 2004 to June 2007, Villar did not report any amount for the real assets he owned. In December 2007, he resumed reporting his real assets, this time with a bigger value of P19.52 million. He reported the same unchanged amount as the value of his real assets in December 2008.

Villar did not list among his real assets the vast residential estate on Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City of the late senator Salvador ‘Doy’ Laurel, the last of the Laurels to preside over the Nacionalista Party.

According to Villar’s staff themselves, the house, which now serves as NP headquarters, was acquired by Villar at about the same time that he inherited the mantle of the NP from Laurel in 2003.

Cars, cash, stocks

In terms of other properties, stocks top the list for most of the five candidates. In addition, they reported variably small to fabulous amounts of cars, jewelry, books, and art works that they own.

Aquino reported only in December 2007 that he had jewelry worth P300,000. It was only in 2001 that he declared owning a car worth P850,000. In 2004, his motor vehicles assets grew to P2.05 million, rose to P.5.05 million in June 2007, and slid to P3.95 million in December 2007 because he said he “acquired (a) 650I Coupe for P4.8 million" but sold his Isuzu Trooper for P850,000.

Aquino reported that his stock investments’ value was static at P5.05 million from June 1998 to December 2002, slid to P4.96 million the next year, grew again in June 2007 when he reported “money market placements" of P2 million, on top of his stock portfolio of P4.75 million.

Aquino’s “cash on hand and in bank" declarations showed very little progress. In June 1998, he declared having cash on hand worth P523,918 and cash in bank of P1,838,150. Six months later, he grew these amounts to P823,918 and P2,147.996, respectively.

Curiously, his cash on hand stood at the same amount of P823,918 until June 2007, even as his cash in bank peaked at P6,149,408 in December 2004, before dipping again to P2,910,827 in June 2007. Aquino reported in December 2007 that he had “receivables" of P323,918, cash on hand and in bank of P2,910,163, including P400,000 worth of “firearms."

Gordon reported owning jewelry worth P200,000 in 1998, and grew this to P500,000 by December 2007, apart from P555,000 more in appliances and home furnishings. Like Aquino, he did not report any value for his books.

The various motor vehicles that Gordon declared he owned from 1992 to 2007 fluctuated in value from P2.38 million at the start, rose to P4.35 million in 1997, slid to P1.77 million in 2001, and further down to P839,000, and finally P120,000 in 2007, apparently because of imputed depreciation costs.

In 2007, Gordon said his motor vehicles had risen to P1.32 million, the combined value of a 1987 Mustang that he bought in 1992 and a 2005 Fortuner.

same roller-coaster swing marked Gordon’s cash on hand values: From P1.02 million in 1992, these dipped to P655,000 in 1994, climbed to P1.8 million in 1995, dipped again to P725,000 in 1997, soared again to P4.9 million in 2000, slipped again to P1.02 million in 2003, and closed 2007 at P1.32 million.

The stock investments Gordon declared tracked an up-down movement. He began with only P52,768 in 1992 (he said these were stocks in Philex Mining, First Philippine Holdings, Atlas, and San Miguel Corp.). This swelled to P2.65 million in December 1995, and jumped to P5.77 million in December 1999. He reported the unchanged value for his stocks portfolio in the next six years or until December 2005. In 2006 and 2007, Gordon said his stocks had thinned slightly to P5.77 million.

Most transparent

Of the five candidates, Gordon is the most detailed and forthcoming in his SALN declarations.

He has disclosed over the years that his stock investments include the following:

STOCKS YEAR ACQUIRED PESO VALUE

Philex Mining Corp 1973 P36,652
First Phil Holdings, Inc 1973 P8,778
Atlas Consolidated Mining Co. 1973 P3,543
San Miguel Corp. 1973-1999 P910,139
Lepanto Consolidated (P34.00 per share)
Central Azucarera de Don Pedro P405,000
Jollibee Foods Corp. P2, 659,604
Aboitiz Equity Ventures P31,200
Pilipino Telephone Corp P1,014,000
Petron Corp P23,000
Meralco P116,250
Filinvest P371, 250
C & P Homes P111, 250
Kepphil Shipyard, Inc. P75, 978


Teodoro, meanwhile, owned the biggest amount of jewelry, staring with P10 million in 1992 and closing at P11.9 million in 2008.

