GLORIA'S FORTY BILLION PESOS FOR THE PRESIDENCY
Only in the Philippines are there presidential candidates who will spend more than five billion pesos to try to land a job that only pays 600,000 pesos a year, or a total of 3.6 million pesos for a 6-year term. And, if he/she spends money (or not), either from contributions from big business or "friends," it is not unreasonable to expect him/her to try and recover what was spent during campaigns. Since no existing legal way is at hand, the candidate will have to do so by extra-legal means. Not a recipe for good and honest government, if you ask me.
The high stakes involved here makes each candidate try his/her luck in outmaneuvering everyone else. Many will even claim victory after losing a vote. And because of this, the outcome is always far from clean. With the presidential elections just around the corner, one cannot help but think how these "president wannabes" are now gathering the wealth to fund and sustain his/her candidacy of the highest office of the land.
But wait, my unimpeachable source now tells me that President Gloria Arroyo has already set aside some forty billion pesos to comfortably finance her (or her choice's candidacy). Now that's a scandalous amount, and imagine how many schoolbuidings and hospitals that money can build, streetchildren and orphans to feed, textbooks to print, and help stranded OFWs and fly them back to their families. And whosoever becomes her administration's opponent must match that amount or even better it. And someone extremely popular like former President Joseph Estrada. And because of this, chills have been running up and down the backs of Malacanang Palace spin-doctors and strategists. But no worries. You have Gloria's Supreme Court in your pockets. For if Estrada now is your headache, then prepare yourselves for a lingering bout of stubborn migraine.
Only in the Philippines are there presidential candidates who will spend more than five billion pesos to try to land a job that only pays 600,000 pesos a year, or a total of 3.6 million pesos for a 6-year term. And, if he/she spends money (or not), either from contributions from big business or "friends," it is not unreasonable to expect him/her to try and recover what was spent during campaigns. Since no existing legal way is at hand, the candidate will have to do so by extra-legal means. Not a recipe for good and honest government, if you ask me.
The high stakes involved here makes each candidate try his/her luck in outmaneuvering everyone else. Many will even claim victory after losing a vote. And because of this, the outcome is always far from clean. With the presidential elections just around the corner, one cannot help but think how these "president wannabes" are now gathering the wealth to fund and sustain his/her candidacy of the highest office of the land.
But wait, my unimpeachable source now tells me that President Gloria Arroyo has already set aside some forty billion pesos to comfortably finance her (or her choice's candidacy). Now that's a scandalous amount, and imagine how many schoolbuidings and hospitals that money can build, streetchildren and orphans to feed, textbooks to print, and help stranded OFWs and fly them back to their families. And whosoever becomes her administration's opponent must match that amount or even better it. And someone extremely popular like former President Joseph Estrada. And because of this, chills have been running up and down the backs of Malacanang Palace spin-doctors and strategists. But no worries. You have Gloria's Supreme Court in your pockets. For if Estrada now is your headache, then prepare yourselves for a lingering bout of stubborn migraine.
P.S. Doesn't the picture above fit her just like a genuine masked bandit? And better than a fedora, that mask is the more appropriate headgear for her. I'm sure she has lots of those in her office, enough to distribute to her friends in her administration.
(Image from http://www.chrispforr.net/)
