‘Elections in the Philippines are more a gauge of the level of sanity in the electorate than anything else, as it tells us whether the mass of voters will choose the entertainer over the intellectual, the raw and inexperienced over the seasoned.’
IT’S fun driving around the country these days (except Iloilo City). That’s because the country is “decked the halls with political posters” and you see all types of politicians or aspiring ones as well as all the party list groups vying for at least one seat in the House of Representatives
If you happen to be traveling with “judgmental” friends, it can be a laugh trip as you make fun of the faces and the names (there’s a candidate in Palawan with the surname “Dilig,” and we were saying that it would be an ideal title for a sexy movie!), but frankly, we shouldn’t be laughing because the joke is on us.
I don’t know about you, but there are several LGUs I’m keeping an eye on and curious as to what the electorate will decide in May. There’s Pasig, where a well-heeled contractor is challenging the reformist mayor; there’s Taguig, where the ruling family is fractured but in a confusing way because the fracture doesn’t seem to be total or complete; and there’s Batangas province where a former governor and famous movie star is running to regain her old post – with her son, also a celebrity on his own right but without any previous government experience – as her running mate.
Of course, I’m also watching the senatorial bets, curious as to how people like Ariel Querubin, Ping Lacson, Kiko Pangilinan and even Bam Aquino will fare against the likes of Philip Salvador and Willie Revillame, or how a young and still slightly raw Camille Villar can parlay her family name into a second Senate seat, joining the ranks of the Cayetanos and Ejercito-Estradas and, of course, the Tulfos.
And yes, I’m curious how many votes God will command for his self-proclaimed anointed, who is, as of this writing, still languishing in jail because apparently God hasn’t sent down the Angel Gabriel with a golden key to open the cell door. Now, if God couldn’t spring his anointed son from jail, then one cannot be faulted for wondering how powerful God truly is.
Elections in the Philippines are more a gauge of the level of sanity in the electorate than anything else, as it tells us whether the mass of voters will choose the entertainer over the intellectual, the raw and inexperienced over the seasoned. It will also tell us whether character matters to the voter and in what way: do they embrace the notorious way MAGA does in the US-SSR? Or are they more discerning? Do they prefer those who sing and dance and crack jokes, no matter how tasteless, or do they want those who talk sense about issues that affect every one of us?
I saw Willie Revillame on YouTube complaining that Filipinos look to entertainers like them for a laugh or two but then turn around and say they shouldn’t be running for office. That’s nonsense, says Revillame, who apparently is far from the Magic 12. So in his mind, just because we run to them for entertainment means we should also embrace them for public service? Does it mean that since he relies on his kasambahay for house cleaning, he will entrust her with dental work on his teeth? While his comment reveals more about him than about the voters he is criticizing, the fact is there’s still a significant segment of the voting population willing to entrust governance to a Willie or a Philip or a Robin. Even if they have zilch experience in public affairs and will struggle to explain the issue about tariffs or Ukraine of the West Philippine Sea beyond generalities and motherhood statements, if at all.
Our problems when elections surface are self-inflicted. And it seems to me that in May of 2025, we will have more of the same.
