CANDIDATES BEGIN JOCKEYING FOR 2010 PRESIDENTIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 MANILA 000924 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR RP SUBJECT: CANDIDATES BEGIN JOCKEYING FOR 2010 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REF: MANILA 307 (SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS VFA BUT RULES MARINE SHOULD BE IN PHILIPPINE CUSTODY) MANILA 00000924 001.2 OF 005 Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: With a general election slated for May 2010, self-declared candidates across the country have begun vigorously campaigning for almost 18,000 local, provincial, regional, and national positions at stake, including successors to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice President Noli De Castro. Some 50 million voters )- the most ever -- will be eligible to cast votes in what election officials hope will be the country's first nationwide, electronically automated ballot. Shifting demographics, including millions of new young voters and the return of unemployed overseas workers, could sway election outcomes. While allegations abound that President Arroyo is seeking to extend her time in office, nine notable politicians and five less viable candidates have declared their intention to run for President; they are already jockeying for name recognition and campaign financing. One top candidate, Senator Manuel Villar, told the Ambassador April 20 that a vast campaign war chest was needed to win the Presidency and his enormous wealth positioned him well for the contest. Issues like constitutional reform and debate over the U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement will figure prominently as nationalist campaign rhetoric heats up, but early signs indicate substantive policy issues will once again give way to the mud-slinging realities of Manila's popularity-driven and scandal-laden politics. ¶2. (C) In this first of two cables, we examine the political factors that will impact the May 2010 elections and provide a brief glance at the top contenders for President. A second cable will examine the second-tier contenders for President. END SUMMARY. NEARLY 18,000 SEATS AT STAKE -------------- ¶3. (C) Self-declared candidates across the country have begun vigorously campaigning for many of the approximately 18,000 local, provincial, regional, and national positions that will be at stake in what election officials hope will be the nation's first-ever automated presidential elections. The most watched contests will be those for President, Vice President, half of the 24 Senate seats, and all 250 seats in the House of Representatives. Also at stake are 80 provincial governor and 80 vice governor posts, thousands of municipal mayor and vice mayor posts, provincial board member seats, and municipal councilor seats. Because of the planned introduction of new automated voting systems in this election, candidates will officially file their candidacies with the Commission on Elections on November 30, nearly four months earlier than in previous years, prolonging the campaign period -- and opportunities for vote-buying. Family dynasties, which can be politically, economically, and culturally well established in specific regions, will once again dominate races across the country, as incumbents cede their seats to, or trade jobs with, their spouses and children. As in years past, it will prove difficult for outsiders to challenge the dominance of these powerful families. RACE FOR PRESIDENT TO BE HOTLY CONTESTED -------------- ¶4. (C) Despite a persistent belief among political actors that President Arroyo harbors secret ambitions to amend the constitution to extend her stay in office, either as president or as prime minister under a parliamentary system of government, 14 candidates for president are already hard at work trying to elevate their public profiles, raise campaign funds, and compete for the attention of the established political parties, a practical necessity for candidates unable to finance their own campaigns. The list of truly viable candidates is expected to narrow down to five as political realignments develop. Latest poll surveys predict a tight race between incumbent Vice President Noli De Castro and several opposition candidates. The winner may ultimately be decided by less than one million votes. Despite her unpopularity, President Arroyo's support will still carry weight, since she is titular head of the unified Lakas/KAMPI party, which controls the House of Representatives and exerts strong influence over local government officials. While campaign funds, party machinery, and popularity make a President, this particular election -- set against the backdrop of a global financial crisis -- may MANILA 00000924 002.2 OF 005 require candidates to demonstrate a more solid background in economics, which only a few candidates can offer. SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS -------------- ¶5. (C) Approximately 50 million voters -) the most ever )- will be eligible to cast their votes. Five million first-time young voters could sway the results if candidates