Saturday, June 6, 2009

Ping's decision




He himself called it a reality check.

Without the billions of pesos to fund his campaign and with a relatively low rating as compared to other presidential aspirants, he reached a decision and announced it straightforward: Count him out, he is no longer in the running for the 2010 Presidential Race, senator Panfilo Lacson announced to the nation last night, a bombshell of an announcement carried as banner headlines in most of the major newspapers today.

It's inevitable that Lacson's decision is linked to the arrival of his former aide in the defunct Presidential Anti-Organize Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) Sr. Superintendent Cezar Mancao II who is expected to formally and officially linked the senator in the twin murder case of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.

The timing of the announcement is open for suspicion of what really prompted the announcement since Lacson bared his decision a day after Mancao's arrival in the country.

But while there may be valid reasons to link the two, Lacson's backing out of the presidential race and Mancao's testimony linking him to one of the most celebrated and controversial cases of murder, there can be no doubt about the genuine acknowledgment of his standing and chances in the 2010 polls.

For a man to admit that he can't sustain a presidential campaign and for him to acknowledge his standing in the public pulse as reflected in various results of political surveys, that definitely requires courage and humility.

A window has opened because of Lacson's decision to quit aiming for the presidency.

In backing out of the presidential race, Lacson gave the stimulus for the Opposition to really unite and decide as one and among them, field the most competent and winnable presidential candidate to go head-on with whoever it is that would be fielded by the administration.

The challenge for all other aspirants especially on the side of the opposition is to muster enough courage and strength to do a similar reality check.

Who among the opposition camp would follow what Lacson did?

If the opposition want to beat the administration candidate next year who is expected to enjoy the obvious edge in machinery, resources and yes even in the dirty tricks game---they should view Lacson's decision as a chance to really unite their ranks and do a deep and honest to goodness assessment right now, ASAP.

The most influential personality in the opposition stable is expected to initiate moves along that line---unite, strengthen and fight.

Is that personality the former president Joseph Ejercito Estrada? If he's the one---then he should make the ultimate sacrifice too and declare he is also throwing his intention to become president again.

But if Estrada does that, who is the next most likely to succeed in acceding to power in MalacaƱang?

There's also the factor of weighing who is the most likely to win among them. In determining who--popularity and charisma ought to be considered as well and there's no denying that Estrada still has a lot of supporters and loyalists among the electorate. There's still the legal question on whether he is still eligible to run for president the second time around but minus that consideration, hypothetically speaking, Estrada could still pull a surprise and win again and be sworn in as president again.

Regardless of who they decide to field as candidate, the challenge to the political opposition now is for them to really solidify and unify their ranks and come up with a flawless maneuver to victory come 2010.

Let Lacson's decision be the stimulus.

On their own, aspiring candidates must do their own self-assessment and soul searching as well.

Nararapat ba sila? Mananalo ba sila? Kaya ba nila? O magpapagulo lang sila?

In her speech before the members of the LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD merged parties at the Manila Hotel, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said, "LET US WIN NOT BECAUSE WE ARE POWERFUL. LET US WIN BECAUSE WE ARE UNITED."

If she can say that and own that statement, why can't the opposition do the same? Say it, declare it, own it, mean it and implement it.

In achieving unity, sacrifices have to me made.

The window is open. A fresh air has breath in.

Who will capture the moment and follow in Lacson's footsteps for the sake of unity?(end)

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