Is the Philippines ready for Dick Gordon?

by Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

Posted at 12/15/2009 8:35 PM | Updated as of 12/16/2009 3:57 PM

Sen. Gordon at the ANC 2010 Harapan forum.

MANILA, Philippines – With his track record as a leader and executive, it is not a question of whether Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon is ready for the presidency but whether Filipinos are ready to vote for him.

Without much hype or preamble, Gordon had announced he was running for president on December 1 as he filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections.

The announcement came as a surprise.

It was his running mate, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, who was bent on running for president.

Their tandem, under the newly formed Bagumbayan Party, was seemingly formed at the last minute and without a senatorial slate.

Gordon told reporters they teamed up Monday night (November 30), the eve of the deadline for the filing of candidacy.

Fernando said he gave way to his new party mate, owing to Gordon’s senatorial experience.

“No one is lazy on this team. No one is stupid on this team. We may not have much money but we have enough. Besides, we already know what happened to leaders who love money too much,” Gordon told reporters after his announcement.

Thus began what political analyst Benito Lim describes as either a perfect pairing or a political headache.

‘Tough love’

Gordon has been called a “dictator” both for his single-minded drive to achieve a vision for his constituency and his brutal frankness, interpreted as arrogance or abrasiveness.

“He does not know how to consult with his people. He runs things as if he were the only one capable of thinking and the rest are all nincompoops,” said Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, a long-time critic of Gordon, in a Probe Profiles interview.

Philippine Star columnist Boo Chanco, a good friend of Gordon's and Fernando's, described it as a “lack of inclination to listen to contrary opinions.”

“I get the impression that once they make up their minds on a course of action, [there] is absolutely little chance they will consider other options,” he wrote in his December 4 column titled “Demand and Supply.”

In numerous interviews, Gordon insisted that his straightforward approach is simply his way of “teaching others.”

He does not mince words and swiftly points out incompetence, qualities that are often misinterpreted.

“My name is Dick, but I’m not a ‘tator’,” Gordon quipped in a Probe Profiles Interview. “If I get mad at you, that means I love you. If I don’t talk to you, that’s when you should worry, because then you are nothing to me.”

Two dictators?

Sen. Richard Gordon and his running mate, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando filed their COC's at the Comelec Office on December 1, 2009.

Gordon’s partnership with Fernando, who is viewed as a dictator and tough disciplinarian, could be a potential liability for Gordon’s campaign.

“It’s like [Gordon] was looking for a headache,” Lim said in a phone interview “Bayani is really hard-headed. Many voters dislike [Bayani].”

“He (Bayani Fernando) has a public image as… a ‘Hitler’ (dictator) because of what he did to the vendors and the continuous traffic,” Lim added. “In that sense, Gordon will have to contend with negative reactions.”

Though credited for his numerous public works and traffic system projects, Fernando’s violent dispersal of sidewalk vendors and demolition of squatters' houses has not endeared him to the masses.

The twin values of discipline and strictness are the pillars of Gordon’s no-nonsense leadership style, just like his running mate.

In their view, discipline and order is exactly what the country needs.

“I tell things like it is. I tell people off. And if [people] don’t like that, fine, I can live with that. But don’t complain if you get somebody you like and not somebody that’s needed,” Gordon said in another interview.

Decisive, no nonsense

Gordon’s strongest suit by far is his experience. At 64, Gordon has held a variety of top positions, both in government and in the private sector.

A law student at the time, he was the youngest delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. He was brand manager of Procter & Gamble and was a litigation lawyer of ACCRA Law Offices.

Taking after his father (James L. Gordon) and mother (Amelia Gordon), who ran the city in 1963 and 1967 respectively, Gordon became mayor of Olongapo City in Zambales from 1980 to 1986.

He turned the former “sin city” into a model one by boosting police accountability through I.D. systems, proper health and sanitation, waste management and the strict enforcement of color coding in public transport.

In 1992, while in his second term as Olongapo City mayor, he became the founding chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Charged with converting the former US naval base into a prime economic zone, Gordon attracted 300 foreign and local investors to Subic Bay. It became the site of the 1996 APEC Summit.

