My Pick: Senatorial Line-Up

The National Election is in two weeks and I have not made my choices of senators yet.

The internet does not return any search for a complete list of senatorial candidates except for Wikipedia, so I used it to make my partial list below.

In making my choice, CHARACTER matters more than personality. Accomplishments or the lack of it comes secondary to character because politics is never politics without deceit, orchestration and connivance. You’d never know whether support is achieved due to the merits of the legislation, or due to sheer political influence or intimidation.

In any case, the ones who made it to my shortlist are:

1. Loren Legarda. She is the most logical choice; a veteran legislator with a very strong political will.
2. Alan Peter Cayetano. He took the limelight and showed his political strength of character when he publicly decried the cash gifts of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile using Senate funds.
3. Bam Aquino. He bears the surname synonymous to democracy, so I’m guessing he would try to live up to the expectations of being an Aquino, or at least try not to do anything that would ruin it. He was the President of our school Student Council when I was a college freshman.
4. Risa Hontiveros. She is long overdue to be in the Senate. She lost the election three years ago to a number of candidates who SHOULD have NEVER won, and who until today have not crafted many laws nor even give a few intelligent speeches.
5. Juan Edgardo Angara. I do not know much about him, except that he is a three-term congressman from Aurora, and that he is the son of Senator Edgardo Angara. I am voting for him anyway because of Pnoy’s endorsement.
6. Grace Poe. She made headlines as a no non-sense Chairman of the Movie and Television Regulatory Board (MTRCB). I am voting for her because of PNoy’s endorsement too.

Below are names that might still creep into my choices for senators.

7. Francis Escudero. He is another logical choice until reports directly linked him to the Noy-Bi campaign in the 2010 Presidential Elections instead of the original Aquino-Roxas tandem. It was a very political move aimed to derail Roxas’ road to presidency in 2016. Escudero was touted to run too for presidency in 2016.
8. Richard Gordon. He was a former senator and a fierce critic of former President Joseph Estrada. Now he is running under the UNA Coalition which has Estrada as one of its bigwigs.
9. Antonio Trillanes IV. I do not admire his rebellion and taking over of Oakwood towers in 2003 even if it was under the banner of anti-corruption. However, his public opposition of Enrile’s actions and character gave me the impression that like Cayetano, he will not acquiesce to any intimidation from a veteran politician.
10. Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. He lost in the 1992 Vice-Presidential bid to Estrada, but received the third highest vote in the 1995 Senatorial Elections. He voted to have the envelope containing the evidence in the impeachment case of Estrada be opened, but the negative vote outnumbered the yes vote.
11. Aquilino Pimentel III. A jumper from UNA to Team PNoy because his rival to the 12^th seat of the 2007 Election, Miguel Zubiri, was included by UNA to its list of senatorial candidates. He narrowly lost to Zubiri, who resigned in 2011 amidst the controversy of massive cheating. He was declared the rightful winner in August 2011.
12. Cynthia Villar. If only to complete my list of 12 senators, she might have the chance, because I have no one else to vote for from the UNA party.
13. Jamby Madrigal. She is filthy rich. She ran for presidency in 2010, and was credited for the eventual fail of Villar’s bid for presidency through her expose of Villar properties and C-5 road project controversy.

I also made my own list of senatorial candidates I will NEVER vote for.

1. Nancy Binay. She is the daughter of Vice-President Jejomar Binay. We already have an abundance of inexperienced legislators in the Senate. I cannot find any logical, intelligent and practical purpose why she should join the Senate. If she is doing excellently in her work right now, let her continue that.
2. Tingting Cojuangco. Why should I vote for her?
3. JV Ejercito. Another Estrada in the Senate. His dad was a former President who has the credits of being the first actor who became president, and the first president who was impeached. His mother was a former Senator. His brother is a senator. A family of Estrada in the Senate? Are we lacking of credible legislators this much to have put one family in the Senate? Are we satisfied at their accomplishments to put another Estrada in the Senate? Sorry, but I am NOT.
4. Jack Enrile. He is the son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. For me, his father is the most powerful and most influential politician of all time. He has outlived Marcos and Aquino long enough to be still in power and give cash gifts to senators with outmost discretion in amount. If he has this power over the Senate, I reckon to say that he has much influence over his son too. JPE’s influence and contribution over the course of Philippine history is vast... and more than enough. So, thanks, but no, thanks.
5. Gregorio Honasan. I see him as a cohort of Enrile. Anyone who supports Enrile is off my list, period.
6. Ernesto Maceda. Why does he want to return to the senate? I should know before he ever gets my vote. I see him as just another veteran who is way past his limelight, and must give way to new politicians with youthful vigour and fresher ideas.
7. Mitos Magsaysay. Who is she?

  

Truly, this year’s list of senatorial candidates is dominated by TRAPOs (Traditional Politicians) and BIMPOs (Batang Isinubo ng Magulang sa Politika). Nevertheless, we should exercise our rights and cast our votes for those candidates we believe are worthy to be called a Philippine Senator.

My list is My Pick. Who’s on your list?