Approval of President Aquino’s performance remained the same at 54 percent in June 2015 and during last month’s survey (Sept. 8 to 14). The people’s trust for him registered a minimal decline, from 50 percent last June to 49 percent last month.
The performance and trust rating for Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Supreme Court Justice Lourdes Sereno remained almost the same, moving only one or three percent.
Is President Aquino that desperate that just to boost the chances of his “Annointed”‘ he had to insult Sen. Grace Poe and his mother, former President Cory Aquino?
In his speech endorsing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas for president in the 2016 elections, Aquino said:
“Sa paghahanap nga po, kinausap natin ang mga taong maaaring magpatuloy sa Daang Matuwid at ang maraming mga sektor. Kinapanayam ko ang tatlong tao, na sa aking pananaw ay kabalikat sa Daang Matuwid. Maganda nga po sana, na ang mga kailangan pang magsanay ay talaga pong magkakaroon ng pagkakataong mahinog at maunawaan ang tunay na lalim ng pagkapinuno. Sa akin pong paniniwala, itong tatlo, kung magkakasama-sama ay talagang matinding tambalan. Doon po, sa ngayon, ay hindi pa tayo nagtatagumpay. Nagkaunawaan po kami; mukha namang iisa ang aming hangarin, pero hindi eksaktong paraan ang nasasaisip para maabot ito.”
Early evening news yesterday reported that finally, the suspension order by the Office of the Ombudsman of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay was served. But not without violence.
Supporters of the Binays were seen throwing monobloc chairs at police officers. Vice President Jejomar Binay was also seen berating Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias, deputy director of the Southern Police District (SPD), accusing the latter of preventing their supporters from entering the City hall premises where they were holding a rally/vigil.
His strategies reflect a good grasp of the factors involved in the political game.
He must therefore have sensed that things are not going right for him after three of the political personalities he mentioned he is eyeing to be a running mate in 2016 elections turned him down.
It gives the impression that no one wants to be associated with him.
Last month, Binay floated the idea of having Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as running mate for the 2016 elections.
Duterte, who has stopped saying that he will kill the person behind the Duterte-for-president-movement and is now thinking of running for the highest post in the land, declined the offer.
He had one whole month to tell the Filipino people about his role in the debacle that claimed the lives of 44 members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and six civilians including an eight-year old girl who was hit in the crossfire.
He had three televised address on the armed operation that turned into a massacre – Jan. 28, three days after the tragedy; Jan. 30 necrological service at Camp Bagong Diwa, and Feb. 6 to announce his acceptance of the resignation of suspended Police Chief Alan Purisima.
Binay immediately shut down the idea re-assuring his allies that there is no backing out of his ambition to be the next president of the Philippines, something that shudders many who imagine the level of corruption would it be under his presidency.
Binay gave the reason why he is pursuing his presidential plans despite the perception that he is severely damaged: “Napakalaki ng lamang ko. Never in the history na may ganun, hindi naman ganun kaagad ang lamang” (I keep a wide lead in surveys. Never in history that someone is leading the race by a wide margin).”
Which is true.
That’s because surveys showed that Binay is way, way ahead of other politicians who have ambitions to run for president in 2016.
When Pulse Asia asked 1,200 representative adults, 18 years old and above last June 24 through July 2, who they would vote for president if elections were held at that time, 41 percent said, “Binay.” That’s a good number. Analysts say that a presidential candidate has to have at least 40 per cent of the votes cast to win the presidency.
These are the political alliances shaping up for the 2016 presidential elections.
Sources said Roxas and Binay both wanted Sen. Grace Poe as running mate but the lady senator feels she is not ready yet to run for a higher position in 2016.
The Mar Roxas and Chiz Escudero ticket is the handiwork of President Aquino, several sources said.
Both Roxas and Escudero, gave up their long-harbored presidential ambitions in 2010, to give way to Aquino, whose candidacy came after the death of his mother,former President Cory Aquino, in August 2009.
There’s a compelling reason for President Aquino to make sure that that he would be able to influence the people’s choice of his successor otherwise he would suffer the same fate that befell the two presidents before him.
His predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is in jail – hospital arrest, actually- facing plunder and electoral sabotage charges.
Arroyo’s predecessor, Joseph Estrada, spent six years in detention- much of it under house arrest – for plunder. Convicted, he was later pardoned. He nearly made a comeback as president in 2010, placing second to Aquino. He is now mayor of the city of Manila.
Surely, Aquino knows that in his position, it’s not a matter of good intentions as his “Tuwid na Daan” slogan trumpets. As president, he makes decisions, sometimes resorting to legal brinkmanship. Example is the Disbursement Acceleration Program, the legality of which is being questioned in the Supreme Court.
We saw posted in Facebook last week a news item about Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson confirming his interest in the position of DILG secretary, the effect of which was in very bad taste.
A closer look at the news item, however, showed that the date was June 2012 after President Aquino announced that two senators are being eyed for a cabinet position after their elected term expires in June 2013.
When asked if they were Lacson and Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Aquino replied, ““Those two in particular.”