Why Poe zoomed over Binay in polls

THERE SHE goes—up, like a shooting star! And there he goes—down like a falling star!

I am referring to the latest Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations poll surveys in the race for the presidency, where Sen. Grace Poe zoomed to first place and Vice President Jejomar Binay dropped to second place.

In the Pulse Asia survey from May 30 to June 5, Poe had 30 percent of voter preference against Binay’s 22 percent. In the June 5 to June 8 survey by SWS, Poe registered an even higher rating at 42 percent. Poe now holds a commanding position in the race to Malacañang.

From hereon, expect Poe’s rating to zoom higher and faster and Binay’s to drop lower and faster. And Poe has not even declared she would run for higher office. Binay, on the other hand, declared his presidential dreams way back in 2010; and he has been campaigning for it for almost six years now. Once Poe declares her candidacy, more voters will quickly choose her to succeed President Aquino next year, as voters quickly flock to a candidate who is seen as a winner.

This is going to be a repeat of the 2010 presidential race: Sen. Manuel Villar was way ahead of the pack (much higher than the rating of Binay before the latest surveys) when something happened—former President Cory Aquino died of cancer and a clamor rose for her son, Noynoy, to run for president. Sen. Mar Roxas, at that time the Liberal Party presidential candidate, unselfishly gave way to Noynoy to be the standard-bearer.

So what happened this time? Because of the fear and stupidity in the Binay camp, it made a fatal mistake. Seeing Poe as a rising threat to Binay, his spokesman, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, questioned her residency, saying she lacked the 10-year residency required of a presidential candidate. Binay’s lawyer, JV Bautista, also questioned her citizenship; he claimed that being a foundling found in a baptismal font of a church in Iloilo, her citizenship is unknown as her parents are unknown.

Those were terrible mistakes that boomeranged on Binay. Not only was Poe able to prove her residency and citizenship (Tiangco apologized; Bautista did not), people’s sympathy shifted to Poe. Filipinos are a kind and loving people. Their hearts always go to the unfortunate, especially foundlings, orphans, adopted and poor children, and to those who are “inaapi” (oppressed). The toddler Grace was adopted by star couple Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces.

By ganging up on a foundling and adopted child, the people hated the Binay camp.

Binay’s daughter, Rep. Abigail Binay, called for a ceasefire, most likely on instructions from her father. (Why does Binay always make others speak for him?)

Besides that incident, people believe the allegations of corruption against Binay and his family. Many of them would have dumped Binay, except that there was nobody else to support as nobody else, aside from Binay, had declared his/her presidential candidacy. So when a voter was asked his/her presidential preference, the first name that came to his/her mind was Binay’s. After all, he had been prematurely campaigning for almost six years already. (Comelec, wake up!) That is why he rated at the top of surveys for so long.

Poe said she has not yet made up her mind to run for higher public office. I think she has to run for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of foundlings, orphans and adopted children who suffer from inferiority complex because they are being looked down upon due to their unfortunate situation. She should change that feeling by making them proud that one of them, a foundling and an adopted girl, has become the president of their country. They are looking up to her to liberate them from the biases of Philippine society. Hers is a very beautiful story worthy of a book, a movie, or a telenovela.

Poe is being criticized by the Binay camp as “having no experience” in governance while trumpeting all over that Binay has the experience. Between a Grace Poe with “no experience” and a Binay with “plenty of experience,” we should choose Poe. True, Binay has the experience, but experience in what? We have seen what he has done in Makati and in the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), ironically an organization where boys are trained to always do good and fight the bad in society. I am sure many Boy Scouts (I’m one of them) are ashamed that Binay is their president. He should resign from the BSP; he has been its president for 19 years. Why?

The trouble with politicians “with experience” is that they know how to do all the wrong things. They know all the loopholes in the law and use them to oppress the people and steal their money.

The good thing about newcomers is that they don’t know those loopholes yet and so we are sure that they would tread the straight and narrow path.

Besides, we have seen that Poe learns quickly. As a neophyte senator, she did a good job in the Senate investigation of the Mamasapano massacre, as her report has shown.

When she becomes president, her choice of Cabinet members will make up for her “lack of experience” in governance.