In the 18 years of my life here on earth, I have never seen an election season as hyped as this one. This is probably due to the fact that a lot of people really want their clamor for change be granted, probably because the upcoming 2010 Philippine elections will be crucial to the progress of the country in all sectors of the nation – whether it is political, economical, cultural etc.

Nowadays, 90% of the news is election-related, 5% is showbiz news and 5% others. This might be an exaggeration, but the point is that the upcoming elections are clearly getting most of the attention of the public compared to past elections. This is actually a good thing. Social media and sophisticated technologies help speed up information dissemination and make it easier for people to translate their messages – one can find information on the Internet even if they weren’t able to watch the news on TV.

However, the problems arise when unfair reporting comes into play. Not only is credibility forsaken, but the wrong information is also given to those who understand less what’s happening in the country right now. Misleading details also make it more difficult to make judgments on the candidates. Hell, sometimes we’re caught in the middle, making our votes vulnerable. Sometimes, we feel like we’re being played by all the candidates such that we would rather focus on other things than become frustrated with the current situation of politics in the country. We tend to focus on unnecessary things as media feeds us information, and the perception it imposes affects what we think.

GMA and ABS-CBN, for example, are expected to deliver credible and responsible news reports. Their information should go through exhaustive news gathering in order for them to produce fair reports. They are, after all, the biggest media companies in the country and are thus expected to be fair in reporting issues . The present situation calls for reliable news reports, which will be our basis in deciding whom to vote for this coming May.

Although political spectators as well as politicians are spreading rumors about media companies taking sides and lacking credibility in their reports, I know that like anyone who’s following the campaign trails, mudslingings and other election-related news, you have noticed that there really are inconsistencies in news reportage, which is probably why a lot of political spectators and even Manny Villar are calling for fairness in reporting issues from these media companies. Here’s the original article aboutManny Villar call to reporting fairness from the media.

I am not saying that all voters are quick to absorb and adapt to the media’s point of view. Of course, there are those who are rational and who have been consistently observing the goings-on in the political world. They are capable of judging on their own whom they should vote for in the upcoming elections.

The psycho issue of Noynoy, for instance, has been the subject of buzz in the internet world today and a lot of issues have arisen to such a point that when these kinds of issues reach the public, they affect the performance of the presidentiables and other candidates in surveys. Though this may have not affected the odds for the Liberal Party standard bearer, Noynoy mental state became a controversial issue as detractors openly asked what kind of country we will be if we will be led by someone with mental problems.

The C5 controversy which has probably earned Villar negative ratings for the past couple of months is another clear example of how news has influenced how voters view Manny Villar. Here’s a brief presentation explaining the C5 controversy. See if Manny Villar response on the C5 issue makes sense:

Villar C5 Controversy Fact Sheet – The Real Document

Though we have our own perspectives and opinions on how we see and evaluate these types of news, the media still needs to ensure the quality and fairness of their reportage as it is apparent that the media’s standpoint can be influential on voters’ opinions. As part of the media, they should be responsible in their reporting. Regardless of their political inclinations, they should be able to deliver credible, reliable and fair reports, as well as handle the news credibly so as to better serve the people and continue to provide voters with knowledge they can use to make their judgments.

The previous plan to have the reception at the Araneta Coliseum right after, was cancelled, as both sides agreed to donate the money to various charity organizations to extend their hands to those who were badly hit by the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

October 25, Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, at age 27, was wed to Jared Kushner at the Trump National Gold Club at New Jersey.

Though I know Roxas has been preparing since 1994; his sign, him getting the top spot in the Senatorial polls, to presidency wasn’t enough to break an inevitable twist that the Cory Magic has brought to the feisty Philippine politics.

This should be exciting.

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Roxas throws support for Aquino in 2010

‘Most difficult decision I had to make’
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:31:00 09/01/2009

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 2) Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas is no longer running for president in 2010 and has thrown his support behind the candidacy of Senator Benigno Aquino “Noynoy” Aquino III if he would decide to run for the highest post in the land.

“Today, I am announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino for president in 2010,” said Roxas in a prepared statement he read at a press conference at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Calling his decision, the “most difficult” that he had to make in his entire life, Roxas said he did it party unity and for the country.

Roxas has not officially declared his presidential bid but some of his colleagues in the Liberal Party have publicly endorsed his candidacy.

Roxas’ decision came amid the increasing clamor for Senator Aquino to continue the legacy of his parents – the late president Corazon “Cory” Aquino and martyred senator Benigno Aquino Jr. – by running for a higher post.

Senator Aquino, who was in the same function room at Club Filipino where Roxas made his announcement, has yet to decide whether or not to seek the presidency.

Broadcaster Korina Sanchez, who is engaged to Roxas, was seen crying as the senator made his speech.

As LP president Roxas said it is within his power to preside over a “potentially divisive process” or to make a bridge for the forces of change.

“I choose to lead the unity, not division,” he said. “As party president, I made the decision. I love the Liberal Party. My father founded it.”

“I do this for unity in support of change,” Roxas said. “And if that means that somebody must make the sacrifice, Roxas said, “it must be me.”

Roxas said he reached the decision after “many long conversations” with Aquino over the weekend.

“We agreed: ‘Let us forget about ourselves for a moment. This is not about us. This is about our people and our country. This is about our common dream, the dream of our parents’,” he said.

“But let us not remain a country of dreamers,” he said. “Let’s act now.”

During their conversation, Roxas said Aquino had made it clear to him that he would like to carry the torch of leadership.

Roxas said the passing of former president Aquino has “reawakened a passion among us.”

“I acknowledge this as fuel to bring us to the realization of our dream,” he said.

“To you Noy, I say, I began the campaign to sow the seeds for change and reforms. You must now be the one to grow them in the arena of leadership,” Roxas said.

Also present at the press conference were LP officials: Chairman Emeritus Jovito Salonga, secretary general Neric Acosta, spokesman Erin Tañada; and other party members like Congressmen Rufino Biazon and Antonio Abaya; former Civil Service Commission chief Karina David, former social welfare secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, and former defense secretary Avelino Cruz.

Also seen was Roxas’ mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas