Pinoys are fond of narratives or as they are known in showiz, storylines. The narratives of candidates is part of the packaging process when one begins a political career. This practice began post-Marcos and continues to this day. It has also given rise to the modern campaign manager who uses an assortment of sophisticated tools to measure key performance indices against actual outcomes.
The official campaign period for national posts kicked off last February 8. It is now the last week of February and March will begin. 2022 is off to another fast start as the first quarter is about to end. March is crucial in a national campaign is it can make or break one.
The Lacson-Sotto campaign has been the most consistent since last year. They have not deviated from their playbook but the campaign has been visibly weakened by the informal dissolution of the NPC. Even the NUP has become invisible. Ronnie Puno’s vaunted campaign skillet is nowhere evident. Most of the prominent NPC members have defected to the UniTeam. Tito Sotto miscalculated badly. As it turned out, Lacson-Sotto would be reduced to the core of Reporma and its coalition with NPC and NUP went for naught as members decided to go with what looks to be the strongest ticket of Marcos-Duterte.
Isko Moreno has been making the most noise. Isko is now openly courting the endorsement of PDP-Laban Cusi Wing. Campaign Manager Lito Banayo has touched base with his old colleagues in the PRRD camp who have been orphaned by the administration party’s debacle at the hands of Daughterte. Those who make up the Davao Origs and the groups which joined the Duterte 2016 campaign early on are now pushing for a split ticket of Isko-Sara.
This has not gone well as he began his Mindanao sorties with his first stop being the Mangudadatu bailiwick of Maguindanao. Willie Ong was not with Isko and this was noticeable to the public since this was about the same time the IsSa was launched in Visayas and Mindanao.
This proves that Isko will do anything to win at this point. Last year, he began hitting at the President for the pandemic response and the distribution of social amelioration from the national government to the local government. Isko forgot that the President signed his appointments to North Rail and the DSWD after his loss in the 2016 Senatorial race. But Isko will be Isko the pragmatic and practical politico. He will go where it will be to his benefit. He defends his turncoatism by saying that the people’s interest is of paramount importance for him.
The truth is Isko’s campaign has not been able to gain any traction which is why Banayo has been very visible since last year to the point that you get the impression that he is the running mate instead of the campaign manager.
Mar Roxas and Serge Osmena have withdrawn their support from Isko and endorsed Leni Robredo. No loss or gain here for either party. Len-Len’s campaign is also fast sinking despite the continuing projection of the image that she is actually gaining support.
For Robredo, it is all about endorsements now. But even in endorsements, her campaign still manages to be stupid. They were all agog with a supposed endorsement from Cher on Twitter. Cher later tweeted that she does not know Leni Robredo. It was made worst by Sharon Cuneta fan-girling and tweeting Cher about Kiko Pangilinan. The opposition are natural-born morons.
The “former senior government officials” of the past Yellow administrations have all come out in support of Robredo. These include several former Senators such as Jun Magsaysay, Serge Osmena, Pong Biazon and Bobby Tanada. Biazon was with Lacson until he switched over.
It is evident that Marcos’ rivals are having difficulties getting their respective campaign’s momentum going as they cannot manage to avoid pitfalls; Lacson with his continuing praise of PNoy and courting support from former administration officials, Robredo with her lingering image problem with voters and gaffes and Isko with his trapo image hounding him coupled with his diehards thinking that he is the best option for those who do not want to vote for Marcos. Isko has even appropriated the DDS giving new meaning to it as Domagoso Diehard Supporters after he managed to obtain the endorsement of the MRRD-NEC, one of the 2016 campaign vehicles of Duterte.
The latest survey from Publicus Asia shows the Marcos-Duterte tandem still leading the pack even if the survey focuses on the ABC demographic.
The CNN Debate on February 27 will mark the first time the candidates will be in one fora altogether in a live telecast. Marcos will not be attending the debate. It will be interesting to see the interaction among all the other Presidential candidates, specially those who have not been given equal airtime by mainstream media such as Ernie Abella, Bert Gonzales and Leody De Guzman, going up against the supposed heavyweights, Ping Lacson, Leni Robredo, Isko Moreno and Manny Pacquiao.
The Comelec has been silent on its mandated debate series. But it is already March and there has been no announcement yet as to the schedule. The poll body is currently without a Chair with the retirement of Shariff Abbas. Broadcast networks might not be that enthusiastic to host the debate series given Marcos is not inclined to attend all of them. Like it or not, it is still a business proposition for them and sponsors pay for the cost of mounting these debates.
SMNI has canceled its Vice-Presidential debate on March 26 and instead will hold a second and final Presidential debate. It remains to be seen if the candidates who “boycotted” the first SMNI Debate will finally attend if there are no others scheduled after this.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and the Isko campaign seems to have turned negative against Marcos. The Pink Talibans have not stopped with their hostile attacks against pro-Marcos voters. Pacquiao has also made reference to the Marcos ill-gotten wealth and corruption in government. Tito Sotto has also done the same after the members of the NPC left him high and dry in his Vice-Presidential bid.
Not all elections are the same and from the looks of this one, it appears that this race is really Marcos’ to lose. The last card of the opposition under Robredo are its disqualification petitions which it can appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. But once the public have spoken and made their choice, this becomes moot unless they want to look more like fools for forcing the issue.
Abangan.
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