Editorial note: This piece was first published under my “Pathless Travels” column in the Nov. 30, 2003 issue of the Northern Dispatch (Nordis) Weekly. It is obviously out of date as it referred to Fernando Poe Jr.’s candidacy in the 2004 presidential elections. I’m reposting it here, with slight revisions, because I believe the main points I raised remain relevant today, as the country starts to be gripped again by election fever.
IN THIS WEEK’S column piece, I will make an exception to a self-imposed rule to write mainly on Northern Luzon concerns, especially “light topics” with a broad environmental, socio-cultural, or historical bent.
Today I will make a pointblank commentary on the swirling, relentless political talk that has seized the country since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo bared her plan to run for the presidency in 2004, followed by Fernando Poe Jr. formally declaring his own presidential bid a few days ago. Continue reading “Much ado about presidential credentials”