Gloria Arroyo, Larry Gadon Et Al. Are Coming!

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The May 2025 senatorial election is more than 14 months away from now. If one is determined to win one of the 12 post available as the top lawmakers of the country, it is time to campaign this early.

But early campaigning is not the silver bullet that catapults the candidate to victory with the votes of the the hoi-polloi, it needs the power of dough – hundreds of millions if not billions of pesos mostly for the expensive television ads –  to win the hearts and minds of the electorates who lived as far as the boondocks.

SENATORIAL WANNABES (from left to right front row) retired Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin, disbarred lawyer Larry Gadon, and former President Gloria M. Arroyo who graced the Barangay Night of Mangaldan, Pangasinan. The bourgeoning and one of the richest municipalities in the province celebrates its Pindang Fiesta. Other in the photo are Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno, Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher de Venecia, Vice Governor Mark Lambino and spouse Lawyer Melanie. (Photo by PIO -Mangaldan)

 30 seconds TV ads cost more or less P500, 000 at the boobtube’s leader GMA-7 TV.

2022 election Senatorial bets Alan Peter Cayetano, Win Gatchalian, Mark Villar, and Joel Villanueva soared in the Top 10 of those who would win the electoral derby on the date of the survey by spending P1 billion each on ads a year before the election.

A billion of pesos, susmariosep!, to a post that gives P300, 000 a month or P23.4 million as salary in a six years term.

I asked Senator Grace Poe in the 2019 election: “Congressmen buy votes to win, a senator buys television ads to be victorious. Mostly consistent kayong No. 1 sa poll, ilan ang TV ads ninyo sa major televisions’ GMA-7 and ABS-CBN?”

“Maramirami rin. Ah, hindi naman ganoon karami katulad ng iba pero ang importante kasi sa lawak ng Pilipinas hindi maabot mo ang lahat ng mga bumoboto. E paniwalaan natin o hindi lahat naman ng nanood ng television kahit ano ang mangyari kahit pilitin sarili mo sa lahat ng pupuntan lahat ng liblib,” she told me.

She’ll be ending her six years’ term on June 30 next year as Senator and folks in Pangasinan are watching if she would transfer here her residence before May 12, 2025 poll to comply with the constitutional requirement of a one-year residency before she challenges incumbent 3^rd District Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas.

What say you Poe’s P.R folks’  Nora D. Deuna and Ronnie Estrera Calumpita?

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At the recent Barangays (Villages) Night of the fiesta of Mangaldan, Pangasinan I saw former President and incumbent Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joining one of the shindigs being celebrated by the local government. This event – where roasted calves and hogs and drums of beers adorned the ostentatious party as seen on other towns – is seen by wannabe senatorial candidates as opportunity to hype themselves with the people.

Arroyo was accompanied by would be candidates disbarred lawyer Larry “Mga bobo kayo put*ng ina mo” Gadon, Ariel Querubin, and a young man - a partylist official and bet - that I was not familiar with as I saw them at the town’s Facebook Page Public Information Office. Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno allowed these wannabes to give their encomium to ingratiate with the masa in their festivity.

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I couldn’t just imagine that La Presidenta Gloria de Excelsis and the bemedaled retired Marine Colonel Querubin- a former member of the leftist student group Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan - would be rubbing elbow with each other on every soiree and fiesta they whistle stop all over the country.

In February 26, 2006 Querubin and a throng of Marines launched a stand-off at their barracks after Arroyo relieved Major General Renato Miranda, the Philippine Marine Corps Commandant, who was suspected to be part of a looming coup d'état against her.  Many in the military then detested her for abetting corruption, favoritism among the brass, and rigging the votes against her May 2004 presidential opponent actor Fernando Poe, Jr. – the father of Grace Poe.

Querubin was released from the slammer after President Benigno Aquino, III – who eventually threw Arroyo to the brig -- granted amnesty to soldiers who were linked to the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the 2006 Fort Bonifacio standoff and the 2007 Manila Peninsula Siege.

Many Filipinos could not forget the somber faced La Gloria telling them on national TV: “I AM SORRY”.

The cheating accusation against her centered on the audio recordings in which she told then Commission on Elections Chief Virgilio Garcillano (son of a gun, a fellow Pangasinense!) to secure for her a million-vote margin in the May 2004 ballot. Garciano checkered pasts involved his alleged vote-rigging stunt in the 1995 ‘dagdag-bawas’ senatorial race.

Now both Arroyo - who became a nine years’ termed president – after the military toppled down President Joseph Estrada 2001 and ushered her succession as the then vice president -  and the idealistic Querubin - become a strange bedfellow.

Politics, by golly, is full of paradoxes. It is a game of convenience for those with vested interest unmindful about the propriety of their actions that they were once nemesis flailing on each other's throat.

Diyos ko! Parang si Boy Tapang at Cherrie White lang.