The value of motor vehicles he owned charted a rise-fall path: from P3 million (same amount from 1992 to 2003), it tripled to P10.35 million in 2003, dipped by half to P4.3 million in 2005, quadrupled to P17.47 million in 2007, and rose further to P19.55 million in 2008.

Just as strange is the sudden surge in Teodoro’s stocks portfolio since 2007. In 1998, he first declared owning stocks valued at P5.20 million. He enrolled the same amount, to the last centavo, in the next seven years, or until 2005. He did not submit his SALN in 2003, however.

In 2007, though, Teodoro’s SALNs enrolled a bigger entry for “stocks (equity paid)" of P11.85 million. The next year, 2008, this grew further to P11.93 million.

Teodoro’s SALNs seem to repeat the same values year after year. His “cash on hand and in bank" stood at the same amount of P7,961,731.82 in 1998 and 1999; and P8,946,268 in 2000 and July 2001.

The amount increased slightly to P9.9 million in 2002, but dipped sharply to P5.76 million in 2004, and on to P5.36 million in 2005. Curiously, again in 2007, Teodoro’s cash pile doubled to P10.06 million, before sliding back to P8.5 million in 2008.
Stingy with data

Villar, the wealthiest of the five candidates, is the stingiest with details offered in his SALNs.

For instance, In June 1992, he offered a general entry of P200.8 million to represent the value of his stocks, and P715.9 million, “other assets."

In 1993, he reported having “cash on hand and in bank" of P134 million, and in 1994, P153.8 million.

The Villars are known to have a number of family-owned corporations in the real estate sector, including Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. that raised several billion pesos at its initial public offering in 2007.

Villar, however, does not list Vista Land in his SALNs among his business and financial interests. What he disclosed are shares in companies with controlling interests in Vista Land, notably Fine Properties, Inc. (since 1982) and Adelfa Properties (since 1986).

Villar has also declared his interests in M.B.Villar Co. Inc. (since 1989), Macys, Inc. (since 1989), Mooncrest Property Development, Inc. (since 1991), and C&P Homes (since 1994).

Fine Properties and Adelfa Properties are majority shareholders of Vista Land that counts Villar’s sons Manuel Paolo Aguilar Villar, 34, and Mark Aguilar Villar, 32, among seven board directors. Manuel Paolo is also treasurer of Vista Land.

A huge, publicly listed homebuilder, Vista Land had posted a core net income of P3.015 billion for 2008, up by 42 percent from previous year's P2.123 billion. In disclosure reports to the stock exchange, Vista Land reported revenues from real estate sales of P10.436 billion in 2008 or 27 percent more than the P8.224 billion it earned in 2007.

By 2008, the firm’s total consolidated assets stood at P52.252 billion, up from P44.44 billion in 2007. - GMANEWS.TV

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They're off and running

Source: By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The race is on for presidential candidates beginning today, after months of unofficial free-for-all.

The frontrunner, Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, kicks off his campaign in his home province of Tarlac, at his family’s old house in Concepcion.

He and his running mate Sen. Manuel Roxas II, as well as LP senatorial candidates, will hold a motorcade to the Aquino Museum and then to the municipalities of Bamban, Capas and Tarlac City.

The Nacionalista Party led by its standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. kicks off its “90-day journey to a better Philippines” in Calamba, Laguna, the birthplace of national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, with visits to public markets.

“We chose to launch our good fight in Rizal’s birthplace, Laguna, because the cradle of heroes is always the best springboard of change,” the NP said in a statement.

The NP expects to mobilize a mammoth rally today in Calamba.

“We would like to unveil our vision for the nation in the birthplace of the man who told us and showed us how to love it,” the NP said.

The NP said it chose Laguna “not because it is our bailiwick but because we believe that our vow to serve the people will assume a sacred dimension if made in the place symbolized by our national hero.”

“We deem it best to make our commitment before our hero,” said NP. “Others will read their platforms from teleprompters. We’d rather recite ours from the heart in front of the statue of Rizal,” the NP added.

Expected at today’s campaign kickoff are Villar’s running mate Loren Legarda and the party’s senatorial candidates.

Minus GMA

For administration presidential and vice presidential candidates Gilbert Teodoro and Edu Manzano, official campaigning begins tonight in the “lucky and high ground” of Antipolo City in Rizal province – minus their political patron President Arroyo.

