Catanduanes Forum

At the outset, I must say that I support Aquino in his quest. However, this analysis is my honest attempt to discover for myself the truth behind Teodoro's 'galing at talino'.

Hearing retorts from Teodoro’s supporters ascribing to him greatest intellect, and branding him as the only presidential aspirant who has the brain and experience worthy of being elected president of this God forsaken country evokes some curiosity on my part to discover the truthfulness of the claim.

Teodoro’s mantra of ‘Galing at Talino’ is being repeated by all his allies and supporters in every corner of the web, almost claiming Teodoro’s alleged monopoly of intelligence, to the extent of claiming that if you are an intelligent voter you should vote for Teodoro. The implication is if you vote for anybody other than Teodoro, you are an idiot.

Therefore being an 'idiot' as I am, I dared to validate the claims.

‘Magaling’ means great. ‘Matalino’ means intelligent.

On these claims, let us see if Teodoro passes his own crucible.

MAGALING AT MATALINO DAW.

According to http://allgiboteodoro.blogspot.com/2010/01/legislative-record.html:

In the 11th Congress, Teodoro authored more or less 26 bills.

15 of which is converting a municipal road into a national road. 2 of which is converting 2 public colleges into universities. The rest relates to his background as an attorney.

In the 12th Congress, Teodoro authored more or less 26 bills.

15 of which is converting a municipal road into a national road. 2 of which is converting 2 public colleges into universities. The rest relates to his background as an attorney.

In the 13th Congress, Teodor authored more or less 44 bills.

34 of which is converting a municipal road to a national road. The rest concerns the establishment of national high school, granting franchise in favor of a radio station, an airline, and all other rehash of the previous bills filed in the previous congress.

It is clear from the above that the main thrust of Teodoro’s legislative history is about conversion of a municipal road to a national road.

At a glance this may be acceptable because as a congressman, his concern is the legislative district that he represents, therefore in terms of budgetary consideration, when a municipal road becomes a national road, the burden of maintenance and funding is shifted away from the provincial government into the national government, that is, specifically, the Department of Public Works and Highways.

A closer look however would make some truly discerning persons wonder. The caliber that Teodoro proclaims himself to be, is that whose intelligence is beyond the ordinary. A bar top-notch and yes, Harvard educated, and yes an esquire in California. How in our motherland’s name would you reconcile the majority of the bills he claims he authored with his world-class intelligence? Come on. Magaling? Yet he wasted his intelligence in converting those municipal roads in Tarlac into a national road. How about introducing a bill granting to the President the power to convert local roads into national roads instead, so that senators and congressmen would busy themselves with the more urgent and important matters of the state?

Apparently three terms as congressman did not make Teodoro a reputation.

His defense that he did not chair a committee in the house ‘to give way to his party mates’ does not show leadership at all but a clear mark of lack thereof for political expediency.He is willing to forego the possibility of steering a particular committee with all his ‘galing’ for the sake of accommodating his party mates. This definitely does not speak well of his ‘Galing’.

Teodoro in fact refuses to make a stand on some clearly important national issues like the ‘notoriety’ of Gloria Arroyo and her husband.

A political leader needs to express a political opinion on political issues. His stand not to make a clear cut declaration of his intents with respect to Gloria Arroyo is a sign of indecisiveness. Gloria Arroyo is herself a political issue. Prosecuting her for all her alleged sins against the people is a political issue. Therefore as ‘magaling’ aspiring to be President, it behooves him to make a clear stand.

His stand?

“Sa katayuan ko, hindi naman siguro tama na sumagot ako kung tama o hindi. Kapartido ko ang ating pangulo,” Teodoro said. “Kung magparticipate ako sa paghahabla, sasabihin: ‘Bakit ka nagpaparticipate? Baka lutuin mo lang ‘yung kaso.’ Kapag hindi naman, sasabihin hindi mo gagawin ang katungkulan mo,” he added.

These statements clearly see through Teodoro’s mind set. He does not want to make a stand. Why? because Gloria Arroyo is a party mate. Would this mean that under Teodoro’s administration if a party mate dupes the people and steals from the government coffers he will be hands-off because the perpetrator is a party mate?

Yes Teodoro was a bar topnotcher. He was harvard educated. These of course do not translate to success as President of a country.

I believe the more proper inquiry would be: As a lawyer for how many years, what accomplishment did Teodoro make? Did we hear or read Atty. Teodoro fighting for a cause worthy of national recognition for the last years before his becoming a Congressman? No. What was Teodoro busy with? He was employed by a law firm defending the likes of Danding and Lucio Tan and all those alleged Marcos cronies resisting government claims and prosecution.

Yes he was a Secretary of Defense. What did he do to lessen insurgency in the country? Why did the Ampatuan massacre happen? Why did private armies mushroom in Mindanao?Yes he was very visible during the tragedy of typhoon Ondoy. But what was his greatest effort? Calling for help and assistance from the world?

Former Secretary Dinky Soliman and company resigned for a laudable reason when they can no longer close their eyes to the magic tricks of Gloria Arroyo.

Like the young girl in that movie "The Emperor's New Clothes", somebody has to tell Gloria Arroyo that she 'had no clothes'. Soliman and her group did what was required of them under the circumstances.

Teodoro however chose the other way. Like the prime minister and the duke in the above movie, Teodoro hears no evil, sees no evil and therefore speaks no evil about Gloria Arroyo, pretending that Gloria Arroyo did nothing illegal or unconstitutional or unethical that deserved condemnation.

Gilbert Teodoro resigned from his post to run for the Presidency to succeed Gloria Arroyo, with the latter’s blessing and patronage.

The contrast thus is clear as daylight. The first is a matter of delicadeza. The second is the utter lack of it.

And yes, choosing Edu Manzano as Vice President topped it all. No offense to Manzano whom I think is really a good actor. But to choose him as the second highest official of the land is clearly off-tangent to the proclaimed 'galing at talino' of Teodoro. Once in his life Teodoro was given the opportunity to choose a running mate, the next person who will replace him when some eventualities occur. Yet he chose Edu Manzano. It has been said that we are measured by the choices that we make. This Teodoro definitely blew.

A Teodoro supporter once said that ‘Gibo is the anti-thesis of Noynoy’.

He is correct.

Only that Noynoy embodies the ethical and moral reform that the Philippines once gained during EDSA 1. On the other hand, Teodoro being himself the anti-thesis of Noynoy, embodies the mistake of EDSA 2 who is Gloria Arroyo.

Clearly, Teodoro’s facade of being an intellectual is just it.

As that more famous lola in that detergent commercial would say: Magaling! Magaling! Magaling!

Galing at Talino? Wais siguro oo.