More on Joker

From tito DJB:

JOker is acting not as a human rights lawyer now, but a pure politician pandering to the Left because he is in danger of getting knocked out of the Magic 12…by Edgardo Angara and Mike Defensor or Sonia Roco.

Actually, Joker doesn't care if he loses or wins, DJB. In fact, he secretly will feel relieved if he loses. He's just there to help TU win vs. GO, NOT do another 6 years in the Senate.

Here's what I think the deal is re joker. The guy never intended to run for reelection again in the first place--probably because of his age (80 years old), and because being a senator again means another 6 years (dats a long time) in office. Kaya hindi siya nakasali sa unang release ng mga GO senatoriables last year that the UNO and villar has negotiated with.

But Mike Defensor, JOker's protege, was able to convince joker to help Team Arroyo one last time by running in it's slate, on the condition tha the admin drop it's CHA CHA push, for now. TU sorely lacks credibility among the voters and jOker's reputation as an "independent" and a "maverick" will help TU's chances. Kaya siya na ang madalas na gamiting spokesperson ng TU, at hindi na masyado si defensor.

Si Joker ang dahilan kung bakit na delay ang composition ng GO Senate slate. The reason why 8 lang ang slots na na-fill up ng GO sa simula ay dahil hindi sigurado ang opposition kung IN or OUT si Joker (at Recto).

I believe Villar and Kiko intially refused to be included in GO slate because LP-NP's plan was for GO to include all four of the Wednesday group members in its slate, or none of them will join GO.

Walang Iwanan.

But lacson was confident then na siguradong pasok si joker at recto sa GO:

There was, however, no confirmation of this information, but an UNO candidate said yesterday that reelectionist senators who are members of the administration bloc in the upper chamber – Villar, Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, Senators Ralph Recto and Joker Arroyo – will definitely run under the opposition ticket and these are the remaining four who will be filling up the remaining four UNO senatorial slots.

Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday put “himself” at stake, effectively bolstering an earlier Tribune report on the complete UNO senatorial slate as disclosed by sources after leaders of the opposition coalition party named eight of its candidates who will vie for the upper chamber race this year.
.....
Lacson maintained, based on the assurances given him by Recto and Arroyo, “there’s no way for them to join the administration ticket or the so-called unity ticket or the so-called third force,” dismissing reports that the two are not among those chosen by UNO.

As was Ernie Maceda of GO.

Pero false hope lang pala ang inclusion ni Joker ARroyo sa GO. At nagmukhang tanga si Lacson. Pati si Villar at ang Liberal Party, the people that were pushing the hardest for his inclusion in GO, was fooled by Joker.

Joker was only bluffing, and the Oppo called him on it. Sabi ni Lito Banayo kay Joker:

Only Ralph Recto and Joker Arroyo fulfilled their previous commitment to shack up with the GMA corral, after kunwari hemming and hawing and keeping the opposition bitin. Was that part of the plot too? Hindi naman siguro. At least Manny Villar does not think so.

Villar and the Liberal party were trying to get Joker in the GO slate (and the Oppo had no problems with Joker's inclusion), but joker failed to inform LP and NP na he never wanted to join GO all along--dahil matagal na siyang naka-reserba sa slate ng TU.

UPDATE: Sabi ni Conrad de Quiros:

One would imagine with the elections shaping up that way, the “opposition” would put up a united front and make the contrast between them and GMA a lot starker. Or put the distance between them and her a lot longer. Or one would imagine that they’d get their act together and register their opposition to GMA’s illegitimacy and dictatorship a lot more stridently.

But no, the opposite is happening. Instead of creating a broad united front, the opposition has divided itself into the Erap people and the non-Erap people, with the Erap people getting favored treatment in UNO. JV Ejercito’s decision to make way for Sonia Roco is far too little and probably far too late. The rest of the pack, disgusted by that turn of events, but with their own political ambitions flailing at them like a whip to a horse, have gone their separate ways, many of them making their own pacts with the devil. Or joining the administration camp or groups allied with GMA.

You're wrong Conrad. The opposition tried to get all four Wed. groupers included. You say the oppo favored erap? maybe at the beginning. Pero sa huli, bumigay rin sila. If Wed. group accepted the final four slots of GO, ganito ang magiging itsura.

Civil Society/non-Erap GO bets:
1) Joker
2) Kiko
3) Villar
4) Recto
5) Legarda
6) Noynoy
7) Alan Cayetano
8) Roco

Erap GO bets:
1) John Osmena
2) Koko Pimentel
3) Lacson
4) Escudero