Isko strategist says FPJ lost in 2004 partly due to not attending debates

Former ambassador Angelito Banayo. INQUIRER file photo / RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines — Late Philippine king of movies Fernando Poe Jr. may have lost the 2004 presidential race partly because of his refusal to attend debates and interviews, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno’s political strategist said on Monday.

According to former Philippine representative to Taiwan Angelito Banayo, Poe, known by his initials FPJ, held a huge lead over then-incumbent president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before the campaign period.

However, Poe’s number of supporters dwindled approaching the elections, which later resulted in a tight race between the two, with Arroyo eventually winning the presidential elections although not without questions due to alleged electoral fraud.

READ: WHAT WENT BEFORE: ‘Hello Garci scandal’ investigation 

“If you will remember also […] ang kandidatong sinuportahan ko no’n ay natalo, si Senator Ping Lacson, pero makikita niyo na napakalaki ng agwat ni FPJ kay incumbent president GMA no’ng panahong ito,” Banayo said during a press conference after Moreno, a presidential aspirant, officially launched his 10-point economic agenda.

(The candidate I supported, Senator Panfilo Lacson, lost in 2004, but you can see that the lead of FPJ during this period was huge compared to GMA.)

“Pero siguro dahil sa si nasirang FPJ ay hindi nag-aattend ng mga debates at interviews, maaring naka-apekto ‘yon.  So medyo nag-gitgitan ang labanan at the end of the day,” he added.

(But maybe FPJ’s personal preference not to attend debates and interviews have gravely affected his candidacy. That is why the race went neck and neck.)

READ: Poe won in 2004, judge tells Senate 

Banayo made the remarks after he was asked if the disqualification case against presidential aspirant and former senator Bongbong Marcos, along with the developments at the Commission on Elections (Comelec), would have any effect on Moreno’s campaign.

INQUIRER.net has sought the side of Poe’s daughter, Senator Grace Poe, and the camp of former senator Marcos, but both have not replied as of posting time.

The political strategist who worked with President Rodrigo Duterte and former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s campaigns in 2016 and 2010 refused to comment on Comelec’s business, but said that the survey results as of this moment cannot be relied upon as changes may still happen approaching the election day in May.

He said this is evidenced by former vice president Jejomar Binay and Senator Poe’s candidacies, where the two leading aspirants eventually lost to Duterte in the 2016 polls.

“You would also remember that in 2016 for instance, I think a lot of people will agree or will have observed na si Vice President Binay na nangunguna, pati na rin si Senator Grace Poe, doon siguro sa mga debate nagkaroon ng turning point, to a lot of people [Binay and Grace Poe were leading the surveys and the outcome of the debates might have been the turning point],” Banayo said.

“The dynamics of the campaign do not depend on who is the frontrunner at this point, it depends on what everyone, what every competitor will do in the next 90 days no.  Even if you look at the surveys, malaki-malaki pa rin ‘yong undecided, number two napakalaki no’ng may second choice, so it all depends,” he added.

Banayo did not mention any name, but Marcos recently drew flak for refusing to attend a presidential interview hosted by GMA Network and veteran journalist Jessica Soho, claiming that the latter is biased against the Marcos family.

READ: Marcos a no-show in TV interview of top presidential bets 

READ: Bongbong insists Jessica Soho is ‘biased,’ describes her as ‘anti-Marcos 

READ: GMA Network objects to Marcos camp’s ‘biased’ tag vs Jessica Soho 

The absence led to the spread of the hashtag #MarcosDuwag — which the former senator dismissed.

READ: #MarcosDuwag? ‘Hindi ako duwag na tao’, Marcos says after skipping Jessica Soho interview 

Marcos instead attended the forums hosted by radio station DZRH and longtime talk show host Boy Abunda.  Recently, he also gained attention by skipping another interview of GMA Network — this time radio station DZBB — due to signal difficulties.

He is scheduled to be interviewed by DZBB on a different date.

READ: Marcos a no-show in another GMA interview 

Marcos is currently topping surveys for the May 2022 polls: According to Pulse Asia’s survey last December, Marcos managed to grab 53 percent of the respondents votes, with only Vice President Leni Robredo managing to stay close with 20 percent of the votes.

In contrast, only eight percent were said to be voting for Moreno.  His team pointed out however that he remains the second choice for most respondents.

READ: Pulse Asia’s December survey: Marcos and Duterte-Carpio team is top choice 

READ: Aksyon Demokratiko thankful despite Isko’s slide in rankings: Many still pick him as 2nd option 

JPV