Showbiz, Elections & Everything in Between

Showbiz, Elections and everything in between was the topic of the night and we naturally had to have someone from the biz to start of the roster of guests.

Joining us on Rock Ed Radio is TV personality Gabe Mercado. He runs SPIT the improv theater that graces the mag:nets of the world. Gabe was a veteran of the Radio Veritas siege during the EDSA revolution, he was a teen-ager then and he helped June Keithley broadcast revolution updates as it happened. So technically he's a revolutionary hero. (huh?) Gabe insists that stupidity isn't the monopoly of the showbiz people running. Even if you take out all the artistas, he says, there will still be the same amount of glitter and image stuff (and yes, stupidity) in this race. They're just more visible. In fact, in defense, he says the two artistas running are more intelligent than people deem them to be. Ah hah.

Gabe's partner running the Geek Chorus group was there, too. JC Medina is an IT professional and he represented the contingent that didn't register and has never voted in his life. We decided to give even this collective a voice at this forum even if many have commented that perhaps they shouldn't be given the chance to complain because they don't vote. JC had a lot to say regarding these elections, he said that it's been quiet from his point of view. Hah! The night becomes more interesting. Mike Besa is an entrepreneur and he runs www.pinoygolfer.com. He sees the political circus from the standpoint of a businessman and he brought up the subject of 'internal colonization' by the dynasties. (this topic required a whole other hour altogether..so we skip off...)

Representing the provincial campaigns is Joey Climaco. He insists that this election season is more exciting than the usual because he has seen tilts in the voter's trends. And the circus of political campaigns are proving (sometimes) ineffective because, perhaps, we are smarter now? Joey says he will trust more the politician who has a celebrity spouse, especially the high profile ones. Simply because it gives them less chances to hide from public scrutiny. There will be less shadows to hide behind. And checks and balances are more in place. Lourd and Gang parry on several points, especially on the criterion for running that only requires the candidate to be able to read and write. Our favorite comment was "kung ang saleslady required maging high school or college graduate eh, mas mahirap ba yung trabaho nila kesa sa Senador o sa Presidente at read and write lang ang requirement nung isa?" We should explore that some more, don't you think? So the hosts proceed to ask the group "Name one politician you trust, and why?"
JC stares. (eh hindi naman sya boboto eh, so he thinks he's excempt from this question)

Gabe needs more time. Then he says he is haunted, however, by Danton Remoto's words. Running as Congress in QC area, "reklamo kayo ng reklamo, tapos pag elections na, wala din sa inyong matapang na tatakbo..." So perhaps Gabe trusts Danton more than anyone running right now...
Mike says none. End of thought. And the question evaporates into the thin NU107 booth air.

Gang echoes the mourning for the days of true statesmen. Lourd thinks it's absurd when politicians announce that they need to spend to get voted and they flaunt the budget with nary an explanation where the money comes from. At least, sabi ni Gabe, dati tinatago pa nila, ngayon lantaran ang self-serving interests. Ah hah! Are we promoting an end to the poverty of hope by doing this? Talking about the hopelessness of the elections? I thought Rock Ed was about addressing the poverty of hope? --at least three listeners asked. Aaaah perhaps, in a back to front way, we are. Because hope has to be based on reality. And we need to squarely face what is real in front of us. If it's the seeming hopelessness of our electoral process, then let's, at least, talk about it. Frankly. ("Hope is different from Pollyanic crap where people only talk about dreamy shit like turning into butterflies someday ngyaw*ngyaw*ngyaw*. Hope can get dirty with sweat and soot of the real, so you can stagger, sometimes bloody and broken, onto the ideal. And when you keep on despite the injuries--then you really have hope. Is it stupid? Maybe. But talking about what is ugly about reality isn't hopelessness, neither is it promoting despair. Really. I'd rather be frustrated in a real world than be indifferent because I live in a fantasy one where mud is not talked about. Straighten your back, chin up, flex your muscles, grit your teeth - there is much to be done."-Gang Badoy)
All four guests contributed greatly to the conversation, many expressed frustration, many had concrete suggestions, some brave enough to admit that they will run someday if need be. More just laughed because that's what Filipinos do best. Well, at least we talked about it today. And for one hour, a radio show in the Philippines didn't obsess about the latest Kris Aquino crisis.

That in itself is a relief.

There is hope for the media. I think we are slowly becoming capable of brutal honesty on air.

Mabuhay ang NU107 dahil pinayagan nila tayo magka Rock Ed Radio.

Tell us what you think? What should the basic requirements be for someone to run for public office?

Post here or email commentsrock@gmail.com

Photo credit: Jayvee Fernandez (1,4,5,9), Jay Capati (2,3,6,7,8) Research by Leslie, Phil, May, PJ.