Chiz Escudero for president?

22 September 2009

I am now unofficially joining the arena of political speculations and other chit-chats. Well, when it comes to a choice for president coming the most anticipated national derby, I am (in fact, Filipino voters are) considering a wide range of candidates to choose from. Choices are from the youngest of the aspirants Chiz Escudero to the little known Nicanor Perlas. Between the two are personalities already earning media mileages – Noynoy Aquino with his choice for vice president Mar Roxas, Manny (or money) Villar, Gibo (if not Giba) Teodoro, the messianic Bro. Eddie Vilanueva, Erap Estrada, and some more names.

Let me talk about Chiz. Because he's special. And because he's the youngest. When he's forty, he said, he would announce his candidacy for president. But of course, he's already talking. Yes, he talks. And he talks fast. So runs his tagline, 'Say Chiz!' Yes, I will say Chiz. But to vote for him is another story. The name of Chiz sounds like cheesy. Though I love cheese in my breakfast, I am not really addicted to cheese. I just want something meaty, and juicy. By meaty, I mean there's a lot of meat of what one has to say.

When I listened to Chiz's rhetoric, I only found words and arguments, and words again, and pure rhetoric. I remember Socrates challenging the best orators during his time because he found them wanting, and they had nothing to say with equal substance and sincerity. One can easily utter big words, and big ideas such as human rights, health care, constitutional amendments and all. And one can also put in their resume all their accomplishments and credentials. It's easy to navigate between ideas using technical jargons. But one thing I have against the mastery of rhetoric – substance that is backed by records, and most of all consistency.

Chiz has been consistent to be in the opposition – opposition on the side of the deposed Erap Estrada. When Estrada was president, Chiz was a congressman. But when Erap was ousted, Chiz was consistently a supporter of Estrada. When he ran for the Senate in 2007, he identified hismself as belonging to the United Opposition, in fact, they called themselves Genuine Opposition with other senatorial candidates.

Escudero's loyalty was with Erap. Let me clarify this. When Erap was to be impeached, Chiz did not vote. Then came the impeachment of Gloria Arroyo. Chiz was one of those who filed the impeachment case. He's definitely against Arroyo. And he's been consistent in that. And he's also consistent on being identified as an opposition candidate when the gauge is the Arroyo administration.

Now, what is inconsistent with Chiz? His inconsistency rests on the fact that he's not fighting for truth and justice, but for political stability as a candidate. Estrada was guilty of corruption and gangster governance, just as Arroyo is guilty of running a government by corruption. Both Estrada and Arroyo ought to be kicked out of the office. If Chiz were consistent in his fight for truth and justice, he could have voted for the impeachment of Estrada.

Shall I say Chiz? Yes, I will say Chiz Escudero, a senator, an orator (although that's debatable), a master of double-talk. He's too young at forty to be president, and he's banking on the youth vote because he identified himself with the youth. Come on, be realistic. Chiz no longer belongs to the youth generation. He's married. And he's forty. He's no longer a young man. He's old enough to fool the people and get their votes when he decides to run for president.

Let's journey to the grand carnivale called Eleksiyon Pinoy.