It took Senator Richard Gordon, author of the country's election automation law, some seven minutes to complete his ballot when he cast his vote on Monday morning.
He did not encounter any problems. The counting machine quickly accepted his ballot.
But Gordon, who is also running for president, said the conduct of the country's first automated election, which he said would be a "game changer," could have been better.
Gordon said: "I worked hard for this (automated election) for four and a half years. I know this will work."
He arrived with his wife Kate at the Tapinac Elementary School, where some 11,200 voters are assigned, about 10:20 a.m.
He got inside the voting room for Clustered Precinct No. 41 at 10:33 a.m.. He completed his ballot at 10:40 p.m.
Showing posts with label Richard Gordon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard Gordon. Show all posts
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Gordon seeks Comelec action on TV ads
Senator Richard Gordon is asking why the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not acted on reports that his rivals in the presidential race—Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel Villar—may have already overspent on television ads.
While Aquino and Villar may have exceeded the legal limit, TV ads of Sen. Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, an independent presidential candidate, have finally gotten airtime, which she claims has been cornered by the two over the past two months.
On Saturday, ABS-CBN started airing Madrigal’s 30-second TV ads on prime time. The same infomercials will be aired shortly by GMA 7.
“And unlike Manny Villar’s infomercials, my TV ads do not exploit children. There are no show biz stars and no singing and dancing. They also show that I’m a candidate running a different campaign, one without hakot (busing). They’re principle-and issue-based,” Madrigal said Sunday.
Sought for comment on a report by a market research firm, Gordon said the Comelec should disqualify both Aquino and Villar.
In a report last week, Nielsen Media Research said television ad spending of the two leading candidates might have exceeded the legal limit. This depends, however, on how the poll body will interpret the ads.
Three types
The Comelec classifies ads into three: ads by a candidate, ads by a political party and donated ads. Some candidates insist that donated or “paid for” ads should not be credited against their allotted airtime.
The law allows a candidate or political party to have a maximum airtime of 120 minutes for TV ads and 180 minutes for radio ads for each station during the official campaign period.
Villar used 134.25 minutes on ABS-CBN alone from the start of the campaign period on Feb. 9 to March 31. However, his placements would be counted as 50.75 minutes only if the Comelec’s “paid for” guidelines were applied.
On GMA 7, Villar consumed 143.25 minutes but that would be equivalent to only 60.25 minutes under the “paid for” guidelines.
Aquino used 133 minutes on ABS-CBN but he would have consumed only 118.5 minutes of his allowable airtime if the “paid for” guidelines were applied.
Other violations ignored
Gordon lamented that while the poll body was quick to admonish him, his running-mate Bayani Fernando and fellow presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva for their oversized billboards, the Comelec was apparently ignoring violations by other candidates.
Gordon earlier maintained that his and Fernando’s oversized billboards were put up by supporters and were part of their freedom of expression. But after the initial defiance, his camp later asked their supporters to bring down the billboards.
Set example
He said: “I am just complying with the law even if I am not the one violating the law. I want to set an example especially since I am running for public office.”
Gordon’s camp received an official notice from the Comelec a month after the poll body’s spokesperson singled out his billboards at a press conference as among those that exceeded the limit. His campaign coordinators subsequently requested supporters to dismantle the billboards they had put up on Edsa and on the North Luzon Expressway.
The Bagumbayan Party presidential candidate said he was complying with the law despite the brazen violations of his fellow presidential candidates.
He said the billboards and banners of Aquino, Villar and administration standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro were much larger. He said Aquino and Teodoro also have ads shown on a huge electronic billboard in Cebu.
Alternative
As for Madrigal’s TV ads, these are “one of Jamby’s aces,” said French husband, Eric Dudoignon Valade.
The senator, who has no running mate and senatorial slate, said “it’s about time we told the people who still don’t know my advocacy that aside from the two leading candidates, there is someone else who could be an alternative.”
Madrigal said her infomercials were “so different that Villar will have to put out 20 commercials to match the impact” of one of her commercials.
She noted that her TV ads were part of her “walking my talk.”
“I promised the Filipino people when I declared that I would be a presidential candidate who would run out of principle and not out of political ambition,” she said.
Madrigal added that her infomercials would also be a good chance for voters to finally see completely what her platform was after running her campaign for two months.
“During the past two months, I did not compete with Villar for airtime because he bought all the airtime you can’t even barely get anything … So, if it’s only a matter of airtime, the richest person will always be our president. But I think God loves us enough not to make that a reality,” she said.
Valade, who described himself as “Jamby’s No. 1 fan,” said he and Madrigal “believe in quality, not in quantity of TV ads.”
“I believe strongly that even without using popular actors and actresses, Jamby’s ads can influence more people. If using show biz people would be the case, the likes of Mike Defensor, Chavit Singson and [Prospero] Pichay would be senators today. But they are not.”
Valade observed that “so many famous people are endorsing every Tom, Dick and Harry today. I think it’s an insult to the Filipino intelligence.”
Informed choice
Ranulph West, a Madrigal family friend, said the senator’s TV ads “may not have catchy music but they provide information about issues or about a state that people are in and they need help.”
“They provide voters with an informed choice,” West said.
Fritzi Lim, Madrigal’s secretary, said that “despite the absence of Kapamilya and Kapuso stars, Senator Jamby’s infomercials uplift Filipino values.”
Both West and Lim believed that Filipino voters could see through show biz folk endorsing candidates and relate to Madrigal’s ads.
Use of children
Madrigal was the first to criticize Villar’s “numerous and frequent infomercials and jingles and their use of children and actors and actresses.”
Villar’s ads play up his alleged ordeal as a poor boy from the slums who made good with jingles containing lyrics like “Have you bathed in a sea of trash?”
Aquino’s TV ads, on the other hand, feature more than a dozen ABS-CBN and GMA 7 artists led by Kris Aquino, the senator’s famous sister, Ai Ai de las Alas, Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera and Ogie Alcasid.
While Aquino and Villar may have exceeded the legal limit, TV ads of Sen. Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, an independent presidential candidate, have finally gotten airtime, which she claims has been cornered by the two over the past two months.
On Saturday, ABS-CBN started airing Madrigal’s 30-second TV ads on prime time. The same infomercials will be aired shortly by GMA 7.
“And unlike Manny Villar’s infomercials, my TV ads do not exploit children. There are no show biz stars and no singing and dancing. They also show that I’m a candidate running a different campaign, one without hakot (busing). They’re principle-and issue-based,” Madrigal said Sunday.
Sought for comment on a report by a market research firm, Gordon said the Comelec should disqualify both Aquino and Villar.
In a report last week, Nielsen Media Research said television ad spending of the two leading candidates might have exceeded the legal limit. This depends, however, on how the poll body will interpret the ads.
Three types
The Comelec classifies ads into three: ads by a candidate, ads by a political party and donated ads. Some candidates insist that donated or “paid for” ads should not be credited against their allotted airtime.
The law allows a candidate or political party to have a maximum airtime of 120 minutes for TV ads and 180 minutes for radio ads for each station during the official campaign period.
Villar used 134.25 minutes on ABS-CBN alone from the start of the campaign period on Feb. 9 to March 31. However, his placements would be counted as 50.75 minutes only if the Comelec’s “paid for” guidelines were applied.
On GMA 7, Villar consumed 143.25 minutes but that would be equivalent to only 60.25 minutes under the “paid for” guidelines.
Aquino used 133 minutes on ABS-CBN but he would have consumed only 118.5 minutes of his allowable airtime if the “paid for” guidelines were applied.
Other violations ignored
Gordon lamented that while the poll body was quick to admonish him, his running-mate Bayani Fernando and fellow presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva for their oversized billboards, the Comelec was apparently ignoring violations by other candidates.
Gordon earlier maintained that his and Fernando’s oversized billboards were put up by supporters and were part of their freedom of expression. But after the initial defiance, his camp later asked their supporters to bring down the billboards.
