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Social media raises demand for honesty from candidates

Two stories that generated passionate exchanges in social media the past days underscore how new media is being used to demand transparency and honesty from candidates and their staff in the campaign for the May elections.

Brian Llamanzares. Photo from Rappler
Brian Llamanzares. Photo from Rappler
The first story was about the shoes of Brian Llamanzares, son of presidential candidate Grace Poe of the Partido Galing at Puso and the other was the Instagram post of Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, who is the spokesman of the Aquino administration’s Liberal Party, whose standard bearer is Mar Roxas.

The story about the Llamanzares’ shoes was a scoop by the online media Rappler. Brian posted what seemed at first as a harmless photo until someone with a keen eye on sports shoes at Rappler noticed that the 23-year old, who once worked with CNN Philippines, was wearing a limited edition 2015 Nike Mag10 Back to the Future II Marty McFly.

That shoes sold for $19,999 equivalent to almost P900,000 in Philippine pesos. Nearly a million pesos for a pair of shoes.

Why so expensive?

As explained by a blogger Rod Magaru, “last September of 2011, a total of 1,500 pairs of Nike Mag10 were auctioned on eBay with the intention of donating its proceeds to Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Disease Research. They added 10 more pairs in a deluxe package and they were able to sell everything on that year.”

In a country where many workers earn less than P500 a day, wearing almost a million peso pair of shoes is scandalous indeed. It’s worse if your mother is running for president promising to help the poor.

Rappler’s story went viral in social media, shared and commented on by people supporting Grace Poe’s rivals in the presidential contest.

Llamanzares’ explanation that he “ bought it online at P10,000 from my own savings” was drowned by criticisms of “conspicuous consumption.” It didn’t help that Grace Poe came to his son’s defense without addressing the issue but only to defend Brian’s right to buy what he likes as long as he earned the money honestly.

It took Magaru and a sneaker store owner Antonio Aguirre Jr., to point out that what Llamanzares bought was “knockoff edition” of the Nike Mag 10 which sells online from $125 to $385. Minus the euphemism, Brian’s Nike Mag10 is fake.

Nike Mag10 for $122
Nike Mag10 for $122

Llamanzares later on apologized on TV. He said: “I apologize if anyone was offended by my shoes, it was never my intention to upset anyone. I just wanted to buy something for myself after saving up for months.I don’t know much about shoes and I’m not exactly a sneaker expert so when I saw these online at P10,000 and I liked the design, I saved up and bought the shoes.”

With “conspicuous consumption” belied, Poe bashers now say the issue is the morality and legality of her son buying counterfeit items which deprives the government of much needed earnings.

The incident should be a lesson for Brian: don’t buy fake items and stop posting photos in inane poses.

If the young Llamanzares was apologetic about the controversy, Quimbo exuded the arrogance that Aquino administration officials are known for when caught not telling the truth.

Quimbo posted on Instagram a photo of Mar Roxas with running mate Leni Robredo and former Social Security System Board Director Eliza Antonino in an enclosed vehicle with a caption: “My busmates sa Tuwid Na Daan Caravan in Bicol.”

Busmates
Busmates in a helicopter

A sharp-eyed netizen, however, noticed the three were not in a bus but in a helicopter.

That post was preceded by Quimbo’s earlier announcements that the LP campaign caravan who went to Bicol was forced to take a 10-hour bus ride back to Manila because all flights were cancelled due to bad weather.

Mar Roxas haters immediately pounced on Quimbo. Netizen mariannecis asked:”Kelan pa po naging bus ang helicopter?” bsebastian 86 was more scathing: “Who do u think you’re fooling? Helicopter! Not bus! Trapo ka! Lying scum!”

Instead of explaining the disconnect between the chopper and the words “busmate,” Quimbo countered with contempt: ““Bawal corny dito. Of course it’s a chopper. Hello. Even my 6 year old knows that.”

Social media has its downsides. Truth usually gets derailed by speed. But speed also exposes the unedited side of people.

