'If I walk with prostitutes, it doesn't mean that I am also a prostitute'

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." Abraham Lincoln

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY --  Known for his flawless logic and lucidity of mind, the late Philippine Senator Claro M. Recto Jr. once argued that "if he was seen walking in the company of prostitutes, it didn't follow that he was also a prostitute." 
His syllogism thrashed the "tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are" dictum.
Illogical: Mar Roxas is a pervert because he was allegedly seen (he denied he saw the bawdy event) in the venue of a lewd show at the birthday bash of Liberal Party (LP) member, Rep. Benjie Agarao, in Laguna recently.
Logical: Not all those present were perverts (except, perhaps, the sponsor or sponsors of the indelicate show). Therefore Roxas, who attended the birthday party but "missed" the spicy episode, could not be a pervert since he was not the sponsor or directly involved when a sexy dancer gyrated scandalously on top of a male guest on stage.

PRESENCE

There is a principle in law that says a mere presence in the crime scene does not make one a criminal--except if he is a direct accessory to the unlawful activity.
But since Roxas is a presidential aspirant and it is a political season, every mistake his political party--or members of the political party will commit, will be considered as his albatross.
The political party's moral standard also instantly became a serious issue as it will determine the kind of governance the party will introduce once they retain Malacanang beyond 2016.  
Mar Roxas is guilty by association, his critics will argue.
Association with sponsor (was it Metro Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino?) or sponsors of the lewd act or the LP? Both. 
The sponsor or sponsors could also be LP members.
Not all Roman senators connived and stabbed Julius Caesar. Only those who had been mesmerized by Brutus and Cassius helped carry out the murder plot.

EXECUTED

Mary Suratt swore before she was executed by hanging on July 7, 1865 in Washington D.C. that her only fault was that she owned the boarding house where murderers of Abraham Lincoln plotted the assassination that changed the course of American history.
Her plea fell on deaf ears. 
Former Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello predicts a bad luck for the entire political party which, he said, could affect Roxas' presidential bid.
It is not only a case of "tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are" but also a case of "with friends like them (sponsors of sexy show), who needs enemies?" the former solon lamented.
While we agree that the incident warrants a call for investigation on the conduct of government officials in violation Section 19 of the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act 9710), we don't believe that Roxas should be faulted and crucified only because he was probably "in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Roxas may have "walked with the prostitutes, but it did not mean that he was also a prostitute."

If Mar Roxas is endorsed, Drilon's bid for VP will die

"The greatest risk is really to take no risk at all. You've got to go out there, jump off the cliff, and take chances." Patrick Warburton

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Senate President Franklin Drilon was right when he quipped that rumors he would be running for vice president once DILG chief Mar Roxas was endorsed by President Noynoy Aquino as Liberal Party standard bearer in the 2016 elections, "don't make any political sense."
Since they both belong in Western Visayas, only one of them should be fielded in the race for the land's top two highest positions.
Western Visayas, the third vote rich region in the country, is not the Philippines. Imperial Manila won't take it sitting down if bypassed in the choice of national leaders.
The other candidate must come either from Luzon or Mindanao. 
Not all-Visayas. Not all-Luzon. Not all-Mindanao. 
The goods must be distributed equally. Everyone should be happy.
Survey topnotcher Grace Poe could be the most logical choice since she is extremely popular in Mindanao, where his late foster father, Fernando Poe Jr.,  was considered a demigod both in showbiz and politics. 

OFFICIAL

It won't hurt the ruling party though if the president will pick Drilon over Roxas, but it looks like the die has been cast and Roxas appears to be a cinch away from clinching the official coronation as LP top bet.
Drilon can deliver the votes for national candidates being the most senior and influential political leader in Panay and Negros islands.
Drilon's only hope though is for the president to raise Poe's hand as a Solomic solution to the impasse.  
But his chances for a vice presidential slot remain nil. If Poe would be blessed by the fountain, Roxas logically could end up as her runningmate. 
Although he lagged behind in the surveys, Roxas' stock is expected to boost once he is officially endorsed by the president.
Since President Aquino is still enjoying a substantial popularity among members of the hoi polloi, the middle class and the elite, his endorsement of Roxas can't be considered yet as a kiss of death.
Endorsement by a popular leader, however, is very much different from the candidate's winnability.

