The official campaign period is about to begin in February but the unofficial campaign period has been on for more than a year now. It is more intense than usual because of the exigencies wrought by the pandemic. Candidates are of the mindset that given they will not be able to travel throughout the country in a traditional campaign, overexposure is a must given the limited options available.
The main candidates, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao, Mayor Francisco Domagoso and Vice-President Maria Leonor Robredo, have all availed of the different platforms available online in terms of websites and various popular social media platforms. We have all seen their survey standings as of December 2021.
As the official campaign period begins, Marcos is leading the pack, followed by Robredo, Domagoso, Pacquiao and Lacson in that order. There are other surveys where Pacquiao and Lacson are either ahead or behind each other. Marcos is currently dominating the race in all surveys.
The operative question is, will the official campaign period be different from what we have seen thus far?
The Comelec has ruled against the petition of PDP-Laban to reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy. This means there will be no more changes to the slates of each of the Presidential candidates.
For the most part, the Marcos-Duterte tandem is now cast in stone. There is nothing even the President can do, to change the order of the candidacy for President and Vice-President. Sink or swim, it’s Marcos for President and Duterte for Vice-President.
The campaigns which are dead in the water are that of Robredo, Domagoso and Pacquiao. Why?
Robredo is stuck with the maximum percentage her support base can muster. She may even lose a percentage from her soft supporters; voters who are still likely to change who they will vote for come election day. If Leni Robredo doesn’t get at least the same number of votes as she did in 2016, this would confirm the long-suspected electoral fraud which was aided and abetted by then Comelec Chair Andy Bautista. We are also privy to all her gaffes and boo-boos, which continues to be many. She isn’t called MaDumb for nothing.
With a campaign team headed by Bam Aquino, the Robredo campaign is very much like its principal; all form, no substance. It points to a track record of accomplishments which have minimal impact on the average Filipino. What do you expect from someone who only entered politics in 2013? The projection is she is the leader this country needs but Robredo doesn’t even have an iota of gravitas.
Domagoso’s campaign is neither here nor there. This has left Lito Banayo with egg on his face. As it turns out, he was just lucky to be on the winning team in 1998, 2010 and 2016. On his own, he doesn’t have what it takes to bring a candidate home to the finish line. No wonder he was desperate for Vince Dizon to join the Isko campaign. Isko has now taken to the usual song-and-dance routine of candidates. The extensive platform Banayo has been talking about since he was first interviewed as Isko’s campaign manager still hasn’t been made public. It appears that Isko’s platform is as simple as “kung anong nagawa ko sa Maynila, gagawin ko sa buong Pilipinas.” Shades of Binay’s messaging in 2016.
Those of you who are addicts of politics can feel it in your gut that the wind is gone from Isko’s sails. There is no traction. There is no momentum. The debate series will only show Isko’s weaknesses which will have his support base dwindling by the time the last debate is done. If he stayed in Manila for two more terms, he would’ve made an impact which would have him as a frontrunner in 2028, if he succeeded with his planned transformation of the capital city.
Pacquiao is in the worst situation, campaign-wise. His running mate doesn’t bring anything to the table except for what is common among the members of Team Pac-Man; get as much money as possible from him. Ronwald Munsayac can post pictures of him and his principal strategizing and the public will continue to laugh at both of them. Poor Manny. His hard-earned billions in the boxing ring is vanishing before his eyes. Do you think his principal economic adviser, Manny Zamora, is foolish enough to contribute funds to Pac-Man’s campaign? Maybe there’s something we don’t know about behind Pac-Man’s presidential bid if this is the case since Manny Zamora isn’t known to be stupid. But even if Manny had a direct line to god, I doubt very much if he can be granted a miracle which will make him the winner of the race.
But Koko Pimentel, Ron Munsayac and Bernard Peralta, will all have a brighter future thanks to Pac-Man when all is said and done. Pac-Man may still be able to make a political comeback in 2025. But he should never think he would make it as President anytime in the near future.
Which leaves us with Lacson. Why isn’t he lumped with the others when he’s trailing in the surveys?
On paper and in terms of experience, Lacson is the most qualified for the Presidency, even when ranged up against Marcos. Marcos is more charismatic and appeals to voters because of his underdog narrative, which has largely been the making of the morons in the opposition. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out that the public is fed up with the anti-Marcos rhetoric. They have seen the difference and it is clear to them now. This is why Marcos is the sentimental favorite. The more the opposition beats him up, the more his appeal increases because he doesn’t go down to their level. It’s like Demontitang Aczar of Manila saying “why doesn’t he ever make patol to us?”
The problem with Ping is he’s boring and isn’t one to be caught dead with a smile most of the time. Matipid sa ngiti. Parang Ilokano nga sa tipid sa ngiti. But he more makes up for his stern and disciplined demeanor with his passion and dedication to his commitment as a public servant. He is the only Senator who has made budget reform the bedrock of his political career from the beginning up to the present. If there is any malfeasance or misfeasance in the budget, you can be sure he’s likely to spot it every year the national budget is up for his scrutiny.
Up to this point, it’s only Lacson who has presented to the public a comprehensive governance platform with plans of action. No motherhood statements from him. He walks his talk when it comes to leadership by example. His campaign is boring because that’s how he operates; by the book or in his mind, by his operational plan, just like the time when he was in law enforcement. Just look at how his is the only campaign which complies with minimum health protocols. No caravans for him. Just the hybrid Online Kumustahan which has him in a dialogue with voters about the issues which he wants to address if they elect him to the Presidency.
Aside from Marcos, he’s the only other candidate who’s committed to an issues-based campaign. No black propaganda. No mudslinging. The reason why he’s barely being noticed is the public is busy being entertained by the Marcos-Duterte versus Robredo-Pangilinan politikaserye. You have to admit, Robredo is entertaining with her gaffes. We all need comic relief given the vicissitudes of the pandemic. What is a nerve as opposed to a vein?
Most of the public will finalize their choices after the debate series. Let’s call a spade a spade. The debate series will become a one-on-one between Lacson and Marcos. Robredo, Domagoso and Pacquiao are just there for comic relief, specially when their heads start hitting their glass ceilings. Masyadong mababa yung vertical clearance. Untog agad.
Eminent political campaign strategists, former Secretary Ronnie Puno and Malou Tiquia, both agree Lacson-Sotto is the dark horse tandem. Puno has a vested interest because he’s their campaign manager but Ms. Malou isn’t exactly the type who will not speak of the truth. The truth is, if they win, there will be no learning curve from Day One. They will hit the ground running. They can start addressing the country’s problems immediately following their roadmap which is their platform.
Lacson is the Hail Mary Pass candidate. His time to shine will be in the debate series and that is when the public will take notice of his competency and experience for the Presidency. Maybe soft voters for other candidates will switch. Maybe even the hard voters. They will have to make the choice between emotion and reason. Who is the most capable to lead the country for the next six years given the serious challenges we face? The reality is none of the other candidates have been able to present a governance platform which addresses the pressing issues of the economy, public health and education.
At this point, only two possibilities will make a drastic impact on the race; a Marcos disqualification by the Comelec and who the President will endorse as his candidate for President if he is still inclined to do so. Duterte has bee silent since the New Year. This is usually indicative of his taking stock. The PDP-Laban now has the ignominious distinction of being the only administration party which wasn’t able to field a complete slate in a Presidential election cycle.
We need to make the right choice on election day. To my mind, the race is between Lacson and Marcos once the debate series begins.
Comments