Blaming Cebu for poll fraud on FPJ

EVERY time election cheating is resurrected as campaign issue, Cebu's vote in the 2004 presidential race is reviewed, often carelessly.

Grace Poe-Llamanzares, daughter of the late movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. whom Gloria Arroyo defeated in that fraud-scarred election, did so, with tears as props, at the Team PNoy rally here Tuesday.

She tagged Cebu as the province that stole her pa's presidency (by .84 million votes).

Knowing the Cebu score was credible, GMA used it to support her claim she won. She couldn't have waved the numbers from, say, Mindanao where Comelec "Hello Garci" operatives worked.

Grace was misinformed. Apparently she didn't try to find out that her dad had no local bets and no machinery in entire Cebu, compared to GMA who had all the local parties watching her back.

And Grace must believe, erroneously, that Cebuanos are dazzled by movie stars, or mesmerized enough to send them to office. Check voting records. Erap Estrada lost in Cebu; so did senatorial wannabes from filmdom. Cebu moviegoers wouldn't shoot up the screen if FPJ were mauled by villains.

GMA must have cheated but not in Cebu. And Grace has filed the province under the "Thieves" column.

Pandering

Grace may be forgiven for total awe of her dad but not for failing to assess FPJ's debacle.

To condescend by saying Cebuanos weren't at fault, she must think they're dolts who can't recognize their leg was being pulled in their own home front.

Grace could've done better by telling Cebu instead what, aside from being her dad's daughter, qualifies her for the Senate.

(paseares@sunstar.com.ph)