The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Much has been said about movie, television and stage actors running and serving the government.
Whether the comments are favorable to them or not, the most important thing is the way they would perform their duties and responsibilities to the public, to their constituents, if they win in the 2025 midterm polls.
From the local council to the Senate, the list of celebrities gunning for various government posts goes on and on.
Lito Lapid, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., Tito Sotto and Manny Pacquiao are running for Senate reelection while Phillip Salvador, Willie Revillame, Mark Gamboa (band member), Heidi Mendoza (stage actress during her high school and college days in Quezon Province) et al are first-time aspirants in the Upper House legislative body.
For governor of their respective provinces, Daniel Fernando is on his last term as one for Bulacan with ABS-CBN actor Alex Castro as his vice-governor while Vilma Santos returns to the gubernatorial race in Batangas with her son Luis Manzano as vice-governor.
The governorship of Laguna Province is being contested by action star Dan Fernandez, TV broadcaster Sol Aragones, (best friend of the late UK politician and former supporter of British Hollywood in Elstree and Borehamwood Cynthia Alcantara-Barker) Karen Agapay and social media influencer Ruth Hernandez.
Actress Gem Castillo is Dan’s running mate.
Miss Flawless Angelica Jones reprises her provincial board membership candidacy for the 3rd District of Laguna after relinquishing her board roles for three consecutive terms in the millennium and losing her congressional bid in 2022.
Vico Sotto is fiercely fighting his last term as mayor of Pasig City while Ara Mina and Angelu de Lein are wooing the votes of Pasigenos for council seats.
Isko Moreno and Sam Versoza are wrestling their way to the mayoral throne of Manila while Yul Servo aims for reelection as vice-mayor of the city.
Whether one is included in this enumeration, what matters most, when they sit in the halls of power is their commitment and dedication to the calling.
Commitment and dedication, first and foremost, aren’t only reporting to offices regularly or attending inaugural ribbon-cuttings or sending “ayudas,” Alfonsos or Emperadors with matching tokens of appreciation to the birthdays and other occasions being celebrated by barangay leaders or sympathizers.
Commitment and dedication are performing their mandate to the letter as well, especially eliminating graft and corruption and bad feudal attitude and practice in leadership like treating subordinates as pieces of shits.
Economic freedom is also essential in the liberation of the citizenry so that poverty is alleviated.
When contracts, for instance—like construction of malls and other businesses—are signed and done, perks and percentages must be given higher rates to the people, if not in cash, in the form of genuine services. Transparency and accountability are also relative to good governance. Can these public servants obligingly and sincerely declare to their constituents the real sum they get as percentage in a project.
From the national government, grants and international funds are streamlined by local agencies,
Payola from gambling lords of jueteng (numbers game) can be divided equally to the constituents if not in cash, in worthwhile projects to be implemented and monitored by an independent, well-meaning body.
The interests of the working classes must be the primary objectives of our politicians and not kowtowing to the whims and caprices of greedy corporate leaders or capitalists (not all) who exploit the workers.
These are ideal settings but there are Local Government Units (LGUs) or executives and lawmakers who have been weeding out bureaucratic malpractices if only on a small or minor level.