Dual roles

He vacated his mayoral post and assumed full capacity as SBMA Chairman after a citizen in 1993 complained of his dual role and the Supreme Court ruled he should only have one role.

His wife, Katherine Gordon, replaced him as Olongapo City mayor in 1995.

From February 2001 to January 2004, he was appointed secretary of tourism and vigorously publicized the “Wow Philippines!” campaign, which enticed foreign tourists to the country.

In 2004, he ran and won for Senator under Lakas-CMD, garnering over 12.7 million votes at 5th place in the Senate race. He has helped pass the New Automated Elecion System Law and tax laws.

As head of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, he helped expose corruption in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration by publishing a report on the NBN-ZTE deal.

He has also been part of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) for 40 years and stands as its Chairman and CEO. Gordon is credited for helping modernize the PNRC’s rescue equipment and facilities, and boosting its blood bank.

For his dual role as PNRC Chairman and senator, he is the subject of an ethics complaint in the Senate. Gordon said his role as PNRC chairman has not interfered with his role as senator. (Read Gordon's biodata and profile here)

‘The transformers’

Gordon’s platform prioritizes health issues and education, including raising teachers’ salaries and disease prevention.

To fund basic social services, Gordon wants to call for a moratorium on debt servicing. He vowed to “use his diplomatic skills to fight the World Bank and International Monetary Fund” in this regard.

Gordon said he plans to decongest Manila and spread businesses out to other urbanized cities like Subic, Clark and Pangasinan.

He also plans to develop core industries like tourism in the country’s island groups. Visayas will be the country’s “beach capital” while Mindanao will focus on aquaculture and agriculture.

Most of all, Gordon’s Bagumbayan party focuses on his favorite adage since the 1980s: “What the country needs is not a change of men but a change in men.”

For Gordon, this means a switch from transactional leadership (a reactionary, rewards and punishments-based leadership) to transformational leadership (proactive and motivational leadership).

Gordon and Fernando have taken to calling themselves “the transformers.”

Need for exposure

Gordon impressed political and media analysts at ANC’s “Harapan 2010: The Presidential Forum” on December 2 with his articulate answers and specific plans of action on issues.

He had also raised sensible questions and gave a fiery speech during the much-publicized joint session of Congress on Martial Law.

However, one of the major challenges Gordon faces, campaign-wise, is to gain more and more exposure.

“He is not that well known. Maybe with the voters of Zambales he is, but as a national candidate, at least based on surveys, he is not,” Lim said. “He doesn’t have the machinery and range to reach voters.”

In a December poll survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), Gordon’s voter preference stood at 0.5%, compared to those who have dominated election surveys like Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (47%) and Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. (20%).

Even before he announced his bid for the presidency, Gordon had less than 1% voter preference in presidential surveys and less than 2% in vice presidential surveys.

Further, both Gordon and Fernando’s votes will most likely come from the rich and middle class, Lim said. This is only a small portion of the electorate.

“He has a nice platform and slogan (change from transactional to transformational leadership) but he has to translate it in simple terms so that ordinary voters can understand. He has to prove he is different,” Lim said.

Gordon is certainly in for a tough battle for the presidency. But as Gordon said in one of his magazine interviews, he never backs down from a fight. Report by Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.

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61 comments

Nakakalungkot isipin na

by shai_aizz on Thu, 02/04/2010 - 19:47

Nakakalungkot isipin na mismong taga Olongapo ang hindi naniniwala kay Dick Gordon. Taga Olongapo rin ako, OO, totoo, hindi lahat ng tao sa Olongapo gusto si Gordon. Diktador daw at mainitin ang ulo, kurakot, mapagsamantala sa pwesto, lahat ng building, daan, pangalan ni Gordon ang nakalagay... Isa lang ang masasabi ko, wala naman perpektong tao. lahat tayo may kahinaan at kalakasan, pangit at magandang ugali.

Para sa akin, yung mga taong nagrereklamo sa pamamalakad ni Gordon ay TAMAD! ayaw sumunod kasi mas gusto nila kung ano yung kumbinyente sa kanila.

