Battle of the stars: Kris campaigns for Mar, Erap & Coco Martin for Grace Poe, Robin Padilla for Duterte, Pacquiao for Binay

Presidential sister Kris Aquino started campaigning for Liberal Party’s presidential bet Mar Roxas on April 15 in Meycauayan, Bulacan while much earlier she was already helping vice-presidential bet Leni Robredo. On April 21, ABS-CBN’s Ang Probinsiyano drama star Coco Martin also started campaigning for his co-star Susan Roces’ daughter, independent presidential bet Senator Grace Poe in Bacolod City and in Palawan province.

Celebrity endorsements sell shampoos & politicos in the Philippines

Much earlier, Manila Mayor and former actor Joseph Estrada endorsed both Poe and vice-presidential bet Bongbong Marcos, while world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao is supporting presidential contender Jejomar Binay and he reiterated on April 20 that he will become more visible in campaigning. Actor Robin Padilla is rooting for presidential bet Rodrigo Duterte.

It is sad that due to her frail physical health, the intellectual giant and courageous Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has been low-key in her presidential bid, and the only celebrity I can recall supporting her is actress Heart Evangelista Escudero’s mother Cecile.

I think tapping celebrity endorsements is a clever and cost-effective marketing strategy, whether it’s to sell shampoos, mobile phones or politicians to the Philippine mass market. Several years ago, the expat CEO of a multinational consumer giant once told me that our Philippine market is “unique” for using more celebrity endorsers to sell products compared to other countries.

Kris Aquino & the late Cory catapulted Noynoy C. Aquino to Malacañang

Even if she just left ABS-CBN and ended her great Kris TV show, Kris Aquino is still today the Liberal Party’s most potent and most credible endorser with the masses and even uppercrust folks.

I dare say that Kris Aquino’s crying on national TV in that Boy Abunda Sunday afternoon interview after her mom’s death helped unleash the emotional floodgates of sympathy and empathy which paved the way for the unambitious Noynoy C. Aquino to win the presidency.

And even during my interview with President Cory Aquino a year before her ailment, she recounted that whenever she’d go to make a speech in the province, the crowds would get more excited whenever she told them that she’s the mother of showbiz star Kris Aquino.

Not only are our citizenry mostly amnesiac or forgetful, most of the people on our archipelago are emotional, too. Proof? Despite ex-President Cory C. Aquino’s good name and global fame, after her term in office ended, she could no longer galvanize huge anti-GMA protest rallies even in her ally Makati Mayor Jojo Binay’s bailiwick, but why the large turnout of mourners during her funeral procession?

I believe Kris’ tearful national TV interview helped to reframe the Cory Aquino death saga from just another famous politician’s front-page news obituary into a very dramatic story of  an underdog and saintly widow ex-president whose family was up against a  powerful and allegedly corrupt regime. Do you remember how Kris later on tearfully endorsed Noynoy at their mom’s final funeral rites as heir to their parents’ legacy on live national TV?

Can Erap help Grace Poe win?

I think that aside from her parents —  the late movie icon Fernando Poe, Jr. and movie queen Susan Roces — the most potent endorser of the smart and pragmatic Grace Poe is former actor Erap, more than the popular young actor Coco Martin. I believe Erap still has strong influence among the masses, which is why Grace Poe and vice-presidential bet Bongbong Marcos are formidable contenders.

In the 2010 election, the presidentiables with the most number of celebrity endorsers and with biggest funds were Noynoy Aquino and Manny Villar. Noynoy had Kris Aquino and a lot of her ABS-CBN co-stars, such as Kim Chiu and Piolo Pascual, and even GMA 7 stars like Dingdong Dantes and Ogie Alcasid. Villar had legends like Dolphy endorsing him and also stars like Willie Revillame. Ironically, former movie star Erap had the fewest showbiz endorsers and he spent the least campaign funds, but he surprsingly ended up No. 2 in the election.

I recommend that Grace Poe galvanize Erap’s endorsement to remind the masses that she is like her late dad FPJ and Erap who want to champion the plight of the poor and the downtrodden, and that she offers them hope, genuine reforms and inspiration.

Pacquiao helps Jojo Binay, Robin Padilla rooting for Digong Duterte

Manny Pacquiao is a political ally of the hardworking and experienced Vice President Jojo Binay, both of whom came from poor, humble beginnings. Both also promised to alleviate the poverty and sufferings of the masses in our traditionally elite or oligarchy-dominated politics.

If young actor Daniel Padilla and actress Kathryn Bernardo of ABS-CBN’s once popular “KathNiel” love team have endorsed Mar Roxas since late last year, Daniel’s iconic and activist uncle actor Robin Padilla has also enthusiastically been campaigning for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte here and among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Duterte is very similar to actor and former “bad boy” Robin Padilla. Both are known as anti-establishment tough guys who’d dare square off with any nemesis or oppressors of the downtrodden. Both are well-known and unabashed ladies’ men or playboys in their heyday, and both have a pro-masses, distinctly nationalistic and anti-colonial streak in their politics.           

How pivotal are celebrities and the much-vaunted political machinery?

I am very curious as a keen student of politics, history and pop culture about  how crucial really are celebrity endorsements, the factor of financial war chest and even the much vaunted “political machinery” of our leading politicians? 

At a recent dinner party  hosted by one of President Noynoy Aquino’s top officials and loyalists, I asked how their campaign was doing. This official narrated that he recently talked to a provincial governor about their numbers, and the governor said that their ruling party already had 70 percent of all local leaders and that two other presidentiables have 30 percent of the remaining local leaders.

When the official said congratulations, they’re already set for victory, the governor told him: No, there’s a problem, most of the masses are rooting for another wildly popular presidentiable. This P-Noy loyalist scratched his head and whispered to me, why? I said perhaps it’s due to unfettered media and social media? Perhaps there is widespread public frustration with our politics which keep producing lots of loquacious yet inane, insensitive and inept leaders.

Will this May 9 election be a more politically mature, vigilant and truly democratic exercise that will hopefully usher in good leaders with the sincerity, moral courage, inspirational vision and genuine commitment to reforms we need for a better Philippines?  

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