Preparing for the 2016 elections

April 12, 2012

BY DUCKY PAREDES
MALAYA

‘Knowing what we know about Philippine politics, however, the best-laid plans of our politicos never really work out as intended.’

WITH just about everyone expecting that the former administration party will disintegrate. I like what Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., Lakas president, is saying: “The next elections is still over a year away and while there are already feelers being sent seeking the party’s support, we do not want to focus our efforts there this early. Instead of following what other political parties are doing now, our party, through our members who are incumbent officials, would rather spend our energies on serving the constituency and addressing their more immediate concerns.”

Bong explains: “Kaya nasusuya na ang taumbayan. Katatapos pa lang ng eleksyon, eleksyon na naman ang iniintindi ng mga pulitiko.” He says that Lakas, the former administration party that had been in power in prior administrations and was in power from 2001 to 2010, and notes that the real strength of a political party is its grassroots membership, the quality of its incumbent members on the ground, coupled with the support of recognized leaders and senior statesmen. “Ultimately, the party that has the most number of performing incumbent officials is the strongest political party.”

Revilla points out: “Lakas is not Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo alone. There is more to the party. We are a principled political party with Christian-Muslim Democratic ideals.”

He is right in that the Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) has been around for sometime and was the fusion of Lakas and Kampi during the Arroyo presidency.

Certainly, if the present Lakas-CMD senators (Revilla and Lapid) campaign for their candidates, there is a chance that several in their ticket can win on their own without having to run on the unity ticket of Vice President Binay’s Lakas-PDP and President Joseph Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) which now styles itself as UNA (United Nationalist Alliance), which could well be what Binay expects he can use to propel himself to the presidency in 2016. After all, Binay is looking more and more like a sure thing to becoming our next president.

(Knowing the vice president’s antecedents prior to national office, I worry that he could revert to what he was as an LGU official when he makes the presidency. Then, would that mean that “Oops, there goes the Daang Matuwid”?)

At any rate, it looks like a three-cornered fight with Binay getting most of the sure shooters. For instance, both Koko Pimentel (by virtue of his being PDP president) and Migs Zubiri, who bested Koko in 2007 via Dagdag-Bawas, are both in Binay’s UNA line-up. So is re-electionist Gringo Honasan who won a three-year term in 2010.

Will Manny Villar’s Nacionalista Party be joining UNA, too? If that happens, then, Binay may well have a lock on the presidency in 2006. Or will the Villars team-up with Bongbong Marcos?

Knowing what we know about Philippine politics, however, the best-laid plans of our politicos never really work out as intended, which is among the things that makes life more fun in the Philippines than anywhere else in this world.

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The criticism of BIR’s Kim Henares going after Manny Pacquiao and not the businessmen who are making so much money for themselves even as the country and us Pinoys are reeling from rising prices, is not fair.

Kim’s problem with our boxing idol is that Manny’s tax payment dropped from over P120,000,000 to P7 million in one year even as he seemed to the BIR’s trained observers to be earning even more than ever before from his boxing and as a product endorser. All that the BIR wants from Manny is an explanation.

Businessmen, when they file an Income Tax Return (ITR) like this – where the income dropped drastically from one year to another always have an explanation that is clear to the BIR’s tax examiners. The attached financial documents tell the whole story. Apparently, why this happened even as Manny’s income stream seems not only to not have decreased but even increased is what Kim Henares wants explained to her. It is not right for Congressman Pacquiao to simply ignore the Tax Lady or for others (who ought to know better) to take the champion’s side and accuse our tax commissioner of unfair treatment.

Among our country’s problems is the fact that tax evasion seems to be the rule rather than the exception. It is about time that the stress ought to be on getting everyone to pay their proper taxes rather than closing our eyes, pretending not to see the tax cheats among us.

Instead of complaining about the government which we have all been doing no matter who the government has been, our time could be better spent in doing what we can to help the government attain the goals that it has set out to accomplish for the good of our country.

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The 2nd Leg of the Magnolia Pure Water Senior Golf Series of the Federation of Philippine Amateur Senior Golfers. Inc., the largest senior golf association in the country will be held at Veterans Golf Club in Quezon City on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Registration begins at 6:30 up to 7:30 with a Shotgun Tee-off at 8 a.m.

Individuals will compete within their age groups: Group 1, 55-56 year old; Group 2, 60-64; Group 3, 65-69; Group 4, 70-74; Group 5, 75 and older.

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On Friday, April 20, Rotary International District 3800 will also have its 7th Leg of the District Golf Federation Tournament at Summit Point Golf Course (where one can play the Amen Corner and other famous holes copied from the world’s best courses) in Lipa, Batangas. The host is San Juan Maguilas, whose President Sunday Pineda prom­ises giveaways and raffle prizes plus “a sumptuous lunch” and “good fellowship.” Rotarians can bring along any number of guests at P2,500 each. Proceeds will go towards helping underprivileged students of O’Donnell Central School in Capas, Tarlac

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On Monday, April 23, the 22nd Annual ADL Cup, hosted by Busi­nessman and Golfer Bert Lina will tee off at 8:00 a.m. after registration and Breakfast at Ayala Greenfield Golf and Leisure Club at Calamba, Laguna. Golf caps and shirts will be provided and participants are therefore asked to “kindly wear white, pants, shorts or skirt.”

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