COMMON CANDIDATES

I am intrigued by what former President Erap Estrada said when asked by the media regarding senatorial candidate Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares, daughter of his bosom friend and kumpadre,  Fernando Poe Jr.  Erap's quick answer was: "I will not not support her!"  even though Grace Poe's political leaning has been relatively towards Team PNoy rather than to UNA,  I really am a bit confused why Erap had to use a double negative, which, I know. also means something positive, when he could have very well simply said:: "Yes, I will support her!"   For me, the latter  is more authentic.

Of course, Grace Poe -- as well as Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero -- are "common candidates" of both PNoy's coalition and Bina-Erap- Enrile's UNA.  This is one other matter related to the coming elections that also makes me knit my brows.  Loren and Chiz are undoubtedly sure winners even if they run as independent candidates.  As a matter of fact, when each one alternately interchanged between first and second placers in previous surveys, I am sure it was not as much because of either Team PNoy'S or UNA'S particular strengths, as rather because of Chz and Loren's very own  personal appeal to the electorates.   Grace Poe's is of course an entirely different matter.  While her performance as MTRCB chair had been fairly okay,  she has yet to prove herself in an entirely new arena: politics.  Whether she has inherited the FPJ's charisma with the masses is something yet to be seen.

Of Chiz and Loren, however, I really do not know their real objectives -- well besides, as the familiar saying goes,  wanting to have their cakes and eat them too. Maybe, just maybe, they just want to maximize their campaign resources.   For me personally, such behavior cannot but evoke "greed" or, to be a little bit less blunt,  getting the best of two worlds   I know that guest were not uncommon in the past, but of one party only, definitely not of two.

I still believe that political parties must present to the people different ideologies and political platforms on how to solve the nation' problems, so the people may be able to assess which one to vote for.  That is why very often political parties, officially or unofficially, become associated with different political colors -- such as Cory's yellow ribbon and Erap's pink or red or tangerine yata -- which are used to represent their respective ideological principles. . Politics is essentially a process of choice, and one simply cannot choose both. As a matter of fact, life is a never-ending period of choice..  Every morning we choose between taking a cup of coffee or going the comfort room first, for example, we choose whether we would take the MRT or the jeepney in going to office.    Of course, party coalitions in this country have long become non-ideological vehicles, more intended for candidates purely personal or fractional ambitions.

Having said the above, these common candidates remind me of the game called  "beto-beto," which we always see wherever people are celebrating their town fiesta.  When one is in doubt of how the three dices would roll and turn, a bettor might put his bet in between Two or Five, for example.  That kind of betting, is called, "Baklay"  as compared to the so-called "Tumbok," a bet on only one number.  The Baklay gets only half of the winnings than the Tumbok, assuming either Two or Five comes out.  The same betting is also true in jueteng.  Incidentally, over time, the word Baklay had transcended beyond mere games of chance.  In due course, the last letter, meaning "y" had been eliminated, to mean one who doesn't know where he belongs. Well,  I do not know if the common candidates would be pleased  being called like that.  Just joking!