Presidential Bets

This Tuesday, when aspirants for next year’s general elections beat the deadline for the filing of their certificates of candidacy, what probably will invite wider attention is the number of those seeking the presidency. The 11-day period for the filing of certificate of candidacy started on November 20 and ends Tuesday with Commission on Elections Chairman Jose A.R. Melo assuring the Comelec would be open up to midnight to accommodate late filers.

Already, we have been hearing of unfamiliar names and more are said to be seriously preparing to beat the deadline, including the more prominent ones who could be the country’s best hopes if any of them would win the electoral contest.

Those who have already filed their CoC for president and vice president are the tandems of former President Joseph Estrada and Jejomar Binay of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino-United Opposition; Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas of the Liberal Party, Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro and Edu Manzano of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD, and Manny Villar and Loren Legarda of the Nacionalista Party, among others, so far.

It is significant that in filing their certificates of candidacy, the aspirants had the chance to expound, if only in gist, their visions for the country.

The coming elections, as Villar sees it, will determine whether we will continue to wallow in poverty or if we can finally climb our way out of the impoverishment that has afflicted our people for so long.

He said the country’s pressing problem is “to jointly address the plague of poverty which continued to grip majority of our people.”

Teodoro, obviously unperturbed by administration critics’ ceaseless criticisms of President Gloria Arroyo, made it clear that he intends “to continue what the Arroyo government has started.”

He emphasized he was prepared “to serve the people in the context of a peaceful Filipino society built on the rule of law that enables very citizen to pursue his dreams and renders to each citizen what is his due.”

He also promised to make indigent families automatically and universally covered by state health insurance “and shall pay no excess fees for their healthcare and hospitalization.”

After filing his CoC last Saturday, Noynoy Aquino admitted he did not have as much money as his opponents to support expensive campaign propaganda materials but assured the public he would compensate it with more effort. In the first place, he explained, his campaign is pushed through and supported by volunteers.

He did not say it, but it appears it is this kind of public support and voluntarism that is part of what he intends to inspire in his presidency, if elected.

If elected, he pledged to fight graft and corruption in government and bring about reforms “by embodying the quality of integrity, humility, and trustworthiness” in his leadership.

In the case of Estrada, he just wants to pursue his dream for the people which was cut short and negated because of his conviction for plunder which, he insists, was an injustice.

Like the four of them – Aquino, Teodoro, Estrada, and Villar – other presidential hopefuls are equally optimistic the people would support them on the strength and validity of their respective causes.

This was what former Public Works and Highway Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. believed before he abandoned his short-lived dream of becoming president when he realized the futility and “the agony and burden of joining a fight we cannot win.”

Senator Richard Gordon who, up to this writing has not filed his certificate of candidacy, has said next year’s elections “would be the most important election in the country.”

But he said he would not run blindly.

Senator Jamby Madrigal who early on announced she was definitely running in next year’s polls has not been heard of late about her presidential intention.

There were some five or six others who have filed their CoC for president early in the day, including one whose ultimate dream is to run for the White House after winning the 2010 elections.