Noong naghahabol ang Olongapo para sa extension ng US BASE, utos ni Gordon mag-rally sa Manila, nagalit ang mga vendors, ayaw nila kasi daw sayang naman yung araw na hindi nila pagkita sa pagtitinda. mga vendors iniisip lang yung araw, pero si Gordon, iniisip yung mga susunod pang mga araw... nung umalis ang amerikano, ano ba ang nangyari, karamihan sa kanila hindi na nakapag-tinda.

Ang hirap sa mga umaangal taga Olongapo, sarili lang ang iniisip, hindi kabutihan pangkalahatan.

Dahil ayaw mo pamamalakad ni Gordon, hindi mo siya iboboto? mas gusto mong mag-take chance sa iba, kesa iboto siya? you know what, it's just like cutting your nose to spite your face.

Leadership. Results. Integrity.

by hunky_mhel21 on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 04:06

I am but a small voice and this is my only way to let my voice heard. I’m imploring you to read the following in the hope that you’ll understand why I think that Richard Gordon is the right man to vote in the Philippines May 2010 presidential election. Please share it too if you think he’s deserving of the presidency. Thank you.

Richard “Dick” Gordon is the hope of the Philippines. Among the current presidential aspirants, he is the only one who has proven himself in the executive branch of government.

As Mayor of Olongapo City, he brought order not only to the streets of his city but also to the lives of his people. Mayor Dick Gordon stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Olongapo, shoveling the ashfall, and recovering what was left of their lives. With him at the helm, they rebuilt their city and their lives, later becoming a model city for peace and order, health care, education, livelihood, and good governance.

After the US Military Base closed in November 1992, he inspired and empowered the local population and a fleet of young professionals from here and abroad, and turned Subic Bay into the country’s showcase for economic progress, bringing in billions in investments and creating almost 100,000 jobs. World leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Dr. Mahatir Mohammad, and U.S. President Bill Clinton came to Subic to see the miracle that was the great transformation – and they came away impressed. So with the 18 APEC head of economies during the 4th Leaders’ Summit held thereat.

While he was the author of the success that is the Subic Bay Freeport, a twist of events took him away, but in time brought him towards a call to serve more people, this time as Secretary of Tourism. He knew that tourism was the country’s ticket to development – the fastest way to progress. Through his “Wow Philippines” campaign, the country became well-known abroad, and tourists started coming. Despite the challenges of the times, with the removal from office of the sitting president, the SARS outbreak, the Oakwood mutiny, the Dos Palmas kidnapping, and numerous bombings, not to mention the global terrorism problem, Secretary Gordon kept tourism afloat. In doing so, he lived up to his mantra – “tourism means jobs; where tourism advances, poverty retreats.”

So great was his contribution to the tourism industry that its players begged him not to run for Senator in 2004. But the road has led him to the Philippine Senate, perhaps not the ideal place for a man of action, a man who wants to see results for the people now. Yet, he has distinguished himself as a prolific lawmaker, an advocate of legislation that seek to uplift our people and our country. He is the main author and advocate of an Automated Election System law. Through this system, Senator Gordon hopes to leave our people with elections that are clean, honest, fair, and credible. The Tourism Bill, signed into law recently, is also a result of Senator Gordon’s years of hard work advocating tourism development for our country. He is also the principal author of the Veterans Equity Law. And as Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, he has shown that he is one who is never afraid to take a stand on any issue, firm but fair, serious and sincere.

Senator Gordon has held many positions, and succeeded beyond expectation at every single one of them. But I think that the job he loves the most is one that he has held for over forty years – his job as a volunteer of the Philippine National Red Cross. Today, he is its Chairman, and is a Governor of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, but his commitment and dedication to this organization and the work that it does goes far beyond title and position. In fact, in everything that he does, Senator Gordon goes beyond himself. We have seen him, above and beyond the call of duty, saving lives here in our own province as with Cabanatuan, Bulacan, Albay, Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Leyte, and Aurora, among many others throughout the years. Wherever there is a disaster or calamity, you can be sure that he is there, always first, always ready, always there often endangering his own life, defying his family, in order to alleviate other people’s suffering and uplift human dignity. And when the disaster is over, count on him to be there to help rebuild the community. In recent months, people have seen him in the news because of the Red Cross kidnapping crisis. People have seen him passionate, aggressive, sad, sometimes even angry. If he has appeared emotional, it is because he is a leader who truly cares – the captain of a ship who treats all of his men like they are his own children, because to him every life matters and is worthy of every effort, attention, compassion, and caring that he can give – no matter what anybody else says.

