The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Nacionalista Party is one of the oldest political parties in the Philippines. It is almost a century old and has produced six Philippine presidents.

Led by standard bearer Manny Villar, the Nacionalista Party is headed for a strong showing for the May 2010 elections. It has an impressive lineup of senatorial candidates. Of the 10 senatorial candidates, six come from political families. For this year’s elections, the NP has the distinction of having the most number of female senatorial candidates (Pia Cayetano, Gwen Pimentel, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Toots Ople). They also have the most number of lawyers from one political party running for a senatorial seat: Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor, Susan Ople, and Adel Tamano.

All the candidates promise to effect change, fight poverty, and defend the marginalized. They are all well-educated, some even with degrees from abroad. With the elections fast approaching, every voter needs to get educated on the candidate’s achievements in government as well as his or her platform, so that a senator is voted not based on name recall but because of a legitimate and sincere legislative agenda.

Here is the senatorial lineup of the Nacionalista Party for the 2010 elections.

Pia Cayetano

Pia is a reelectionist and is the youngest Filipina to ever hold a Senatorial seat. Pia is the daughter of the late Sen. Rene Cayetano, sister to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, and mother of two. Aside from being a lawmaker, she is a triathelete and businesswoman.

Pia is one of the most productive Senators today. Since 2004, she has authored, co-authored, and sponsored several bills such as the Magna Carta of Women, Expanded Senior Citizens Act, Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, Cheaper Medicines Law, Renewable Energy Act of 2008, Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2007, the Hospital Detention Law, and the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act.

She is the current chair of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development.

Her advocacies include women, health, and the environment. She is also active in several projects such as Pinay in Action, Bike for Hope, and fund-raising programs that support differently abled children under her charity named for her late son Gabriel.

Name: CAYETANO, PILAR JULIANA SCHRAMM

Website: www.senatorpiacayetano.com/senpia/index.php

Twitter: twitter.com/Piacayetano

Facebook: www.facebook.com/senatorpiacayetano

Blog: mydailyrace.blogspot.com/

Miriam Defensor Santiago

Miriam is no stranger to politics, having had a long, illustrious, and controversial political career. She is running for reelection and it seems that her popularity holds strong with the voting public, coming out as a likely winner for the May 2010 elections. Her image as the staunch defender against corruption and injustice still resonates with the Filipinos. Miriam is a guest candidate of the NP.

Miriam hails from Iloilo and has been a consistent achiever in her life. She is the most awarded Philippine government official. Among her accolades is being the recipient of the equivalent of the Asian Nobel Peace Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service.

Miriam is known for her grandstanding ways and the profuse use of big multisyllabic words. In the halls of Senate, she has used her privilege speeches to lambaste political opponents. She is one of the busiest Senators, having authored more than over 800 Senate Bills in the 14^th Congress alone. However, none of these bills of which she is a principal sponsor has been passed in the last year.

Name: DEFENSOR SANTIAGO, MIRIAM PALMA

Website: http://www.miriam.com.ph/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/miriamdefensorsantiago2

Blog: miriamsantiago.multiply.com/

Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos

Everyone knows who BongBong Marcos is and his illustrious and colorful parentage. He is currently the Congressional Representative of the 2^nd district of Ilocos Norte and is Deputy Minority Leader in the Lower House. He has a total of 17 years in public service, including three terms as governor. For the May 2010 elections, this KBL member is a guest candidate of the NP.

In the 14^th Congress, his sole important piece of legislation is the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law.

BongBong’s advocacy is poverty alleviation. In spite of numerous lawsuits against his family and the unsuccessful attempts of the Philippine government to recover the billions that the Marcos family allegedly stole from Philippine coffers during the 20-year term of his father, BongBong remains popular with the masses and seems likely to win a senatorial seat.

This former presidential son holds an Economics degree from Oxford University and also a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Wharton.

Name: MARCOS, FERDINAND, JR. ROMUALDEZ

Website: bongbongm.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/bongbongmarcos
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95701829869
Blog: bongbongmarcos.multiply.com/

Ramon “MonMon” Mitra

MonMon is the son of the late Speaker of the House Ramon Mitra. He hails from Palawan and is a graduate of the PMA who has been conferred the Distinguished Conduct Star.

