Surreal week for Philippine politics
THERE will be those who will say that the messy Kris Aquino- James Yap affair has nothing to do with Philippine politics, but I beg to disagree.
By virtue of her being the most high-profile sister of the president, Kris is already a public figure. Some years ago, she said that she was planning on running for senator somewhere down the road. It didn’t happen this year because her cousin Bam is already running, but there is little doubt that she will run in 2016.
Kris is one of the country’s top product endorsers, right up there with Manny Pacquiao. I met some of the Aquino cousins just before the 2010 elections, and they all said that Kris was one smart cookie. They referred to her as a onewoman industry, what with her TV shows, glossy magazine, and endless product endorsements. She had built up a business empire and become independently wealthy.
Too bad she still comes across as a little on the flaky side. It’s a good thing that a judge has told the former couple to keep their mouths shut.
Too bad for Kris that where this ongoing drama is concerned, the media people I know believe that it is James Yap whose version of what transpired between them a few months ago as being more believable.
The Chiz Escudero- Heart Evangelista drama has all the makings of a future telenovela, what with a powerful senator squaring off against a wealthy family, all for the love of that family’s precious daughter.
The accusations and counter-accusations between Chiz and the Ongpauco couple are mesmerizing to behold. This time, it’s harder to tell who’s speaking with forked tongue. The Ongpaucos are owners of the Barrio Fiesta restaurants, which also manufactures the best bottled bagoong in the business.
It is unfortunate that they are interfering in the love life of their daughter since she’s already 28. At this age, it’s safe to presume that she already knows what kind of guy she should be seeing. The Ongpaucos are disturbed by the age gap between Chiz and Heart, which is a non-issue.
It is the “hidden” persona of the senator that they find as most troublesome. They say that Chiz is ill- mannered and habitually drunk. He countered by saying that he is simply caught in the middle between a festering fight between Heart and her parents.
Some analysts say that being in the midst of such a Romeo and Julietlike romance will hurt Escudero’s chances of becoming a topnotcher in the May elections, but I disagree.
Like Kris A, Chiz is also a heavyweight product endorser. He’s already as well known to the public as Marlboro cigarettes, Alaska milk or San Miguel beer.
Since he is still harboring presidential ambitions— something the Ongpaucos made a big deal of—maybe Chiz should just see Kris regularly. If she doesn’t become senator, maybe she will be just as happy being First Lady to President Chiz?
Awesomely mind boggling thought, huh?
As if the Kris-James and ChizHeart dramatics weren’t enough, last week also saw the renewed sniping between half brothers Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito, reportedly because the latter did not want the former to appear in his campaign ads, which is what their father, deposed president Erap Estrada, wants.
JV is smart enough to know that his road to the Senate has already been paved by his dad. Like Chiz, he can be considered a shoe-in to the upper chamber of Congress once the ballots have been counted. But does he need any assistance from Kuya Jinggoy? Probably not. But Jinggoy will not accept any action from his kid bro that smacks of disrespect.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the surreal state of Philippine politics, circa March of 2013.
This is one reason that the Department of Tourism is saying it’s more fun in the Philippines. But only if you have a weird sense of fun.