Bam Aquino was a collaborator of Gloria Arroyo

Today is the beginning of Holy Week, so we should all admit our sins and repent. Nowhere are they more needed than in the case of politicians seeking election this May. No doubt they all pray to God to make them win. Hence, they should be humble and honest and admit that they have sinned, and ask God for forgiveness and promise not to sin again. The senatorial candidate who needs to do this the most is Bam (Bum?) Aquino.

Responding to the challenge of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) that he own up to his ties with former President Gloria Arroyo, Bum replied that he was proud of the work he did under the Arroyo administration. If I were his cousin President Aquino, I would give this Bum a whack on the head.

It seems that Bum has not been reading the newspapers since 2010. If he had, then he should know that President Aquino considers the term of his predecessor—and Bum’s former boss—the worst years in the country’s history. Now comes this upstart Bum claiming he was proud of his time working for a president against whom his cousin moved heaven and earth to put her behind bars.

Bum was appointed by Arroyo as chair of the National Youth Commission (NYC) in 2001. My understanding is that the head of the NYC serves for a term of three years, subject to another three-year extension. Bum says he did not finish his term, but in all likelihood he was referring to his second term.

For someone who is an Aquino—which he emphasizes in his TV commercials to cling to the goodwill created by Ninoy, Cory and now P-Noy—and who is touted as a candidate who will walk the “daang  matuwid” in the Senate if elected (Heaven help us if that happens!), it defies logic that he accepted his term extension in spite of what was happening to the country in 2005.

For Bum’s edification, the Philippines in 2005, was teetering on the brink of political upheaval. Allegations of widespread cheating during the 2004 presidential elections (where Bum’s father, Paul, served as Arroyo’s campaign manager) were confirmed in the public mind by a recorded conversation between Arroyo and then Commission on Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. The so-called “Hello Garci” scandal caused the mass exodus of Arroyo’s Cabinet members and ranking government officials. Bum, however, decided to stay.

What followed were strong-arm tactics meant to intimidate protesters. Protest actions, staged mostly by youth groups (which Bum was supposed to represent as NYC head), were dispersed, often violently, as Arroyo adopted a tougher policy.

When Congress decided to probe the Hello Garci scandal, the administration issued Executive Order 464, effectively gagging government, police and military officials from testifying in the investigation and all other probes on irregularities involving administration officials.

Then there was the Big One: Proclamation 1017 issued, ironically, on the day we were commemorating Edsa 1. The first victim was President Cory Aquino herself. There was a commemoration at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, at Ninoy’s statue, but thousands of policemen blocked her way. Nonetheless, the police lines were broken. And in case Bum needs to be reminded, the administration that he says he was proud to have worked for also closed down a newspaper and warned media about reporting critical stories against her administration.

Eventually, these measures were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. But apparently, Bum saw no reason to leave the administration and the president whom his cousin, now the sitting President, criticizes to the hilt.

UNA says what Bum did shows “hypocrisy and opportunism in the core of Team PNoy.” We agree!

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The contest for the top senatorial spot is very hot. At present, the contenders for the No. 1 spot are Senators Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano, reelectionists all.

Among the three, only Alan Peter has not positioned himself as a contender for a higher national position. Chiz did so in 2010. Loren tried twice for the vice presidency but lost. Some observers think that 2016 may be Alan Peter’s coming-out party. He has the most to gain by winning the top spot in the 2013 elections. And maybe also the most to lose.

The prognosis is that Alan Peter will keep the third spot but may never be able to wrest the lead from Loren and Chiz. Alan Peter may have already exhausted whatever influence media exposure may have on getting people to prefer a candidate over other aspirants.

Chiz’s situation appears to be in sharp contrast to Alan Peter’s.

Chiz may have been served golden media opportunities by the raging controversy over his relationship with actress Heart Evangelista. This is free media exposure worth maybe hundreds of millions of pesos in expensive airtime.

Alan Peter does not have the same opportunity. His battles are not of the romantic kind. He is waging a war against older men: Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes.

Recently, he reopened his war against Brillantes in connection with the Comelec’s rule putting a cap on political commercials in broadcast media. He joined the network giants in the suit against the Comelec, which is now pending before the Supreme Court.

Brillantes explains that the cap is intended to level the playing field among rich and poor candidates. Alan Peter says he does not agree with this rule because it will not achieve that goal. However, he does not explain why he thinks so. Why not indeed?

Maybe the ban runs counter to Alan Peter’s strategy to wrest the lead from Loren and Chiz: Buy more airtime for Alan Peter’s commercials.