Choices and Voices for 2010

Deposed President Joseph Estrada elicited the most laughs. Sen. Benigno Aquino III surprised with his eloquence. Senators Manuel Villar and Richard Gordon trumpeted their track records. Former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro drew the most cheers from the women. And evangelist Eddie Villanueva said he was not beholden to anyone.

This was how six presidential candidates performed at a presidential forum, “Choices and Voices for 2010: An Encounter with the Presidentiables,” held Friday at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City.

The candidates tried to get on the good side of the Cebuanos, praising them for their fearlessness and entrepreneurial skills.

The Cebuanos responded with applause ranging from enthusiastic to polite.

Estrada elicited the most laughter when he asked moderator Bunny Pages that his “jingle” should not be taken out of his 3 minutes.

Estrada used up 1 minute and 30 seconds greeting the organizers and the sponsors. By the time he got around to answering the question, “Why should Cebuanos vote for you,” he had only 9 seconds left.

The audience was also amused when, asked how he proposed to end corruption in the country, Estrada quipped, “I’ve been there.”

Aquino surprised the audience with his eloquence, speaking smoothly without any awkward poses whenever he responded to a question.

A liberated zone

Villar and Gordon stressed their track records, while Aquino said he was one who kept his word no matter what.

Aquino also recalled his first visit to Cebu after the assassination of his father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

“It seemed fear did not exist (in Cebu). Even if it was still martial law, I felt that the whole of Cebu was already a liberated zone,” he said.

He was warmly applauded when he thanked the Cebuanos for keeping his mother, President Corazon Aquino, “safe in 1986.”

Jesus Is Lord Movement founder Villanueva pointed out that his party, the Bangon Bagong Pilipinas, was the only party not beholden to any political, business or foreign power.

Teodoro, wearing a dark jacket over denim pants, was the obvious favorite of the women.

The audience also broke into enthusiastic applause when Teodoro said Cebu was a model for the rest of the country.

Teodoro wins mock polls

It was also Teodoro who came out the winner in the mock polls conducted at the forum.

Out of 935 votes cast, Teodoro got 456, Aquino a far second with 296, followed by Villar (88), Gordon (45), Villanueva (29), Estrada (19) and Perlas (2).

It was noted, however, that Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, a Teodoro supporter, had brought with her the administration mayors, their relatives and staff who vastly outnumbered the crowd brought by Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.

Only those inside the plenary hall where the forum was held were allowed to vote in the mock polls.

Cebu Business Club president Gordon Alan Joseph and Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Eric Ng Mendoza said they were impressed with the way Gordon and Teodoro had answered the questions.

Still ‘great hope’

But Mendoza said he still felt that Aquino was “the great hope” of the country.

Both said they were “confused” about who to vote for.

The candidates entered the CICC plenary hall at the same time at exactly 4:30 p.m., followed by their entourages. Some were accompanied by their senatorial candidates.

Some 2,000 people filled the plenary hall, while another 1,500, made up mostly of the candidates’ supporters, were gathered at the summit hall where a video screen had been set up to allow them to watch the proceedings.

The forum was jointly organized by the province’s three major business chambers—the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Cebu Business Club (CBC)—and the Aboitiz Equity Ventures and the Visayan Electric Company (Veco).