Alternative Energy is his primary advocacy. As the Director of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), he knows first hand the need for fuel independence. MonMon wants to push for jatropha aside from bio-ethanol to decrease the country’s energy dependence by at least 10%.

Secure agriculture is his other advocacy. He wants to modernize farming systems and overhaul the credit system for farmers. Farmers and fisherfolk should be supported so that they can have three meals a day.

If elected, he promises action, not words.

Name: MITRA, RAMON BLANCO

Website: www.ramonmitra.com/

Twitter: twitter.com/monmonmitra

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Mitra-is-Back/186106478380

Liza Maza

Liza Maza is a women’s rights activist and a three-term  Congresswoman for the Gabriela party list. This is the first time she is running for Senator as a guest candidate of the NP. Her slogan is “Para sa Babae, Para sa Masa, Para sa Bayan.”

For her women’s advocacy work, Liza has been awarded the 2005 Outstanding Woman in Public Service Award by the NCRFW.

Liza hails from San Pablo, Laguna and is an Economics Major from UP. In her nine years in congress, Liza has authored and sponsored several bills such as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, Anti Trafficking in Persons Act, the Magna Carta of Women, Rent Control Act of 2009, Overseas Absentee Voting Act, Public Attorney’s Office Act, Philippine Nursing Act, and the Anti-Torture Law.

If she wins a seat in the Upper House, her legislative platform will still remain the same: to protect the rights of women, children, and all Filipinos.

Name: MAZA, LIZA LARGOZA

Website: lizamaza.com/

Twitter: twitter.com/LizaMaza

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lizamaza

Satur Ocampo

Satur is a journalist, activist, and party-list representative and president of the group Bayan Muna.

Satur comes from humble beginnings in Sta. Rita, Pampanga. He started as a jounalist but became a political activist when he founded Kabataang Makabayan. During Martial Law, he co-founded the National Democratic Front (NDF) and became a political prisoner for several years. It is interesting that the son of his former enemy is now his political running mate, under the same party, albeit as guest candidates.

During his work in Congress, he has filed several resolutions decrying human rights abuses, and most recently, the declaration of Martial Law in Maguindanao. He also sponsored the Rent Control Act.

At 71, he wants to continue his advocacy in the halls of the Senate. His goal is to uplift the poor and marginalized, push for nationalism in government and economy, and establish lasting peace. His platform includes providing free legal service to the poor, stopping demolitions, and enacting a universal health care program. His economic agenda is removing what he feels are anti-Filipino policies such as liberalization, privatization, and deregulation. He wants to pursue Pres. Arroyo and her cohorts for plunder, electoral fraud, and other government irregularities as soon as she steps down from office. He also wants all political prisoners freed.

Name: OCAMPO, SATURNINO CUNANAN

Website: www.bayanmuna.net/

Twitter: twitter.com/satur_ocampo

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1227694935

Susan “Toots” Ople

Toots is the youngest daughter of the late Sen. Blas Ople, who was also a former Department of Labor head. This is her first time to run for a national elected position, although she is no neophyte to the ways of the Senate, having worked as her father’s Chief of Staff at the Senate and later at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Toots is a researcher, columnist, published author, and broadcast journalist.

Her advocacy work for OFWs is done through the Blas F. Ople Center. She has assisted thousands of people through the Tulay Program, a computer literacy program for OFWs organized by DOLE and funded by Microsoft.

Toots also plans to champion the rights of laborers. Her plans for the Senate include creating a six-year job plan. She also wants to eliminate the contractualization of workers, so that workers are given proper benefits and job security for their labors. She plans to stop human trafficking and the abuses made by illegal recruiters. Another part of her reforms is creating an OFW Reintegration Council for returning OFWs and improving the justice labor system in the country.

Toots holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, and was awarded the Josephine Vernon Award for Excellence in Communications.

Name: OPLE, SUSAN VASQUEZ

Website: www.ople2010.com/

Twitter: twitter.com/ople2010

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=844259641&ref=ts

Blog: www.susanople.com/

Gwen Pimentel

Gwen is the daughter of veteran Senator Aquilino Pimentel and is one of two candidates of the PDP-Laban group but is a guest candidate of the NP. This is her first time to run for public office. Her primary advocacy is child and family rights. If elected, she plans to promote children’s health, education, welfare, and safety, especially those of street children. Her economic agenda is focused on the development of Mindanao, and developing local energy sources.

