Eduardo Villanueva

Brother Eddie placed last among the presidential aspirants in 2004. I’m not exactly sure why. Some people distrusted his intentions because he is a pastor. The rabidly Catholic feared a mass conversion to Protestantism. The rabidly secular feared a dismantling of the separation of church and state. Some others said he did not have the political experience. Like Nick Perlas, nobody knew him.


And now he’s at it again. (http://broeddie.ph/)

And, like before, he has a platform

(http://broeddie.ph/what-does-brother-eddie-c-villanueva-stand-for/)

Like Gibo, he's had it revised and it is now a party platform:

Bangon Pilipinas Party Platform

Unlike Gibo though, Brother Eddie has had a comprehensive and cohesive platform since 2009. So if there are similarities between the two then forgive me for thinking that somebody copied his seatmate's work. I also appreciate the act of maintaining the webpage of the previous platform. I consider it a gesture of honesty.

The new platform is more aggressive, cohesive and confident. No, I don't mean assertive nor progressive, I mean aggressive.

Check out the first chapter. Reinstatement of the death penalty. Ok, suck it in. This is coming from a pastor. Chapter 2: Policy of Self Help before Foreign Assistance. Same chapter: Developing Smart Labor. Same chapter: Purchasing Power as an Economic Target instead of the Exchange Rate. Just read the document. It's pretty juicy.

The original platform, while sensible, rational and cohesive lacked impact. It was too safe. I originally thought Bro. Eddie spent 40 days and nights in the desert writing out the old platform. I was wrong. That was like the baptism in the Jordan. The new article is the one that came out after 40 days in the desert. And even if he brought a few disciples to help him, the new platform is better thought out. And frankly it can get pretty scary.

How scary? A push for Federalism. A Greener Philippines. Budget redistribution along regional lines. Privates sector development programs in exchange for tax credits. Those are pretty big and bold changes. Education in moral values. That sounds suspect because dictatorial regimes tend to harp on it. Some people will not like their stand on abortion.

Its pretty much a real platform. It identifies problems, its identifies the ideal situation, it has a plan to solve the problem and reach the ideal. I am thankful that there are more candidates who understand the concept of a platform.

My misgivings about Bro. Eddie relates to his background. I really prefer my government secular. Nothing against religions per se, more like the tendency of the religious to impose their own culture on others. Since the Philippines is generally a multi-cultural society, this could cause conflicts and broad division. 

As with most things, I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There will be instances where Bro. Eddie will seem like a dogmatic Pharisee and others where the liberal activist roots show through.

There is also that question of capability. As an outsider, he doesn't have the connections or the machinery of the more experienced politicos. That is the real cross of the outsider, of candidates with little exposure to the machinations of politics. We can bet he doesn’t have the connections, the political favors to call upon, the financial networks and the insider knowledge. He is burdened with the utter lack of ability to politick like a traditional politician. On the other hand that may not be such a bad thing.

Sarcasm aside, I am not sure how to judge his capability for governance save his ability to sway his flock. And during this campaign the flock is moving alongside people with different beliefs. To overcome the apparent lack of funds they've been getting creative with things like the Human Chain event and Operation Living Ads. Whether the man wins or loses I think it's worthwhile to watch his methods.

Finally, Bro. Eddie, like all the other outsiders, is a living challenge. Do I have the guts to actually vote for the non- traditional if that appears to be the best option? We have a few days to find out.