The Liberal Party thinks it has scored a hit with the defection of Batangas Governor Vilma Santos and husband Ralph Recto, former senator and economic planning secretary of Gloria Arroyo.
Batangas, with an estimated voting population of 1.5 million, is a prime target of any presidential candidate.
Sources said it was Recto who wanted to join the LP having learned from his 2007 senatorial loss due to the Gloria Arroyo stigma.
Although he was also negotiating a slot with the Nacionalista Party headed by his Wednesday Club buddy Manny Villar, Recto knew that he could not shake off the GMA stigma if he were with the NP, which is dubbed in political circles as “Arroyo’s opposition party.”
But there were a lot of opposition to Recto within the LP, which is dealing with in-party conflict between the traditional politicians and advocates of change and non-traditional politics. “He is a cabinet member of Arroyo. He only resigned last August to prepare for the 2010 elections,” a source said comparing Recto’s case with the circumstances that led to the resignation of the “Hyatt 10” cabinet members in June 2005.
It should be recalled that the Hyatt 10 (so dubbed because they finalized their decision at Hyatt Hotel) decision was made when they learned of Arroyo’s role in the massive tampering of the results of the 2004 elections as heard in “Hello Garci” tapes disclosures.
The LP, however, was interested with Vilma.
The source said Recto made it clear that they are a package: buy- one, take one.
The deal was sealed after actor and recently resigned chairman of the Optical media Board Edu Manzano, who was negotiating also for a slot in the LP senatorial ticket, chose to be with Lakas-Kampi as running mate of Gilbert Teodoro.
Just wondering if Manzano didn’t jump to Lakas-Kampi, would it have been okay for Recto to be in the same ticket with his wife’s ex-husband?
With Vilma in their fold, the LP expects to recapture Batangas, one of the country’s vote-rich provinces.
Actually, in 2004, when the LP was still aligned with Arroyo, its candidate also won in Batangas. It was no other than the notorious Armand Sanchez.
How the LP, a party that presents itself as advocating principled governance, had a rumored jueteng lord as candidate is a story of how political victory is achieved: by hook or by crook.
The administration candidate for Batangas governor in 2004 was former Justice Secretary Hernani Perez. Early surveys showed him trailing far behind former Nasugbu Mayor Rosario Apacible, who was running under the ticket of opposition candidate Fernando Poe, Jr.
LP had to support Sanchez to prevent Batangas from going to the opposition. But Apacible still won.
A report by Batangas-based journalist Mei Magsino said : “Sanchez was never elected governor. Five days after the May 10, 2004 election, results showed that Apacible won with 51,000 votes more than what Sanchez got.
“On May 16, Sanchez met with then Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. That night 50 empty ballot boxes supposedly from the town of Padre Garcia arrived at the Comelec’s provincial office.
“The next day, Sanchez was declared winner by 50,000 votes ahead of Apacible.
“ Apacible filed a protest. In September 2005, the 50 ballot boxes from Padre Garcia were opened. They were empty.”
In 2007, Sanchez was declared expelled by the LP when he joined the breakaway group of Environment Secretary Lito Atienza. The last I heard of him, he has joined the NP.
Such is politics in the Philippines.
Ellen,
There’s not an ounce of finesse in this partner swapping game they play.
I really object to this blatant thick-facedness and political opportunism exercised by this Rectal couple. Haven’t they got any more decent people in the vicinity?
Ayaw ni Ralphie na kasama ang kuya Edu niya? hahaha!
Anna, I understand your feeling being a tunay na Batanguena. hehehe! Imagine, the “Rectal couple” was able invade Batangas without an ounce of sweat, and then ngayon they packaged themselves as buy-one, take one for LP, pasok din!
It must be true, Ralphie and Kiko Noted are dependents of them wifies, meaning hindi mananalo kung hindi dahil sa mga pinakasalang mega. Bwahahaha!!!
Naku Chi, as you say, if not for their mega wives, I don’t think Mr Noted Pangilinan and Mr Rectal Santos would be voted a second time around… Hindi ba natalo na yang si Mr Santos sa senate election?
I apologise to the multitude of fans of Vilma Santos and Mr Vilma Santos but those who will vote for Rectal because he is married to a Saint Vilma deserve the govt they elect. I just can’t see them contributing anything good to national good governance in this country. Vilma Santos, discreet as she might be, is nonetheless a stool pigeon for Gloria. She didn’t have the moral courage to confront the lying cheating bitch during the distribution of bags full of cash in Malacanang!
I agree she’s an excellent artista that’s why she could make everyone believe the role of a good politician deserves an Oscar award. But this is one Batanguena that cannot be hoodwinked by these politicos cum artistas!
Anna,
Pinoys have short memories. It was only in 2007 when they junked Mr. Rectal Santos, ngayon nasa top ten sa survey. Then and now, Ralphie is the same person…Mr. Evat!
Gloria’s “stool pigeon Saint Vilma”, hahaha! Swak na swak mo.
Thinner and thinner.
That’s how the line bordering between entertainment and politics has gone.
