Noynoy Aquino cheers storm ravaged country with campaign posters

Typhoon Ondoy ravaged Metro Manila, several provinces in Central Luzon and Southern Luzon on September 25 and September 26.

Just a day after Typhoon Ondoy, when almost everybody I knew were in the thick of trying to save their lives and salvage what they can from their flood damaged homes, streamers bearing the name and likeness of Noynoy Aquino were seen all over San Fernando, Pampanga.

I am sure, the anti-Gloria conspiracy theorists will scream that it was Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who had these streamers put up.

Then again, the streamers could have been put up by Noynoy Aquino's supporters in for an event of sorts before the typhoon hit.

Manila Time's Efren L. Danao registered his apparent disgust on a different kind of politicking in the midst of disaster.

It didn't involve distributing relief goods with a name.  It didn't involve making people wait for publicity shots.  But it did involve having high level discussion between a Presidential candidate supposedly known for being good and a former President who was convicted of Plunder.

Yes, in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy, Senator Noynoy Aquino was talking with former President Joseph Estrada about fielding a common Presidential candidate for the opposition. I wonder what sort of agreement, if any, was reached.

Here's part of Danao's column:

SEN. NOYNOY AQUINO… SHAME ON YOU!

By Efren L. Danao

News reports said that Sen. Noynoy Aquino and former President Joseph Estrada talked Sunday evening on fielding a common presidential candidate. Tell me that the reports are wrong, Senator Noynoy. How could you talk politics while Luzon was reeling from the devastation wrought by Typhoon Ondoy?

I have always thought of you as somebody who could bring fresh air to the polluted Philippine politics.

I have been among those who believed that you would always put public service above politics.

Was I wrong?

If so, then please tell me that the reports were wrong.

But how could the reports be wrong when they were quoting you directly?

I am not so surprised about Erap’s talking politics even amid a calamity, but you?

How can you now claim to be solicitous of the people’s welfare when you can devote your time to politics while thousands of people are crying for help?

Has politics made you insensitive? Perhaps, you merely made an error in judgment, just like your pet peeve in Malacañang. (Remember the Garci apologia?)

If this is so, will you also be confessing an error in judgment and apologize?

Another Presidential candidate who supposedly would prefer to run with convicted plunderer Joseph Ejercito Erap Estrada is Senator Francisco Cheese Escudero.

Is it possible that there is some kind of political love triangle brewing here?

Anyway, as my wife and I frantically tried to call all emergency numbers at the height of Typhoon Ondoy, Noynoy Aquino's Facebook account kept on posting all sorts of emergency numbers minus the number of Red Cross and the NDCC.

I wonder whatelse Noynoy was doing...  Asan na si Bro?