Going by early political posturing, both the administration and the opposition are split three ways for the presidency in Election 2022. But it won’t stay that way, as something’s gotta give.
Bandied as administration presidential candidate are Sara Duterte, Bong Go and Manny Pacquiao. For the opposition: Leni Robredro, Isko Moreno and Ping Lacson.
Varied factors will make them stay in the race or fall out. Plans hinge on local kingpins’ support, campaign machinery and money, pick of VP and senatorial running mates, platform, consistent survey ranking, even political convenience.
Present poll frontrunner Inday Sara has yet to declare intent. But “Run, Inday, Run” tarps have been posted in cities and sitios as early as Feb. The multimillion-peso cost and coverage entice politicos to join her bandwagon. Her Davao regional coalition has inked local alliances in Luzon and the Visayas.
Being paired off with Sara as VP are Martin Romualdez of the Visayas and Bongbong Marcos or Gilbert Teodoro of Luzon. Any one of them will bolster the geographic tandem for the mayor of Davao City in Mindanao. A complication: Marcos also ambitions to be president.
Sara’s father President Rody Duterte professes distaste for female presidencies. It may only be to soften resistance to his questionable VP run. Duterte desires the second highest position for purported “unfinished business” and continued immunity from suit, including drug war killings. Loyalists hijacked for Duterte the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan from day-to-day officers and longtime members. He was then endorsed as VP candidate with free choice of his anointed “presidentiable.”
The Duterte loyalists float non-member Sara’s name as the party’s presidential standard-bearer. An offspring-parent tandem for the two highest positions is unprecedented in the Philippines where the Constitution forbids political dynasties. Disdainful voters may junk both Dutertes for good measure. The loyalists are putting up Senator Bong Go as alternative standard-bearer. Posters of Go, Duterte’s longtime aide, have also proliferated since Feb. Marcos, meanwhile, has been invited into PDP-Laban; ironic since it was founded in 1983 to oppose his dictator-father and namesake Ferdinand Marcos.
Senator Manny Pacquiao, from whom the PDP-Laban presidency was wrested, is expected to fight back. He, too, has long planned a presidential bid; videos heroize him online. Duterte frequently belittles Pacquiao’s leadership ability; on cue, social media trolls bash the world boxing champion.
Senator Koko Pimentel, PDP-Laban executive vice chairman, supports Pacquiao. As heir to the party founder and his father, the late Senate president Nene Pimentel, he is said to hold its official accreditation. He had won a Comelec case for it. He can use it to contest as fake any nomination by Duterte’s loyalists during the filing of candidacies in Oct. 1-10.
Opposition factions know that unity is their only chance against the Duterte combine. Yet they ignore 1Sambayan’s plea for a common slate.
Senator Ping Lacson presents his candidacy as a third option, separate from the opposition and administration. The noontime tv variety show popularity of his VP runningmate, Senate President Tito Sotto, can boost his campaign. Lacson doggedly exposes corruption and abuse; but he has lost the presidential race once, in 2004.
Former Duterte ally and deposed Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has offered Lacson chairmanship of Partido Reporma. Sotto is the highest sitting member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the second largest party. Together, Lacson and Sotto have the longest experience in public service. Their senatorial ticket consists of reelectionists and returnees, mostly independents and some aligned with the administration.
Vice President Leni Robredo has yet to choose between the presidency or a local position in Bicol. Her closest aides promote her as opposition standard-bearer. But her Liberal Party is in tatters. That ruling party in 2010-2016 was unable to put up a complete 12-man senatorial ticket in the 2019 midterm election; all its eight bets lost.
Leni decries Duterte’s failures: high joblessness, economic slump due to sloppy pandemic response, rising food prices and acquiescence to China sea aggression. But her amplification of issues is one thing. Allegedly, online bashing by administration troll armies in the past five years has pulled down her popularity. Why she did nothing about it is a big question.
Lacson has disclosed Leni’s rejection of his unity formula. Under that scheme they would both file candidacies for president, but one whose survey ratings subsequently falter should back out and support the other. Fair enough. But Leni reportedly said that once she enters, she will finish the race whatever the outcome.
Survey popularity buoys up Isko Moreno. Sensing congressmen-members’ leanings towards Sara Duterte, the Manila mayor has left the National Unity Party. He also wants to dissociate from the oligarch that finances NUP. His jump into Aksyon Demokratiko of the late senator Raul Roco supposedly fits his stand that “the presidency is not inherited.”
Sinovac safety efficacy and price still need clarifying
Sinovac safety efficacy and price still need clarifying
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