After this post, I am done.
I have been barking like a mad dog all fangs and red burning eyes on my previous post regarding someone “ssshhhhhh-ing” me on the public timeline of Twitter by not tweeting political topics and issues during the surge of Typhoon Ondoy.
There were varied opinions regarding the issue from bloggers and friends all over. And I really appreciate everyone who shared their ideas about the situation. But this time, I say that that guy spent a great time telling the wrong person to shut up on Twitter. I say, his efforts only ended on futility like firing bullets that only hit the thin air.
Was I the one who was insensitive to the plight of our fellow countrymen? Certainly he is barking on the wrong tree. Come on guys.
I think that there are people out there who should have received the real bullying if we were truly fighting for the plight of our fellow countrymen standing tall like Gat Andres Bonifacio or Daddy Joe Rizal
And there are those who are not only insensitive to the plight of the victims of typhoon but who found the rare guts of even taking advantage of the harrowing situation to pursue their personal selfish political ambitions. The nerve guys! The nerve, really.
Manny Villar and His Political Brand
Exhibit A. The picture shows bottled water with the name and smiling face of Presidential aspirant Manny Villar. These were distributed to evacuation centers during the typhoon. Now that is what you call maximizing the opportunity. Hitting two birds with just one stone: helping the victims and the same time early campaigning to make up for the lost popularity stashed away by the presidentiable late comer Noynoy Aquino.
I wonder if Manny Villar’s bottled water tastes differently from what I buy in the nearby store. Does it contain a secret potion that would make me vote for him come May 2010? Or it gives me the super power to become a billionaire. Well, my grade school teacher said every one of us is a billionaire-in-the-making.
How about his one? Exhibit B. This picture I got from PinoyGossipboy’s site. You cannot just give out a Manny Villar bottled water with food in it! And the ingenuous and resourceful instinct in Villar came out. That is what you call, grace and creativity under pressure and calamity.
Low and behold! Food packed on styro containers with the tag “Tulong Mula Kay Manny Villar” (Help from Manny Villar) and of course the holy color of the billionaire senator on it: orange sticker.
Ok, this could be faked and could be done by other detractors by the senator to tarnish his already-tarnished reputation. That quite puzzled me. Anyways, saw the image on top of this post? That is the headquarters of Senator Manny Villar repacking goodies on signatured Villar plastics. To simply put it, he really took the effort and spent a good amount of money on producing all these signatured products. That is political branding. I am waiting for an orange underwear to be distributed with Villar’s face on and a big letter “V” at the back. LOL!
You see the obvious guys. Or just ask Aaron of PinoyGossipBoy regarding the authenticity of the styro containers (it is his finger on that anyway). Or it could be a Happy Meal from Ronald McDonald. Who knows? LOL!
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Signatured Clothes for Evacuees
But if there is someone who is the mother of all traditional politicians who has been trying her best to salvage her sagging trust and popularity rating that is our very own dear Madam President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Here is the image posted on Reuters with relief good (clothes) being distributed to residents of northern Luzon who were affected by Typhoon Pepeng. Noticed the ordinary plastic bags pasted with a slogan saying it came from our very own dear President Arroyo? And could we even call those clothes usable? I thought those were Mike Arroyo’s pants and shirt full of stains.
What makes her worse compared to Villar is that what Mrs. Arroyo is distributing come from donations of concerned citizens and from the coffer of the government, then labeled it as something that came from the President as if the recipients owe what they received from this mother of all traditional politicians.
In every disaster and challenges new doors of opportunity are being opened. And that is what these two politicians did during the destructive visits of Typhoons Pepeng and Ondoy. Capitalize the rare opportunity of building up their political agenda at the same time helping the poor and desperate victims of typhoons.
These are the real people who should not only receive the “sshhhh-ing” but also the anger of all those claiming to have the real empathy for the poor victims of typhoons.
But I guess only a few people will take notice of this particular issue. So long as victims of typhoons are being helped anyway, so they say.
Now, tell me who is the one who is politicking during calamities?
Now I am cool. I am drinking bottled water with Manny Villar’s face on it anyway. And the water smells like money. Yeah!
