100ARAW.com

By Benj Espina

Bro. Eddie Villanueva shakes hands with voters. Photo from broeddie.ph.

“This world is too poor to buy my convictions and principles.”

This quote is prominently featured on the back of a yellow shirt that is meant to forward the candidacy of Jesus is Lord leader Eddie Villanueva. It is really baffling how the line is displayed on the shirt as if it is something that could definitely change minds and somehow improve his chances of influencing more voters to reconsider their choices.

Eddie Villanueva is probably one of the most polarizing candidates in the big field of candidates for the presidency. On one hand, Villanueva has probably the most die-hard supporters – the ones that are ready to proclaim him to be the next-best thing to an actual anointed leader of Jesus Christ. Wait, a lot of them actually think that he actually is! A number of supporters who have been all over the 7-11 Philippines Facebook Page for some reason have said permutations of the following concepts – how Villanueva is the only one who is fit to be President, how Villanueva is the only one that god would approve of and how Villanueva is the only righteous leader for the country. To be fair to Villanueva, such statements do not really come out of his mouth but just the same, due to his lack of exposure to mainstream media in terms of advertisements, it is his ground crew and street team that really takes front and center as far as pitching his bid for Malacanang is concerned.

Villanueva asserts that he will end corruption in his six years as president. If you believe his posters, he claims that he will end corruption on Day One. “Anim na taong walang korapsyon” is clearly and proudly splashed on a poster that bears Eddie Villanueva and Perfecto Yasay’s names and faces. This bold claim is no different from the amazingly naive proposal by Manny Villar (“Tapusin ang kahirapan “ – in the implied six years of his term). Villanueva claims that he can end corruption by removing “wickedness” from the culture of Philippine politics and overhauling the whole judicial system. Even the most jaded Filipinos would know that changing the judicial system from top to bottom isn’t exactly a feasible solution since the replacements would have to come from somewhere else! Given the shortage of judges that the country has due to the inherent risks of the job as well as the immeasurable danger that comes with the position, it’s highly doubtful that such a genius plan would actually work in the real world outside of Villanueva’s head.

To almost comedic effects, sweeping statements like these is what inspires and makes the really raucous and determined supporters flock to the Facebook pages and bash all those who don’t agree with them. You will see them attack just about anyone – supporters of Noynoy Aquino, Villar and just about anyone who would not agree with them. It’s like having a mob that has been especially chosen by god to represent him in the mundane affairs of the world. Choosing Villanueva almost gives people an air of righteousness – an excuse to be brash and overly passionate about their choice and somehow step over the boundaries of common sense and common decency just because they believe that what they say is true and beyond reproach.

There are people who go the extra mile and say that Villanueva is god’s chosen candidate – by extension, this makes the other candidates NOT god’s chosen candidates, right? It’s amazing that there are people who go to these lengths just to make their choice seem more holy and sacred than other people’s. It may be an attempt to just share something but in the end, to people who share the same church and faith, it can be quite obnoxious and annoying – as if one group of people and one presidential candidate has a monopoly on moral integrity and righteous leadership.

This is where the polarity comes in. To the wards of Villanueva, this type of rhetoric is nothing short of the very fuel that makes them come out in droves and just rally wildly for this cause. For the non-supporter or the undecided, hearing someone say that “this world is too poor to buy my convictions and principles” is nothing but an overly dramatic, arrogant and obnoxious way of saying that I am too good to be true. It is no different from the promises that other candidates make and people who believe that they are more conscientious and logical in making their choices are not swayed by statements of integrity like this. Being a supposed man of god doesn’t exclude him from being subjected to the bull shit meter and sometimes, his claims and ideas really make the device ring like a crazy fire engine going to a big blaze in a city slum.