By Aurea Calica - Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago reminded presidential aspirants yesterday that they would have to spend at least P3 billion for their campaign in the 2010 elections. She said that according to political experts, the cost of a presidential campaign has increased from P2 billion in previous elections to P3 billion.
Santiago, who ran and lost to Fidel Ramos in the 1992 presidential elections, said she had long dropped any ambition to become president. And with the funds needed, “I have absolutely the chances of a snowball in hell, I’ll melt immediately,” Santiago said.
But Santiago said she found nothing wrong with Senate President Manuel Villar’s decision to declare his candidacy for the 2010 presidential polls.
“He is not campaigning. He is merely declaring. The point in the election code, you have certain activities that are prohibited, including putting up billboards in effect obtaining exposure for the candidacy or otherwise eliciting a positive response from the public,” Santiago said.
“That is standard procedure. They do that (declaration) upon inquiry by the media. The earlier we learn about it the better so that we can watch out if they are engaging in premature campaigning,” she noted.
But she said it must be clarified with the Supreme Court whether some possible candidates were already into premature campaigning, such as when they appeared in media advertisements.
Senators Loren Legarda and Richard Gordon, both possible presidential candidates, said it is not yet the proper time to talk about politics and announce their presidential ambitions.
“Our people’s call for peace and food security is the most primordial concern at this point. It is too early to mess up and confuse the public with political aspirations, especially of someone who occupies the Senate leadership. It may be all right for them to work on their candidacy individually but to stir up public attention about 2010 is a bit too early. The Senate should not be sidetracked from its function to initiate legislative reforms,” Legarda said.
Gordon said Villar must be careful because he might be accused of early campaigning and be asked to step down from his position as Senate president because he might use it to advance his political plans.
Gordon also called on the public to scrutinize the possible candidates and that money should not be the most important consideration come elections.
He said he would declare his candidacy in time with a significant event in his life.
Others who are also expected to run for president in 2010 are Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero, and Manuel Roxas II.
Malacañang shrugged off the declaration of Villar’s candidacy, although Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio said the Palace wishes Villar good luck on his political ambitions.
“Since Senator Villar can’t seem to confirm his bid for the presidency without confirming his dislike for the administration,” Claudio said, “then we consider ourselves disinclined to give his plans any judgment nor further publicity.”
Villar, president of the Nacionalista Party, said on Thursday that he would seek the presidency but the party is still working to complete the party ticket.
He said he was also open to having Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, daughter of the late actor and 2004 presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., as part of his team.
The Senate president told STARweek magazine last year that he wants to reestablish the dominance of NP as the “Grand Old Party” by making it stronger in terms of alliances before 2010.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando said Villar was too late in making his announcement.
“I think he’s (Villar) late. I was first (in declaring a bid for the presidency). It seems it’s only now that he made a decision,” he said.
He reiterated his bid to become president under the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats ticket as he denied accusations that he was campaigning early.
“I’ve been campaigning for 15 years now since I got into public service, that’s why I’m doing good, trying to do good,” Fernando told reporters at the Palace. “In administering Marikina (City) as its mayor, I tried my best to look good and to be loved by people, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Maybe some people are taking it negatively because they’re getting left behind,” he said.
Fernando was in Malacañang to attend the oath taking of Muntinlupa City Mayor Aldrin San Pedro as member of Lakas-CMD before President Arroyo. Fernando is the party leader for Metro Manila.
He also admitted that the “Bayani” stickers pasted in some public utility vehicles were a form of “self advertisement.” Fernando drew flak for the stickers as some critics said it was a subtle form of premature campaigning.
“There’s nothing wrong with it (self-advertisement), right? We advertise ourselves that’s why we wear lipstick, we want to look good in front of everybody,” Fernando said.
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