When they are people who are vying to be the country’s leaders, it’s better that we see them in their unvarnished form.

Published inElections 2016

19 Comments

  1. vic vic

    Just for Reference..When Brian Mulroney was PM for quite a few Years, other than his son, Ben that was the Host of “Canadian Idol” the Public was not aware that he has a very beautiful daughter and two other sons..

    Now, it is being peddled around that his daughter Caroline may Contest Justin Trudeau in the Next Election that she has surfaced and let the country know that the very Private Daughter of the Former PM is now ready to follow the footstep of her Father. (leadership convention will be on May 27, and if she run, yours truly will support her leadership run)

    And here is Brian Llamenarez, that before his Mama, becomes the President already hitting the Headline both in the mainstream and in the Social media..just the love of the selfie and Self..

  2. Jojo Jojo

    hindi pa man ay bigay hilig na. bigla ko tuloy naalala si Evita Peron. how much more kung sila na ang may hawak ng KABAN.

  3. vic vic

    Ellen,
    Here is what we will be doing to select the new Leader to Contest and Possibly try to defeat Justin Trudeau and the Liberal next election..for the PM..Right now we are hunting for a Leader with that kind of Star Factor that Trudeau brought into the Political scene..and we may have just found that Leader..and maybe you will agree with me..of course many Conservatives will contest the Leadership, but during the convention if it is agreed that the no one has a better chance to take back the Govt..then we can go for this Young Lady..

    —–
    She’s beautiful, fluently bilingual and well-educated.
    And she’s Justin Trudeau’s worst nightmare.

    Caroline Mulroney Lapham, the daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, is the best choice to be the new leader of the federal Conservative party, many Tory insiders believe.

    Like Trudeau, she has an impeccable political pedigree and is glamorous. She’s also very smart.

    The married mother of four graduated cum laude from Harvard and has a law degree from New York University.
    This is a critical time for the Tories as they cast around for a new leader. They can’t ignore the new kind of star factor that Trudeau brings to politics.

    If the Tories choose a leader who falls into the same-old middle-aged-white-guy model, they’ll languish in the political wilderness for a decade. Trudeau represents a generation shift in federal politics. The Tories must make their own changes to adjust.

  4. olan olan

    I thought that Ellen has a good point to make in her blog and yet, if I may Vic, you always divert the point of discussion to Canada. Don’t you have any audience in Canada that may more likely appreciates you’re thoughts. Just asking!

  5. olan olan

    do you work for any politicians here locally? If you are shame on you!

  6. vic vic

    Olan @ 4 actually just got an invite to join the election of the Party leader in Vancouver in May from the Conservative Party and I am going. Just trying to impart how a mature democracy do the political process of electing its leaders which seems stranger to the Phl until now.. Might rub on and help getting the right men and women to lead the country in the future. But it is up to you if you are interested.

  7. Ang tao na may pera ay karapatan niya bumili ng kung anuman iyon. Hindi pagmamayabang ang bumili ng mamahalin na bagay. Napakaraming bagay na ang halaga ay milyones ibig bang sabihin lahat ng bumibili ng bagay na iyon ay mayayabang. Pera ni Brian Llamanzares ang ginamit pagbili, pinagpaguran niya na magkapera tapos babatikusin sa pagbili ng sapatos na mahal ang halaga. Ang pera na ginamit niya ay hindi naman ninakaw, bakit siya pag iinitan. Mga kulang sa pag iisip ang mga tao na bumabatikos sa kanya. Tumatanda ng paurong. Kagagahan ang batikusin siya dahil lang bumili ng mamahalin na sapatos eh pera niya naman ang ginamit.

  8. Napakalaking kagaguhan ang batikusin siya sa pagbili ng sapatos na mahal ang halaga. Eh ano ngayon kung maraming pilipino ang mahirap, kasalanan na nila kung bakit mahirap sila dahil hindi sila nagtrabaho. Kung tutuusin mas mahal pa ang halaga ng mga bag na binibili ng mga artista kaysa sapatos na iyan bakit walang bumabatikos. Porke ba kumakandidato ang mommy niya ay batikusin. Itong media nagpapalaki talaga ng isyu na hindi naman dapat palakihin.

