Leni come-lately, strategic seats, already taken

Of all the presidentiables, vice president Leni has the purest of hearts. She has the competence, the character, the commitment and the conscientiousness. She is a lawyer and she knows international law and is definitely equipped with more legal knowledge in foreign relations and diplomacy, more than the others, on how to deal with China in the West Philippine Sea. She has the heart and the conscience, and she is dignified, decent, and deeply religious.

She can be trusted with public funds. She has an innate sense of honor and integrity. She is not arrogant or haughty, she speaks with grace and maintains the vice presidential decorum. She knows the problems of the national economy and has a solid grounding on the social cancers besetting the poor and the marginalized sectors in Philippine society. She is also bold and decisive, but she listens to the experts and respects scientific data and technology. She is consultative and never claims to know everything. But despite her superior credentials, she still equivocates for too long, hesitates and seems reluctant to make a go of it. And we know the reasons why.

Ping Lacson was the one who fired the first salvo. Manny Pacquiao forthwith followed. Then Isko Moreno upped his ante. On September 24, Bongbong was proclaimed by the family-owned corporation, KBL. Actually, it was president Duterte who first announced his unprecedented move to slide down to the post of vice president. But Bongbong Marcos kept his cards close to his chest. The more seasoned and astute political pundits know that Marcos will have the last say, and he will be in tandem with Duterte. It will not be the president though. Inday Sara will replace him in the last two minutes. It is alright for the Marcos-Duterte tandem to delay the formal announcement precisely to keep the oppositions in prolonged anxiety.

But the delay on the part of VP Leni is costing her a lot because the sources of funds have already pledged their moola to Isko, Ping, and Pacman. Many of the ward leaders, the mayors and councilors and board members, and even some governors and congressmen, who are the perennial balimbings among the local politicians have already placed their bets and have signed up with the bandwagons of Isko, Ping, and Pacman. VP Leni may end up with the crumbs left behind by the early eager beavers. That is why Sonny Trillanes has been pushing the Robredo camp to declare or else he will throw his hat into the already-overcrowded arena.

I could surmise the reasons from the hesitation; lack of funds, lack of machinery or nationwide political organization. The Liberal Party does not even have one-twentieth of the Bongbong Marcos' billions. Leni does not have private planes and choppers like Manny Pacquiao. She does not have Isko Moreno's coterie of loyal rah-rah boys, or the support from the Chinese community in Binondo. VP Robredo does not have the strong military and police units that are loyal to mistah Ping Lacson. Thus, Leni is considerably handicapped. She has crude slingshots and archaic spears against her strong rivals' HK MG4 machine guns and AS50 sniper rifles.

I have a strong feeling however that, like the young David, VP Leni will slay her bigger opponents and the four goliaths --Isko, Ping, Pacman, and Bongbong-- will never know what hit them.

The delay on the part of VP Leni is costing her a lot because the sources of funds have already pledged their moola to Isko, Ping, and Pacman.