Set example
He said: “I am just complying with the law even if I am not the one violating the law. I want to set an example especially since I am running for public office.”
Gordon’s camp received an official notice from the Comelec a month after the poll body’s spokesperson singled out his billboards at a press conference as among those that exceeded the limit. His campaign coordinators subsequently requested supporters to dismantle the billboards they had put up on Edsa and on the North Luzon Expressway.
The Bagumbayan Party presidential candidate said he was complying with the law despite the brazen violations of his fellow presidential candidates.
He said the billboards and banners of Aquino, Villar and administration standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro were much larger. He said Aquino and Teodoro also have ads shown on a huge electronic billboard in Cebu.
Alternative
As for Madrigal’s TV ads, these are “one of Jamby’s aces,” said French husband, Eric Dudoignon Valade.
The senator, who has no running mate and senatorial slate, said “it’s about time we told the people who still don’t know my advocacy that aside from the two leading candidates, there is someone else who could be an alternative.”
Madrigal said her infomercials were “so different that Villar will have to put out 20 commercials to match the impact” of one of her commercials.
She noted that her TV ads were part of her “walking my talk.”
“I promised the Filipino people when I declared that I would be a presidential candidate who would run out of principle and not out of political ambition,” she said.
Madrigal added that her infomercials would also be a good chance for voters to finally see completely what her platform was after running her campaign for two months.
“During the past two months, I did not compete with Villar for airtime because he bought all the airtime you can’t even barely get anything … So, if it’s only a matter of airtime, the richest person will always be our president. But I think God loves us enough not to make that a reality,” she said.
Valade, who described himself as “Jamby’s No. 1 fan,” said he and Madrigal “believe in quality, not in quantity of TV ads.”
“I believe strongly that even without using popular actors and actresses, Jamby’s ads can influence more people. If using show biz people would be the case, the likes of Mike Defensor, Chavit Singson and [Prospero] Pichay would be senators today. But they are not.”
Valade observed that “so many famous people are endorsing every Tom, Dick and Harry today. I think it’s an insult to the Filipino intelligence.”
Informed choice
Ranulph West, a Madrigal family friend, said the senator’s TV ads “may not have catchy music but they provide information about issues or about a state that people are in and they need help.”
“They provide voters with an informed choice,” West said.
Fritzi Lim, Madrigal’s secretary, said that “despite the absence of Kapamilya and Kapuso stars, Senator Jamby’s infomercials uplift Filipino values.”
Both West and Lim believed that Filipino voters could see through show biz folk endorsing candidates and relate to Madrigal’s ads.
Use of children
Madrigal was the first to criticize Villar’s “numerous and frequent infomercials and jingles and their use of children and actors and actresses.”
Villar’s ads play up his alleged ordeal as a poor boy from the slums who made good with jingles containing lyrics like “Have you bathed in a sea of trash?”
Aquino’s TV ads, on the other hand, feature more than a dozen ABS-CBN and GMA 7 artists led by Kris Aquino, the senator’s famous sister, Ai Ai de las Alas, Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera and Ogie Alcasid.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Gordon says Villar tried to buy him out of race
Sen. Richard Gordon on Tuesday accused fellow presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Villar of attempting to bribe him to withdraw from the race.
In an interview on ANC's Top Story, Gordon said Villar sent an emissary recently and offered him a Cabinet position and reimbursement of his campaign expenses in exchange for backing out of the presidential race.
Elaborating on the incident, Gordon said the alleged bribe try happened last week of January at the height of the Senate Committee of the Whole's report recommending the censure of Villar for unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road project.
He said the objective of the Villar camp was to convince him to side with them so that they would be able to oust Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate president and stop the Senate plenary deliberations on the ethics case.
Gordon said the emissary was a "former Cabinet official of yesteryears," and a "businessman, not a political operator." He said the emissary was "just trying to be a friend to his friend" and was just "delivering a message" for Villar.
He said the lunch meeting was held in his house, and he later told his daughter and wife about the alleged bribe try. "They were chagrined about it," he added.
"Quite frankly, I was [also] put off by it," Gordon said.
Gordon said he is convinced it was a bribe and "I am prepared to say it." He also said that he may reveal the emissary "at the proper time."
Asked why he only disclosed the bribe try during the presidential campaign, Gordon said he really had no intention of revealing it since he had promised that he would not tell.
'Fed up with use of money'
However, Gordon said it "just came off the cuff" during the radio interview Tuesday morning since he is fed up with Villar camp's propensity to use his money to get what he wants, including the presidency.
"I'm telling my friend, you can't buy everything," he said. "You can buy some of the people some of the time, but you can't buy all the people all of the time."
Gordon asked voters whether they want someone like Villar for president. He criticized the real estate tycoon for walking away from the C-5 case, refusing to be held accountable for his acts.
He said it's easy for Villar to deny the story since "he never admits to anything," noting that he refused to answer questions from his colleagues on the C-5 ethics case.
Gordon said he is in the presidential race because he wants to change society, and not simply to get a government post.
Asked if he had any proof, Gordon said: "I have my integrity against his [Villar's] integrity." He said he also has proof that the emissary was in his house.
When he met Sen. Enrile after the failed bribe try, Gordon said he even embraced Enrile since "we were able to obviate a coup d'etat."
Gordon also said it would be useless to file an ethics complaint against Villar in the Senate since the Villar camp will just use its money to avoid accountability.
Villar denies Gordon's allegations
In a statement, Villar denied bribing Gordon with a Cabinet post and reimbursement of campaign expenses in order to win him over on his Senate ethics case.
"Wala po akong ginagawang ganyan, wala po akong ino-offer na maski ako kahit kanino at mag-iingat po kayo. Meron pong mga tao na nanloloko at baka po kayo mabiktima," the NP bet said.
("I did not make such an offer. I did not offer anything and beware. There are people trying to fool you and you might be victimized."
Villar said he's running a clean campaign and that he respects all his opponents in the presidential race.
"Siguro po ay may mga gustong manira sa akin kaya nag-ooffer tapos ako itinuturo. Hindi po ako ganyan, wag po sana kayong maniniwala sa mga ganyan," he added.
("Perhaps, there are people who want to destroy me so they make an offer and then point to me. I am not like that, I wish you don't believe these people.")
Villar also said the campaign will soon come to a close and they are not expecting any of the candidates to withdraw anymore, with only two months to go before the polls.
He also denied asking El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde to talk to former President Joseph Estrada to withdraw.
"Wala akong kinakausap...Maski tanungin natin ang lahat ng aking mga nasa planning group, associates, makikita niyo na lahat na meron na akong assumption lahat kami ay andiyan," he said.
Villar said he has become the focus of the attacks since it only means that he is already leading the race.
He also urged Gordon and Estrada to name the alleged emissaries.
"Dapat sasabihin na para malaman naman na wala talaga akong inuutusan na ganyan. At unang-una, wala naman na akong ganyang pera na. Ang aking natitirang budget ay para lamang sa aking kampanya at tamang-tama lamang ito," Villar said.
("They should identify the emissary so people will find out I did not order him to do that. And in the first place, I don't have that kind of money. What's left in my budget is just right for my campaign.")
'Pure hogwash, preposterous'
Nacionalista Party senatorial bet and Villar spokesman Gilbert Remulla dismissed Gordon's allegations as hogwash and nothing more than an attempt to latch on to Villar's growing popularity and create publicity for himself.
"We are wondering why Sen. Gordon didn't blame Sen. Villar for the earthquake in Chile. It's ridiculous and preposterous, all these allegations against Sen. Villar, and we believe it's going to get worse," Remulla said in an ANC interview.
"We don't really care what Gordon says. He can say anything he wants. As far as we are concerned, whatever he said doesn't matter because none of it is true. He can talks all he wants. This is pure hogwash. This is just a way for him to get his name out in the papers and to destroy the name of Sen. Villar," he added.
