Online battle among bets on

By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star)
Updated November 08, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidates have taken their battles online, too, believing that the Internet is a powerful tool for reaching out to Filipinos – especially the young – all over the world.

On Facebook, Friendster, Twitter and other social networking sites
, the candidates are all over seeking to be included as friends or have put up their fan pages for people who would like to express support for them.

Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said more than 100,000 people have declared support for him on Facebook and that his supporters among the young people are growing in number.

“Because of (this), I now have more fans than Kris (Aquino-Yap, his youngest sister who is a popular celebrity),” Aquino jokingly said on his Twitter account.

Whether the support in social networking sites can translate into actual votes, however, is yet to be tested.

But Aquino expressed belief the outpouring of online support “reflects the substantial role the Internet will play in the 2010 presidential elections.”

Aquino’s page, which was started last September, has attracted around 30,000 fans in just two weeks.

A month after it was made an official Facebook fan page, 60,000 more people joined the account, a statement from his office said.

Aquino’s campaign manager Florencio “Butch” Abad, said, “This is a sign that our people’s campaign is moving forward with greater vigor and momentum.”

“Our call for honesty, decency, and responsible leadership in our government is being heard - and taken to heart - by more and more people,” he said.

“I am inviting all the Filipinos, who also long for real change, to join our people’s campaign. I am confident that together we can bring about a true working democracy: one that provides not merely political freedom, but food, education, jobs, and equal opportunity for all,” Abad said.

Other presidential bets with Facebook accounts are Villar, who has 37,160 supporters; Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who has 11,879; and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., with 5,339.

Sen. Manuel Roxas II, Aquino’s running mate, also updated people about his wedding and honeymoon through Twitter and said the Internet was a good way of reaching out to the Filipinos.

Roxas just got married to broadcaster Korina Sanchez.

Roxas said he was grateful to the people who were showing interest in his updates but stressed it was fine if the others would not pay attention to them.


Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=521399&publicationSubCategoryId=68