Presidential Trash Talk

Election season can be a bit harsh on one's budget. Thus, most of the time it is more effective to enlist wrecking crews than to improve one's reputation. The top two presidential candidates are well aware of this as they are the recipients of the largest portions of trash talk.

Manny Villar has been in the hot seat for a while now due to his claims of being a true member of the impoverished Filipinos (Tunay na Mahirap according to him). While his history is indeed widespread, his current financial assets state otherwise. His status as a businessman leads most Filipinos to think that while spending billions on election campaigns, it would be downright impossible for him to find a way to regain his expenditures. Given the stigma that government officials in high positions have access to public funds, it is highly likely. Despite Villar's claims that he could have returned to being a businessman if he truly wanted money, the fact that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's net worth expanded tremendously in her presidential term is suspicious.

While his rival is lambasted for his business and financial backgrounds, Noynoy Aquino is criticized for his attachment to his parents. As we know, both his parents played a big role in Filipino history: Senator Benigno Aquino Jr's assassination and Corazon Aquino's presidency. What critics seem to focus on is the lack of his achievements. While most of the presidential candidates are quite the noisemakers whether positively or negatively, they do make the headlines or the news flash reports. Today's Aquino's most frequent media flashes are due to being Kris Aquino's influence. Apparently, being swallowed by your parents' shadows is big enough to be considered a sin.

What may affect the campaigns of any candidate is indeed the source of these propaganda as most of them are anonymously distributed online where no one can pinpoint them (whether they are plain citizens vulgarly expressing their thoughts or a part of a rival candidate's wrecking crew). and when they are pinpointed, there is no specific law which deals with the defamation involved.

The question is if a presidential candidate does win the race, would defaming other countries work in an attempt to uplift our economy/reputation/daily living? If it does then voting the candidates with the best demolition team is the wisest option.