http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2010/january/27/felmaragay.isx&d=2010/january/27
If the country’s president were elected by participants in political forums, Lakas-Kampi standard bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. would emerge as the runaway winner. Teodoro has been wowing the audiences in the live debates with his rivals in the presidential derby organized by various groups. At 46, he is the youngest among the front running presidential contenders. He has stood out in every forum because of his wit, intelligence, deep grasp of issues, eloquence and vision of governance. He is also perceived as a man of integrity who has never been linked to any scandal in government.
As a public servant, Teodoro earned a reputation for frugality and prudence in the use of resources. He imbibed this virtue from the examples of his father, the late Gilberto Teodoro Sr. who, as administrator of the Social Security System, safeguarded the funds and assets of the SSS with unequaled zeal and was the only official of the Marcos authoritarian regime who resisted the attempts of then First Lady Imelda Marcos to dip her fingers into the pension fund of private workers for her extravagant projects.
It’s no wonder that Teodoro makes it a point to attend every political forum no matter how tight his campaign schedule may be. At this stage of the contest, he may be trailing behind Senators Benigno Aquino III, Manuel Villar and former President Joseph Estrada. But at the rate he is upstaging them in the debates, he is making the voters rethink their preferences and switch their support to him and away from his rivals. The former defense chief knows that the best way to sell himself as a candidate is to engage in face-to-face encounters with his adversaries while the voters are watching inside the auditorium or via television.
That is his unique and greatest advantage.
The Lakas-Kampi standard bearer came out as the crowd favorite at the Jan. 22 forum dubbed “Choices and voices for 2010: An Encounter with the Presidentiables” held at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City. The forum was capped by mock polls. Out of 935 votes cast, Teodoro obtained 456, Aquino was a far second with 296, followed by Villar with 88, Richard Gordon with 45, Eddie Villanueva with 20, Estrada with 19, and Nicanor Perlas with 2.
In a similar forum held at the UST College of Medicine Auditorium last December, a panel of discussants agreed that Teodoro was the best performer. And in a forum that focused on foreign relations and economic issues held at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City, there was a consensus that Teodoro, along with Gordon, gave the best presentation.
At the AIM forum, Teodoro gave this extemporaneous remark on how to get the economy moving at a faster pace: “I think we have seen the story repeated over and over again why the fruits of economic growth have not trickled down to the masses. For me, the simple reason is we do not have enough periods of sustained economic growth to allow it to trickle down to disparate growth sectors and disparate elements of the economy. It is correct, the country needs leadership. Another is the institution of good governance. We have to have long-term infrastructure policy, we have to have predictability so that investors invest in the long run to allow adequate capital formation and job creation to follow. But because of the influence of partisanship in the political system, this influence trickles on to the economy. The severe changes in policy, infrastructure programs have not been followed through all to the detriment of the trickle-down effect to the masses. It is a question of sustainability, consistency and predictability. Of course the issue of good governance and transparency is an element of that sustainability. It is an element of confidence. We have to learn how to sustain and how to have a consensus. Though we are partisans in politics, certain fundamentals cannot be sacrificed because they affect lives and people and they affect growth.”
Teodoro, a bar topnotcher and master of laws holder from Harvard University, believes he has the credentials and leadership qualities needed to unify the Filipinos and steer the country on the path of peace and prosperity. “I can give a lot of balance to things. I can look at things in perspective. I know the long-term structure and institutional requirements of the country. And perhaps because of my experience of being in both the opposition and the administration, I have the quality of making people work together. I have credibility with a lot of people of diverse political persuasions,” he told staff members of another daily.
After passing the bar, Teodoro worked as a lawyer with the law office of former Justice Secretary Estelito Mendoza. He served as congressman of Tarlac for three consecutive terms. It was a measure of his leadership that he became chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and head of the party’s contingent in the House of Representatives. The public got a glimpse of his political shrewdness and parliamentary acumen when he took on the daunting task of spearheading the impeachment case against then Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. over alleged culpable violations of the Constitution.. In the Arroyo Cabinet, he served as secretary of defense and chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council. In that capacity, he led the campaign against communist and Muslim rebels. He also oversaw rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. In both tasks, he performed creditably and won public admiration.
A major factor that makes Teodoro confident of his fighting chances is the commitment of support of leaders of Lakas-Kampi which remains the biggest political party. The ruling party has the most number of incumbent congressmen. Up to 70 percent of governors, mayors and other local government officials belong to the administration party. While it is true that the Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party scored some gains in raiding the Lakas-Kampi of its ranks, the defections were manageable and did minimal damage to the party. Lakas-Kami secretary general Francis Manglapus said most of the defectors were left out in the nomination for official candidates of the administration party and had no choice but to look for another party to pursue their candidacy.
Bataan Governor Enrique Garcia says that with the Lakas-Kampi in control of the province, they would be able to deliver the votes for Teodorol. Bohol Gov. Eric Aumentado says the influence of the dominant party “will soon be brought to bear in the coming elections.”
If Teodoro won the mock polls during the Cebu forum, it was partly because a huge portion of the crowd was composed of Lakas local officials and their followers. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia was largely responsible for bringing these partisans to the forum. That is the kind of determination, resourcefulness and trickery the Lakas stalwarts are capable of doing. They are willing to do anything to get the votes for Teodoro because they are convinced that he is the right man to lead the country. And the feat made by Gov. Garcia can be duplicated in other provinces and cities where the Lakas governors and mayors are in command and know how to use the party machinery to maximum advantage to advance the political interest not only of themselves as local candidates but also their party’s candidates for president and other national positions in the coming elections.
Doubts over Teodoro’s winnability arising from his poor showing in the surveys have spawned rumor that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is secretly supporting NP presidential bet Sen. Manuel Villar. Fueling this rumor is the fact that some prominent political allies of the President have thrown their support behind Villar. For instance, deputy national security adviser and former Ilocos Norte Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson is openly backing Villar. So is Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairman Efraim Genuino. Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is not only supporting Villar but is running for congressman in Sarangani under the NP.
But according to the grapevine, the President recently summoned Genuino and chastised him for supporting Villar instead of Teodoro. Which tends to prove that Mrs. Arroyo is all-out for Teodoro.
Teodoro himself shrugged off the speculation that the President is not solidly behind his candidacy. “I am her candidate. I don’t have any reason to doubt that. And if assuming for the sake of argument, I am not, still I am the standard bearer (of the ruling Lakas-Kampi) and if I lose, I will only have myself to blame. I am here, I am the standard bearer, I should make the most of it. If I don’t win, that is my problem,” he said.
Former President Fidel V. Ramos, the founder and titular leader of Lakas, is believed to have given his thumbs-up to Teodoro. People close to Ramos say he is very much impressed with Teodoro although he still resists the temptation and appeals of his allies to endorse and campaign for Teodoro
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