Buloy Al & Pacquiao are worlds apart

By Al S. Mendoza

YOU don’t have money, you can still run but, most likely, you only have two chances of winning: nil and none.

Only a miracle can make the moneyless candidate win.  One proof was the victory of Gov. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga in 2007.

Being a priest, Among Ed was without the money usually needed by a gubernatorial bet to hack it out in the political jungle of survival.

Although Among Ed’s feat was an amazing victory, still, it was not that stunning.

Among Ed gained adherents as his campaign wore on, luring the masses as well as the wealthy businessmen to his side who saw in him the promise of good, incorruptible governance.

In short, Among Ed being a man of the cloth essentially keyed the miracle of his triumph.

If you have God on your side, how could you lose?

Thus, Among Ed became the exception to the rule, which is, that moneyless wannabes usually belong to the two types of candidates.

1) Complete fool.

2) Triple T:  “The Total Thief.”

You know who the complete fools are.  Among the presidentiables, they include De Los Reyes, Perlas and even Bro. Eddie.

They can’t win but they are running.

Said in another way: They want to wallow in their own stupidities.

Well, they’d score big in one aspect:  Popularity.  Except Bro. Eddie, DL Reyes and Perlas were unknown until they tossed their hats into the political arena.

And who’d be the Triple T among the presidentiables?

Maybe Gordon?

He’s popular already.  However, he doesn’t have the money.  So, how can he win?

Maybe, he’s there not for the fun of it but for the “funds” of it?

For, it is usual for candidates in this country to collect donations to fund their campaigns – if they campaign at all.

After the election, the Triple T absolutely ends up losing on votes but definitely winds up winning on funds.  His campaign loot will send him scurrying to the bank, laughing the hyena laugh.

But still, as I said, not all the moneyed pack can win.

Manny Pacquiao had his millions to spare in 2007 and yet, he still lost in his congressional bid in his native GenSan.

Reportedly, the National Fist squandered no less than P175 million in 2007 and yet, he was knocked out cold by Darlene Custodio, the petite incumbent.

In the mayoralty race in our beloved Dagupan in 2007, Al Fernandez had a formidable opponent, too, in the son of Duty Free icon Benjie Lim.

Lim’s campaign crate bulged with cash and yet, Fernandez won convincingly to the extent of even trouncing Lim’s hapless heir in his own barangay.

His pride pricked, Lim, a former mayor himself, is running again, ostensibly to avenge his son’s defeat.

Pacquiao, too, is running anew as congressman, this time in Sarangani, the birthplace of his wife, Jinkee.

But like in GenSan, Pacquiao is again up against a tough foe in Chiongbian, whose family is well-entrenched, unbeaten, in political combats since time immemorial.

For sure, Al Fernandez, even if he tries to, can’t match Lim’s cash-laden war chest.

And for sure, too, Pacquiao, even with a minimum effort, can match Chiongbian’s famed wealth even in dollar-for-dollar equations.

Now a billionaire probably 10 times over, Pacquiao should again be up to the occasion.

So, will Pacquiao make it this time – finally?

As in 2007, I still have my reservations.

But in Buloy Al’s case?

All I can say is, miracles do happen.

Remember Among Ed.

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