Do you know other politicians who had shown the trademarks of being traditional politicians? What is their style? Share them here. I will give Manny Villar bottled water to all commenters. LOL
Images from PinoyGossipboy, Reuters, Tunay Na Lalake
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Senator Manny Villar for President and His Delusions
5 months ago
[...] is no other billionaire in town dude I am describing but that guy named Senator Manny Villar who branded himself as the messiah of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), BFF of the youth, “the [...]
pinoygossipboy
5 months ago
Oh, it’s my finger!
pinoygossipboy´s last blog ..Avril Lavigne files divorce
elmot
5 months ago
Yes, it is your finger there bro. So what was the food inside that styro pack?
May pera ba sa loob? Wahahaha! LOL
reyjr
5 months ago
Hi Elmot (ayan nag comment ako hehe).
I want to hear your opinion about something.
Since they were not mentioned on your post, nor on any other media station/report – what of the network giants who also put their brands on all containers and plastic bags they use when they do their relief efforts? They also have hourly plugging of their relief operations. How are they different?
I’m thinking Manny Villar spent his campaign money (or his own money, who knows) to make those donations, so he has every right to put his face there lol. Sure, part of the intention is to promote himself. Well, he IS running for President. lol. But how about the network giants that receive donations and spend it to print their media logos on the plastic bags?
What do you think?
reyjr´s last blog ..Homework: English to Batangueño translations
elmot
5 months ago
Thanks Rey, and I am also so happy that I can now comment on your blog after I got shut down previously. I runs faster now…nice work!
Wow, you had beaten me on this idea Bro. I was already thinking about this angle yesterday.
But what can I say? Do you have some bottle of cold beer with you? Wahahah! Oh, that maybe is for next time….hehehe! Right Doc? Where is Doc?
Anyways…What maybe makes the practice of Sen. Manny Villar and other presidentiables different from those giant networks as regards to their relief operations is first and foremost he is a presidential aspirant. He is seeking the highest position of the land and though these kinds of services and giving to the victims of the typhoon are ok, it is quite obvious that there is a political agenda attached to this on the way it is being done.
Though the election code is quite broad (and actually does not have any teeth) regarding premature campaigning, these giving of goodies with signature Villar faces and names on it, the TV and radio ads too and the roaming around the whole archipelago with Willie Revillame are obviously for political purposes and goals and are considered premature campaigning.
For me what separates those giant networks from Villar, GMA and other political aspirants on their response to the calamity is that, these networks are private entities and these politicians are public servants. Those plastic bags from giant networks with their logos on it as I can see it are all just fine. For those stuffs inside it (food items and donations) are still all on their original packs and brands the way they were donated by private citizens and corporations. So we will see Viva Mineral Water is on its original package and food packs donated by fast food companies on their original packs. But for Villar, he really produced bottled water and all with his face on it. That sends a clear message.
I am all good with such stuff and tactic, if he is not aiming for the highest position of the land or if he wants to rival SM’s Bonus brands, LOL!
But that I think is not a fair play of the game for May 2010. And what he is doing so far is really a very very traditional way of doing politics. Giving house and lot with Willie Revillame on a number of cities in the country saying that they just want to make people happy after the calamity? All I can say to them is, Oh come on guys… I was not born yesterday.
Or this just leads me inviting you for a guest post here Bro? Wahahahha! I am very excited to here your ideas and opinions.
Some beer? Heheheh!
pinoygossipboy
5 months ago
The point of the matter still remains that it wasn’t done in good taste.
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elmot
5 months ago
Leaves a bad taste in the mouth…
reyjr
4 months ago
Hehe, good points there Elmot plus a final deathblow by pinoygossipboy. lol.
OK end of agreeing. Hehe! Here’s my view on this.
For the media giants – I think the packaging was irrelevant whether it was kept in their original packaging or not. It was still mostly from donations. Wouldn’t a white plastic bag serve the same purpose as their marked ones? :p Hehe.
What’s even more tasteless for me is for the news people to have a segment lambasting Manny Villar and GMA for their relief efforts particularly on their use of “branded” water bottles and then follow that with a segment on their own relief efforts where they do the exact same thing. Why not look at it this way – they are both businesses using the exact same media ploy but one is criticizing the other over it. Doesn’t make sense to me. :p (Don’t get me wrong, I am not PRO Villar at all. lol. I just do not like the double standard here.)
And since it was mentioned in the comments as well re: GMA’s extravagant dinner in the USA. My request – before we all make accusations of how much GMA and her staff spent on that one dinner, why not verify how much other heads of states spend for their dinners? Para naman may point of comparison tayo hindi puros batikos na lang.