  9. Ang tao na bumibili ng condominium, sasakyan na milyones ang halaga bakit walang pumapansin na taga media para batikusin. Sa madaling salita itong mga taga media kumbaga sa pagkain kung ano ang masarap na pagkain ay iyon ang kakainin. Alam ng mga taga media na kung batikusin si Brian Llamanzares ay papansinin kasi kandidato ang mommy kaya ayun binatikos.

  10. Ang mga taga media ngayon palagay ko masyado ng papansin. Kung ano ang sa palagay nila ay pag usapan ang sinulat nila ay ginagawa nila ng hindi man lang masyadong pinag iisipan ang side a at b ng isusulat. Halimbawa ng lang ang kay Brian Llamanzares sa pagbili ng sapatos. Ang side a lang ang sinulat. Ang side b ay hindi pinag isipan. At ang side b ay hindi ba nila alam na taga media na si Brian Llamanzares ay nagkaroon ng trabaho. Ang mommy niya ay mayaman na at ang yaman ay hindi naman galing sa pagnanakaw dahil hindi pa politiko si Grace Poe ay may pera na. At anak ni FPJ na may pera talaga. Maraming ng issue ang maliit lang na bagay pero pinalaki ng media na hindi naman dapat pinalaki.

  11. Ana Duran Ana Duran

    Arvin, there is what you call callous display of wealth and this one is a perfect example….his mom is running for the highest position in the land and if she wins imagine the power and wealth within his mom’s disposal which her family will enjoy and abuse…

  12. yinyang yinyang

    Generally speaking, any candidate’s immediate members of the family, should be left alone especially if he/she is of minor age.

    Perhaps netizens unforgiving stance is a result of the fact that Grace Poe’s son is by any measure already a full-pledge adult. And is assumed, due to his age, to possess profound understanding the meaning of empathy since his mother’s candidacy is supposed to be anchored on an emphatic theme “Gobyernong may Puso”.

    Gotcha type of criticisms for sure cheapens the debate, but for some specific type of audience, its an acceptable mode and could make or break voter’s connect.

  13. Golberg Golberg

    Yung mga nag demand na maging honest yung mga kandidato, honest din ba o hindi?

    Baka kaya tayo lagin may dishonest person sa palasyo, kasi yung mga bomoto dishonest din.

  14. chi chi

    It took Magaru and a sneaker store owner Antonio Aguirre Jr., to point out that what Llamanzares bought was “knockoff edition” of the Nike Mag 10 which sells online from $125 to $385. Minus the euphemism, Brian’s Nike Mag10 is fake. ”
    —-
    Sus, bargain naman pala eh, what’s the problem?
    Eh kahit ako kaya kong bilhin yan.

  15. chi chi

    Stupid spin ni Quimbo so that Mar would look like nagba-bus lang sa tuwad na daan. Transparency eh!

  16. May nag-post sa wall ko niyang photo sa chopper. Ang binabanatan si Roxas dahil yan palang si Eliza ay kapatid ni Mayor Darlene ko. Appointed sa SSS Board sa tulong ni Mar kahit walang K sa posisyon.

    HRM graduate at 30 yrs old lang, ano’ng experience ang maico-contribute niyan sa pagpalago ng pondo ng SSS? Tapos di maibigay yung pinasang batas na pagtaas ng pension samantalang itong nene na inutusan lang bumili ng suka mahigit P5M ang kinikita sa Board.

    Ayun, naka-abot na pala sa Malacañang yung meme.

    http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/02/19/1554752/admin-coalition-defends-appointment-sss-exec

  17. Becky Becky

    Why didn’t Rappler verify this, that there are knock offs available online before posting the story.

    Brian said so in the article, that he bought it for P10,000. Why did they still insist with the story that the shoes was $19,999.00

    Sensationalism reigns.

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