and civil society can mobilize them to show up at the polls, which the allure of electronic voting machines could encourage. Observers will closely monitor Fall semester voter registration trends at universities to see if a super-sized youth vote will materialize. Another demographic, unemployed overseas workers who have returned to the Philippines, could find a common, middle-class voice on issues such as the global financial crisis and economic reform, organized by candidates or civil society. Having experienced life in more developed countries, without the right to vote in prior Philippine elections, and possibly impatient at the lack of economic opportunities at home, this segment of the population could sway election results. VOTING AUTOMATION PRESENTS SERIOUS CHALLENGES -------------- ¶6. (C) The Philippine House of Representatives has allocated eight billion pesos (USD 167 million) for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to procure and set up a fully automated, optical scanning voting system for use nationwide. Observers suggest this will be an extremely difficult task with only 12 months left to manufacture, test, and roll out the equipment. U.S. and foreign firms are required to submit bids for the procurement contract with COMELEC by May 4. The new system is expected to reduce the impact of corruption at the vote-counting stage, although the tamper-proof systems could also effectively shift the emphasis of corruption to vote-buying or manipulation of voter rolls. Other challenges for COMELEC will be providing safe storage of the 84,200 optical scanners, testing and certifying the equipment, deploying the machines intact to 40,000 polling centers, including many in remote rural areas or islands, and training 160,000 volunteer elections staff on how to run a polling center. COMELEC hopes extended voting hours will ease crowding at some polling centers, but a 64 percent reduction in the number of precincts for May 2010 could still increase congestion and the distance that many voters have to travel to get to the polls. FUNDING DYNAMICS AND PARTY MECHANICS -------------- ¶7. (C) The cost of running a presidential campaign in the Philippines is heavily determined by the cost of television and radio advertising, which accounts for a significant portion of campaign costs. Campaign spending law limits expenditures to approximately 135 million pesos per candidate but, in the 2007 elections, a majority of viable candidates exceeded this amount by 25 to 50 percent. Actual campaign costs can hit USD 60 million or more per candidate, enough to discourage candidates without access to the deep pockets of Manila's business elite. Still, heavy spending does not guarantee winning. Individual parties may coalesce and back a common candidate to increase that person's chances of winning, and some candidates may opt to become vice presidential running mates if not drafted as their party's standard bearer, reducing the need for large sums. Philippine political parties are notably weak during the regular course of political business, but their impact rises dramatically during campaign season, when their ability to connect funds to candidates comes into play. Parties will aim to field pairs of candidates that represent the strongest combinations of broad public visibility and winning personality. WILD CARD FACTORS -------------- ¶8. (C) Two additional factors could affect campaign financing for the national races. President Arroyo is reportedly withholding one billion pesos (USD 20.8 million) in regular pork barrel funds from House members, allegedly in exchange for their support in constitutional reforms that could introduce a parliamentary system in the Philippines, which could give President Arroyo the opportunity to run for top office again. In addition, this season's extended campaign period, officially beginning on November 30, could increase expectations among the electorate that candidates will deliver Christmas gifts or pay for holiday parties -) both MANILA 00000924 003 OF 005 not-so-subtle vote-buying mechanisms. TOP CANDIDATES FOR THE PRESIDENCY -------------- ¶9. (C) The top nine contenders for the Presidency include Vice President De Castro, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former President Joseph Estrada, and Senators Manuel Villar, Loren Legarda, Manuel Roxas II, Francis Escudero, and Panfilo Lacson. A second tier of contenders, including Senator Richard Gordon, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the El Shaddai charismatic Catholic leader Brother Mike Velarde, and Pampanga Governor-priest Eduardo Panlilio will be covered in septel. VICE PRESIDENT DE CASTRO -------------- ¶10. (C) Concurrently the government's housing czar, Vice President De Castro, 59, has consistently topped presidential poll surveys. Elected in 2001 to a six-year term in the Senate, De Castro gave up his seat to become President Arroyo's successful running mate in the 2004 presidential elections. He is backed by the media giant ABS-CBN where he worked as a radio announcer and television news anchor, making him a household name. De Castro hosts