The Philippine Star
Updated December 19, 2009 12:00 AMOriginal Story: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=533966&publicationSubCategoryId=63
MANILA, Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. called on the government yesterday to rebuild Maguindanao’s ruined economy and strengthen its civil service.
“Economic reconstruction fosters a broad constituency for peace by laying the foundation for sustained economic activity,” he said.
Teodoro flew to Maguindanao to personally extend his assistance to families of the 57 victims of the Nov. 23 massacre.
Teodoro said economic reconstruction could hasten the process of reinvigorating the local economy ravaged by years of violence and a culture of terror and lawlessness.
Rebuilding Maguindanao’s economy will send a “positive signal that peace and normalcy” have returned to the region and the province, he added.
Teodoro said professionalizing the bureaucracy and employing public servants based on their credentials and qualification could expedite recovery.
“If we can provide them with peaceful ways of making a decent living, then incidence of violence in the region will be greatly minimized or even be removed completely,” he said.
Teodoro said the government could speed up the region’s economic recovery by promoting Maguindanao as an ideal investment destination.
The government can also provide loans and other incentives to local businessmen to expand their operations, he added.
Teodoro said additional security forces and modern road networks “will come to naught if we are unable to address poverty in the region.”
More troops must also be stationed in the region to “preserve the gains of peace” during the reconstruction process, Teodoro said.
Gibo tops UP mock polls
Teodoro was the top choice for president in a recent mock election conducted last Dec. 8-11 by University of the Philippines (UP) students.
The mock polls were initiated by the Alpha Sigma fraternity at UP in Diliman, Quezon City.
The former defense secretary’s good showing among UP students came amid perceptions that Teodoro’s affiliation with the Arroyo administration would hamper his campaign.
Teodoro garnered 1,669 votes out of the total 4,582 students who are registered voters and 2,017 students who are not registered voters.
Liberal Party presidential bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III placed second with 1,481 votes while Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., standard-bearer of the Nacionalista Party, was third with 577 votes, Sen. Richard Gordon, 372; Brother Eddie Villanueva, 128; Sen. Jamby Madrigal, 67; Olongapo City Councilor John Carlos de los Reyes, 46; environmentalist Nicanor Perlas, 36; and former President Joseph Estrada, 35. Some 254 voters abstained.
Marc Aguimatang, chief project coordinator of the fraternity’s “Boto ng Iskolar ng Bayan: The UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity Mock Election Series,” said Teodoro’s performance in the recent debates of presidential candidates with concise but concrete replies, ability to connect his answers to his platform, and the way he delivers his answers appealed to students.
Aguimatang said Teodoro’s active participation in school debates of presidential bets made him more popular among students.
“Also, Sen. Francis Escudero (supposedly the previous choice of youth voters) has backed out from the race. This could be another factor why Gibo became the top choice this time,” he further said.
The latest mock election was the second leg of the Alpha Sigma fraternity’s project. Its first mock poll was held in September before Escudero announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential race.
Aguimatang said the controversy over Hacienda Luisita, which is owned by the family of Senator Aquino, might have affected his popularity among students.
The sample ballot circulated among the participants asked the question, “If the 2010 elections were held today whom would you vote for?”
Indicated in the sample ballot were names of both presidential and vice presidential candidates, whom the fraternity had chosen based on certain criteria such as their party affiliation, ability to fund their campaign, and principles and platform.
The list of presidential candidates included Teodoro, Aquino, Villar, Madrigal, Estrada, De los Reyes, Gordon, Villanueva and Perlas.
Their candidacies were all eventually upheld by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), except for Perlas who was disqualified by the poll body for not having the capability to mount a nationwide
campaign.
Roxas leads vice presidential race
In the race for vice president, Sen. Manuel Roxas II was the top choice of UP students with 1,846 votes.
Former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando was second with 977 votes, Sen. Loren Legarda was third with 589 votes, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay fourth with 565 votes and actor Edu Manzano fifth with 181 votes, Perfecto Yasay, 48; Dominador Chipeco Jr., 47; broadcaster Jay Sonza, 19. Some 238 voters did not vote in this category.
The campus-wide mock elections were held in 19 colleges, the graduate school and UP College of Law where Teodoro earned his law degree.
The latest survey asked participants to indicate whether they are registered voters or not, but did not ask the student voters why they chose to vote for a particular candidate.
The Alpha Sigma Fraternity is planning to hold the last leg of the mock election sometime in February or March just before the 2010 national elections. – With Katherine Adraneda
Original Story: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=533966&publicationSubCategoryId=63
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