Makati business thumbs down FPJ bid

The Makati Business Club (MBC) has given actor Fernando Poe Jr. the thumbs down.

MBC executive director Guillermo Luz reminded political parties yesterday to choose their standard bearers according to the potential candidates’ qualifications and competence rather than use "beauty contest criteria," such as winnability and popularity.

When sought for his reaction to Poe’s announcement of his presidential bid, Luz said, "I think the party has a responsibility to pick the best candidate for the country."

Candidate selection, he said, "should be based on one’s platform, performance indicators, qualifications and competence."

He also cautioned political parties against basing their selection of candidates on the factors of winnability and popularity. "We’re tired of these," Luz said. "The election is not a beauty contest."

Poe’s supporters, particularly Sen. Vicente Sotto III, said the action movie king would make a good president because of his success in managing his movie outfit.

Luz said this is not enough basis for Poe’s selection as the opposition’s standard bearer.

"This country is not a movie production," Luz said. "Even if one has run a large conglomerate with lots of companies, it’s still not the same as running a country. We shouldn’t equate running a business with running a country."

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), meanwhile, said the business sector is adopting a "wait and see" attitude.

Poe announced his presidential bid at the Manila Hotel, where the Philippine Business Conference (PBC) is ongoing until Nov. 29.

PBC chairman Samie Lim said, "we still want to know how he intends to run this country."

"The business community does not know (Poe) so much as a manager or as a person, so we want to listen to him more and it is our hope that he will heed our invitation to join the presidentiable forum," said Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr. of PCCI.

There will be a post-conference activity to cap the PBC on Nov. 29 which will be a venue at which potential presidential candidates can present their platforms of government.

Luis said the PCCI has already "sent our invitation and (Poe’s) team must be looking into it already, so they can prepare for the presidentiable forum before the delegates of the PBC from all over the country."

While the PCCI does not intend to endorse any candidates, Luis said the PCCI seeks to guide its members so they may make intelligent decisions come the 2004 national elections.

Meanwhile, other segments of the business and labor sectors said they are open to Poe’s presidential bid.

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said various business groups in the country are not closing the door on Poe.

ECOP president Donald Dee said support for Poe from these business groups "will depend on his platform and who would be the people around him during the elections."

The business community is now waiting for Poe to disclose his plans and programs before they decide whether to support him or not.

Even as Poe announced his presidential bid yesterday, many workers nationwide are already expected to vote for him.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chairman Elmer Labog said a large percentage of workers nationwide is likely to support Poe’s presidential bid because of his popularity.

"We are not endorsing any presidential candidate," Labog said, "but, since Poe is a very popular actor, we expect a large number of workers, who belong to the masses, to support his candidacy."

Labog also said the KMU sees no reason to oppose Poe’s candidacy, though they would like to openly discuss Poe’s positions on issues affecting workers.

"If he would be true to the roles he has been portraying in his movies and he would distance himself from corrupt individuals, including his close friend ousted President (Joseph) Estrada and businessman Eduardo Cojuangco, I think he could lure more votes from the labor sector," Labog said.

However, the country’s largest labor group, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), said it is encouraging its members to study the programs of every candidate before choosing who will get their votes.

"We have yet to see what’s behind their intention in seeking the presidency and the people behind them," TUCP spokesman Alex Aguilar said in response to a question about the likelihood the TUCP may back Poe.

Aguilar said they are waiting for Poe to disclose his position on employment generation and other benefits for workers before they determine whether to vote for Poe or not.

Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad, meanwhile, said he is confident that Poe’s charisma will help unite the country.

Trinidad, a member of the opposition Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) party, said he favors the idea that Poe has finally declared his intention to join the presidential derby.

"I will go with what the party says," he said, "but I have not been contacted by the party. It is the decision of the national or higher party officials whom they should pick, but I like the idea of FPJ (Poe) running."

Trinidad is also the spokesman for the Metro Manila Mayors’ Council (MMMC), which has yet to take a unified stand on Poe’s announcement because "the mayors belong to different political parties and would likely have different choices."

"It is a welcome development that we would have a non-political candidate," Trinidad said. "What we need is someone matino (competent). We have had a lot of bright politicians, but had there been any improvement?"

"I think the core values that a candidate should possess are honesty and sincerity, the rest are just collateral issues," he said.

Trinidad added that "what we need is someone who can unite us — the Muslims, Catholics and factionalists. (Poe) has charisma and a sense of leadership. I think the people should look for that."

Poe’s capability to run the country was questioned by his detractors who, pointed out his lack of political experience and the fact that the actor does not have a college degree.

Trinidad countered these criticisms, saying the late President Ramon Magsaysay did not have a college degree, having dropped out of his engineering course after the second year, yet Magsaysay is considered one of the greatest and most beloved leaders of the Philippines.

He also said Poe had been given a Ford Navigator by Estrada when the latter was elected president. However, Poe returned the vehicle to Estrada.

"This is a witness of (Poe’s) character," Trinidad said. "They should judge by deed and not what other people say. He is a popular actor, we all have witnessed his lifestyle. He is a public figure and the people know what kind of person he is." — With reports from Mayen Jaymalin, Evelyn Macairan