by William M. Esposo
from The Philippine Star
All the best things in this world that became marketing spectacular successes were sold because these performed greatly appreciated functions that were offered to the right consumer, at the right time, at the right place, at the right price and in the right quantity and form.
If you have the best functioning sanitary napkin, you should offer that to women (right consumer) who are in their menstrual period in life (right time). You would make it available to your target women in the outlet where you know they usually shop (right place). You’d sell it at a price that they can afford (right price) which means it is packed in the preferred number of pieces that is practical for them to buy (right quantity). You will also ensure that the sanitary napkin is prepared in the proper dimensions (right form) that suits application.
These lessons from my over 40 years of being a marketing and advertising professional ricocheted in your Chair Wrecker’s mind as Defense Secretary (and now consensual Lakas-Kampi CMD Party presidential standard bearer for 2010) Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro delivered his opening speech before the party Executive Committee last Wednesday.
Gibo was eloquently promising what sounded like a good product.
However, many of the other imperatives that account for marketing success were glaringly absent.
Gibo promises ‘structural reform’
Gibo vowed that he would introduce an era of reform which will be accomplished via structural reform. By itself, the statement is correct. Real reform in our country can only be accomplished if there is structural reform. The oligarchy must be dismantled in order to pave the way for real democracy and the economic emancipation of the masses.
However, Gibo (we are told that he was never called Gibo until the name was concocted for campaign purposes) Teodoro is the least credible to be promising real reform, especially structural reform. List the people who are supporting his candidacy and you’ll find the Who’s Who of the oligarchy or their lackeys.
If Gibo — by some miracle of automation perhaps — manages to win along with his Lakas Kampi CMD Party allies, do you see these oligarchs voluntarily giving up their stranglehold of political and economic power? Is it not logical to expect, just as they have been doing, that there will be more structures created instead in order to cement their monopoly of political and economic power?
Cha-cha unmasks the real Gibo
True enough, just as the fish is caught through its mouth, Gibo telegraphed exactly what he meant by structural reform. He mimicked the mantra that we have been hearing from Charter change (Cha-cha) promoters. Gibo also wants to Cha-cha.
As has been long exposed, Cha-cha is all about perpetuating the oligarchy and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA). Cha-cha is definitely not about reform.
Yes, they will change the structure to one of a parliamentary form of government where there is an even greater concentration of power in their hands. In a parliament where GMA can reinvent herself as Prime Minister (after winning in her district in Pampanga) — the oligarchs will have both the legislature and executive under their control without a Senate to expose and counter their abuses.
Expect them to embellish this offer of reform with so-called economic benefits which are no different from the classic Trojan Horse. Woe to us if we ever make the mistake of biting on their offer of reform.
Gibo plays to the US gallery
One of the most disturbing statements made by Gibo last Wednesday was an avowed commitment to fight terrorism. Again, by itself, that sounds like a motherhood statement. Who would want terrorism in their country?
But the “terrorism” that Gibo seems to be pushing is the “terror” tag that the US has overused and abused to be able to justify its many questionable empire building actions all over the world — just like the Iraq War which is all about oil not terror and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in the Philippines.
Is Gibo courting US assistance — hoping perhaps that they’ll send an Ed Landsdale and a Joseph Smith (CIA operatives who promoted Ramon Magsaysay’s presidency) to undertake an operation here that will make him president? Is that why he was in the US recently to support the VFA?
Is Gibo going to allow the Balkanization of Mindanao (something the failed MOA-BJE, the Memorandum of Agreement on the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, would have accomplished) that serves US geopolitical objectives just so that he can become president?
Can Gibo do an Obama?
Lakas Kampi CMD Party stalwarts have been whistling a ‘happy tune’ and are saying that Gibo will do an Obama. They refer, of course, to 2008 US Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Barack Obama who came from obscurity and won by a landslide over Republican John McCain.
They are not alone. Even earlier, the camp of Chiz Escudero had their sights on doing the same thing. Chiz however is much better known than Gibo and is supposedly with the Opposition (How can anyone supported by Danding Cojuangco and Ramon Ang claim to be with the Opposition?).
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Well, it is easy to try to mimic Barack Obama, the presidential candidate, and mouth reform like Obama did in the 2008 US elections. Mimicking Obama and fitting into the symbol that Obama became are two worlds apart. Obama was the symbol of reform. Gibo, vowing to defend and preserve the status quo, cannot become the symbol of reform.
Gibo can try to sound like Obama. Talk is cheap. But Gibo trying to present himself as the symbol of change and reform like Obama in 2008 — then he, and not the Coryistas, should be singing “The Impossible Dream.”
How can Gibo be an agent of change when he vowed to defend and continue the policies and programs of the GMA regime? How can Gibo be an agent of change when he vowed to pursue Charter change which will pave the way for a GMA resurrection?
Can GMA’s anointed credibly present himself as the savior from the most miserable period the Filipinos have suffered since World War II?
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Chair Wrecker e-mail and website: macesposo@yahoo.com and www.chairwrecker.com
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