A dead man, Fernando Poe Jr., the “King of Philippine Movies,” was the biggest winner in the midterm election just concluded.
FPJ won through his daughter, Grace Poe, who dropped her husband’s surname Llamanzares, so people would recognize her as her dad’s daughter.
Poe has earned the “Amazing Grace” sobriquet from the media.
It was indeed an amazing win for Grace who has placed No. 1 in the counting, a big jump from her previous No. 5 rank in the surveys.
Let’s hope she delivers on her promise of being pro-poor.
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By golly, can’t anyone in this country win on his or her own merit!
Aside from Poe, the senatorial candidates who won because of the illustrious names of their kin are Alan Peter Cayetano, Nancy Binay, Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, Bam Aquino and Cynthia Villar.
Nancy Binay needs special mention.
She had consistently refused to debate with rival senatorial candidate Risa Hontiveros in public because apparently she didn’t want to expose herself.
Although she claims to be a graduate of the University of the Philippines, she was her mother and her father’s super alalay or “gofer”: Go for this, go for that, girl.
Nancy never even held the position of barangay kagawad (councilor).
Eventually, her innocence—to use a kind word—in legislative work will be exposed at the floor of the Senate.
Of course, because of her UP education, she will be a notch higher than Lito Lapid who needs an interpreter when his colleagues speak English on the floor.
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I have nothing personal against Nancy Binay, who was forced by her father to run for the Senate.
I am told she is very shy who preferred to sit in a corner rather than mix with Makati constituents who sought favors from the office of her mother Elenita who was then mayor.
Vice President Jojo Binay forced her to run to get rid of her shyness, according to some people close to them.
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A source in Malacañang told me Nancy’s performance in the Senate will be Jojo Binay’s undoing.
Nancy’s expected poor showing at the Senate will reflect on the Vice President as the public voted for her on account of him.
Her expected boo-boos, according to this Palace source, will make voters shy away from Jojo Binay when he makes a run for the presidency in 2016.
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Philanthropist James Dy, president of the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association (PCCA), volunteers to extend financial assistance to the family of the Taiwanese fisherman who was killed by the Philippine Coast Guard recently.
Dy, president of Chinese General Hospital, says the compensation might in some way pacify the Taiwanese government.
Dy also appeals to President Noy to apologize to the Taiwanese for the killing of their compatriot.
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One of the winners in the Senate race has a family that treats housemaids like they’re slaves.
And yet this would-be senator projects an image of being pro-poor.
Who could be poorer than houseboys and housemaids?
The way you treat your subordinates, especially the househelp, is a mark of your character.