APPLAUD

People may applaud the president's endorsement, but it's another story if they will vote for the endorsed candidate.
Winnability is still a major factor. And Roxas appears to be deficient in charisma and acceptability needed to bag the highest office,  if we based only the surveys.
But with full support from the administration, the ballgame might tilt and shake a bit.  
The lead in the surveys enjoyed by Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay might suffer a major cut once government resources start to roll down the far flung areas in aid of the chosen candidate from Capiz.
Roxas, however, can't rely heavily on government wherewithal. He has a lot of catching up to do and the major roadwork is in his province in Capiz, his bailiwick with a polarized political landscape. 
As a dark horse, Davao City Mayor Rudy Duterte may continue to post as a big threat to any candidate chosen by the president and the opposition.
If no alliances and bandwagon will be formed to reduce the number of presidentiables, it would still be the administration and opposition candidates who will slug it out and elbow each other in the finish line.

Iloilo mayors for Roxas; councilors for Binay

“When people show loyalty to you, you take care of those who are with you. It's how it goes with everything. If you have a small circle of friends, and one of those friends doesn't stay loyal to you, they don't stay your friend for very long.” John Cena

By Alex P. Vidal

LOYALTY to the party over a personal choice.

This must be the stand adopted by most city and municipal mayors in Iloilo who are supposedly backing the presidential bid of DILG chief Mar Roxas in 2016.

Most of these mayors attributed their victory in the last local elections to the ruling Liberal Party (LP), thus they can’t just discard Roxas, who is President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III's personal choice.

Even if some of them dislike Roxas’ temerity to show off in “epal” gimmickry, these local chief executives have to toe the line or else.

In the 2013 elections, LP’s machinery was too much for those identified with former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose bets from national down to the municipal levels suffered unprecedented massacre.

Because of their victories as LP-anointed bets, these city and municipal mayors owe LP and the President a debt of gratitude.

BEHOLDEN

Because they are beholden to Malacanang, they have no choice but to publicly endorse Roxas.

But many of these city and municipal mayors have developed a personal friendship with Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay Sr., opposition’s strongest bet for the top post in Malacanang.

Binay has been patiently paying them a visit one after another, but don’t talk about politics so as not to send panic alarms to the eyes and ears of Malacanang.

Binay, however, is very popular among city and municipal councilors.

Some members of the Iloilo provincial board are also pro-Binay but don’t display their preference at this early in respect to Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.

Many Iloilo City councilors are also all-out for Binay but remain loyal to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and, of course, to President Aquino.

Mabilog does not interfere with the choice of his allies in the city council, but assures President Aquino of his “unwavering” support and loyalty.

Mabilog is democratic when it comes to individual political stand of his city council allies.

As long as they support the programs and projects of President Aquino in the metropolis, Mabilog doesn’t give a hoot about the political preference of city councilors for national office.

AGREE

The city councilors and Mabilog, however, agree on one unwritten but golden political rule: spare President Aquino and Senate President Franklin Drilon of any unfavorable harangue.

In fact, Joshua Alim, one of the most senior members of the city council, has become Binay’s virtual campaign manager and spokesman in this part of the country.

Alim has been passionately defending Binay in media interviews and even called the ongoing Senate investigation on Binay’s alleged anomalies in Makati city hall as “political persecution and harassment from the elite who wanted to topple down the vice president.”

Alim also does not hide his impatience when he sees negative comments on Facebook against the vice president and makes it a point to defend Binay by hook or by crook.

When Roxas visited Iloilo most recently, some of the streamers Alim’s group put up in various intersections supporting and endorsing Binay disappeared one after another.

Alim cried foul and accused Binay’s detractors to be behind the “sabotage.”

Many village chiefs have also signified their support for the diminutive second highest position of the land despite the almost daily bombshells being unloaded against him on national and local media.

It’s still a long way to go in as far as wooing the support of grass roots leadership is concerned.

The ballgame is still open, fluid and unpredictable.

Many sips-sips (sycophants) in the local level are still expected to jump ship and betray their partymates.

This early no one can claim he has the majority of local leaders in the bag.