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Political trivia
get elected or succeed in becoming
tI6 land.
president of
He began with Manuel Luis
Quezon @milio Aguinaldo of the
F st Republic was nol elected). Note
the "el" in Manuel and the "oril' in
Quezon. He was succeeded by his
vice president, Sergio Osmend, who
lT WOULD seem that all's well had an "os" in his sumame.
that ends well in the Senate- The Even ifwe were to factor in Jose P.
24 "republics" seem to have reached Laurel, the wartime Second Republic
an agreement to maintain the status President there was an'bs" and an
quo in its leadership, with Senate "el" in the names. Manuel A. Roxaq
President Tito Sotto remaining at the defeated Osmeia to become the first
helm. president ofthe third republic. Notice
No one really aspired for the the "el" in Manuel-
position anyway, and the mlch-
publieized "threat- about $gna1ff ryfi&
Cynthia Villar, the latest senatorial
topnotcf,er, seeking to unseat Sotto *&
was just a stick floated by some ryho
witt'this be a historic
wanted certain carrots in the forn of leap? lg
committee chaitmanships.
In the lower house meanwhile, EEG -
the political wate:s continue to roil.
Accusatioirs followed by denials Roxas died of a heart attack while
about vote-buying with fantastic inside the ClarkAirbase in Pampanga,
sums thicken the air when in reality and was succeeded by Elpidio
everyone jus! awaits with bated Quirino, whose first name began with
breath he decision of their audience an 'b1," Hewas elected in 1949 over
of one--the part-time resident of the Laurel, but when he ran for reeliiction
Palace beside the Pasig. in 1953, Ramon Magsaysay with the
With Congress leadership seem- 'bn" in bis first name won.
ingly "settled," speculative whis- Ramon died in an airplane accident
pers by the political cognoscenti in Cebq and Bohol's Carlos P. Garci4
(or those who have such preten- with an "os" to his name, succeeded.
sions) have now begun on the sub- Running for election, he won in 1957.
ject ofthose who are casting moist But seeking reelecfion in l96l, Garcia
eyes on the presidency which will lost to Diosdado P. Macapagal. Note
lbe'up for grabs in 2022, three again the "os" in Diosdado.
years down the road. Macapagal sewed only one term of
With the President's exceedingly four years, because Ferdinand Marcos .
higb popularity levels, tbe betting is defeated hirn in 1965. Marcos ruled
,on Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte for ahnost 21 years, two-thirds ofthat
-to succeed her fadier in Malacaiang, . under his declared martial mle. And

with the latter's blessings, of course. after his polifi cal arch-enemy Benigno
.If that happens, it would be a first in A. Aquino Jr. died in the tarmac ofthe
our political history, where daughter lntemational airporl it was his widow
.succe€ds father to the presidency, Corazon with the "on" who unseated
.mismo- the dictator affer a military break-
But first, let me rccall what political away upon EDSA.
'analyst and former investment banker T\en m 1992, she anointed her
'Tony. GaEnaitan once called the siccessor, Fidel V- Ramos, with the
"regla" or rule of presidents elected "el" and the "os," narrowly defeating
'by our people" Miriam Defensor Santiago with nary
His thesis was that only those whose an el-os-on. FVR anointed Jose de'
names had an "e1," or Ilsllto$'
\\ PAq€ -Ar14 (<) Nry,T p.4@G Fe4-.-)
:floJitial.. ff#_utllTilf,#;'Jl iibmfj#**,ru:r,$
;ffi :'.""[ffi b,b]:.,1;;r;.ffi g:".,A;]*"y;,'Hi1":"'d:.:;1frflifi
Ejercito Esrrada. '
i.:::ff titr"Tlff [:
rn' the pre_marrial .th"
.law *-"1H1,u:#n u;i:ij il:;
It was in 2001 when the Gatmairuo pr"ria"r,tr.
"regla" was broken' ;;#;; ^years, vice president.
s"*t",
when i""" liir-.";;;1; ; rh" ,'.y"_* After cMA, ir was a senaror, an
_vi". previou.ry,'
President G'oria Macapagal Arro_yo
u. 1"";" .
,p.ut r'or senate Aquino,
succeeded Estrada afler rhe FDSA pr..ia"oi"u"-n-.
ffio ,rugrur.u, ,r,l who wasbrought to power by
##'of .y*purhy ou..
"*.j,r"*r
ig'r#.{r;'iii"fi
-drria #r:i{{11\*.m'r;*'*l#i#*1'i$:.1i"*'.,i*ilhru:r*m
nis num. ffi';::.t fr:s-{;Tiip* ffi{ ;r":;5fr myJ*'t"n#;*#i":r'.#:il
,"ui.; il;
whon in 2010, her anointcd ciib"n.i q"fi"" piii.t,ffi,il"ilJfilff:l ff:"lT::" y:gl
3:^l*:ll 191 n"r-'i*. !*"i"i
.o
!.oju*c"o r.La"i"'i"'i'i"-n-",i,gno Derense eecrerarv that tho
u*"
*:1At::"'.:t ff"i.iJ'ili; n"ffi'""i.Hff:4ry "*lifll*:; ll*L*i Y*ry1:-;:;*i',i
cory. Mavbet'i*u.eor*'.'"i"114
""
a rong, parched
,Jil"--il;$1**.n .u"*., f;ilfiilTjl,after
frl;:fiJt6:,j;::i,tili1x#
the mothor's cojuangco brought yi:"'i:::r"lg?j:-:iBorro, and .rwo piesidentia, scions,
him M.E p'"e',i'"rll*p*;. ff,'ilr,il: I{j;i*r,oTl|l'"111on;i,lll" a

::T' ,;:A,1tililij_,i:',ln;fff':9g yenl'tim ;;G;';f;; i" senator wi*ing after a rong intervar frorn #
re,rerli.
fabled letters.
rsurws
*" ::,1":::: resroring the primac!
. of th.i. iutio o, *otr,...
the
-president,
Then in 2016, an earlier laushed-
traditionar source
from C;;il;*
"'v'!iru,
of oresidenrri*ine wiiij i".- zffii#"J"ill
- ue ttri *Jir"lilirlo* .n.
out candidare from refl fierd- rriav_or untir-ti"-gri*ine daughter to
Rodrigo Roa Dukrte, with nary aner- rroseated ,T;ir"li;Trlilil
*id:_* c-"rq
niflli *JrT.o' u"queathed. ofher father come
the presidency
os'on rn anv of his narnes. triumohed
over Manuel Aranera Roxas *irl
the leadership ; ;;;; a"r""r" ''iljir',ii,iliio,fi Jlloe 30,2022?
bless such a
,""*r"rv, i"r'Fvii. ilpT". mayor, historic leap?

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