ANTIPOLO, Philippines – A “foreigner,” a tough-talking and motorcycle-riding bully, or a filthy rich suitor may be appealing at first, but Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II hopes that when push comes to shove, it’s the “boring” and “no drama” suitor who will prevail. 

Speaking to local politicians and officials of Rizal province on Tuesday, February 2, Roxas likened the presidential race – one of the fiercest in recent history – to courtship. 

Roxas described himself as someone you’ve known for a long time. 

“[Tapos] bigla na lang may dadating, naka-motorsiklo, siga-siga. Aba, tigas ito. Syempre, maakit tayo kasi siga-siga. May dadating, isang magandang kotse, magara. Mayaman na mayaman [at] magara ang suot, maraming pera pero hindi maipaliwanag kung saan nanggaling ang pera. Meron rin diyan, dayuhan. Aba, dollar ito. Madaling masilaw eh. Pero sa dulo, palagay ko, pagdating na ng pilian, pagdating ng pagkataon [itatanong mo sa sarili mo]: saan ko ba itataya ang kinabukasan ko? Saan ko ba itataya ang kinabukasan ng ating mga kababayan?”  

(Then someone comes along riding a motorcycle, a bully. This guy’s tough. Of course you’d find him appealing, he’s a bully. Then someone comes along in a flashy care. He’s really rich and wears nice clothes. He has a lot of money but he can’t explain where the money comes from. And then a foreigner comes along. This means dollars. It’s easy to be blinded. But in the end, I think when it’s time to choose, you ask yourself: With whom will I entrust my future to? To whom will I entrust the future of my countrymen to?) 

It was a clear reference to Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, whom Roxas once called a bully, opposition standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay, who faces allegations of corruption, and independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe, who once renounced her Filipino citizenship. 

The LP bet continued: “Inaasahan ko na makikita rin ninyo na hindi tama na masilaw tayo sa siga-siga, sa mayaman pero hindi maipaliwanag or kaya sa dayuhan. At sa dulo, makikita ninyo: ah, ito matagal ko nang kakilala. Ni minsan wala akong nadinig na anomalya. Mapapakinabangan, mahusay naman.”

(I hope that in the end, you are not blinded by the bully, the filthy rich or the foreigner. In the end, you’ll realize that you’ve known this person the longest. You’ve never heard of anything anomalous about him. He’s helpful and he’s skilled.) 

“The thing is, he’s boring. There’s no drama,” quipped Roxas, a reference to his latest series of stripped-down campaign ads. 

It’s barely two weeks before the official campaign period for national candidates kicks off on February 9, but the May presidential race appears to be still anybody’s ballgame.

The latest survey saw Binay bounce back from what his critics had thought was a steady ratings decline in the wake of corruption allegations against him.

Poe, the previous survey front runner, is facing a huge legal battle in the Supreme Court after the Commission on Elections cancelled her certificate of candidacy over questions on her citizenship. 

On the other hand, Roxas has been unable to sustain the momentum that he enjoyed after he was endorsed in late July 2015 by President Benigno Aquino III.

The latest polls tie him at 3rd place alongside Duterte. 

“Marami nang excitement sa mga buhay ninyo. Pagdating sa governance, pagdating sa mga problema na dapat nating lutasin, hindi excitement ang hinahanap natin. Ang hinahanap natin yung may subok nakakayahan na lutasin itong mga problemang ito,” Roxas told the Rizal crowd.

(There’s a lot of excitement in your lives already. But when it comes to governance, when it comes to solving problems, we’re not looking for excitement. You’re looking for someone who’s already proven the ability to solve these problems.) 

Roxas visited 5 towns in Rizal province on Tuesday, attending assemblies with civil society leaders and local politicians. – Rappler.com