Mrs. Arroyo, Lakas-Kampi-CMD president emeritus, is unlikely to attend the proclamation rally reportedly due to prior commitments.

“We chose Antipolo City as the formal proclamation (rally) site because it’s higher ground, beautiful and lucky,” Lakas-Kampi-CMD deputy secretary-general Ray Roquero said.

“Rizal is known to be (a bailiwick of the) opposition but now they’re for Gibo (Teodoro’s nickname),” he said.

Lakas’ proclamation rally is at 4 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Complex, which can accommodate about 15,000 to 20,000 people. Teodoro and Manzano will be joined by the party’s six administration senatorial candidates – broadcaster Reynante Langit, Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico, lawyer Raul Lambino, outgoing Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III, and reelectionist senators Lito Lapid and Bong Revilla.

Roquero said Mrs. Arroyo’s absence should not be given too much significance.

“She has shown that she is very supportive of Gibo,” he said. “Every now and then she checks on us regarding the campaign.”

The “transformers” team of Sen. Richard Gordon and former Metro Manila Development Authority chair Bayani Fernando, meanwhile, officially begins their campaign in Imus, Cavite. The two are running under the Bagumbayan Volunteers for a New Philippines or Bagumbayan party.

Gordon explained that his kickoff rally in Imus is reminiscent of the campaign his own great-grandfather Jose Tagle staged, which reportedly sparked the Philippine revolution in the province of Cavite.

Tagle, who served as Capitan Municipal of Imus, joined forces with revolutionary President Emilio Aguinaldo in winning the “Battle of Imus,” which Gordon said, was the first major victory of the revolutionaries against the Spanish colonizers.

“The start of our campaign is also a start towards change. We believe that Filipinos deserve clean and honest elections and they deserve truly competent and honest leaders who will fight corruption and lead them towards economic and political independence,” Gordon said.

Gordon and Fernando will run a motorcade around Imus passing through the towns of Carmona, Bulihan, General Mariano Alvarez, Paliparan, Dasmariñas and Bayan Luma. A political rally at 5 p.m. is scheduled at the Imus Central Plaza.

Meanwhile, Bro. Eddie Villanueva leads today his party Bangon Pilipinas Party (BPP) in unfurling what it calls the biggest Philippine flag at Rizal Park.

In a statement, the BPP said the Philippine flag, measuring 180 meters by 92 meters, signifies hope for the country. It weighs 3.8 tons and costs almost P10 million. Its maker is businesswoman and BPP supporter Grace Galindez Gupana.

The flag was first unfurled in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya on Sept. 16, 2006.

“We are starting here in the country’s ‘Kilometer Zero’ as a sign of hope for a New Philippines. This year is the year of God’s favor for the Philippines,” BPP national campaign manager Lyndon Caña said.

To assist Villanueva in the unfurling of the flag are vice presidential candidate Perfecto Yasay and senatorial candidates Dr. Zafrullah Alonto, lawyers Reynaldo Princesa and Ramoncito Ocampo, broadcast journalist Katherine “Kata” Inocencio, Count Habib Adz Nikabulin, broadcast journalist Alex Tinsay and educator Dr. Israel Virgines.

“We believe Filipinos are already awakened. We are all tired with old traditional politics. We see how traditional politics has brought our nation deeper into economic quagmire. We have not seen corruption and bad governance at their worse than in the recent years,” Caña said.

Another presidential candidate, Nicanor Perlas, has set the start of his official campaigning on Saturday in Cebu. On Friday, he hopes to dramatize his call for clean elections with a “bike run.”

The presidential race has become more intense as LP’s Aquino is now neck-and-neck with NP’s Villar after topping surveys for months.

But those tailing them – former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Pilipino, administration bet former defense secretary Teodoro of the Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrat, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Gordon of Bagumbayan, environmentalist Perlas, spiritual leader Villanueva and Olongapo City Councilor John Carlos delos Reyes of Ang Kapatiran – said survey results were inconclusive and that they were ready to give the frontrunners a good fight.

Corruption issue

In a forum at the University of the Philippines yesterday, the candidates unanimously agreed on the need to stamp out corruption to attract more investors and uplift the lives of the people, especially the poor.

Aquino repeated his promise not to initiate new taxes if he gets elected.