Gwen graduated with a Masters in Public Administration as well as a law degree from UP. She has served as Chief of Staff of her father’s Senatorial office and has held positions in various children’s groups organizations. She is currently the president of the Association of Child Caring Agencies of the Philippines. She is a published author and hosts a radio program on Radio Veritas.

Name: PIMENTEL, GWENDOLYN DE LA LLANA

Website: www.gwenpimentel.org/

Twitter: twitter.com/gwenpimentel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Gwen-Pimentel/544785888#!/profile.php?id=544785888

Col. Ariel Querubin

A soldier with extensive work in the battlefield, Col. Querubin is part of the Magdalo Group. He has been awarded the Medal of Valor in 2001.

He graduated from the PMA and later earned his Master’s Degree in Management in Defense Studies from the University of Canbera. He is also a father of seven children.

This is Querubin’s first foray into electoral politics. His advocacies are implementing reforms in the military, protecting the welfare of the Filipinos, fighting graft and corruption, and espousing good governance. His platform consists of modernizing the Armed forces and changing the existing promotion system into one based on merit alone. He hopes to raise the level of dignity of policemen and other law enforcement officials. He wants to use the Senate oversight committee to oversee government spending, and wants to institutionalize the benefit system of government services.

Name: QUERUBIN, ARIEL OLIVA

Website: www.arielquerubinforsenator.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=128934511507

Gilbert Remulla

Gilbert is the national spokeperson of the NP. His father, Juanito Remulla, is a former governor of Cavite. Despite his youth, he has already served two terms as a congressman for the 2^nd district of Cavite. During his second term, he passed the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and An Act Increasing the Penalty for Illegal Numbers Game.

Gilbert started as a production assistant with ABS-CBN and later hosted Alas Singko y Medya and Kabuhayan Swak na Swak on the same network. At 39, he is a husband and father to three children.

For his platform, his advocacy is health and fitness through the program “Haligi ng Kalusugan.” He is pushing for mandatory vaccinations for children and access of remote provinces to medicine, as well as the proper implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law. Having embarked on the “Stop Killing Journalists” Advocacy campaign, he also wants to protect the rights of media by creating a Magna Carta for Journalists. Gilbert wants to provide computer access to local press corps in provinces and to lessen the penalty for libel. To improve the education system in the country, he wants to ensure there is at least one computer per school in the entire country and to make roads to schools and learning institutions more accessible. Livelihood and employment, youth empowerment, and housing are his other advocacies.

He graduated from UP with a Degree in Broadcast Journalism, then later obtained a Masters in International Affairs, major in International Media and Communications.

Name: REMULLA, GILBERT CESAR CATIBAYAN

Website: www.gilbertremulla.com/gcr/index.cfm

Twitter: twitter.com/gilbertremulla

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gilbertremulla?ref=sgm

Adel Tamano

Adel is the spokesperson of the United Opposition. He hails from political roots, his father being  former senator Mamintal Tamano and his mother civic leader Hadja Putri Zorayda Abbas Tamano. He has two children with his wife, who is also an attorney. For this election, he is the youngest senatorial candidate.

Adel is a unique senatorial neophyte because he is Muslim. His advocacy is youth, education, transparency, and good governance. The masses know him as the former legal representative of Dra. Vicky Belo.

Adel obtained his Economics Degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, and a Master’s Degree from UP. He holds the distinction of being the first Filipino Muslim to graduate from Harvard Law School after he obtained his Masters of Law Degree from the renowned University. He is also a former President of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).

Name: TAMANO, ADEL ABBAS

Website: www.adeltamano.ph/2010/
Twitter: twitter.com/adeltamano
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Atty-Adel-Tamano/135907893543

Conclusion

The Nacionalista Party has an impressive senatorial slate with both reelectionists likely to win, and new candidates likely to join them. However, the presence of guest candidates in not only in the NP slot but also from other political parties illustrates just how weak the political ties that bind truly are. Very seldom are candidates known because of their political affiliation.

As illustrated in the NP lineup, political ties are severed based on individual platforms. Friends today are opponents tomorrow, depending on how the political climate blows. It also holds true the other way around. Who would have thought that a stalwart political activist would be running mates with the son of his former enemy? Indeed, only in the Philippines, where political parties are just like playing musical chairs.