Senator Gordon is a leader with a vision for the future of his people, and a clear strategy to get them there. He is a leader who has made change, and change for the better. He has brought dignity and hope to his people and has motivated and inspired others to go in the right direction, and he, along with everybody, has sacrificed much to get there. In everything he has done, he has seen for his people a new country – a Bagumbayan. He has brought them out of the darkness and into the light. And now, he calls everyone to break free of their own limitations to chase after the horizon, to step into the light, grab hold of their own future, and finally build a nation that is enabled, ennobled and free.

If not Dick Gordon, sino?

by veronica on Mon, 01/18/2010 - 22:25

Hey all of you who keep lambasting Dick Gordon
Instead of writing AGAINST this guy, can you try convincing us to vote for YOUR candidates? maybe then we'll change our minds. you can try.

why am i going to vote for Gordon!

by hunky_mhel21 on Sat, 01/16/2010 - 22:56

@ Richard B:
im not a family of his or whatsoever but i know this guy personally. i will not endorse him for no reason. as a growing young boy in olongapo city, i was a witness of his dedication in public service and inspiring leadership. many people say he is a really excellent presidential candidate but may not win because he is not as popular as his adversaries.however, win or lose, i will stand for my principles and for what i believe is right. ;)

pare, it's my right to express my opinion. and it is also my right to vote for the candidate i believe is the most capable and qualified among the rest. I don't care whoever you are going to vote for pero isa lang ang ipapayo ko, kung sino man yun sana eh pinag-isipan mong mabuti at di ka nadala ng emosyon or nasilaw ng surveys. karapatan mo ang bumoto. kaya gamitin mo ng tama at responsable.

Why Gordon should be the next president. Read this and decide

by hunky_mhel21 on Sat, 01/16/2010 - 05:37

For people who are doing their presidential research:

http://uk.asiancorrespondent.com/paul-farol-pinoybuzz/2009/09/smokes-vie...

From this site, you can read an extensive review of Senator Gordon's achievements and track record. Once you're done reading it, compare it with gibo's, noynoy's, villar's and the rest of the presidential candidates' accomplishments. Be the judge on who is the most qualified and capable to be the next president who will lead our suffering country to the greatness that we used to have a long time ago.

This is not being biased nor being carried away by emotions. This is not being influenced by fame nor being blinded by money. This is a documented record of years and years of genuine and sincere public service and love for his country and countrymen. Proven Records. Positive Change. Good Leadership. Unblemished Integrity. This is why we should elect Richard Gordon and not the other candidates who are mere sweet-talkers but have not delivered results that truly made a difference in our society.

God bless the Philippines!

Where's the pride

by pinoypride on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 01:52

i just saw the ANC forum of villar, gibo and gordon. i like dick!!! not the sexual kind, but the guy. he made me think. and in the process, i made some research.

It is sad to know that despite all his accomplishments, his worst critics come from his home town. there are two in this forum.

you may call him a dictator, messianic complex, OlonGordon etc. but the fact is, HE MADE YOUR CITY PROSPER!!! i invite you detractors to come to maguindanao and experience another kind of dictator. Does your dictator provide jobs, attract investments, address education and health? more so, may i ask, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR YOUR CITY? all you do is complain.

Have you do your share in nation building? you say you work in government. is that just a job? or just a source of income? DO YOU REALLY DO YOUR JOB? careful of your answer. tell me your department, and i will narrate how your job is done.

