<<< NB: †THIS POLL HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE 2 ADDITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AS PER COMELEC RESOLUTION 8743. †THERE ARE NOW 10 INSTEAD OF 8 OFFICIAL CONTENDERS IN THE MAY 2010 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. >>>

The May 2010 elections is getting closer and closer. †Have you made up your mind on who to vote for as the new President and Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines? †The major poll bodies are conducting their surveys with increasing frequency. †But if you are an online netizen who spends a big chunk of your time with your computer connected to the Internet, chances are you have not been asked by the pollsters yet. †Here now is your chance to “register” your vote.

The COMELEC has, thank goodness, reduced the number of official contenders to eight, from the total number of 99 who filed for candidacy for the highest elective position in the country. †There are also eight vice presidential contenders included in this online poll.

This online poll will run for exactly two months, from 2009/12/29 00:00:00 to 2010/02/28 23:59:59.

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Photo Credit: eyes-wideopen.co.uk

From the desk of The Web Parliamentarian (guest columnist).

The 2010 election is all the more going to be a very exciting spectacle as the landscape shifts and rolls while wannabes in all levels jump ship, coallesce, unite, part ways, negotiate, sell out, buy in, aim high, slide down, give way, cash in, take a stand, accept the challenge, accept the cash, etc.

This early we’ve seen the wildcard phenomenon happening in the highest contested position — the Presidency of the Republic of the Philippines — with the emergence of Noynoy Aquino as among the contenders. Just a month ago Noynoy was not even remotely considered a viable candidate.

And then there are the simply “wild.” Sen. Ja-ja-Jamby Madrigal couldn’t wait any longer and spilt her heart’s long desire — to serve the Filipino people as its next woman president. †Expect more “wild” announcements as the deadline for the filing of candidacies draws near. Almost sure to join Jamby are the likes of Pamatong, Victor Wood, Amay Bisaya And many more colorful personalities that makes Philippine Politics so supremely entertaining.

Expect high profile defections, too. Likely to either jump ship or go “on their own” are the administration bets †Bayani Fernando, Noli de Castro, Gibo Teodoro. †Strangely enough, Bayani and Gibo seem to be fiercely competing for, and in a hurry to get, the president’s and her party’s nomination as official administration bet while Kabayan, on the other hand, seems all bent to delay his decision whether to align himself with the administration or not. Perhaps he, too, believes that PGMA’s and her party’s nomination is a kiss of death as those in the opposition claim.

And then there are the handpicked and spoken-to by no less than God himself. Eddie Villanueva claims, and actually believes it, that his destiny has been preordained. Who are we, mere mortals, to question that?

Thank goodness Among Ed has already declared that he will no longer seek the presidency. With all due respect to my colleague, The Fat Gentleman, I don’t believe that Amomg Ed personally wants to be president. The pressure from groups and individuals urging and egging him on was simply too much. He must be thanking all the saints and angels in heaven when Noynoy suddenly emerged as the new apple of the eye of the “Reform Agenda” groups.

El Shaddai lay minister Bro. Mike Velarde may have sounded like he already declared his intentions, or the lack of it, in so far as the presidential contest is concerned. But don’t count him out just yet. If you read between the lines you will decipher the fact that he hasn’t categorically ruled himself out. Playing coy or cleverly calculating? He has divine providence on his side, remember?

And what do we make of Erap’s self-serving challenge that unless the opposition unites behind a single candidate he will run? Well it’s just that — self-serving. †Why can’t anybody see that Erap’s statement has always been a run-on sentence (i.e., incomplete)? If we complete the sentence it should read like this: “Unless the opposition unites behind a single candidate, myself, I will run.” It’s a no-lose proposition for Erap. A true gambler never bets unless the odds are 50:50 between him and himself (I just made that up).

What about Villar. Come hell or high water, Mr. Sipag at Tiyaga will go for it. There is no reason for him not to. He has heavily prepared for and invested into his presidential bid, he consistently tops the surveys, all potshots hurled at him have so far only succeeded to make him even more popular, he has the money and the political machinery, he doesn’t have Mar’s misfortune of being in the same boat as the heir to two Philippine icons, and so on ad infinitum. If you ask me, the only thing, or person, that scares Manny Villar right now is Erap. And probably Cynthia. But both are understandable and shouldn’t be taken against him.