It was a promise criticized and described by Gordon as a ploy to fool the people. He said new revenues would be needed for the country’s social services and investments. Gordon said this could be done by expanding the tax base and not necessarily increasing tax rates.

But Aquino maintained it would be “immoral” to burden the people with more taxes when the government should be running after leakages, tax evaders and smugglers. He said more than P200 billion is lost to corruption each year.

Aquino said that as an example, he would reduce funds from the internal revenue allotment (IRA) for underperforming local government units and reward IRAs with good track record.

Aquino said funds for LGUs should be well accounted for.

Assailed for his lack of leadership experience, Aquino said he is running on the good name and legacy of his parents and that he would never tarnish their good name.

Villar defended his huge spending on political advertisements, saying has been using his own hard-earned money and that his experience and management skills would immensely benefit the country.

Villar was hit a number of times by Madrigal during the forum, accusing him of corruption and using his position in government to enrich himself. She also scored him for his numerous ads featuring children and celebrities.

But Villar argued that his rise from poverty was a result of his perseverance and that unlike other candidates who might be depending on financiers, he would have no debt of gratitude to anyone with regard to campaign expenditures.

Villar is being widely criticized for “buying” his way to the presidency.

“Is it very difficult to imagine a poor man rising from poverty through honest means?”

Villar said he divested himself of his family’s businesses when he joined politics. But he was being accused of using his positions in government to realign and provide funds for the C-5 road extension project which benefited his family’s real estate properties.

“I have been a businessman for a long time and ever since I held posts in government, I have never been a businessman. I was the industry leader before I joined politics,” Villar said.

And if elected president, Villar vowed to lead a simple life and not to spend millions of money for extravagant dinners like what President Arroyo and her entourage did in New York last year.

Teodoro, Mrs. Arroyo’s bet, said the “impression of corruption” had been driving away much needed investments.

He said that under his administration, he would see to it that people in government would be shielded from temptation.

The unresolved corruption issues involving the administration are believed to be weighing down Teodoro’s presidential bid.

Teodoro said he would put in place the necessary tools to prevent the occurrence of corruption and ensure punishment for offenders.

He bewailed that infrastructure projects usually take too long to finish and stressed this kind of anomaly must end.

“Why did it take 10 years?” to finish the Skyway project, he asked. He said the lack of long-term continuity of policies, is another form of corruption.

Gordon also took a swipe at Villar for utilizing so much funds to ensure his victory.

Gordon said candidates mislead voters by projecting themselves to be poor and pro-poor.

“You can see those who play cute with people, those who use advertising to say that they are poor and yet they are not when you see their record,” Gordon said in Filipino for which he got jeered by the audience.

But he stayed calm and advised the crowd not to be fooled because many candidates would actually forget the poor once elected into office.

“You have to face the fact, kung ang leader niyo hindi haharap sa accountability dapat hindi iboto (if your leader will not face accountability, you should not vote for him),” Gordon added, apparently referring to Villar’s refusal to face the Senate investigation into his alleged involvement in the C-5 road controversy.

Gordon said the people must work together and make sure “corruption is banished forever” in the country. He said Filipinos must have a sense of obligation to their country.

Estrada did not show up during the forum while Madrigal, Perlas, Villanueva also vowed to stop corruption. Villanueva said he would “dismantle” corruption and work to bring back moral fiber into the society to address the concerns especially of the poor.

Madrigal said she was ready to fight big businesses and unfair global trade practices but drew jeers when she could not say how much a kilo of galunggong is.

Teodoro said he would abide by consensus on controversial policies, such as reproductive health while Aquino said he would oppose government moves to force and mislead people to use contraceptives.

“For any policy, especially one as controversial as this, you have to work with the consensus, you can’t implement a law with such massive opposition,” Teodoro said.

Aquino reiterated he would abide by the Constitution and would not recognize a next chief justice of the Supreme Court appointed by the President.

“We should all abide by the Constitution,” Aquino said.

Villar said Charter change would not be his priority but he would study whether economic provisions would have to be changed and allow the people to decide through a referendum.

Madrigal said there would be no executive privilege under her government and that she would ensure transparency in her administration. With Paolo Romero, Mike Frialde, Christina Mendez, Katherine Adraneda, Perseus Echeminada, Evelyn Macairan, Jose Rodel Clapano, Ric Sapnu

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