Remulla said Villar's campaign is running smoothly as evidenced by the last presidential survey by Pulse Asia, which showed him at a statistical tie with Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. "To offer anything to anyone at this point would be ridiculous for us to do," he said. (Read: Aquino, Villar tied in Pulse Asia survey)
He noted that even if Gordon were to withdraw, his votes would not automatically go to Villar.
Gordon is the second presidential bet to claim being offered money by a rival to quit the presidential election.
Erap also got offers to withdraw
Last Tuesday, former President Joseph Estrada revealed that he has received offers to withdraw from the presidential race in exchange for a large amount of cash from a rival candidate. (Read: Erap reveals 'bribe' try to back out of race)
Estrada said some go-betweens have been talking to him for the past 9 months trying to convince him to withdraw. In exchange, the go-between's principal will then reimburse his expenses incurred in the campaign.
Estrada refused to name the candidate making the alleged bribe offer. "I can't [say]. That's deniable. But probably, it's someone who has lots of money," he said.
From 50-point deficit to parity
Regarding Estrada's allegation, Remulla said the former president did not name Villar as the one who offered a bribe. He said Villar did not need Estrada's votes to win the election and said that if the former president withdrew, his votes would be split and would not automatically go to Villar.
Remulla said Villar's surging popularity in the presidential race has made him a target by various camps. He said this was evidenced by the frequent bribery allegations, including the one leveled by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile during the C-5 'double insertion' probe. (Read: Enrile claims Villar tried to buy him off)
"I think they are trying to make it appear that Senator Villar is desperate but that's the farthest thing. We crawled back from a 50-point deficit in September to parity right now without having to bribe anybody and to resort to negative campaigning. We have not said anything against anybody unless we have been provoked. It is clear that all our rivals are threatened by Senator Villar," he said.
In an interview on ANC's Top Story, Gordon said Villar sent an emissary recently and offered him a Cabinet position and reimbursement of his campaign expenses in exchange for backing out of the presidential race.
Elaborating on the incident, Gordon said the alleged bribe try happened last week of January at the height of the Senate Committee of the Whole's report recommending the censure of Villar for unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road project.
He said the objective of the Villar camp was to convince him to side with them so that they would be able to oust Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate president and stop the Senate plenary deliberations on the ethics case.
Gordon said the emissary was a "former Cabinet official of yesteryears," and a "businessman, not a political operator." He said the emissary was "just trying to be a friend to his friend" and was just "delivering a message" for Villar.
He said the lunch meeting was held in his house, and he later told his daughter and wife about the alleged bribe try. "They were chagrined about it," he added.
"Quite frankly, I was [also] put off by it," Gordon said.
Gordon said he is convinced it was a bribe and "I am prepared to say it." He also said that he may reveal the emissary "at the proper time."
Asked why he only disclosed the bribe try during the presidential campaign, Gordon said he really had no intention of revealing it since he had promised that he would not tell.
'Fed up with use of money'
However, Gordon said it "just came off the cuff" during the radio interview Tuesday morning since he is fed up with Villar camp's propensity to use his money to get what he wants, including the presidency.
"I'm telling my friend, you can't buy everything," he said. "You can buy some of the people some of the time, but you can't buy all the people all of the time."
Gordon asked voters whether they want someone like Villar for president. He criticized the real estate tycoon for walking away from the C-5 case, refusing to be held accountable for his acts.
He said it's easy for Villar to deny the story since "he never admits to anything," noting that he refused to answer questions from his colleagues on the C-5 ethics case.
Gordon said he is in the presidential race because he wants to change society, and not simply to get a government post.
Asked if he had any proof, Gordon said: "I have my integrity against his [Villar's] integrity." He said he also has proof that the emissary was in his house.
When he met Sen. Enrile after the failed bribe try, Gordon said he even embraced Enrile since "we were able to obviate a coup d'etat."
Gordon also said it would be useless to file an ethics complaint against Villar in the Senate since the Villar camp will just use its money to avoid accountability.
Villar denies Gordon's allegations
In a statement, Villar denied bribing Gordon with a Cabinet post and reimbursement of campaign expenses in order to win him over on his Senate ethics case.
"Wala po akong ginagawang ganyan, wala po akong ino-offer na maski ako kahit kanino at mag-iingat po kayo. Meron pong mga tao na nanloloko at baka po kayo mabiktima," the NP bet said.
("I did not make such an offer. I did not offer anything and beware. There are people trying to fool you and you might be victimized."
Villar said he's running a clean campaign and that he respects all his opponents in the presidential race.
"Siguro po ay may mga gustong manira sa akin kaya nag-ooffer tapos ako itinuturo. Hindi po ako ganyan, wag po sana kayong maniniwala sa mga ganyan," he added.
("Perhaps, there are people who want to destroy me so they make an offer and then point to me. I am not like that, I wish you don't believe these people.")
Villar also said the campaign will soon come to a close and they are not expecting any of the candidates to withdraw anymore, with only two months to go before the polls.
He also denied asking El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde to talk to former President Joseph Estrada to withdraw.
"Wala akong kinakausap...Maski tanungin natin ang lahat ng aking mga nasa planning group, associates, makikita niyo na lahat na meron na akong assumption lahat kami ay andiyan," he said.
Villar said he has become the focus of the attacks since it only means that he is already leading the race.
He also urged Gordon and Estrada to name the alleged emissaries.
"Dapat sasabihin na para malaman naman na wala talaga akong inuutusan na ganyan. At unang-una, wala naman na akong ganyang pera na. Ang aking natitirang budget ay para lamang sa aking kampanya at tamang-tama lamang ito," Villar said.
("They should identify the emissary so people will find out I did not order him to do that. And in the first place, I don't have that kind of money. What's left in my budget is just right for my campaign.")
'Pure hogwash, preposterous'
Nacionalista Party senatorial bet and Villar spokesman Gilbert Remulla dismissed Gordon's allegations as hogwash and nothing more than an attempt to latch on to Villar's growing popularity and create publicity for himself.
"We are wondering why Sen. Gordon didn't blame Sen. Villar for the earthquake in Chile. It's ridiculous and preposterous, all these allegations against Sen. Villar, and we believe it's going to get worse," Remulla said in an ANC interview.
"We don't really care what Gordon says. He can say anything he wants. As far as we are concerned, whatever he said doesn't matter because none of it is true. He can talks all he wants. This is pure hogwash. This is just a way for him to get his name out in the papers and to destroy the name of Sen. Villar," he added.
Remulla said Villar's campaign is running smoothly as evidenced by the last presidential survey by Pulse Asia, which showed him at a statistical tie with Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. "To offer anything to anyone at this point would be ridiculous for us to do," he said. (Read: Aquino, Villar tied in Pulse Asia survey)
He noted that even if Gordon were to withdraw, his votes would not automatically go to Villar.
Gordon is the second presidential bet to claim being offered money by a rival to quit the presidential election.
Erap also got offers to withdraw
Last Tuesday, former President Joseph Estrada revealed that he has received offers to withdraw from the presidential race in exchange for a large amount of cash from a rival candidate. (Read: Erap reveals 'bribe' try to back out of race)
Estrada said some go-betweens have been talking to him for the past 9 months trying to convince him to withdraw. In exchange, the go-between's principal will then reimburse his expenses incurred in the campaign.
Estrada refused to name the candidate making the alleged bribe offer. "I can't [say]. That's deniable. But probably, it's someone who has lots of money," he said.
From 50-point deficit to parity
Regarding Estrada's allegation, Remulla said the former president did not name Villar as the one who offered a bribe. He said Villar did not need Estrada's votes to win the election and said that if the former president withdrew, his votes would be split and would not automatically go to Villar.
