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Wedding bells will soon be ringing for Senator Manuel ?Mar? Roxas and TV news anchor Korina Sanchez. At the moment, the excitement over their marriage plans does not revolve around details associated with traditional nuptials like motif, or who?s doing the bridal gown, wedding cake, reception, etc., but rather on the impact of the wedding plans to the presidential bid of Senator Roxas.
When the Roxas-Sanchez engagement was confirmed by the lovebirds during the noontime TV show ?Wowowee,? political pundits said this would have a positive impact on the senator?s political plans. A wedding proposal by the richest and most eligible bachelor in the country to the very popular and comely media celebrity has a way of enhancing his machismo, so we shall see if this development will be a factor in the next popularity survey.
To recall, the latest Pulse Asia survey that came out last March had the Ilonggo senator in the cellar, obtaining a single-digit rating of a low eight percent. On top of the heap was Vice President Noli de Castro, who garnered 19 percent, followed by Sen. Francis Escudero (17 percent), former president Joseph Estrada (16 percent) and Sen. Manuel Villar (15 percent).
As I heard and saw it on Wowowee, the good senator asked for Korina?s hand in marriage while they were together in a secluded beach resort in Bacolod City last month. As the waves crashed on the seashore and the glow of the night fell on the lovers, Mar popped the question and his ladylove accepted. The lawmaker showed his romantic side to the fullest by shedding tears during the show, and I think that endeared him with the ladies.
The news of the Roxas-Sanchez engagement immediately filtered into the Internet, and YouTube posted the video footage a few hours later. The headline story in the ABS-CBN newscast and the overall coverage of the mainstream media and especially by the showbiz media had pundits saying that Mar?s teaming up with Korina in reel and real life points to the veritable marriage of politics and showbiz.
The merger of politics and showbiz in the Philippine setting is nothing new. Joseph ?Erap? Estrada set the trend when he was elected Vice President in 1992. With his election as President six years later, movie and basketball stars crossed over to the political field and many were elected on the basis of their popularity. TV comedian Vicente Sotto came out on top of the 1992 Senate race, followed by the action star Ramon Revilla with TV personality and former basketball player Freddie Webb also getting into the winning circle.
Loren Legarda, the late TV/radio host Renato Cayetano, and basketball superstar Robert Jaworski were elected senators in 1998. The biggest scorer of them all is TV news anchor Noli ?Kabayan? de Castro, who was elected senator in 2001 and Vice President in 2004. If his ratings are any indication, he is the front-runner in the 2010 presidential race.
Why people continue to identify with movie and TV personalities even after the ouster of former president Joseph Estrada is a subject of endless debates but the most common observation points to the people?s orientation towards personalities, not issues. In other words, our people lack political maturity.
The preference of voters towards movie and TV personalities has minimized the options of many politicians. In fact, even the drive for Charter change is said to be fueled by fears that movie and media personalities have already encroached into the turf used to be controlled by traditional politicians. Pitted against movie and TV personalities who are generally young, attractive and articulate and seen regularly on the most pervasive media platform of all, traditional politicians are at a disadvantage.
The tragedy is that except for one or two, it can?t be said either that the media icons who went into politics have made a difference in the lives of the poor.
