While Philippine National Police chief Oscar Calderon claims the elections was peaceful, in any language one could see there was violence, with at least 126 people killed. Any country under normal circumstances should have no violence whatsoever (or at least not of this magnitude) during an election period. But Filipinos are known for their quick temper on account of their Latin-American blood, and in the Philippines, politics is regarded as the be-all and end-all with almost every Tom, Dick and Harry wanting to become a governor, congressman or whatever. For some, politics is a family business.
The fact of the matter is, there is life outside politics. Yet this election proves that we still have a long way to go before we can achieve political maturity, though we are slowly getting there. Many people were saying that the results will serve as a report card on the present administration, and it’s a well-known fact that GMA has had negative survey ratings. But if we look at the election turnout, what is important is to decipher the message that the voting public is giving to the politicians and leaders of this country, and why some candidates got the votes that they did.
Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero are leading the pack, with most of their votes coming from the youth. This shows that the demographics in this country have changed, with people below 35 now comprising the majority. I know for a fact that there were many students and Filipino yuppies who went out of their way to make sure their votes would count.
People voted for Chiz because of his plucky personality and his articulateness, using to full advantage his facility in the Tagalog vernacular. Chiz has a high following even from the upper crust, but Loren is not very well liked by the AB sector because they think she is too ambitious and is in too much of a hurry to get to the top. However, she has an extremely strong support base from the lower class — where it counts anyway — because the poor look up to her as someone reliable and one who brings a breath of fresh air in the acerbic world of politics.
Gringo Honasan and Antonio Trillanes are within striking distance of the Top 12, which is an indication that the military — from whom those two got majority of their votes from — want reforms to be continued. What is disturbing, however, is that a win for Trillanes and Honasan might give the dangerous signal that engaging in military adventurism — and capitalizing on it to obtain popularity — can get one voted into the Senate.
The actors are a different story, though. Now they’re finding out the hard way that celebrity status will no longer buy them a sure ticket to the Senate, as seen in the case of Richard Gomez and Cesar Montano. Their lackluster “performance” at the polls is a clear indication that voters are developing some level of political maturity. But then again, credit should also go to modern technology like the Internet, podcasts and even text and MMS messaging because people are more up to speed now in getting information about candidates, and in being attuned to issues.
Save for a few exceptions, results in the local level cannot really be gauged, especially in areas where violence was very pronounced, and where warlordism and political dynasties were major factors that could have influenced the outcome. But then again, there were areas where the message from voters was very obvious. In the case of Manny Pacquiao, the people of GenSan have clearly spoken: They want Pacquiao to stick to boxing. As I have said on several occasions, Manny belongs to the boxing ring, not in the political arena. We may have a lot of “boxers” in Congress but we certainly don’t need a knockout artist there like Pacquiao.
The results in Makati and Quezon City are equally interesting. Makati is a microcosm of the Philippines, with the rich and the poor living side by side, literally. But Jojo Binay has somehow been able to strike a balance between these two disparate sectors. Even while businessmen are complaining about high taxes, Makati continues to be one of the top business districts in the country. On the other hand, the poor look up to Jojo Binay as some sort of Robin Hood, and they are happy because they are given a lot of services like the Yellow Card which provides free hospitalization and other benefits. That is why to this day, he remains Makati’s political kingpin. In the case of Sonny Belmonte, he won hands down in Quezon City because he is a dedicated public servant, and he’s doing a tremendous job uplifting the lives of the vast majority of the lower classes. This is going to be Sonny’s last term and he has told me that he will probably be moving on, perhaps serving as an ambassador sometime in the future.
At any rate, no one should mess around with the elections particularly the national level because it showcases the very essence of our democratic system. As I have pointed out on many occasions, EDSA or People Power is no longer an option if we want democracy to really mature — which is what most people want. Only true, honest elections can strengthen our democratic system, and there are strong hopes that this country will move towards that direction — with less violence and less “Garci” controversies. This is a hope that many senior citizens in this country — though they may not see it in their lifetime — wish for their children to see.
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