a popular radio show on Saturdays that targets lower income families. However, as a diffident public official with unimpressive leadership skills and credentials, his performance has been lackluster. His reliance on campaign donors could render him highly prone to the dictates of vested interests. Still, as a well-liked, personable incumbent, he could successfully seek reelection under the administration banner or as running mate of Senator Manuel Villar. (The two are close friends.) De Castro is married to ABS-CBN executive Arlene Sinsuat (of a prominent Muslim clan in Mindanao) who reportedly wields strong influence over him. DEFENSE SECRETARY GILBERT TEODORO -------------- ¶11. (C) Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, 44, announced his candidacy only recently, more than a year after his competitors, yet he still generated a favorable response. His peers in the Cabinet acknowledged he is presidential material, noting his youthful idealism, intellectual capability, leadership, sense of national pride, and firm understanding of challenges facing the country. Teodoro is one of the best educated presidential aspirants, holding a Master's Degree in law from Harvard and placing first in the 1989 Philippine Bar exam. Teodoro is politically acceptable to the ruling Lakas/KAMPI Party and has the support of the 20,000-strong Philippine Councilors League, but lacks the popularity of De Castro, a handicap he can overcome if he can get the support of other parties, including the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) Party chaired by his uncle, business magnate Eduardo Cojuangco. A three-term Tarlac Representative before his appointment to the Arroyo Cabinet, Teodoro once headed the NPC bloc in Congress but became independent after he joined the Arroyo Cabinet. Teodoro's wife "Nikki" occupies the seat he vacated in Congress. Some political insiders speculate that Teodoro comes across as too elite to get the necessary lower-class votes to win. THE CHIEF JUSTICE: A MORAL FORCE -------------- ¶12. (C) Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno has not yet openly declared an intention to run for the presidency, but the anti-corruption "Moral Force Movement" initiative he started April 2009 aims to identify the leadership qualities that he feels will benefit the country -- not surprisingly, qualities he believes he embodies -- without endorsing specific candidates. COMELEC Chairman Jose Melo and other influential figures have nonetheless said they would vote for Puno if he decides to run. Chief Justice Puno's potential influence does not end there. He opposes the U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and recently voted with a minority of Justices who consider the agreement unconstitutional. FORMER PRESIDENT JOSEPH ESTRADA -------------- ¶13. (C) Mindful of the opposition defeat in the last presidential elections, ousted former President and pardoned felon Joseph Estrada, 72, has threatened to run if the opposition once again fails to unite and field a common MANILA 00000924 004.2 OF 005 candidate in 2010. His favorable survey ratings, coupled with positive feedback from his lawyers on the legality of his candidacy, have bolstered his hopes to retake his seat via the ballot box. His detractors will be quick to challenge the move, given the Constitutional prohibition against reelection and his concurrence with the conditional pardon granted by President Arroyo, which prohibits him from seeking any elected office. His campaign will no doubt be hampered by a significant number of Filipinos who fear a repeat of the morally bankrupt and inept governance during the Estrada Presidency. Legal wife Luisa Ejercito (he supports several mistresses) served in the Senate from 2001 to 2007; son Jinggoy currently occupies the seat she vacated and reportedly aspires to become Senator Villar's running mate. They were elected under the banner of Estrada's political party, Partido ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Filipino Masses). SENATOR MANUEL VILLAR -------------- ¶14. (C) Senator Manuel Villar, 59, is the richest member of the Senate and, along with his wealthy wife, Las Pinas Representative Cynthia Villar, can produce a well-funded presidential campaign. In an April 20 meeting with the Ambassador, Villar observed that he was the only candidate with the personal resources to fund his own presidential bid. Villar, once a fish vendor from an impoverished neighborhood in Manila, became a self-made billionaire through a strong entrepreneurial drive, amassing his vast fortune by diversifying the family business from low-cost housing to upscale residential projects and mall development. He uses his rags-to-riches story to connect with the masses. The former House Speaker and Senate President is facing a Senate Ethics Committee investigation for conflict of interest and exerting undue influence in government funding for a road project near his real estate holdings south of Manila. However, it appears the issue has thus far not affected his good ranking in the surveys. Villar heads the Nacionalista Party, which he revived in 