Counterpoint
By Alvin Capino
Manila Standard Today
By Alvin Capino
Manila Standard Today
Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya
Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas has not shown any indication that he feels insecure that some of his party mates in the ruling Liberal Party (LP) are already looking at Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio “Jun” Aguinaldo Abaya as the more viable presidential candidate for the 2016 elections.
But we cannot blame some of Roxas supporters for being disappointed at the emergence of Abaya. They are looking forward to a “rematch” between Roxas and Vice President Jojo Binay who edged Roxas for the vice presidency despite the impressive win of Roxas’ running mate President Benigno Aquino III.
The problem of the LP is many of their own party members are unsure if Roxas has any chance at all of beating the popular and formidable Binay who has apparently solidified his political base even under the Aquino administration.
As housing czar and as the presidential adviser on overseas Filipinos, Binay has been constantly in the limelight and his poll rating is the highest among the top government officials.
Understandably the LP is looking at alternatives to run for president in 2016 and Abaya is emerging as the rising star of the LP and the Aquino administration.
In fact, no less than President Aquino himself has fuelled the speculation that Abaya is being considered as the LP’s viable alternative to Roxas as presidential candidate. Mr. Aquino said during the proclamation rally of the candidates for the provincial elections in the province of Cavite that Abaya could be the next President of the Philippines.
On stage with President Aquino and Abaya at that time was Roxas who many people still assume will be the LP standard bearer for the 2016 elections.
Abaya says the President was just joking when he made the “Baka ikaw na rin ang susunod na magiging pangulo” remark but it would seem, according to sources, that some Malacanang people are taking Mr. Aquino’s statement seriously. Some of them are now gravitating towards Abaya who is the acting president as well as secretary general of the LP.
For many LP members, Abaya is an acceptable alternative to Roxas because of his solid credentials.
He has impeccable academic background. He finished his grade school at De La Salle University. He was a scholar and honor student at the elite Philippine Science High School. He was accepted at the Philippine Military Academy and was selected to go to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis where he got a BS degree in Mathematics. He completed his law degree from Ateneo de Manila Law School.
He was aide-de-camp to President Cory Aquino after his return from the US and he retired from active service in the Philippine Navy as Lieutenant Commander. After retiring from military service, Abaya went to politics and succeeded his father Rep. Plaridel Abaya as congressman of the first district of Cavite and he was chairman of the powerful Committee on Appropriations before his appointment to the Cabinet.
He can boast of having two revolutionary heroes from both sides of his family. From his father’s side, his great grandfather is the Ilocano revolutionary hero Isabelo Abaya who founded the town of Candon. From his mother’s side, he is the direct descendant of the President of the first Philippine Republic Emilio Aguinaldo. His mother Consuelo is the daughter of Emilio Aguinaldo Jr.
If and when he runs for President, his Aguinaldo connections could be both an asset and a liability for Abaya.
Reactions to the Manila Film Festival movie “El Presidente” shows ho controversial President Aguinaldo was. Some people resented how the Supremo of the Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio, was treated in the movie. Debates on how Bonifacio was treated unfairly and brutally by Aguinaldo’s men have been revived.
Aguinaldo, inevitably, will become an issue in case of an Abaya candidacy. The issue that the Filipino people rebuffed Aguinaldo when he ran against Pres. Manuel Quezon for the presidency of the Philippine Commonwealth is expected to be revived. In that election, Quezon obtained 695,332 or 67.99 percent of the votes versus the 179,349 or 17.54 percent vote of Aguinaldo the former president.
His presidential rivals are expected to revive the issue of his great grandfather as a Japanese collaborator. This is unfair but that is a political reality.
An entry in Wikipedia online reads: “During the Japanese occupation, Aguinaldo cooperated with the Japanese, making speeches, issuing articles and infamous addresses in support of the Japanese – including a radio appeal to Gen. Douglas MacArthur to surrender…After the American retook the Philippines, Aguinaldo was arrested along with several others accused of collaboration with the Japanese and jailed for some months in Bilibid prison.”
Talking about political reality, is a clash between Roxas and Abaya inevitable? It could happen and it could happen soon.
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