Source:
Philippine Daily Inquirer
"Celebrity endorsers failed
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:42:00 05/16/2010
Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Personalities
THE defeat of Manny Villar tells us that endorsements from big-time celebrities can go kerplunk.
Millions of Filipinos were not swayed by that famous purveyor of instant gratification, Willie Revillame, who induces all kinds of schmaltz and guffaws from the masses, who gives away cash by the thousands at the flick of his fingers, and parades bodacious girls in skimpy get-ups.
A wizard of mass emotions, Revillame could not understand why some decent constituents rued his putting on stage half-naked “kembot” girls who turned Villar’s rallies into burlesque shows. When the men hooted and wolf-whistled the girls, did Revillame think they were signifying support for Villar?
Dolphy, old, hunched, wrinkled and raspy, croaked his anecdote about him and Manny growing up in Tondo and that our children’s future would be in better hands with Villar. When Dolphy sells something on TV, we all know he has been paid big money. His appearance for Villar only affirmed the general perception that the Nacionalista Party presidential candidate was spending billions of pesos to get himself elected. Buying exorbitantly and blatantly into the presidency sucks. It’s a subtle way of bullying other candidates like Nick Perlas and JC de los Reyes, who were worthy candidates but didn’t have the money to burn.
Manny Pacquiao didn’t need Villar’s money. But he needed the NP’s support. His endorsement of Villar was not controversial. But it was a big puzzle for us why Pacquiao, who electrifies the whole nation when he fights in the ring, didn’t excite us to vote for Villar. Something went wrong. Methinks we’re sending a clear message to Pacquiao: keep your tongue still when it comes to choosing our president.
Sarah Geronimo, she with the cherubic face, mellifluous singing voice and scintillating acting skills, effectively sells shampoo on TV but failed when she sold us Loren Legarda for vice president.
When celebrities sell politicians or toothpaste, where lies the difference? Choosing a candidate is a serious business. Our country is a mess. We have to think and discern, we have to use our own mind, not somebody else’s. This feeling cuts across all classes of people during the 2010 election. The fact that Revillame, Dolphy, Pacquiao and Sarah failed to make a big difference in Villar’s and Legarda’s campaigns reveals that Filipino voters today can distinguish the difference between reality and gimmickry. And by this, we Filipinos have advanced in 2010 one notch higher in political maturity.
—HERMINIO G. ORDOÑEZ,
Pili Drive St.,
Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City"
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I couldn't have said it better.
This is why I said regardless of the fact that political will has lost in the presidential-vice presidential race, the country still needs to be commended for defeating what the media/money can manage to dictate most of us Filipinos.
With the automation a success, Philippine politics should be looking brighter by the day. Hopefully the time comes that majority of us will be able to see the most qualified candidates (although we know this doesn't guaranty such candidates will lead us the best).
Bravo Pinoy voters!
2010 Election Results Proof of Our Country's Move to Political Maturity
Originally Posted by boylaang
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