What to do when the people have spoken

Last Monday we, the Filipino people, exercised our right to vote. For a good number of months candidates braved the streets, the airwaves, dodged a surmountable amount of fake news and did whatever they needed to do to win in an election.

Many of us were thrilled to see younger, fresher candidates claim their victory as well as surprised (or not) about those who managed to have suffered a huge loss. While we are all still in the heat of the moment and analyzing wins and losses especially over social media, the question at hand however is what one does when it’s time to fulfill campaign promises or on the other hand, face the music by accepting a loss.

I would suppose every candidate entering into politics thinks about what to do in the event that they win as well as if they lose. At most, I’d like to think that candidates look into both sides of the coin as surely there are so many things at stake for them all, whether it be in their professional and personal lives.

In other words, I’ve always wondered about whether or not political candidates prepare for the aftermath of elections especially when they lose. A political career is all about the work you have done as well as your relevance in society. Being a political figure is not only about esteem but rather how much you have actually contributed as a public servant – well at most, this is how it should be ideally.

But then again, there is the issue of name recall that still manages to win a candidate his or her seat in office even if many feel the lack of any relevant contributions in his or her term of office. Such circumstances therefore pose the question of how much education the voting public has actually garnered when it comes to the exercise of their political rights.

While a candidate goes out to risk everything to win in an election, voters on the other hand will have their own take in choosing their candidates. In the end, the results that can either be a shock or awe kind of reaction will always have an effect that should make one think about how much preparation has been made whether one wins or loses. The people have spoken, and either way, it’s time to carry on.