Babe's Eye View article

A businessman closely identified with Mar Roxas confided to me that in retrospect, “Mar should have run for president.” This was in the context of the Liberal Party vice presidential candidate’s continuing surge in the surveys, posting double digit leads over closest rival Loren Legarda of the Nacionalista Party. Many around Mar are beginning to regret that he gave it up so easily due to the groundswell of sympathy and emotionalism that swept people—perhaps even Mar himself—after the death of Cory Aquino.

While the Noynoy-Mar tandem is winnable, many are beginning to think that it would have been better if it were the other way around since Mar already had his campaign machinery in place as seen by his previous infomercials, and that as a scion of the Araneta clan, he has the means to match Manny Villar’s resources pound-for-pound. Many also concede that Mar has more experience and more often than not during interviews, is perceived to be helping Noynoy field difficult questions directed at the latter.

Liberal Party members admit that the surge in Villar’s survey ratings could be attributed to the pre-campaign infomercials of the Nacionalista Party bet that are also indicative of a huge war chest—something that political analysts as well as a number of columnists say could swing the tide in May. After all, it takes a lot of money for the production and airing of radio, television and newspaper advertisements. Television in particular has proven to be an effective tool for name recall. And since every other Filipino household now has a television set, candidates who do not have the time or the opportunity to physically visit the farthest nook in the country can rely on broadcast media to put their message across.

Noynoy for his part had said that he and his family are running the campaign with modest means. He has also made it perfectly clear that he will reject campaign contributions that come with strings attached. Many around him have also made it clear that they will not accept contributions from people perceived to have associations with the current administration, or businessmen whom they think have dubious reputations. Noynoy would rather accept small donations from ordinary people—a strategy that Barack Obama employed when he was campaigning for US president. We must admit that Noynoy’s intention is very laudable and if it works, it could really help change the way elections are conducted in this country.

But a reality check would show that although Obama was able to raise money from small donations and did not have to rely too much on big business for contributions, the fact is that the US has a large middle class that could afford to shell out modest amounts repeatedly. Unfortunately, majority of Filipinos could hardly afford to spare money for campaign contributions simply because they don’t even have enough money to feed themselves and their families.

There are reports that a few well-to-do people who want to contribute to the LP’s campaign kitty have also been turned down, like this taipan known to contribute to all candidates. A businessman closely associated with the Aquino family reportedly advised the LP bet not to accept the money—simply because the businessman did not particularly like the taipan.

The fact of the matter is, there’s no such thing as a free lunch—particularly so in politics where every contributor—whether big or small—will always want a payback in one form or another, and this is true even in countries like the United States. This is probably one reason why the candidacy of Manny Villar—who unabashedly admits that he is using largely his own money to finance his campaign for the presidency is beginning to resonate more and more among Filipinos.

Supporters of Villar point out that instead of asking how much is being spent, people should find out who is giving to the candidates because they could be electing the contributors and not the candidate himself. Comelec itself has become strict with campaign contributions, requiring every radio, television and print ad to disclose who has paid for such materials in complete detail, from the name of the donor (whether individual, political party or private group) down to the address.

Gilbert Remulla, who is running for senator under the NP slate, disclosed that Manny’s wife Cynthia has made sure that their children are well provided for—making it clear that the NP standard bearer has no plans of recouping campaign expenses from the nation’s coffers. Gilbert also denied allegations about a secret alliance between Villar and GMA. As a matter of fact, the NP spokesperson made it clear that there is no love lost between Villar and GMA because she had him removed as Senate President.

Let’s face it: it takes money to run an efficient campaign not only for ads but for other logistical requirements like posters, flyers, pins, caps, T-shirts and other paraphernalia, not to mention transportation and communication expenses for a candidate to reach every nook and cranny in the countryside. Even volunteers will have to be provided with food and drinks during campaign rallies and sorties, plus payment for poll watchers from election day until every ballot is counted.

Today being Valentine’s Day, people remember the old saying, “no money, no honey”—meaning that at the end of the day, love could easily fly out the window when the hard bite of reality starts to sink in. People should remember that the same can also hold true for politics: when there’s no money, there’s no honey.