Will the Filipinos be driven by Despair and Vote for Grace Poe

as President of the Philippines?

By Apolinario Villalobos

For the coming 2016 election, will Grace Poe serve as a floating log, a savior, for the desperate Filipinos who are perpetually left with no choice every time such political process is held, but just left to choose between the devil and deep blue sea?

When she ran for senator, she got an overwhelming number of votes, much more than what Noynoy Aquino who was vying for the presidency got. She had inadequate machinery, being a neophyte in the field, yet she was able to earn the confidence of the voting populace. The election returns that propelled Poe to Senate showed that, somehow, she had an awesome following that used its wise judgment.

The craftiness in Pnoy Aquino saw the glitter of opportunity in the person of Poe and tried his best to establish a connection by offering an option via his Liberal Party. This early, the poor senator could be confused considering that she also vowed during her senatorial campaign not to run for a higher position, plus her own admission of financial inadequacy and freshness in the field of politics. If Poe bites the bait being dangled by Aquino, however, she will be indebted to him and the Liberal Party, endangering the plan of the opposition to file charges against him (Aquino) and other Liberal Party members for committed grafts.

The situation before was much different from today, because before, even Pnoy was presumed to become a reliable president, that is why the Filipinos voted for him, but of late, he proved to be just the opposite. The coming presidential race presents a wary picture because Jejomar Binay the most interested party, has standing lawsuits for graft and corruption, and the rest of the interested ones are either viewed as having limp personality or soiled with dishonesty, too.

Perhaps, this early, what Poe can do first is decide to run as an independent candidate so that the voters will be guided accordingly as regards the support that she would need. As she presents an image that exudes with neutrality, she could seek the help of sitting lawmakers later on for support, especially, if during the campaign days, she will bring out her real agenda which will surely suit everyone. She should make use of her “clean image” advantage to the fullest, if only for the memory of her father whom she adored very much, in case she decides finally to run for president.