Proclamation rally’s signal the start of the official campaign period. They can be grand or simple; more often it is the latter since money is better spent on the miting de avance which is the culmination of the campaign period and more often than not, there is already a clear trend for the impending win of the leading candidate going into election day.
Halalan 2022 is different because it is an election during a pandemic. Despite the stringent requirement of observance of minimum health protocols, some candidate’s campaigns were lax. Robredo for one in Naga. It’s not easy to maintain disciplined physical distancing specially when entertainers are present. The Marcos-Duterte proclamation rally observed all the protocols and then some as there was antigen testing for those who managed to get tickets to attend. This has been the protocol even at the BBM Campaign Headquarters in Mandaluyong.
What’s surprising about the rally’s in this election cycle are the political realignments which occurred during and after. The phenomenon is similar to the margin of error in a survey; plus or minus, dagdag or bawas as the case may be. As Amang Rodriguez said, politics is addition. Not subtraction or division. Addition and multiplication applies.
The biggest loser would be Lacson-Sotto as the NPC disintegrated right before the very eyes of the standard-bearers of the coalition during their proclamation rally at the Imus Stadium. None of their name Senatorial candidates showed up. Most of them were at the Marcos-Duterte rally at the Philippine Arena. Some had the delicadeza to not show up at any of the rally’s of candidates which adopted them. They sent videos or representatives instead.
The day after the proclamation the candidates had their sorties except for Marcos-Duterte. Lacson-Sotto was in Quezon City. Robredo was in Albay and Sorsogon. There was again a no-show of the name Senatorial candidates of Lacson-Sotto. A press release later confirmed that Herbert Bautista had been dropped from the slate. As we are writing this piece, news just broke that Win Gatchalian has suffered the same fate.
Lacson was very firm and forthright at the weekly press conference of their coalition and in his answer to reporter’s questions about the fate of Bautista and Gatchalian, he said that it wouldn’t look good on their coalition if they didn’t honor the gentleman’s agreement between himself and Sotto and the concerned Senators about allowing them to be on other candidates Senate rosters provided they didn’t openly endorse them. The only problem with this principled stand is it wasn’t only Bautista and Gatchalian which endorsed another Presidential candidate but also the other Senatorial candidates who are mostly balik-Senado. Just this afternoon, Chiz Escudero, an NPC stalwart, endorsed Leni Robredo for President.
By Thursday, Marcos-Duterte sortied in the Gatchalian bailiwick of Valenzuela and Tito Sotto again reiterated that the NPC would soon meet and pass a resolution adopting Ping Lacson as their Presidential candidate. Sotto has been saying this since last year but the meeting hasn’t taken place. That the momentum is on Marcos’ side is palpable given the Senators were present at his proclamation even if he was the last candidate to make public his Senatorial slate. In fact, they have only named eleven and are still lacking one.
In the meantime, Daughterte also released her own Senate picks along with others classified as friends but not officially part of the Marcos-Duterte slate. This is apparently her take on the Duterte strategy in 2019 where there were two administration slates; PDP-Laban and Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
Isko was off to Rizal and Laguna. Lito Banayo made a statement that eventually Isko would take votes away from Marcos if the latter continues to shun interviews and debates where all Presidential candidates are present. Banayo’s confidence had soared after receiving the support of one of the Duterte organizations formed for the 2016 election the MRRD-NEC. Isko has lost the backing of Mar Roxas but there is still Alan Peter Cayetano and Duterte stragglers who don’t have a place in the Marcos-Duterte alliance. Banayo is likely hoping for the Presidential endorsement later if the President changes his mind.
The biggest late-breaking news was the Comelec throwing out the consolidated disqualification petitions against Marcos. This means Marcos is safe until election day as the petitioners would now go to the Supreme Court for relief. The post-election disqualification would have Duterte succeeding Marcos as President in the event he is disqualified and a Senator being picked by the President and confirmed by the Senate as Vice-President per the precedent set in 2001 when GMA assumed the Presidency after Erap’s “constructive resignation.”
The latest SWS survey for January showed Marcos with a commanding double-digit lead over his rivals. Robredo aims to do a repeat of 2016. The problem with that strategy is there no more San Andres Bautista at the Comelec. Lacson’s coalition is crumbling as the NPC under Sotto hasn’t lived up to its part and the party members appear to be going off in their own directions. But there is still the belief that come the debate series, Lacson-Sotto will pick off votes from their rivals.
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