Sunday, May 16, 2010

May 16, 2010

While she hasn't left yet, President Arroyo has already plotted her return. That is the main topic in the Inquirer Front Page today.


The main headline today (Arroyo firms up Lakas grip) seems like a teaser to an upcoming movie, as it focuses on the return of the outgoing president President Arroyo. I say the news is a one sided press release coming from the Arroyo camp which the Inquirer seemed too happy to play along. Arroyo +1

The other news today and my humble judgment on them are as follows:

9 senators’ proclamation fastest ever in RP history - This news junks the idea that Pinoys are clamoring for change as it highlights the return of former senators thus "the old are made new again". The news, although at first I thought would be plainly positive to COMELEC, gave space to Marcos who now becomes a national figure as an incoming senator. I say this news piece gave Marcos a slight favor enough to earn a point. Marcos +1

This special time worth timeless, precious mementos - This news is a feature on "Samuel John Butcher, creator of the “Precious Moments” inspirational greetings cards, posters and figurines". The feature even shows a photo of a special figurine made by Butcher of a teary eyed girl looking at a shoe with a Cory name on it. The figurine also has the incription "who's gonna fill your shoes?". Although the girl doesn't look like a Filipino girl for me, the news of course gave some positive favor for Sen. Aquino, who now seems to be about to fill Cory's shoes. Aquino +1

‘People’s President’ embraces destiny - This news is not news at all as it has got I-am-a-big-fan-of-Noynoy-Aquino written all over it. Really, this piece is amazing, funny even. Let us take quotes and comment on them:
Noynoy’s likely ascendancy to the presidency, in what is shaping up to be an overwhelming mandate from the people, comes as a total surprise not just to the holders of power in this country, but even more so to himself.
"Overwhelming mandate"? The author, Thelma Sioson San Juan, seems to have forgotten that Aquino is just taking in a bit more than 40% of the votes while almost 60% did not vote for him, hardly overwhelming. Funny if we use the same logic, both Binay and Roxas whose numbers were near 40% got overwhelming mandate too, which doesn't make any sense!

"Surprise.. to the holders of power in this country"? I wonder what the writer is talking about when it is the same holders of power in this country who propped him up?

Meanwhile, I wonder how supposed "journalists" ask their subject a question such as "Don't you see the irony of your life" which is like asking "How do you feel being good?"?
He wasn’t just trying to be philosophical or spiritual, he was just being his true self, a guy who’s not preoccupied with himself at all.

The guy who didn’t fanatically seek power for himself will be the President of the Philippines any day now. Don’t you see the irony of your life? we pressed on. We felt we had to ask him because not only have we known him for 26 years—“since 1984, to be exact,” Noynoy calculated—we’ve also tracked that life during those decades.

He merely looked at us, half-shrugged and proceeded to talk about other things. Obviously, to him, even his date with destiny was still not about himself.
Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe the writer is not a journalist. I do not know her at all. Perhaps she is just a fan and this piece is a fan mail, for only a fan would say on her own "he doesn't have to fake it".
His candidacy was triggered by the people’s clamor following the death of his mother, the icon of democracy and revered former President Corazon Aquino. Yet city slickers have hardly caught a glimpse of how this “people power” candidate is truly at home with the people, and they with him. He doesn’t have to fake it.
It is funny really how the writer called this a "people's campaign" when we all know that at least hundreds of millions, if not billions, of pesos are spent by the Aquino camp on TV ads alone.
While he didn’t plan it, Aquino was on his way to becoming a People’s President. Volunteerism and donations made up his people campaign. (The array of merchandise—T-shirts, baller IDs, caps—that came from every kind of donor was bewildering. And because all of it was volunteered, there was no uniform design, except that they all stuck to the yellow color theme.)
As if we are not yet given jokes after jokes yet, the writer even says that "not many know Aquino can speed read", possibly Aquino not even knowing it himself until now!
Not many know that Aquino can speed-read. He was on the plane when the Supreme Court handed down the decision that the incumbent President has the power to appoint the next Chief Justice, and he knew the media would be asking for his comment as soon as the plane landed.

According to an aide, he had the Supreme Court decision downloaded and proceeded to read the entire manuscript, go over it with his lawyers and mentally mark the salient points.

“It was then we realized how he could speed-read and that he has a photographic memory,” the aide said.

Needless to say, this piece is again for Aquino, even double so. So I gave this to Aquino +2!

Binay still leads; LP says don’t count Mar out - is an uncontested press release coming exclusively from the LP. While media has access to real COCs as well the Inquirer did not bother to verify if the LP claim is accurate. So I say this one goes for Roxas +1.

Estrada focuses on ‘hocus PCOS’ - While the earlier news is a release from LP, this one comes exclusively from the Estrada camp. So I give this one to Estrada +1.

So the score for today goes:
Aquino: 3
Arroyo: 1
Marcos: 1
Roxas: 1
Estrada: 1

Looking at the front page, I thought there are more press releases given space (for Aquino, Arroyo, Roxas and Estrada) today than any other day in our monitor. Meanwhile, there seems to be a resurgence of positive spin for Aquino, recovering from some negative news coming a couple of days ago.

Something cooking? I let you, the readers, make the call.

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