Politics Unusual

Sen. Bong Go withdrew as a Presidential candidate yesterday confirming speculation on the possibility since he started dropping hints a week after he filed his COC for President under the PDDS.

BBM-Daughterte supporters heaved a sigh of relief as there is no more stumbling block to their dream tandem’s electoral path, or so they think. Talk is now rife that SBG is pushing for an Isko endorsement from the President.

Prior to this, there were talks that Alan Cayetano’s former chief of staff, whom he seconded to Bong Go after he became Senator, joined the Isko campaign team. This led Isko to be labeled as the “secret candidate” of the administration. The rumors circulating yesterday came with Isko’s statement that he would welcome any help with his candidacy from anyone, which was ominous.

SBG’s withdrawal was confirmation that his candidacy didn’t have traction to begin with even if he scored an improvement in a survey conducted when he was still a Vice-Presidential candidate, which showed him slightly ahead of Sen. Tito Sotto.

What is or are the reasons why SBG withdrew?

The Chief Political Analyst of DigiVoice, Tonton Contreras, posits that Digong looks at politics as a chess game. It’s the way he plays it. He anchors his theory on his post-modernist mindset that it is Simulacra, which is defined as “Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being, or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal…. It is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication, nor even parody. It is a question of substituting the signs of the real for the real” (1-2). His primary examples are psychosomatic illness, Disneyland, and Watergate. Fredric Jameson provides a similar definition: the simulacrum’s “peculiar function lies in what Sartre would have called the derealization of the whole surrounding world of everyday reality” Very complicated if you ask me. This concept is only for the ABC demographic to grasp. Not exactly for the D & E. Then again Contreras enjoys making the rest of those around him inferior so that he’s the only superior individual who can explain what is actually happening. At least, he likes to think of himself in this manner.

Sociologist Ash Presto makes it simpler. SBG doesn’t have charisma. BBM and Duterte both have it. I was disappointed with Presto because her Tweets give the impression that she’s an intellectual but her analysis is just at the same level as the vaunted Chief Political Analyst; more for self-promotion than anything else, lacking the substance which the public is looking for so they can understand what exactly is happening.

My friend the #datachimp explains it as an issue of masculinity versus femininity. The Yellowidiots are generally perceived to be weak which is why they appeal to the manlets, or those men who are more in touch with their feminine side and need mothering. Hence the concept of Leni as the Pambansang Nanay. This most likely confirms Bam’s mommy or daddy issues, or both. Imagine him as campaign manager with all these issues bedeviling him. It’s both funny and twisted at the same time, the way he had Leni Robredo dancing to his tune.

BBM and Daughterte are the 2.0 versions of their father’s. Marcos is not really perceived as a “strong man” but rather the son of a “strongman” which rubs off on him by association. In contrast, Daughterte is as “strong woman” who can punch a court sheriff in the face but still be in touch with her “feminine side” without her looking frail and helpless because she is her father’s daughter.

Marcos eschews positivity in all aspects of his campaign as he doesn’t resort to black propaganda and mudslinging, even if the opposition attacks him 24/7 non-stop. It is expected after all. The morons in the opposition still don’t realize that they are only helping Marcos with his candidacy with these efforts. It’s not making a dent but actually making him the underdog, which only serves to strengthen his appeal to voters, specially in the D & E segments.

In light of all these factors, it was a bad impulsive decision to have SBG run for President if only for Duterte to have his way.

But just as soon as SBG withdrew, reports started coming in that he was pushing for the President to endorse Isko Moreno. It wasn’t a coincidence that Moreno’s camp also released a statement that Isko would be receptive to such an endorsement. Remember that Lito Banayo was in the Duterte 2016 campaign and surely, back-channels are open, or may have been open from the beginning.

At this point, it would appear that the Davao Origs want to stay in power beyond 2022 which isn’t possible with a BBM-Daughterte victory. Sara isn’t fond of SBG. Go’s political clout would evaporate once they’re out of power unless the PDP-Laban becomes Duterte’s party, which is a longshot at this point. The only way for them to have clout is for Duterte to win as Senator and become Senate President, under a probable Lacson or Marcos administration.

As it stands, the SBG can opt to recommend to the President endorsing either Lacson or Domagoso for the Presidency as the administration candidate. When asked the question on the day SBG withdrew, Lacson’s response was he cannot answer that question as no offer had been made and it would be presumptuous on his part to assume that he would be the choice. But it’s clear that between Lacson and Domagoso, the former is more qualified and competent than the latter.

It will not happen also that Lacson would seek,or likely accept, a Duterte endorsement. To begin with, the positioning of the Lacson-Sotto has been neither pro-Administration or pro-Opposition, but only pro-Filipino. No less than their campaign manager, former DILG Sec. Ronnie Puno has categorically stated that a Presidential endorsement is not a guarantee of victory.

The Duterte-Go politikaserye isn’t over yet. But at this point, their options are limited. GMA has appeared in the BBM-Daughterte Quezon campaign sortie signaling that she is solidly behind the ticket. But the Presidency is not yet in the bag for Marcos despite the alliances he has been able to forge with Lakas, HNP and PMP. There is still the matter of the disqualification petitions filed against him at the Comelec.

The Presidential endorsement may be coveted by fringe candidates such as Moreno and Pacquiao but it doesn’t have the same command effect as it did before the rift between Duterte pere’ et fille. The only advantage is access to government resources but that is not a guarantee of victory either.

Then there is the matter of Go not formally withdrawing his candidacy at the Comelec. Until he does so, he is still a candidate whose name will be printed on the ballot.

Always remember, a political campaign is a marathon, not a sprint. It isn’t over until you win on election day.