2004 in preparation for his 2010 presidential bid. His ongoing media campaign -- disguised as advocacy advertisements -- pledges assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in distress and promotes "hard work and perseverance" to rise above poverty. SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA -------------- ¶15. (C) Senator Loren Legarda, 49, has declared she is ready to lead the country, but has yet to win her party's nomination, also sought by Senator Francis Escudero. Running on the heels of an unpopular female president may bias public opinion against her, leading some observers to suggest that she take another shot at the Vice Presidency. (In the 2004 vice presidential race, Legarda ran and lost to De Castro.) However, Legarda seems keen on gunning for the top post and, with strong survey results behind her, she has expressed confidence she can beat De Castro in 2010. Legarda has often shown a populist slant, voting against the ratification of the U.S.-Philippines VFA in 1999, and signing a Senate resolution to abrogate the agreement. Legarda is separated from wealthy husband Antonio Leviste, who was recently convicted for the murder of his business partner. Having gone though a costly senatorial campaign, Legarda is banking on party resources to augment her campaign kitty. Attractive and articulate, Legarda is a former television newscaster. SENATOR FRANCIS ESCUDERO -------------- ¶16. (C) Senator Francis Escudero's growing popularity may get him the party's nod over Legarda, which he needs to secure campaign funds. The young and charismatic Escudero, who gained media mileage for leading failed opposition attempts to impeach President Arroyo in the House of Representatives, must wait until October to meet the minimum age requirement of 40 to qualify for President, and he would be the youngest Presidential candidate in 2010. Despite his impressive academic credentials, including a Masters Degree in Law from Georgetown University, political observers think he is still too raw for the position and could use more political maturity, which he could get by seeking the vice presidential seat instead or completing his Senate term in 2013. Escudero sees himself as a Filipino version of President Obama and lack of confidence is not one of his problems. As one political columnist noted acidly, Escudero could "learn lessons in humility"; others commentators have suggested that he focus on serving citizens instead of grandstanding. Prior to running for the Senate, he served three consecutive terms MANILA 00000924 005.2 OF 005 in the House as representative of Sorsogon Province. Escudero supports revision of the VFA, which he finds "onerous" in its present form. SENATOR MANUEL ROXAS -------------- ¶17. (C) Senator Manuel Roxas II, 51, topped the 2004 Senate race with over 19 million votes. The former Trade Secretary and Capiz Representative has wealth and political pedigree, and belongs to the prominent Roxas-Araneta clan. He is son of the late Senator Gerardo Roxas and grandson to President Manuel Roxas, first President of the independent Philippine Republic. Mother Judy Araneta-Roxas is a well-known socialite-philanthrophist who wields strong influence over him. Armed with an economics degree from Wharton School in Pennsylvania, Roxas also pursued post-graduate studies at Harvard. Among the "presidentiables," as presidential contenders are known in Filipino vernacular, he has the strongest economic background and would be the most likely to continue President Arroyo's economic agenda. However, he appears to be performing less well than expected in the surveys and has countered this with advertisements centering on poverty alleviation. A long-time bachelor, he recently used an appearance on the Philippine's most popular daytime variety show to announce his engagement to popular broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez, a move widely seen as calculated to bolster his presidential campaign. Roxas serves as president of the Liberal Party. SENATOR PANFILO LACSON -------------- ¶18. (C) Senator Panfilo Lacson, 60, ran and lost in the 2004 presidential elections. His candidacy effectively split the opposition vote and delivered victory to President Arroyo. Learning from that experience, he claims to be willing to give up his presidential ambition so that the opposition can have a single common candidate against the administration in ¶2010. Among the staunchest critics of President Arroyo, Lacson's performance in opinion surveys is expected to suffer as efforts intensify to link him )- as then Estrada's Police Chief -- to a high-profile 2000 double murder committed while he headed the Philippine national police. He was also one of the Philippine government officials who received classified documents from Filpino-American FBI intelligence agent Leandro Aragoncillo who was convicted of espionage in the U.S. in 2007. Lacson belongs to Philippine Military Academy Class of 1971 and is married to Alice de Perio. He is popular among the Filipino-Chinese business community, who generously contributed to his previous election campaigns. KENNEY