Remulla said Villar's surging popularity in the presidential race has made him a target by various camps. He said this was evidenced by the frequent bribery allegations, including the one leveled by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile during the C-5 'double insertion' probe. (Read: Enrile claims Villar tried to buy him off)
"I think they are trying to make it appear that Senator Villar is desperate but that's the farthest thing. We crawled back from a 50-point deficit in September to parity right now without having to bribe anybody and to resort to negative campaigning. We have not said anything against anybody unless we have been provoked. It is clear that all our rivals are threatened by Senator Villar," he said.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Gordon goes around for voter education
Sen. Richard Gordon said on Tuesday he has been going around provinces not only to campaign for his presidential bid but also to help educate voters. Several times he turned down requests for money.
Gordon said: "I don't indulge them (people) in their childishness."
He and his running mate Bayani Fernando went around six cities and towns in Pangasinan on Sunday and Monday where Gordon came across a few people who asked for money or who asked him to buy their products.
He replied to them: "If I give you money, I will steal from you. Do you want that?"
Instead, he gave P1,000 loans to at least two old women who lamented they had no capital to start even just a small business. Gordon had them sign a promissory note, saying they would have to pay P10 monthly for the loan.
Gordon said instead of giving dole-outs, he wanted to give people their dignity.
But Gordon said he was also pleased to learn that most voters have become discerning.
Speaking with Urdaneta City Mayor Amado Perez Jr. on Monday afternoon, Gordon said he noticed that "voters are now intelligent."
He told Perez: "They watched television debates and told me that I did well in answering questions."
Gordon and Fernando were in Bataan on Tuesday where they spoke at the Balanga and Dinalupihan campuses of the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU).
Gordon said that in his brief conversations with residents, he felt that many of them were already angry.
He said: "The people are angry. They are tired of what is happening."
Gordon said the national campaign should be a venue for political leaders to consult with their people and learn about their concerns.
Gordon said: "The Presidency is something that is earned. The more you campaign nationally, the better President you will become."
He surprised students at the BPSU Banzon Tuesday morning when he asked one student who was reading a question from a sheet of paper to try to ask her question without reading her notes.
The student did and the crowd cheered her.
Gordon said he wanted to teach the students not to be afraid.
He also did not hide his disappointment when a few students asked questions whose answers, he said, were already in his opening speech.
Gordon said: "I don't indulge them (people) in their childishness."
He and his running mate Bayani Fernando went around six cities and towns in Pangasinan on Sunday and Monday where Gordon came across a few people who asked for money or who asked him to buy their products.
He replied to them: "If I give you money, I will steal from you. Do you want that?"
Instead, he gave P1,000 loans to at least two old women who lamented they had no capital to start even just a small business. Gordon had them sign a promissory note, saying they would have to pay P10 monthly for the loan.
Gordon said instead of giving dole-outs, he wanted to give people their dignity.
But Gordon said he was also pleased to learn that most voters have become discerning.
Speaking with Urdaneta City Mayor Amado Perez Jr. on Monday afternoon, Gordon said he noticed that "voters are now intelligent."
He told Perez: "They watched television debates and told me that I did well in answering questions."
Gordon and Fernando were in Bataan on Tuesday where they spoke at the Balanga and Dinalupihan campuses of the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU).
Gordon said that in his brief conversations with residents, he felt that many of them were already angry.
He said: "The people are angry. They are tired of what is happening."
Gordon said the national campaign should be a venue for political leaders to consult with their people and learn about their concerns.
Gordon said: "The Presidency is something that is earned. The more you campaign nationally, the better President you will become."
He surprised students at the BPSU Banzon Tuesday morning when he asked one student who was reading a question from a sheet of paper to try to ask her question without reading her notes.
The student did and the crowd cheered her.
Gordon said he wanted to teach the students not to be afraid.
He also did not hide his disappointment when a few students asked questions whose answers, he said, were already in his opening speech.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Transformer Gordon Bayani Campaign in Cavite
Sen. Richard Gordon Tuesday retraced the steps of his great-grandfather at the start of his campaign for president in the May 10 election, hoping to replicate his ancestor’s heroism in the war against Spain in 1896.
Gordon and his running mate Bayani Fernando took a three-hour trip around Cavite province in a 10-wheel truck designed to look like “Optimus Prime” of movies where the vehicle is turned into a robot that becomes a “Transformer,” the term used to describe the candidates.
The 100-vehicle convoy of the Bagumbayan party included a cement mixer and ambulances of the Philippine National Red Cross to show the incarnations of Gordon as Olongapo City mayor, administrator of Subic Bay Freeport and Red Cross chief, and Fernando as Marikina City mayor and chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
It set off from a gasoline station along the Southern Luzon Expressway where Gordon, who was delayed for one hour, unsheathed a replica of the sword that he said his great-grandfather Jose Tagle seized from the Spaniards.
“If we are united, we can overcome all our enemies. Today we begin the first victory of the country,” he exclaimed.
Gordon chose Imus town in Cavite as the venue of their kick-off rally late afternoon Tuesday because it was there where Tagle led a motley group that raided the friar’s camarin and seized 30 rifles and a Montana cannon.
His effort so pleased Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo that he declared Tagle capitan municipal of Imus.
Gordon said the incident, known as the Battle of Imus, was regarded as “the first major victory of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish conquerors.”
“The battle sparked similar mutinies in other parts of the country and eventually led to the downfall of the Spanish regime and the establishment of the Philippine republic,” he said.
Freedom from surveys
Just as his ancestor fought for freedom, Gordon said the challenge now was to free Filipinos from the shackles of popularity and surveys.
“We should not be prisoners of popularity. We should be transformational leaders. We do not give a spark. We bring enlightenment,” he said.
The senator took another dig at surveys showing him lagging behind at least four rivals in the presidential race.
“Surveys only reflect the current climate. Moses did not take a survey among the Israelites before crossing the Red Sea. Jesus did not conduct a survey before he was nailed to the cross. We cannot be hostages to surveys because we do not need them,” he said.
“We need to have leaders chosen based on right, not popularity; honesty, not buying the presidency; work ethic, not inheritance,” Gordon added.
Poverty as campaign trick
Gordon criticized Sen. Manny Villar, the Nacionalista Party presidential candidate, for using poverty as a campaign strategy. He said his mother was actually poorer than Villar’s but he was not injecting her in the campaign.
“I stand on my own strengths,” Gordon said.
Gordon said his mother also went around streets to sell native cakes, “but I don’t use my mother in my campaign.” He added that while Villar went to a private Catholic school, he was a public school student.
He said that coming from a poor family did not mean a politician would work to help the poor. This campaign strategy, he said, was “out of fashion (panis).”
He asked: “Who among the candidates have really spent time to help the poor?”
Unlike the other candidates, he said he chose not to trumpet his work with the Red Cross, where he had helped build houses for the poor and provided the organization with more ambulances and equipment.
Will expenses be recouped?
Referring to reports that Villar had spent huge sums for his political ads, Gordon asked: “Who believes that Villar will not recoup his expenses if he wins?”
Gordon said he and Fernando had the funds to buy ads, but would stay away from this. “We want to start a vision,” he said.
Gordon and Fernando first got into the truck before transferring to a red pickup.
In the evening, the two gathered in front of Nuestra Señora Del Pilar Cathedral in Imus for a rally attended by some 5,000 people clad in red shirts. Fernando opened the rally singing “Pitong Gatang” and dancing to the delight of the crowd.
Painted blue, red and silver, the tandem’s “Optimus Prime” aimed to “transform the hearts and minds of our people,” Fernando said.
In the popular animated series that has spawned blockbuster movies, “Optimus Prime,” a truck that transforms into a robot, is the leader of the “Autobots,” a group waging a battle against the evil forces of the “Decepticons.”
Fernando, a mechanical engineer, spent nights working on the truck’s design, his campaign staff said. He also reportedly spent more than P20,000 buying “Optimus Prime” toy trucks just to perfect the design using recycled materials.
The 10-wheel Isuzu prime-mover truck is adorned with what looked like a silver robot that “speaks” and repeatedly mentions the names of “Gordon” and “Bayani.” It is also equipped with a retractable light post that could be used during night rallies.