The Ordinary Pinoy doesn’t have any clue.
Thinner and thinner? And I thought both politics and entertainment are one and the same???
Sumusunod lang naman si Vilma sa asawa nya na syang taal ng taga Batangas. Kung masaya si Vilma sa nangyayari, pagbigyan na natin.
Yung sa mga politikong nag aasawa ng artista, alam din naman ng artista na gagamitin sila sa politika. Kung okay sa kanila na gamitan, wala tayong magagawa.
Yung thinner and thinner (referring to demarcation line) tama at complemented pa ng Thicker and thicker referring naman sa mga apog ng mga artistang pumapasok sa pulitika (as a general rule lang) and vice versa.
Anna, some Batanguenos I know think very highly of Vilma. According to them, even the kanto boys are employed. These Bataguenos are very happy with her governance.
The hubby is a different story altogether.
PSB,
Thanks for the info. I have nothing against her as a person and perhaps, you are right that Batanguenos are generally happy with her.
Batanguenos are easy to please in general — with a job, a roof over the head, kids in school and that’s about it… Although must say that many of my fellow Batanguenos from my part of the province are not exactly pleased with their lot, could be their fault, could be a combination of many things but could be too the lack of provincial govt will.
But I do know that there are things that have not moved in my neck of woods (in Batangas) for the last 3 decades. Jobs are still very hard to come by that most of the kids of my friends have left for abroad to work as maids, servants, etc,; exploitation of the poor remains a big problem; “feudalism” exists although discreet (usury is rampant); jueteng kings abound; health care is still a very sad problem, infrastructure remain to be improved, etc.
That said, I don’t exactly know how far the whole of Batangas has gone under her administration in terms of good governance (with the husband in tow.)
I exact very high standards of those elected in office. And I was very disappointed with Vilma Santos when she decided not to break her silence despite her seeming knowledge of Malacanang bribes of “cash gifts”. There was little moral courage there. To me, anyone purporting to be a leader who lacks moral courage especially where corruption is concerned deserves rebuke
And I was very disappointed with Vilma Santos when she decided not to break her silence despite her seeming knowledge of Malacanang bribes of “cash gifts”. -Anna
What says MPR? Ala e nasaan ba ang isa pang tunay na Batangueno?
Batanguenos are easy to please in general — with a job, a roof over the head, kids in school and that’s about it… -Anna
That’s true in all corners of Pinas, in general.
Bakit yung mga friends ko sa Batangas e hindi happy kay Ate Vi? And they are many? Siguro, they also “exact very high standards” from elected officials, which indeed should be the case.
From Redz Dueno:
This guy Ralph Recto makes me puke whenever I hear his rotten name. No Pinoy could ever forget his sponsorship of the Evat law under the auspices of his cohort Gloria Arroyo. Mind you! He is a big liability rather an asset to the Liberal Party. It is a big mistake of the NoyNoy/Mar group to accommodate this insensitive cretin of a pest.
Redz
Bakit hindi pa kunin ng LP si Joe de Venecia e inagaw na rin lang nila ang “rainbow coalition” nito. Kung ako kay JDV ididemanda ko ang LP sa salang pagnanakaw ng patent.
Mga kasama,
Not even fellow Batanguenos working here with me in my place of assignment have good words about the present governess of our province.
I may not have gone home after such a long period of stay here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia having nothing to hope since I left the service and I believe my kababayans are not lying when they say there’s not much the wife of Ralph Recto has done to improve the situations in the province, be it in peace and order aspect or the living conditions in the far flung areas like my place.
Malala pa rin at pakiramdam ko basing on their stories, mas grabe ang illegal drugs, gambling and almost everyday crimes happening anywhere in the province.
Tama si Anna, wala silang kahihiyan at delikadesang mag-asawa partikular ang tinatawag na Star for All Season na ngayon ay gobernadora ng Batangas sapagkat kung mayroon, Governor Maria Rosa Vilma Santos-Recto should have revealed the bribe she received from the most wicked unelected lying president the Philippines ever had.
Parang gusto ko nang talikuran ang pagiging Batangueno ko sa hindi masikmurang kakapalan ng mukha ng mag-asawang ‘yan!
But I will no do sapagkat hindi mawawala sa aking dugo ang pagiging isang Batangueno.
Ralph Recto, katulad noong nakaraang national election, BOKYA ka sa buong angkan namin!
Pahinog ka sa mga kawalanghiyaan mo sa taong bayan!
Nakakahiya ka. Hindi ka karapatdapat na maging apo ng iyong dinadakilang lolo. At lalo’t higit, wala kang karapatang maging isang Batangueno.
Pag nagkataon, kasama na nila ang Trapo de Tutti Trapi.
Pag nagkataon, kasama na nila ang Trapo de Tutti Trapi.
Hihihih!
Mukhang the De Venecias are covering all bases. JDV is for Villar, Joey de V is under Erap’s ticket, and Gina, I understand is trying to work it out with LP for her congressional bid in Pangasinan against former PNP Chief Lomibao.