Premonition for 2013

They say that the number “13” always brings bad luck. With that in mind I wonder if it’s true that 2013 will be an unlucky year for pro-administration candidates. No matter how they call it, a number of seasoned political observers are already saying that 2013 will be disastrous for the candidates of the Liberal Party as well as anyone who plans to bank on the clout and financial support of the PNoy administration.

For starters, the current administration has managed to alienate the Catholic Church in one hand, and infuriate the Iglesia Ni Cristo on the other. While the Catholic Bishops are primarily angry because of the RH bill or Reproductive Health Bill, The INC leadership is reportedly angered by put downs reportedly said by people in Malacañang as well as a string of swats taken against members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo such as former NBI Director Magtangol Gatdula and previously against LTO Chief and DOTC Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres.

According to a source, insiders from Malacañang have belittled the real number of votes that the INC actually delivers during elections compared to the number of recommendations they allegedly submit for government positions. These remarks have reportedly reached INC leaders who may soon be showing just how much influence they hold and their ability to campaign for or against a candidate.

This situation is reminiscent of the time when another administration openly stated that evangelist Brother Eddie Villanueva and his Jesus Is Lord Movement or the JIL did not have the number or the influence to gather one million members in a religious rally in Luneta. In reaction, over a million JIL members and their families swarmed all of Luneta and Roxas Boulevard. But in spite of their convincing presence, their critics claim they did not even go beyond 800 thousand people.

This time, it is the INC’s turn to hold a “religious rally.” No one is talking numbers because everyone knows that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is the second largest unified church in the Philippines. What people are debating about is if the INC rally also serves as a reminder or a warning of things to come especially in 2013.

Without a doubt there will be no overt mention of politics or politicians, but I’m certain that Palace decoders will be busy studying the contents and context of speeches to be made at the said rally. 

Meanwhile as if to balance the scales, Malacañang has opened its doors to evangelical – protestant churches and leaders who find themselves unwittingly sucked into the vacuum and complexity of politics. While Protestants and evangelicals do have the numbers in terms of membership, they don’t practice block voting or use their pulpits to influence their members concerning whom to vote for.

So far we have not heard of any invitations extended to politicians to grace the affair. What has been reported in the media is that several if not all of the Senator-Judges will be staying away from the affair to avoid any misimpressions since the lead counsel for the defense in the current impeachment trial, Justice Serafin Cuevas is a known member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

At this stage I can only guess that both sides; the Iglesia Ni Cristo and the PNoy administration are probably regretting the present situation. The administration is probably sorry that a number of them have big mouths while the INC may just be regretting that they did not go with Manny Villar instead!

Unfortunately for administration politicians who have to run for election or re-election in 2013, President Noynoy Aquino is not a re-electionist who has to curry favor. Unless PNoy decides to copy former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, we assume that President Noynoy will shoot for creating a legacy in place of a dynasty.

As such, administration candidates are now on their own and will have to decide where to lay their stakes. Do they ride along with the administration and hope that PNoy’s popularity will carry them as well, or go back to their traditional alliances?

Will it be “Daang Matuwid” the straight and narrow path, or “Daang may Paraan” meaning where there’s a will, there’s a way? Without a doubt, the choice will be difficult because this time, the potential winner or losers will be the administration candidates. Will they be singing praises in 2013 or will they be “Road Kill” after the elections?