CDs sound great in CRs
Fernando distributed copies of his soon-to-be-released CD featuring all original Filipino songs to voters.
“Try playing it in the toilet. It’s great! The sound is really smooth,” Fernando told a kibitzer in the gasoline station where he gave away the CDs.
Fernando became a champion of “Celebrity Duets: Season Two,” a singing contest aired by GMA 7, last year.
“I tried my best to become a celebrity so we won’t have to pay for one to endorse us,” Fernando said in Pilipino. “The only thing left is for me to eat broken glass to attract attention.”
Gordon and his running mate Bayani Fernando took a three-hour trip around Cavite province in a 10-wheel truck designed to look like “Optimus Prime” of movies where the vehicle is turned into a robot that becomes a “Transformer,” the term used to describe the candidates.
The 100-vehicle convoy of the Bagumbayan party included a cement mixer and ambulances of the Philippine National Red Cross to show the incarnations of Gordon as Olongapo City mayor, administrator of Subic Bay Freeport and Red Cross chief, and Fernando as Marikina City mayor and chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
It set off from a gasoline station along the Southern Luzon Expressway where Gordon, who was delayed for one hour, unsheathed a replica of the sword that he said his great-grandfather Jose Tagle seized from the Spaniards.
“If we are united, we can overcome all our enemies. Today we begin the first victory of the country,” he exclaimed.
Gordon chose Imus town in Cavite as the venue of their kick-off rally late afternoon Tuesday because it was there where Tagle led a motley group that raided the friar’s camarin and seized 30 rifles and a Montana cannon.
His effort so pleased Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo that he declared Tagle capitan municipal of Imus.
Gordon said the incident, known as the Battle of Imus, was regarded as “the first major victory of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish conquerors.”
“The battle sparked similar mutinies in other parts of the country and eventually led to the downfall of the Spanish regime and the establishment of the Philippine republic,” he said.
Freedom from surveys
Just as his ancestor fought for freedom, Gordon said the challenge now was to free Filipinos from the shackles of popularity and surveys.
“We should not be prisoners of popularity. We should be transformational leaders. We do not give a spark. We bring enlightenment,” he said.
The senator took another dig at surveys showing him lagging behind at least four rivals in the presidential race.
“Surveys only reflect the current climate. Moses did not take a survey among the Israelites before crossing the Red Sea. Jesus did not conduct a survey before he was nailed to the cross. We cannot be hostages to surveys because we do not need them,” he said.
“We need to have leaders chosen based on right, not popularity; honesty, not buying the presidency; work ethic, not inheritance,” Gordon added.
Poverty as campaign trick
Gordon criticized Sen. Manny Villar, the Nacionalista Party presidential candidate, for using poverty as a campaign strategy. He said his mother was actually poorer than Villar’s but he was not injecting her in the campaign.
“I stand on my own strengths,” Gordon said.
Gordon said his mother also went around streets to sell native cakes, “but I don’t use my mother in my campaign.” He added that while Villar went to a private Catholic school, he was a public school student.
He said that coming from a poor family did not mean a politician would work to help the poor. This campaign strategy, he said, was “out of fashion (panis).”
He asked: “Who among the candidates have really spent time to help the poor?”
Unlike the other candidates, he said he chose not to trumpet his work with the Red Cross, where he had helped build houses for the poor and provided the organization with more ambulances and equipment.
Will expenses be recouped?
Referring to reports that Villar had spent huge sums for his political ads, Gordon asked: “Who believes that Villar will not recoup his expenses if he wins?”
Gordon said he and Fernando had the funds to buy ads, but would stay away from this. “We want to start a vision,” he said.
Gordon and Fernando first got into the truck before transferring to a red pickup.
In the evening, the two gathered in front of Nuestra Señora Del Pilar Cathedral in Imus for a rally attended by some 5,000 people clad in red shirts. Fernando opened the rally singing “Pitong Gatang” and dancing to the delight of the crowd.
Painted blue, red and silver, the tandem’s “Optimus Prime” aimed to “transform the hearts and minds of our people,” Fernando said.
In the popular animated series that has spawned blockbuster movies, “Optimus Prime,” a truck that transforms into a robot, is the leader of the “Autobots,” a group waging a battle against the evil forces of the “Decepticons.”
Fernando, a mechanical engineer, spent nights working on the truck’s design, his campaign staff said. He also reportedly spent more than P20,000 buying “Optimus Prime” toy trucks just to perfect the design using recycled materials.
The 10-wheel Isuzu prime-mover truck is adorned with what looked like a silver robot that “speaks” and repeatedly mentions the names of “Gordon” and “Bayani.” It is also equipped with a retractable light post that could be used during night rallies.
CDs sound great in CRs
Fernando distributed copies of his soon-to-be-released CD featuring all original Filipino songs to voters.
“Try playing it in the toilet. It’s great! The sound is really smooth,” Fernando told a kibitzer in the gasoline station where he gave away the CDs.
Fernando became a champion of “Celebrity Duets: Season Two,” a singing contest aired by GMA 7, last year.
“I tried my best to become a celebrity so we won’t have to pay for one to endorse us,” Fernando said in Pilipino. “The only thing left is for me to eat broken glass to attract attention.”
Monday, February 1, 2010
Richard Dick Gordon Profile
GORDON, RICHARD "DICK" JUICO
AGE: 63
BIRTHDATE: August 5, 1945
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Independent
SPOUSE: Kate Gordon, former Olongapo City Mayor
VISION OF GOVERNANCE:
“What this country needs is not a change of men but a change in men.”
He envisions a Philippines free from corruption or “transactional politics.”
On President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “Masinop mag-aral, may work ethic. Ang sabit niya ay sa governance…You have to be resolute in so far as your leadership is concerned. That I think is something na nagkulang siya.”
On how he will make a difference as a president. “Baguhin ang attitude. Aim high. Mag-ambisyon tayo. Bawal ang tamad—work ethic. Lalong bawal ang tanga—mag-aral tayo. Duty muna bago ang sarili. Dignidad at determinasyon—ginawa namin sa Subic iyon.”
On why he admires his father former mayor James L. Gordon. “He was a man born an American, but elected to be a Filipino… Pardon me if I’m getting emotional because sa tingin ko maraming hero sa mundo but you have to live your heroism not during your death but during your whole life. Sapagkat iyon ang nakita ko (sa kaniya).”
CURRENT POSITION: Senator of the Philippines, 14th Congress
OTHER INFORMATION:
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
CAREER HISTORY
AGE: 63
BIRTHDATE: August 5, 1945
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Independent
SPOUSE: Kate Gordon, former Olongapo City Mayor
VISION OF GOVERNANCE:
“What this country needs is not a change of men but a change in men.”
He envisions a Philippines free from corruption or “transactional politics.”
On President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “Masinop mag-aral, may work ethic. Ang sabit niya ay sa governance…You have to be resolute in so far as your leadership is concerned. That I think is something na nagkulang siya.”
On how he will make a difference as a president. “Baguhin ang attitude. Aim high. Mag-ambisyon tayo. Bawal ang tamad—work ethic. Lalong bawal ang tanga—mag-aral tayo. Duty muna bago ang sarili. Dignidad at determinasyon—ginawa namin sa Subic iyon.”
On why he admires his father former mayor James L. Gordon. “He was a man born an American, but elected to be a Filipino… Pardon me if I’m getting emotional because sa tingin ko maraming hero sa mundo but you have to live your heroism not during your death but during your whole life. Sapagkat iyon ang nakita ko (sa kaniya).”