How much do 3rd world country Presidents normally spend on dinner? Do you think they order KFC take out? Nah. Disclaimer ulit – hindi rin ako (entirely) pro Administration. I just want to see the other side of the story too. Makes for a more well rounded opinion, don’t you think?
yun lang po. bow.
Yun lang po. Bow.
reyjr´s last blog ..It’s a personal blog after all
elmot
4 months ago
Hi ReyJr! Seems like we are both working inside the courtroom here on my comment form, eheheh!
I will agree on you regarding the media giants for particularly “overdoing” their relief operations as per broadcasting it over and over again. Nakaka-umay na, LOL!
But basically my point why Villar and some other presidentiables are getting the ire of many people like me, for their relief efforts and other efforts in helping the poor is that, on their projects we can obviously see that they are building their own brands for political purposes. That is premature campaigning. That what separates Villar from other private entities. He is not up for profit; he is not working for business and he is not a business entity for this particular matter. He is entirely differen; a politician. The other one as a private entity while the other one is public figure that has been gearing up all his resources and people for him to win the presidential race next year. That is I guess the biggest difference.
Regarding GMA’s trips: Exactly. We are 3rd world country. Well, if other countries could spend bigger amount for dinners abroad like the U.S. (but I have seen Obama always eating burger, hotdogs and some kind of KFC food on his working trips), France or Japan, it is because they are 1st world countries, and if they spend too much, they will be held accountable by their own citizens.
While during that trip of GMA with her bloated entourage, the statics office just published their survey that almost 11 million Filipinos experience hunger (only having at least one meal a day). And to add on that one, her plan to buy a presidential jet worth more than 1 billion pesos, that she just scrapped because of the clamor of people of so much spending when the budget deficit was soaring up, economic crisis was making more people unemployed and many Filipinos experiencing poverty.
It is not the other heads of state I guess which should become our primary point of comparison or reference here especially when it comes to issues on governance for first, the other heads of states or countries are not the ones who voted into position all our government officials; second, our government officials are not accountable to other heads of states to whatever they are doing or spending out of taxpayers’ money; and third, what the government and all its officials are spending are not coming from the purses of other nations but from the hard-earned money of diligent taxpayers.
Therefore, if there are 11 million Filipinos experiencing hunger everyday and its elected president spends more than 1 million peso for just a dinner, whose rights are we getting to defend first? Those 11 million hungry Filipinos or the thought that our president should always live to the level of expectations and lifestyle like what other heads of states are enjoying?
For me, my point of comparison on this one is our own citizens not what the other countries or heads of states will say. To hell with all other heads of states, we are not paying our taxes to their treasury anyways. I would not mind GMA was having a good time and spending a big amount for dinner if there were no Filipinos experiencing hunger at that time. Leadership at this kind is a detached-from-reality and hallucinating leadership.
Parang, “Dahil presidente ako kelangan ay ang treatment sa akin lagi VIP talaga, hindi ako pwedeng kumain sa McDo, dapat sa mga tipong Le Cirque talaga” maski puro pulubi yung mga nagluluklok sa kanya na sila rin namang nag-aambag ambag ng pera para gamitin ng presidente sa mga programa niya.
Parang sa U.S. Obama scolded and cut off big amounts of unimaginable bonuses of the executives of companies that the U.S. government bailed out; with the money that was used coming from the taxpayers’ money. Since they are president of companies, could they enjoy company cars, planes, extravagant vacations, millions of bonuses? No, said Obama. That is a big insult and insensitivity to the very citizens that bailed them out of the financial blackhole. Their accountability lies now on the public and not to stakeholders or their right to have all the privileges of their position just like what other executives of other companies are enjoying.
Accountability to the very people they should have been thoroughly serving, and not to the whoever of other nations.
Thanks ReyJr for making the discussions here more exciting, ehehe!
Care for a cup of coffee?
Jhay
5 months ago
What else could we say?
TRAPO!
Jhay´s last blog ..Blog Action Day 2009: Make Climate Change an important agenda in the 2010 National Elections
elmot
5 months ago
At least “trapos” are useful in our house on cleaning some mess, eheheh!
Heather Kephart
5 months ago
One of the reasons I am not fond of politics – the way it always seems to turn people against one another.