I wish he (dick) were in my province. i also wish you could come here and see for yourself what stark contrast from Olongapo to the rural countryside.

your jeepneys are color coded, your drivers and vendors have uniforms. there is order!!! face it, your system works!!! it is every LGUs dream to be orderly and yet you despise Dick. how sad. most of all, you work in government???? no wonder our country is like this.

you probably come in a 8, fix your table, coffee break, work a bit, coffee break, get ready for lunch.Lunch.time in. coffee break, work?. get ready for 5pm. go home. poor you. government worker. NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!! I WANT TO SEE MY TAXES AT WORK!!!

sorry for the rant, but... i would rather build this country with DICK GORDON than dwell in petty things such as what has been said. ENOUGH TALK AND PROMISES, LET'S GET TO WORK

MAGBASA KAYO PARA MALAMAN NYO!

by LoveKoFilipinaS on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 19:47

NO THANK YOU DI KO VOTE SI GORDON!!! Basahin nyo ang Comment @nadialicious TOTOO PO LAHAT YAN!! Especially yung COMMENT NI @ Richard B Totoo po lahat yan!! nasa NewS Paper at History ang Ayaw Pag Alis Ni Gordon sa Pwesto!!! dahil Taga Gapo din ako!! KAYA NO THANK YOU GORDON!! MAGALING KALANG SA HARAP NG CAMERA!!May kaibahan ang pagiging matalino sa pagiging tuso.

May kaibahan ang disiplina sa diktaturya. Galing po kay Nadialicious!!

Bilang isang empleyado ng gobyerno na kung saan ay nakita ko kung paano magtrabaho si Gordon, masasabi kong masipag nga siya. Pero kung ano man ang kasipagan niya na ipinapakita sa harap ng mga tao at camera, eh iba naman ang pagkatao niya kapag iilan na lang ang nakapaligid sa kaniya.

Natatandaan nyo ba ang mga halos araw-araw na rally ng mga taga-Department of Tourism iilang buwan pa lang nang naupo siya at ang kaniyang mga tao? Magtanong kayo sa mga taga-DOT at sasabihin sa inyo ang mga totoong ginawa niya at ng mga tao niya. Dumami ang turista? Nope. Ang dumami, mga balikbayan at mga Pinoy na ipinanganak sa ibang bansa na bumibisita, na may banyagang pasaporte. Nakakaloko, di ba? Huwag masyadong maniniwala sa lahat ng press release sa media.

Tapos, ang mga bata niya na naka-puwesto na ngayon sa matataba at makatas na puwesto sa gobyerno. Si Michael Kho na dating bata niya sa Subic, hawak ang Duty Free Philippines ngayon. Si Carissa Coscolluela na dating niyang Chief-of-Staff dito sa DOT, congresswoman na ngayon. Ang namumuno sa Subic, eh di ba dati niyang staff yun? Gusto nyo pang malaman kung gaano kalawak ang galamay niya? Magtanong-tanong lang kayo. Nakaka-alarma. Mukhang plano eh gawing Olongapo ang Pinas - lahat hawak.

At babaguhin niya kamo ang Pinas? Disiplina? Disiplinahin niya muna ang mga bata niya. Bakit sa tingin nyo eh sarili niyang pamangkin na si JC eh tumatakbo ring presidente, labang sa kaniya? Tanungin nyo si JC. Maraming alam yun tungkol sa ka-pamilya niya, at kung bakit kinakalaban niya ngayon ang tiyuhin niya sa pagka-presidente. Sa totoo lang... matino si JC.

MGA TALANGKA GUMISING KAYO!!MAG　ISIP　KAYO PAANO KAYO MAKATULONG　SA　BANSA!

Re: Dandichami

by Optimus Prime on Wed, 01/13/2010 - 09:24

Dandichami naniniwala ako sayo tayo ang may kasalanan dahil wala tayong disiplina kaya this is the time para pumili ng totoong Leader na magtuturo at mag iimpliment ng desiplina, magbibigay ng trabaho, magsasaayos ng mga kalsada magpapatupad ng batas, magsasaayos ng trapiko at magagabay sa atin para maging world class ang ating bansa gaya ng ginawa nya sa SBMA. Si Dick Gordon ang totoong Leader at may political will sa lahat ng Presidentiables.