CURRENT POSITION: Senator of the Philippines, 14th Congress
OTHER INFORMATION:
- Former tourism secretary; headed “WOW PHILIPPINES!” Campaign
- Former chairman administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
- Currently facing ethics complaint in connection with his “dual position” as senator and chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross
- Proposes charter change after the 2010 elections through a constitutional convention
- As Chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee:
- Wrapped up the probe into the fertilizer fund scam
- Recommended filing of criminal charges against former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante
| Level | School | Year Graduated |
| Elementary | San Juan de Letran College | 1954 |
| High School | Ateneo de Manila University | 1962 |
| College | Ateneo de Manila University, AB History and Government | 1966 |
| Bachelor of Laws | University of the Philippines | 1975 |
| Position | Office | Years |
| Senator | Philippine Senate | 2004-Present |
| | · Enacted Republic Act No. 9333: Fixing the regular elections at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) | |
| | · Enacted Republic Act No. 9369, the New Automated Election System law | |
| | · Enacted Republic Act No. 9334, the Sin Tax Law | |
| | · Enacted Republic Act Nos. 9399 and 9400: fixing the tax regime in Special Economic Zones and Freeports in Clark in Pampanga, Poro Point in La Union; and John Hay in Baguio | |
| | · Enacted Republic Act No. 9346, the abolition of the death penalty law; and Republic Act No. 9367, the Biofuels Act of 2007 | |
| | · Former Senate Chairman of the Committee Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws | |
| | o Insisted lawful process of charter change only according to the process set forth in the Constitution | |
| | o Opposed unconstitutional People’s Initiative | |
| | · Asserted Senate’s constitutional right to conduct legislation against: Executive Order No. 464 in Senate, et al. vs. Ermita, G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006; and Executive Order No. 1 in Sabio vs. Gordon, et al., G.R. No. 174340, October 17, 2006 | |
| | · Former Chairman of the Committee Government Corporations and Public Enterprises | |
| | · Fomer Chairman of the Committee on Tourism | |
| | · Chairman of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers & Investigations (Blue Ribbon) | |
| | · Chairman of the Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises | |
| Secretary | Department of Tourism | February 2001-January 2004 |
| | · Chair, Philippine Tourism Authority (ex-officio) | |
| | · Chair, Philippine Convention & Visitors Corporation (ex-officio) | |
| | · Chair, Intramuros Administration (ex-officio) | |
| | · Chair, National Parks Development Committee (ex-officio) | |
| | · Chair, Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (ex-officio) | |
| | · Member, Manila International Airport Authority (ex-officio) | |
| | · Member, Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (ex-officio) | |
| | · Member, Board of Trustees, Philippine Retirement Authority | |
| | · Launched “WOW Philippines! More than the usual!” Campaign | |
| | · World Trade Organization Commissioner for East Asia and the Pacific (2002) | |
| | · Chair of Pacific Asia Travel Association (2003) | |
| Founding chairman and Administrator | Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Olongapo City | 1992-1998 |
| | · Converted former US naval facility into a primary trade zone (when Philippine Senate rejected a treaty extension ending a century of US military presence in the country) | |
| | · Lobbied in congress for the passage of a bill he drafted to convert the American naval and air force facilities in Subic and Clark respective into economic enclaves by the creation of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) | |
| | · Subic hosted the 4th APEC Leaders Summit in 1996 | |
| | · During his leadership, SBMA had 300 investors: Federal Express, Coastal Petroleum, Enron, BICC Cables, Shell Exploration, Acer Computers, Thompson Audio, $3 billion worth of investments | |
| | · Generated 70,000 jobs | |
| Mayor | Olongapo City | 1980-1986 |
| | · Youngest city mayor of Olongapo | |
| | · Drafted joint-use plan of Subic Bay by the Philippine and US governments | |
| | · Launched programs on active citizenry in solving crime, ensuring police accountability, efficient garbage collection, proper health and sanitation, orderly public transport and traffic | |
| Associate | ACCRA Law Office | 1975-1979 |
| Director | Kong Commercial Philippines Inc. | 1974-1975 |
| Delegate | Constitutional Convention | 1971 |
| Brand manager | Procter and Gamble Philippines | 1966-1967 |
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Is the Philippines ready for Dick Gordon?
With his track record as a leader and executive, it is not a question of whether Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon is ready for the presidency but whether Filipinos are ready to vote for him.
Without much hype or preamble, Gordon had announced he was running for president on December 1 as he filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections.
The announcement came as a surprise.
It was his running mate, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, who was bent on running for president.
Their tandem, under the newly formed Bagumbayan Party, was seemingly formed at the last minute and without a senatorial slate.
Gordon told reporters they teamed up Monday night (November 30), the eve of the deadline for the filing of candidacy.
Fernando said he gave way to his new party mate, owing to Gordon’s senatorial experience.
“No one is lazy on this team. No one is stupid on this team. We may not have much money but we have enough. Besides, we already know what happened to leaders who love money too much,” Gordon told reporters after his announcement.
Thus began what political analyst Benito Lim describes as either a perfect pairing or a political headache.
‘Tough love’
Gordon has been called a “dictator” both for his single-minded drive to achieve a vision for his constituency and his brutal frankness, interpreted as arrogance or abrasiveness.
“He does not know how to consult with his people. He runs things as if he were the only one capable of thinking and the rest are all nincompoops,” said Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, a long-time critic of Gordon, in a Probe Profiles interview.
Philippine Star columnist Boo Chanco, a good friend of Gordon's and Fernando's, described it as a “lack of inclination to listen to contrary opinions.”
“I get the impression that once they make up their minds on a course of action, [there] is absolutely little chance they will consider other options,” he wrote in his December 4 column titled “Demand and Supply.”
In numerous interviews, Gordon insisted that his straightforward approach is simply his way of “teaching others.”
He does not mince words and swiftly points out incompetence, qualities that are often misinterpreted.
“My name is Dick, but I’m not a ‘tator’,” Gordon quipped in a Probe Profiles Interview. “If I get mad at you, that means I love you. If I don’t talk to you, that’s when you should worry, because then you are nothing to me.”
Two dictators?
Gordon’s partnership with Fernando, who is viewed as a dictator and tough disciplinarian, could be a potential liability for Gordon’s campaign.
“It’s like [Gordon] was looking for a headache,” Lim said in a phone interview “Bayani is really hard-headed. Many voters dislike [Bayani].”
“He (Bayani Fernando) has a public image as… a ‘Hitler’ (dictator) because of what he did to the vendors and the continuous traffic,” Lim added. “In that sense, Gordon will have to contend with negative reactions.”
Though credited for his numerous public works and traffic system projects, Fernando’s violent dispersal of sidewalk vendors and demolition of squatters' houses has not endeared him to the masses.
The twin values of discipline and strictness are the pillars of Gordon’s no-nonsense leadership style, just like his running mate.
In their view, discipline and order is exactly what the country needs.
“I tell things like it is. I tell people off. And if [people] don’t like that, fine, I can live with that. But don’t complain if you get somebody you like and not somebody that’s needed,” Gordon said in another interview.
Decisive, no nonsense
Gordon’s strongest suit by far is his experience. At 64, Gordon has held a variety of top positions, both in government and in the private sector.
A law student at the time, he was the youngest delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. He was brand manager of Procter & Gamble and was a litigation lawyer of ACCRA Law Offices.
Taking after his father (James L. Gordon) and mother (Amelia Gordon), who ran the city in 1963 and 1967 respectively, Gordon became mayor of Olongapo City in Zambales from 1980 to 1986.
He turned the former “sin city” into a model one by boosting police accountability through I.D. systems, proper health and sanitation, waste management and the strict enforcement of color coding in public transport.
In 1992, while in his second term as Olongapo City mayor, he became the founding chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
Charged with converting the former US naval base into a prime economic zone, Gordon attracted 300 foreign and local investors to Subic Bay. It became the site of the 1996 APEC Summit.
Dual roles
He vacated his mayoral post and assumed full capacity as SBMA Chairman after a citizen in 1993 complained of his dual role and the Supreme Court ruled he should only have one role.
His wife, Katherine Gordon, replaced him as Olongapo City mayor in 1995.
