Honestly, Gibo wasn't on my list before. But when I saw videos of him in forums and interviews, I couldn't deny that he really has what it takes to be the next Philippine president. But I think that he has still a lot to face for us to be 100% sure that we'll vote for him. Of course, he needs to be worthy of our vote.
However, I listed down the reasons why I will probably vote for Gilberto Teodoro:
1. He is smart and decent.
You can notice this when he speaks. Every words make sense. You can notice his wisdom when he speaks in forums and interviews. May mga sense naman ang sinasabi niya compared to the other candidates. Yung iba speaks like a trapo. Gibo speaks like a statesman. His words are rare gifts unlike the words of Erap, Loren, Jamby, Ping, Gloria, Noynoy, Bayani and Binay which are all worthless junk.
2. He is loyal.
He has strong ties with the second most corrupt administration the country has ever had. Surveys upon surveys revealed that Gibo's attachment with Gloria is really pulling his popularity down. But despite of this, he continue to support Gloria. He never tried to win the public's sympathy by washing his hands. He never, in any way, trashed talked the government he serves, not even once.
3. He has track record to boot.
There is no question that Gibo has the requisite intelligence and academic preparation for the office he seeks. He finished his Law Studies at UP with flying colors. He topped the Philippine Bar exam in 1989. He completed his Masteral at Harvard Law School and was admitted to the State Bar of New York in 1997. He was a Colonel of the Air Force Reserve of the Philippines. He was a Congressman before becoming the youngest National Defense Secretary. That's a quite pretty resume, Sir.
4. He does have presence.
Gibo has this certain aura that exudes an equal sense of authority and grace. What I'm trying to say is that his mere presence commands attention. That's the kind of leader we need, a leader who we will look up to. A leader who can keep us in our toes and leaves us in awe while in his presence.
5. He answers very well.
I watched FOCAP Presidential Forum on ANC yesterday and I can say that together with Dick Gordon, he gave the most sensible answers. His answers to the most difficult and provoking questions are unbiased. He answered every issue the best and honest way he could.
During the ANC-sponsored leadership forum in DLSU-Manila, Sen. Madrigal (another presidential wannabe) asked him, "If elected President, magtatanaw ka ba ng utang na loob kay GMA?" Gibo confidently answered, "Utang na loob sa definition ko ay ang pagsusukli ng mabuti sa mabuti. 'Pag masama na, nothing is worth my reputation and my father's reputation."
On another interview, host Ricky Carandang asked him if he is afraid of being linked to the Arroyo adminstration, he replied, "No. Dito ako naninindigan, dito ako naninilbihan. Hindi naman ako isang tao na maninilbihan na ikakahiya ko ang aking bahay. Hindi ako ganung klaseng tao, Ricky."
When asked if he will prevent people from filing cases against Gloria, Gibo vowed never to use the Office of the President to pressure or influence the decision of the people against his predecessor.
I admired his answers. It says so much about his character. And, we all know what well, put-together answers imply. It means someone's ready.
6. His campaign is a campaign of positivity.
On the first day of the official campaign period, he said that he will never engage in "pakikipagbatuhan ng putik" with other candidates. That's a good thing. IMHO, politicos who engage in political bickering are certified trapos.
And he's the only presidential candidate to center his campaign on Platforms, Positive Change and Solutions.
Before, I thought that Gibo will be Gloria 2.0 but he proved me wrong. Gibo does not have dictatorial tendencies, a significant difference with Gloria. While Gloria seems to be a pseudo-dictator, Gibo is a true-blue democrat. Gloria lies but Teodoro tries not to. And unlike his Madam, he's NOT power-hungry.
Gibo may not be in the league of others when it comes to media visibility (I'm looking at Villar, Noynoy and Fernando) but you can never question his capability to lead the country. Critics and skeptics questioned his winnability in the presidential race considering his poor standing in surveys. But, he's a man who doesn't believe that popularity is the game of public service.
Some of us still thinks that Gibo is bound to be Gloria reincarnated. But I hope that the ghosts of Arroyo administration will not prompt us to overreact. We need to be unbiased. We need to take away anger. We need to take away hate. We need to look at the character.
Would Gilberto Teodoro Jr. make a good president? I certainly think so. It is just unfortunate that in our country POPULARITY exceeds COMPETENCY.
:|.poOt!
