TO end speculations that Vilma Santos created and launched her own social media platform of YouTube Channel for her benefit as a free publicity because she was running for the Senate or she had a vice-presidential bid, the Star for All Seasons herself confided to the public she wasn’t filing any certificate of candidacy to join the race in any political position she would be thrusted in.
Vilma admitted that the current uncertain atmosphere created by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted her to cancel any plans of getting into the political arena again or to seek a higher public post or any elective assignment.
According to her, it’s a pretty life-threatening venture to attempt to campaign on a national level without a face-to-face consultation with the people (read: voters) on the ground which could be a source of the spread of the virus and contamination.
She was honest enough to admit she couldn’t take it.
Logically, of course, she wouldn’t go back to her previous government seats like mayoralty of Lipa City or governorship of the whole Batangas Province or congressional representation of the 6th District apparently because these seemed to be summations of the “been there done that” syndrome or “regression” in the climb to political ladder, or simply because her three-term tenure as a congresswoman of the sole district of Lipa has to end next year.
Her husband Ralph Recto has replaced her instead as candidate in Congress.
With Santos taking a backseat from national politics it’s Nora Aunor’s—her perennial rival in the royalty of Philippine showbiz—conscious effort sans her arch rival’s retreat to return as an aspirant to the fold.
Remember that Nora had entered regional politics as a contender in the gubernatorial election in Camarines Sur in 2001. Unfortunately, she lost the fight against the Villafuertes of Bicolandia.
Will Aunor succeed this time as a party-list nominee and eventually as a rep for the newly formed group National Organization for Responsive Advocacies for the Arts or NORAA?