From February 2001 to January 2004, he was appointed secretary of tourism and vigorously publicized the “Wow Philippines!” campaign, which enticed foreign tourists to the country.
In 2004, he ran and won for Senator under Lakas-CMD, garnering over 12.7 million votes at 5th place in the Senate race. He has helped pass the New Automated Elecion System Law and tax laws.
As head of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, he helped expose corruption in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration by publishing a report on the NBN-ZTE deal.
He has also been part of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) for 40 years and stands as its Chairman and CEO. Gordon is credited for helping modernize the PNRC’s rescue equipment and facilities, and boosting its blood bank.
For his dual role as PNRC Chairman and senator, he is the subject of an ethics complaint in the Senate. Gordon said his role as PNRC chairman has not interfered with his role as senator.
‘The transformers’
Gordon’s platform prioritizes health issues and education, including raising teachers’ salaries and disease prevention.
To fund basic social services, Gordon wants to call for a moratorium on debt servicing. He vowed to “use his diplomatic skills to fight the World Bank and International Monetary Fund” in this regard.
Gordon said he plans to decongest Manila and spread businesses out to other urbanized cities like Subic, Clark and Pangasinan.
He also plans to develop core industries like tourism in the country’s island groups. Visayas will be the country’s “beach capital” while Mindanao will focus on aquaculture and agriculture.
Most of all, Gordon’s Bagumbayan party focuses on his favorite adage since the 1980s: “What the country needs is not a change of men but a change in men.”
For Gordon, this means a switch from transactional leadership (a reactionary, rewards and punishments-based leadership) to transformational leadership (proactive and motivational leadership).
Gordon and Fernando have taken to calling themselves “the transformers.”
Need for exposure
Gordon impressed political and media analysts at ANC’s “Harapan 2010: The Presidential Forum” on December 2 with his articulate answers and specific plans of action on issues.
He had also raised sensible questions and gave a fiery speech during the much-publicized joint session of Congress on Martial Law.
However, one of the major challenges Gordon faces, campaign-wise, is to gain more and more exposure.
“He is not that well known. Maybe with the voters of Zambales he is, but as a national candidate, at least based on surveys, he is not,” Lim said. “He doesn’t have the machinery and range to reach voters.”
In a December poll survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), Gordon’s voter preference stood at 0.5%, compared to those who have dominated election surveys like Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (47%) and Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. (20%).
Even before he announced his bid for the presidency, Gordon had less than 1% voter preference in presidential surveys and less than 2% in vice presidential surveys.
Further, both Gordon and Fernando’s votes will most likely come from the rich and middle class, Lim said. This is only a small portion of the electorate.
“He has a nice platform and slogan (change from transactional to transformational leadership) but he has to translate it in simple terms so that ordinary voters can understand. He has to prove he is different,” Lim said.
Gordon is certainly in for a tough battle for the presidency. But as Gordon said in one of his magazine interviews, he never backs down from a fight.
Source: ABS CBN NEWS
Without much hype or preamble, Gordon had announced he was running for president on December 1 as he filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections.
The announcement came as a surprise.
It was his running mate, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, who was bent on running for president.
Their tandem, under the newly formed Bagumbayan Party, was seemingly formed at the last minute and without a senatorial slate.
Gordon told reporters they teamed up Monday night (November 30), the eve of the deadline for the filing of candidacy.
Fernando said he gave way to his new party mate, owing to Gordon’s senatorial experience.
“No one is lazy on this team. No one is stupid on this team. We may not have much money but we have enough. Besides, we already know what happened to leaders who love money too much,” Gordon told reporters after his announcement.
Thus began what political analyst Benito Lim describes as either a perfect pairing or a political headache.
‘Tough love’
Gordon has been called a “dictator” both for his single-minded drive to achieve a vision for his constituency and his brutal frankness, interpreted as arrogance or abrasiveness.
“He does not know how to consult with his people. He runs things as if he were the only one capable of thinking and the rest are all nincompoops,” said Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, a long-time critic of Gordon, in a Probe Profiles interview.
Philippine Star columnist Boo Chanco, a good friend of Gordon's and Fernando's, described it as a “lack of inclination to listen to contrary opinions.”
“I get the impression that once they make up their minds on a course of action, [there] is absolutely little chance they will consider other options,” he wrote in his December 4 column titled “Demand and Supply.”
In numerous interviews, Gordon insisted that his straightforward approach is simply his way of “teaching others.”
He does not mince words and swiftly points out incompetence, qualities that are often misinterpreted.
“My name is Dick, but I’m not a ‘tator’,” Gordon quipped in a Probe Profiles Interview. “If I get mad at you, that means I love you. If I don’t talk to you, that’s when you should worry, because then you are nothing to me.”
Two dictators?
Gordon’s partnership with Fernando, who is viewed as a dictator and tough disciplinarian, could be a potential liability for Gordon’s campaign.
“It’s like [Gordon] was looking for a headache,” Lim said in a phone interview “Bayani is really hard-headed. Many voters dislike [Bayani].”
“He (Bayani Fernando) has a public image as… a ‘Hitler’ (dictator) because of what he did to the vendors and the continuous traffic,” Lim added. “In that sense, Gordon will have to contend with negative reactions.”
Though credited for his numerous public works and traffic system projects, Fernando’s violent dispersal of sidewalk vendors and demolition of squatters' houses has not endeared him to the masses.
The twin values of discipline and strictness are the pillars of Gordon’s no-nonsense leadership style, just like his running mate.
In their view, discipline and order is exactly what the country needs.
“I tell things like it is. I tell people off. And if [people] don’t like that, fine, I can live with that. But don’t complain if you get somebody you like and not somebody that’s needed,” Gordon said in another interview.
Decisive, no nonsense
Gordon’s strongest suit by far is his experience. At 64, Gordon has held a variety of top positions, both in government and in the private sector.
A law student at the time, he was the youngest delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. He was brand manager of Procter & Gamble and was a litigation lawyer of ACCRA Law Offices.
Taking after his father (James L. Gordon) and mother (Amelia Gordon), who ran the city in 1963 and 1967 respectively, Gordon became mayor of Olongapo City in Zambales from 1980 to 1986.
He turned the former “sin city” into a model one by boosting police accountability through I.D. systems, proper health and sanitation, waste management and the strict enforcement of color coding in public transport.
In 1992, while in his second term as Olongapo City mayor, he became the founding chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
Charged with converting the former US naval base into a prime economic zone, Gordon attracted 300 foreign and local investors to Subic Bay. It became the site of the 1996 APEC Summit.
Dual roles
He vacated his mayoral post and assumed full capacity as SBMA Chairman after a citizen in 1993 complained of his dual role and the Supreme Court ruled he should only have one role.
His wife, Katherine Gordon, replaced him as Olongapo City mayor in 1995.
From February 2001 to January 2004, he was appointed secretary of tourism and vigorously publicized the “Wow Philippines!” campaign, which enticed foreign tourists to the country.
In 2004, he ran and won for Senator under Lakas-CMD, garnering over 12.7 million votes at 5th place in the Senate race. He has helped pass the New Automated Elecion System Law and tax laws.
As head of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, he helped expose corruption in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration by publishing a report on the NBN-ZTE deal.
He has also been part of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) for 40 years and stands as its Chairman and CEO. Gordon is credited for helping modernize the PNRC’s rescue equipment and facilities, and boosting its blood bank.
For his dual role as PNRC Chairman and senator, he is the subject of an ethics complaint in the Senate. Gordon said his role as PNRC chairman has not interfered with his role as senator.
‘The transformers’
Gordon’s platform prioritizes health issues and education, including raising teachers’ salaries and disease prevention.
To fund basic social services, Gordon wants to call for a moratorium on debt servicing. He vowed to “use his diplomatic skills to fight the World Bank and International Monetary Fund” in this regard.
Gordon said he plans to decongest Manila and spread businesses out to other urbanized cities like Subic, Clark and Pangasinan.
