Meet the Philippines 2010 Presidential Candidates

And you can already feel the heat, urgency and ‘desperation’ rising. National candidates (from President, Vice – President to Senators) are going to various places in the country to campaign for their respective positions. Posters, flyers, TV ads, radio ads – all these (and more) are now seen and heard on a daily or, even, hourly basis by the prospective voters.

This year’s national elections brought to light a new form of campaign platform – the Internet. Before, the only times you will see your candidate is if you pass by the streets and see their posters, watch the TV and see their TV ads and listen to the radio for their radio ads. Nowadays, you can go to the Internet and see their various social networking sites (Friendster, Facebook and even Twitter). There are even Adsense Ads that you can click on!

This hub, however, is not about the Philippines 2010 presidential candidates in the Internet. It’s not even about how the Internet is changing our election campaigns. This hub aims to ‘introduce’ each and every candidate for the president of the Philippines in 2010 and to provide a short description of each of them. This hub is by no means recommending any particular candidate or political party and should not be taken as such.

1. Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III

Born on Feb. 8, 1960, Noynoy Aquino is the only son of the late former senator (and martyr) Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino, Jr. and the 11^th and first lady president of the Philippines, Mrs. Corazon ‘Cory’ Aquino. Both of his parents had played crucial roles in ending the 20 – year long martial law and dictatorship of the then – President Marcos. Now, Noynoy Aquino is following in the footsteps of his parents. In 1998, he was elected as a congressman of Tarlac, a position he held for nine straight years. In 2007, he was elected for Senator, placing 6^th in the national elections.

Noynoy is the standard – bearer of the Liberal Party. His running mate is Mar Roxas, another member of a political family in the country (Roxas’ grandfather was the late former president, Manuel Roxas, while his father was a senator). Noynoy Aquino’s battlecry is “Kung Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap” (If there’s no corruption, there’s no poverty) and has vowed to eradicate corruption in the country.

2. John Carlos ‘JC’ De Los Reyes

Born on Feb. 14, 1970, JC is the youngest presidential candidate (he’s only 40 years old!). He is running under Ang Kapatiran Party (The Brotherhood Party). A lawyer by profession, he is a councilor of OlongapoCity. He spearheaded a free legal assistance program (called Justice Crusade), a successful program among his constituents. He has campaigned against various misdeeds such as illegal drugs, workers’ rights violations and illegal fish cages. He showed his boldness and radicalism through his filings of several complaints before the Ombudsman against several high ranking officials.

JC Reyes’ running mate is another lawyer, Atty. Dominador ‘Jun’ Chipeco. If elected, his vision is to fight and defeat poverty.

3. Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada

The 13^th president of the country, who was unseated from power after less than 3 years in the presidency, Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada is back with a vengeance, this time running (again) for the highest position in the land. Erap is a known Filipino actor (an action star, no less) but he also has a long history as a political figure in the country. He was elected as mayor of San Juan City and held the position for 16 years. During these years, San Juan became a progressive city, a development largely attributed to Erap’s leadership. In 1987, he became a senator; in 1992, a vice – president and, finally in 1998, a president.

In 2001, he stepped down as president of the country during the People Power II. He was subsequently imprisoned and charged with graft and corruption. He was convicted for these charges but was later on pardoned by the current president of the country. Erap’s running mate is the current mayor of Makati City (the business capital of the country), Jejomar Binay. His political party is called Partido ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Filipino Masses). His motto is ‘Erap para sa Mahirap’ (Erap for the masses).

4. Richard ‘Dick’ Gordon

A candidate with a vast political experience under his belt. Dick Gordon was credited as the one who successfully converted the former US military base in Subic Bay, Olongapo into one of the country’s primary free trade zone and established the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to oversee the running of this free trade zone. The conversion into a free trade zone resulted into several major foreign investors setting up their respective offices in Subic (to name a few, FedEx, Shell, Unioil and Acer Computers). In 2001, he became the Secretary of the Department of Tourism and launched the widely - successful ‘Wow Philippines!’ campaign aimed at increasing the number of tourists visiting the country. In 2004, he was elected as a senator of the country.

Other than the political arena, Dick Gordon is also an active member of the Philippine National Red Cross or PNRC. In fact, he is the chairman of this organization and had actively led the PNRC to several rescue, relief and rehabilitation missions. In time of natural calamities, Dick Gordon and the PNRC people are always there to provide relief to the Filipino people.