Let it OUT! lol
Heather Kephart´s last blog ..Change
elmot
5 months ago
Hi Heather! Thanks for coming over
I wish I could offer you here a cup of coffee but my blogs vendo machine is out of order LOL!
That is I guess the basic dynamics of politics…it always is the clash of different personalities, attitudes and behaviors, ideas and perspectives. But what makes maybe politics a happy exercise of our expression is on how we deal with different opinions. They are just opinions anyway.
alkapon
5 months ago
The arroyo government are trying to show up the real face of her administration.
She’s spending a million of pesos from the government funds, and she can even have an expensive dinner, but take a look what she gave to the victims of typhoon ondoy?… basahan yata lang yata ah.
alkapon´s last blog ..Antokin ka ba?
elmot
5 months ago
Unusable clothes for the evacuees, while they are savoring the good life by spending taxpayers’ money.
That is an insult to injury.
Thanks for the visit Alkapon. You are always welcome here on my blog.
Chris Cobb
5 months ago
We had seen it many time that Government always spending a million of money on their own expensive, But they can’t help people in massive situation.
Chris Cobb´s last blog ..Frank Kern’s Mass Control 2.0 Review
Chris Cobb
5 months ago
@alkapon– You are right I can very much concern with your point of view. Its a real face of this government.
Chris Cobb´s last blog ..Frank Kern’s Mass Control 2.0 Review
Lerma
4 months ago
Ok lang yung mga may tatak na relief goods sa akin basta sariling pera nila yung pinambili nila dun. for sure, sa sariling bulsa ni Sen. Villar galing yun. Sobrang yaman niya, di ba? Tsaka ang mas mahalaga naman e nakatulong sila e. ‘Yung ibang puro dada, ano ba’ng ginawa nila? At least si Villar nakatulong. Inggit lang sila! Go, Villar! We will vote for you! Di kami magpapadala sa mga naninira sayo!
jonharules
3 months ago
Elmot 1 have two reasons for visiting your blog:
Update-naku dami ng pinagbago, astig na talaga tong blog mo! Ang galing! Sorry nalang, maka Villar ako eh. Kahit na ano pang mangyari I’ll always be motivated with his success story.
Invite
Gusto sana kitang i-invite sa Spidvid.com, isang site wherein pwede kang makipag collaborate sa mga taong mahilig gumawa ng videos. Private beta palang sya ngayon but will be fully functional soon. So be one of the first to try ika nga sa Google Wave. So if sino man mahilig gumawa ng videos, join us sa community sa Spidvid, marami na ring mga producers, music talents and directors around the world nag sign up so bilang kapwa pinoy gusto ko i spread ang word, baka isa sa inyo ang maging sikat through it. haha
PilipinoPoAko
2 weeks ago
HOW, REALLY, DID MANUEL BAMBA VILLAR JR. GET TO BE RICH? It may bear and serve the Filipino nation well to investigate and know that Manny Villar may actually have broken through from Tondo-ragged accountant to billionaire-rich presidentiable by allowing himself to be used as a foreign investor’s dummy in the Philippine real estate business. You see, the conduct of real estate business in the Philippines is made exclusive by law to Filipino citizens, necessarily because its affairs involve sensitive issues that affect civil rights, territory, sovereignty, patrimony, and national security. Wasn’t that a debonair American who was smilingly visible every day at the offices of Crown Asia Inc. way back before the Villars became political aspirants? Unfortunately, sighting American presence at the Crown Asia, Inc. organization deteriorates to zero visibility in hot election weather, especially nowadays! As Manny Villar embarked on a political career, it naturally became strategically imperative to avoid flaks of damaging controversy about being beholden to foreign influence, especially from nationalist camps of the likes of then Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr. who was one among legislators instrumental in passing general law limiting real estate business in the Philippines to Filipinos only. In fact, it was from 1997 to 1999 that the bespectacled, middle-aged, happy American investor (silent? fronted? non-express? implied?) of Crown Asia Inc. was last regularly observed at the 18th Floor of Cityland Herrera Tower. Apart from being born with a silver spoon, most of us often have “humble”, sometimes “rotten”, beginnings; yet being transparent about such beginnings can do even more good than harm. The answer may go as far back as Villar’s auditing days at internationally-patronized Sycip Gorres Velayo (SGV) or, perhaps, good Senator Manuel Villar would like to comment on this matter at this time?