’Tis the season for political merry-go round

by Fel V. Maragay


CAMPAIGN tacticians and political advisers can make or break a presidential aspirant based on their advice and strategy, but they also have a nasty habit of switching loyalties.

What makes them shift sides could be anything: the way they perceive a candidate’s ability to win, the campaign funds available, or the quality of the relationship that has developed between adviser and politician.

Senator Francis Escudero reportedly relied on the advice of his political handlers in deciding to resign from the Nationalist People’s Coalition last week. He broke away from the NPC, founded and led by business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., after former Senator Sergio Osmeña III quit as his campaign manager to support Senators Benigno Aquino III and Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party’s presidential tandem.

Politicians and political analysts think that Escudero blundered by turning his back on the NPC and chairman emeritus Cojuangco, who was his benefactor.

But veteran strategist Angelito Banayo defended Escudero’s decision. “He just wanted to get out of the cocoon of power and party politics and define a new kind of people politics, he said.

Banayo turned out to be Escudero’s new political adviser. He was at Club Filipino’s Kalayaan Hall in Greenhills, San Juan, when the neophyte senator announced he was quitting the NPC last week. Reporters were surprised to see Banayo as he was a long-time consultant to Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Banayo did not reply when asked whether Osmeña’s defection to the Aquino camp prompted Escudero to resign from from NPC on his advice.

Instead, Banayo said he was sure Escudero would still run for president even without the backing of a major political party, and that the senator from Bicol would rely on a “parallel network”—youth groups, young professionals and businessmen—to solicit and deliver the votes.

Before Banayo agreed to be Escudero’s adviser, he made the senator promise not to back out of the presidential race. He said that was a day before Escudero quit the NPC.

“I told him you have so many options. But I asked him only one basic question, and he assured me that not running at all was not an option,” Banayo said.

Political watchers believe that Banayo was responsible for the stand Escudero took against teaming up with Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party.

Escudero said in a statement that he could not join somebody whose commitment to good governance was under a cloud because of the C-5 road extension scandal. Lacson, Banayo’s other principal, had exposed the alleged double funding of the road project.

Escudero was disappointed when Osmeña jumped to the Aquino camp, although they parted very amicably, Banayo said, adding that Escudero told Osmeña that he would adopt the politician from Cebu as a common senatorial candidate if he would run under the LP slate.

Banayo said that Escudero understood that Osmeña had a special relationship with the Aquinos—Osmeña and Aquino’s father—both having been imprisoned by the late Ferdinand Marcos during the martial law regime.

After Osmeña jumped over to the Aquino camp, other prominent members of the Osmeña political clan followed, including former Senator John Henry Osmeña, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, and former Cebu Gov. Lito Osmeña.

Earlier, former Labor Undersecretary Susana Ople quit as Roxas’ chief media handler and joined Escudero’s staff, and before Roxas agreed to play second fiddle to Aquino.

Ople, daughter of the late Senator and Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople, was planning to run for senator under Escudero’s party.

The camp of former President Joseph Estrada (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino) also suffered defections following Aquino’s entry into the presidential race. Many believe that this development hastened Estrada’s decision to get Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay (PDP-Laban) as his runningmate under the United Opposition. Political observers believe that Estrada was forced to do that to preserve the alliance between PMP and PDP-Laban, led by Binay as president.

“Estrada had to act fast, otherwise he was in danger of losing Binay to the Aquino forces. What Estrada did was a preemptive move against Binay’s defection,” one observer commented, citing Binay’s political ascent with his appointment by then president Corazon Aquino as acting Makati mayor in 1986.

As a result of Aquino’s presidential bid, Estrada lost a crafty political operative, Jose “Linggoy” Alcuaz, to him. Alcuaz was an organizer, analyst, media coordinator and campaign tactician with the Estrada camp. He used to attend UNO strategy meetings presided by Estrada, Binay or PMP secretary general Horacio Morales.

“He was a member of Estrada’s inner circle,” an UNO insider said.

Alcuaz said he had no specific role yet in the Aquino camp. He said he switched to Aquino to heed the call of the leaders of all the former officials and allies of the Cory Aquino administration to return to the fold. Alcuaz was chairman of the National Telecommunications Commission when Mrs. Aquino was president.

Meanwhile, Escudero’s resignation from the NPC has put some of his close supporters in a bind. Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte left the Kalipunan ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) for the NPC to work for Escudero’s election.

With Escudero out of the NPC, Villafuerte found himself in a quandary: Should he stay with the party or not? His son, Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Rey Villafuerte, has left Lakas for the NP to support Villar.


Source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2009/november/2/news2.isx&d=/2009/november/2