MANILA, Philippines ? ?It is not Facebook that matters here, it is not your face that matters,? a senator on Wednesday told presidential bet, Senator Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III.
Senator Richard Gordon, another contender in the 2010 presidential race, issued the statement in an apparent response to the groundswell of support for Aquino even in the popular social networking site, Facebook.
Reports placed Aquino as the leading presidential contender in terms of number of supporters in Facebook with 210,988, followed by Senator Manny Villar with 158,016 fans, plus 2,756 in two other Facebook public profiles; former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro with 26,907 fans and 3,100 supporters; Gordon with 2,894 supporters; and former president Joseph Estrada whose two facebook accounts registered 4,050 and 421 supporters.
Senator Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal has 201 fans while the two youth group accounts of Olongapo Councilor JC de los Reyes (Ang Kapatiran) have 861 and 71 members.
Gordon was unimpressed, however, by this overwhelming support for his rival, saying Aquino has yet to prove that he could run the country.
Aquino and his family, Gordon said, have had numerous opportunities to make the nation great but they had regrettably failed to deliver.
?How many more chances do you want? Ano ang kakayahan ni Noynoy Aquino sa local government? Hindi pa siya nasubukan ni sa barangay captain. Even in legislature, ano ang batas na nagawa niya na nararamdaman na ng taong-bayan [What is Noynoy Aquino?s capability in running a local government. He has not even tried being a barangay (village) captain. Even in legislature, what law has he passed that the people have felt]?? Gordon said in a statement.
?You have had in your family a president, a vice president, four senators, congressmen, governors, lahat ng pwesto sa [all of the positions in] Tarlac, pero [but] how is Tarlac?? he asked.
?It is not Facebook that matters here. It is not your face that matters. It is the book of accounts. Where is the book of accounts on these people? Nasaan ang accountability ng mga taong ito? Kapag nagsilbi ka, dapat may maipapakita kang nagawa mo [Where is the accountability of these people? If you have served, then you should show results],? he pointed out.
Gordon boasted his stint as founding chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) where he led volunteers in turning the former US naval base into a lucrative Freeport.
During his stint as tourism secretary, the senator claimed the credits for the marked increase in tourist arrivals and improved domestic tourism with his WOW Philippines program.
Gordon also boasted numerous bills that he authored in the Senate such as the amended poll modernization law, tourism law, food donation act, among others.