He also plans to develop core industries like tourism in the country’s island groups. Visayas will be the country’s “beach capital” while Mindanao will focus on aquaculture and agriculture.
Most of all, Gordon’s Bagumbayan party focuses on his favorite adage since the 1980s: “What the country needs is not a change of men but a change in men.”
For Gordon, this means a switch from transactional leadership (a reactionary, rewards and punishments-based leadership) to transformational leadership (proactive and motivational leadership).
Gordon and Fernando have taken to calling themselves “the transformers.”
Need for exposure
Gordon impressed political and media analysts at ANC’s “Harapan 2010: The Presidential Forum” on December 2 with his articulate answers and specific plans of action on issues.
He had also raised sensible questions and gave a fiery speech during the much-publicized joint session of Congress on Martial Law.
However, one of the major challenges Gordon faces, campaign-wise, is to gain more and more exposure.
“He is not that well known. Maybe with the voters of Zambales he is, but as a national candidate, at least based on surveys, he is not,” Lim said. “He doesn’t have the machinery and range to reach voters.”
In a December poll survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), Gordon’s voter preference stood at 0.5%, compared to those who have dominated election surveys like Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (47%) and Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. (20%).
Even before he announced his bid for the presidency, Gordon had less than 1% voter preference in presidential surveys and less than 2% in vice presidential surveys.
Further, both Gordon and Fernando’s votes will most likely come from the rich and middle class, Lim said. This is only a small portion of the electorate.
“He has a nice platform and slogan (change from transactional to transformational leadership) but he has to translate it in simple terms so that ordinary voters can understand. He has to prove he is different,” Lim said.
Gordon is certainly in for a tough battle for the presidency. But as Gordon said in one of his magazine interviews, he never backs down from a fight.
Source: ABS CBN NEWS
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Richard Gordon
Dick Gordon is a consistent and proven transformational leader.
In the 2004 national elections when he ran as senator of the Philippines, despite the initial low public opinion surveys, Gordon won and received the fifth highest number of votes from the electorate even without sectoral and religious command vote support. Filipinos warmly received his very positive personality and track record of achievements.
He passed the very first law in the 13th Congress, Republic Act No. 9333, fixing the regular elections at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and several other important laws, including Republic Act No. 9369, the New Automated Election System law; Republic Act No. 9334, the Sin Tax Law, Republic Act Nos. 9399 and 9400, fixing the tax regime in Special Economic Zones and Freeports in Clark in Pampanga, Poro Point in La Union; and John Hay in Baguio; Republic Act No. 9346, the abolition of the death penalty law; and Republic Act No. 9367, the Biofuels Act of 2007.
Furthermore, as Chairman of the Senate Committee of Constitutional Amendements and Revision of Laws, he upheld the supremacy of the Constitution at all times. Though he may not have voted for the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, he took an oath to preserve and defend it. He insisted on the lawful process of charter change only according to the process set forth in the Constitution. He opposed the unconstitutional People’s Initiative and was one of the triumphant parties in the case of Lambino and Aumentado vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 174153, October 25, 2006.
He also preserved the separation of powers in government and asserted the Senate’s constitutional right and duty to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation against Executive Order No. 464 in Senate, et al. vs. Ermita, G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006, and Executive Order No. 1 in Sabio vs. Gordon, et al., G.R. No. 174340, October 17, 2006.
In 2001, he transformed the moribund Philippines Tourism industry: plagued by a negative image of kidnappings and SARS disease and complicated by an era of continued threat of terrorism. As Secretary of Tourism he accomplished this with his campaign: "WOW Philippines! More than the usual!" This resulted to increased tourist arrivals that rejuvenated the industry, becoming the country’s acknowledged fastest way to address poverty and unemployment. In addition, in his capacity as World Tourism Organization (WTO) Commissioner for East Asia and the Pacific in 2002 and Chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for 2003, he became the chief advocate of Third World countries that have been unduly affected in tourism and trade by unfair Travel Advisories imposed by Western governments.
In 1992, he led the successful conversion of the former United States’ naval facility in Subic Bay. He turned it into the Philippines’ primary trade zone. This was when the Philippine Senate rejected a treaty extension ending a century of US military presence in the country. He lobbied in Congress for the passage of a bill he drafted based on an old plan to convert the American naval and air force facilities in Subic and Clark respectively into economic enclaves by the creation of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
As founding Chair and Administrator of the SBMA, he inspired an army of 8,000 volunteers who protected and preserved the U.S.$ 8 billion facility. Together with the volunteers, he successfully transformed Subic into a premier investment hub that hosted the 4th APEC Leaders Summit in 1996. By the time he left in 1998, SBMA had over 300 investors including notable American companies: Federal Express, Coastal Petroleum and Enron. It even had British firms, BICC Cables and Shell Exploration as well as Taiwan’s Acer Computers and France’s Thompson Audio. More than 90,000 jobs were created under his leadership.
In the 2004 national elections when he ran as senator of the Philippines, despite the initial low public opinion surveys, Gordon won and received the fifth highest number of votes from the electorate even without sectoral and religious command vote support. Filipinos warmly received his very positive personality and track record of achievements.
He passed the very first law in the 13th Congress, Republic Act No. 9333, fixing the regular elections at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and several other important laws, including Republic Act No. 9369, the New Automated Election System law; Republic Act No. 9334, the Sin Tax Law, Republic Act Nos. 9399 and 9400, fixing the tax regime in Special Economic Zones and Freeports in Clark in Pampanga, Poro Point in La Union; and John Hay in Baguio; Republic Act No. 9346, the abolition of the death penalty law; and Republic Act No. 9367, the Biofuels Act of 2007.
Furthermore, as Chairman of the Senate Committee of Constitutional Amendements and Revision of Laws, he upheld the supremacy of the Constitution at all times. Though he may not have voted for the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, he took an oath to preserve and defend it. He insisted on the lawful process of charter change only according to the process set forth in the Constitution. He opposed the unconstitutional People’s Initiative and was one of the triumphant parties in the case of Lambino and Aumentado vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 174153, October 25, 2006.
He also preserved the separation of powers in government and asserted the Senate’s constitutional right and duty to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation against Executive Order No. 464 in Senate, et al. vs. Ermita, G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006, and Executive Order No. 1 in Sabio vs. Gordon, et al., G.R. No. 174340, October 17, 2006.
In 2001, he transformed the moribund Philippines Tourism industry: plagued by a negative image of kidnappings and SARS disease and complicated by an era of continued threat of terrorism. As Secretary of Tourism he accomplished this with his campaign: "WOW Philippines! More than the usual!" This resulted to increased tourist arrivals that rejuvenated the industry, becoming the country’s acknowledged fastest way to address poverty and unemployment. In addition, in his capacity as World Tourism Organization (WTO) Commissioner for East Asia and the Pacific in 2002 and Chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for 2003, he became the chief advocate of Third World countries that have been unduly affected in tourism and trade by unfair Travel Advisories imposed by Western governments.
In 1992, he led the successful conversion of the former United States’ naval facility in Subic Bay. He turned it into the Philippines’ primary trade zone. This was when the Philippine Senate rejected a treaty extension ending a century of US military presence in the country. He lobbied in Congress for the passage of a bill he drafted based on an old plan to convert the American naval and air force facilities in Subic and Clark respectively into economic enclaves by the creation of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
As founding Chair and Administrator of the SBMA, he inspired an army of 8,000 volunteers who protected and preserved the U.S.$ 8 billion facility. Together with the volunteers, he successfully transformed Subic into a premier investment hub that hosted the 4th APEC Leaders Summit in 1996. By the time he left in 1998, SBMA had over 300 investors including notable American companies: Federal Express, Coastal Petroleum and Enron. It even had British firms, BICC Cables and Shell Exploration as well as Taiwan’s Acer Computers and France’s Thompson Audio. More than 90,000 jobs were created under his leadership.
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