Dick’s running mate is Bayani Fernando, a former government official. His political party is Bagumbayan: Volunteers for a New Philippines.

5. Jamby Madrigal

The only female presidential candidate for the 2010 elections, Jamby Madrigal is currently serving her first term as a senator of the Philippines. Born on April 26, 1958, she comes from a family of public servants. Her grandfather is the former Supreme Court Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos while her granduncle, Pedro Abad Santos, was the founder of the Socialist Party of the Philippines. This lady senator is known for her outspokenness and her single-mindedness in pursuing issues which she thinks warrant the Senate’s and the people’s attention. Her political party is called Genuine Opposition and her battlecry is “Bayan Natin, Bago Lahat” (Our country first, above everything else).

6. Nicanor “Nicky” Perlas

Running as an Independent, Nicky Perlas was almost disqualified from the presidential race. This is the first time he is venturing into the political world but from reading his profile, this is not the first time that he has involved himself in national political policies. He was credited with influencing the turn of the 1996 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC by convincing the then President Ramos to convince the rest of the delegates to introduce sustainable development as APEC’s third paradigm. This move basically spared the rice farmers of the country from the liberalization moves that were proposed by several APEC member – countries. He is called the “Global Consultant on Integral Sustainable Development”. His vision for 2016 (the year of the next national elections) is the “Muling Pagsilang ng Ating Bayan” (the rebirth of our country).

7. Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr.

The standard – bearer of the current president’s political party, Gibo Teodoro is also a 2^nd cousin of another presidential candidate, Noynoy Aquino. At only 46 years old, he is the youngest to have ever held the position of Secretary of Defense in 2007. Prior to his appointment as a secretary, he was a congressman for nine consecutive years in Tarlac.

Academic – wise, Gibo has probably one of the best credentials among the roster of candidates. He is a Philippine Bar topnotcher (the Philippine Bar exams are for those who want to become lawyers). He also passed the New York State Bar examinations in 1997. He completed his masters degree at the Harvard Law School in Massachusetts.

Gibo’s running mate is actor Edu Manzano. His motto is “Sipag at Talino” (Perseverance and Intelligence).

8. Eddie Villanueva

This is the second time that Eddie Villanueva is running for the presidency. Although he is a virtual newcomer in the political arena, Brother Eddie Villanueva has been a known figure in the country. He is responsible for setting up and for leading the Jesus is Lord Worldwide Movement, a Christian organization known for its millions of followers all over the country.

His running mate is Perfecto Yasay, Jr., the former head of the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. His battlecry is “May Pag-Asa Pa!” (There’s still hope!).

9. Manual ‘Manny’ Villar

Last but not the least, this candidate is the richest among all the current presidential candidates. Senator Manny Villar is a self – made billionaire and has been consistently recognized as the richest senator of the land. Manny Villar gives credence to the saying “from rags to riches”. He rose from his humble beginnings, graduated as an accountant (and later on became a Certified Public Accountant) and was responsible for establishing the largest homebuilding company in the country. He had successfully taken several of his companies public through the local stock exchange, enabling him to rise in status from a poor man, to a rich man and finally, to a billionaire. His richness and his political stature, however, seem to come with a price as his detractors are now hurling charges at him that he took advantage of his political position to benefit his companies and to make himself richer.

Manny Villar entered the political world in 1992 as a congressman; he served for nine years and became the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He became a senator in 2001 and in 2006, was elected as the Senate President. He holds the distinction as the only one who has held both the Speaker of the House and Senate President positions.

Manny Villar’s running mate is another senator, Loren Legarda, who is in her second bid for the vice – presidency position. His political party is the Nacionalista Party. His vision is to help and inspire other Filipinos to become successful through hard work and determination (Sipag at Tiyaga).

Thank you very much for reading my rather lengthy hub. If you're a Filipino, I encourage you to signify through the poll below who will you vote for as President of the Philippines in 2010. If you want to read more, please visit my hub on the 2010 Vice - Presidential candidates.

As stated above, this hub is not meant to influence anybody to vote for any presidential candidate. The author, however, encourages each and every Filipino voter to think clearly and to choose wisely. Good luck to everyone of us this coming elections and Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!