Sunday, February 18, 2007
Popularity upstages policy in rally
By Lorenzo P. Niñal
Of Sun.Star Cebu
TEAM Unity of the administration can be another excuse for voters to go for popularity.
The crowd at yesterday’s proclamation rally at the Cebu Coliseum saw for the first time what the government is offering them for the Senate: 12 candidates coming from different, often conflicting, political backgrounds.
It’s a motley crowd of 12 people whose only claim to unity could be their desire to make it to the Senate. One of them couldn’t even get the name of a partymate right, urging the crowd to vote for “Karim,” when referring to Sultan Kiram.
The lineup is confusing, somebody from the crowd observed. What are Tessie Oreta and Tito Sotto, for example, doing in an administration team?
When voters are confused, the more reason they go for somebody good-looking, preferably from show business, or anybody with that “kilig” factor. At least there’s valid reason to clap their hands here.
Actor Cesar Montano got the loudest cheers every time his name was mentioned. He got more applause than the President.
They might not be actors, but Ralph Recto has the “star for all seasons” Vilma Santos and Miguel Zubiri once had Vina Morales. The showbiz connection wasn’t lost on the crowd.
“Mao nang ex ni Vina, di ba (Isn’t he Vina Morales’ ex)?” a teenager said, as she watched Zubiri make his way to the coliseum.
Michael Defensor is media-friendly and Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson had his already colorful life made into a film.
So they might as well be showbiz personalities.
And Sotto, of course he’s from the longest running noontime TV show Eat Bulaga.
What Congressman Prospero Pichay lacked in popularity, he made up for in his slogan. “Itanim si Pichay sa Senado” may sound desperate, but it worked, at least yesterday.
His slogan was among the most memorable. The other one is Defensor’s ‘Tol.
Stretching the use of his moniker, Defensor told the crowd: “Ako ang katol na papatay sa mga masasamang lamok.” And the crowd cheered. One-liners like these worked.
Another effective strategy the candidates used yesterday was their not-so-subtle attempt at looking for something, or somebody that will connect them to the Cebuanos.
Vic Magsaysay tried to relate to the crowd by recalling an incident where a Magsaysay (president Ramon Magsaysay) died in Cebu in a plane crash many years ago.
Zubiri sang a line from the famous Visayan love song “Matud Nila,” written by a relative, Ben Zubiri. And oh, he did the Boom Tarat Tarat campaign ditty.
There were no entertainers at the administration’s proclamation rally yesterday, which was surprising in Philippine political campaign sorties.
But then again, when there’s enough entertainers in the group, who needs more?
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 18, 2007 issue)
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