MANILA – A former member of the Arroyo Cabinet on Sunday announced his withdrawal from the presidential race in the May 2010 elections.
Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., the former secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), made the surprise announcement in a meeting organized by his supporters inside the campus of the state-owned University of the Philippines in suburban Quezon City, Metro Manila.
In the meeting, organizers said Ebdane was to be the proclaimed as the official candidate for president of the “Lapiang Manggagawa†(Workers Party) as well as announce his running mate and senatorial candidates.
However, the former DPWH secretary did not figure prominently in any of the recent and past public opinion surveys conducted by polling organizations on the presidential contenders.
Ebdane admitted the main reason for his withdrawal is lack of funds needed to launch an effective nationwide campaign.
Without sufficient funds, he said he wants to spare his family and his supporters from the agony of joining the presidential race he could not win.
Ebdane is acknowledged as one of the closest aides of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The President appointed him the DPWH secretary in 2003 a year after he retired as the chief of the Philippine National Police.
In a related development, another presidential contender, Senator Benigno “Noynoy†Aquino 3rd, of the Liberal Party (LP) in the 2010 elections, admitted they could not match the money their opponents are spending in their “infomercials.â€
As the term implies, infomercials are paid political advertisements aired on radio and TV as well as published in the print media which extol the qualifications of the candidates, especially those running for president.
But Aquino, the only son of the late global democracy icon president Corazon Aquino, vowed to match the problem of lack of funds with effort, especially by reaching most of the voters through their nationwide campaign sorties.
On Saturday, Aquino became the first “name†presidential contender to file his certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) national office at the historic district of Intramuros (Spanish walled city) in Manila.
He was accompanied by his running mate Senator Mar Roxas 2nd and several LP senatorial candidates in filing their certificates.
However, Aquino pointed out they would not need to spend as much money on infomercials as their rivals, saying most of the people throughout the country are helping them as volunteers.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that they have enough funds to run a “decent†campaign in the coming elections.
For his part, Roxas emphasized he is convinced that, aside from being the only son of president Aquino and husband the late opposition senator Benigno Aquino Jr., the track record of Aquino as a legislator, not money is what is more important.
Aquino and Roxas are the overwhelming favorites in public opinion polls to win the presidential and vice presidential race, respectively, in next year’s elections.
In its November 4 to 10 survey, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported that Aquino again emerged as the topnotcher with 47 percent among the 1,200 respondents nationwide.
Coming in a far second at 20 percent was Senator Manuel Villar, the standard bearer of the Nacionalista (Nationalist) Party, followed by ousted president Joseph Estrada of the “Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino†(Party of the Filipino Masses) with 12 percent.
Loading ...
Reader’s Views