Politics | The Adobo Chronicles

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – In 2016, the Filipino people will elect a new president to succeed NoyNoy Aquino whose 6-year term expires that year.

While many politicians have hinted about running for president, no one has been more straightforward and definite about his presidential ambition than the current vice president, Jejomar Binay. After all, it is in his family’s blood. Binay’s son Jejomar, Jr. is the mayor of Makati City and his two daughters Nancy and Abigail are members of the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.

This early, Binay has already formed a new political party called the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and has been quoted as saying in media reports that boxing champion Manny Pacquiao will be included in his new party’s senatorial lineup. Pacquiao currently sits as a member of the House of Representatives.

In a Skype interview today with The Adobo Chronicles, Pacquiao vehemently denied that he was running for senator under Binay’s new party. “How is that possible, when my intention is to run for president,” Pacquiao said.

Binay’s strategy was to try to get Pacquiao to run for an elective post other than president, so that he (Binay) will run unopposed by a very formidable candidate such as the boxer congressman. With his enormous popularity and wealth (pre-tax), Pacquiao’s odds of winning the presidential post in a nationwide election are better than 10 to 1, in his favor.

Binay is reportedly considering Senator Jinggoy Estrada who is now in jail facing plunder charges to be his vice presidential running mate. Pacquiao, on the other hand, has hinted he might ask actress Nora Aunor to be his running mate. (In the Philippines, the vice president is elected independently of the president, unlike in the U.S. where a vote for the president is also a vote for the vice president.)

San Diego, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – There’s something special about being the runner-up in the reality TV singing competition ‘American Idol.’ With a few exceptions, runners-up seem to generally have better professional success than the winners in their respective seasons – in the recording business, stage, film, religious ministry, and politics.

Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken (who lost to Ruben Studdard) is now the presumptive Democratic nominee for North Carolina’s Second Congressional District seat. His Democratic opponent, Keith Crisco, unexpectedly died today.

Meanwhile, The Adobo Chronicles learned that Season 11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez (she lost to Phillip Phillips) has filed her candidacy for the 51st Congressional District in Chula Vista, California. She has decided to run as an Independent.

Political observers agree that Sanchez has the cards going in her favor because the district has a large Filipino and Latino population. Sanchez was born to a Filipina mother and Mexican father. The only odds against her is if the Filipinos and Mexicans do not go out and vote.

Both Aiken and Sanchez have an enormous advantage over their opponents. They do not even have to give speeches at their campaign rallies. They just need to belt out a tune or two.

Will the next Congress welcome Congressman Aiken and Congresswoman Sanchez?