Vote for change

The election circus is here; its caravans are painting the town red – wild, boisterous and full of cheers. The candidates and the crowd are excited, jubilant and happy but I’m anxious, disturbed and jittery.

I can’t help but wonder – what’s going to happen in our country after the May 2025 elections, given the latest survey results on voters’ preference for senators?

This is a question for all thinking men who care about the future of this nation of over 120 million; it is a situation that will affect you, me and everyone we know, whether we like it or not.

The survey results are alarming. Our future senatorial line-up will continue to deteriorate if the survey turns into reality.

This is what happens when every Juan dela Cruz audaciously thinks he or she can be a senator of the Philippine Republic – charlatans who are taking us for fools.

We can blame democracy for this. The qualifications to vie for a Senate seat are very basic – natural-born Filipino citizens, at least 35 years old on election day, able to read and write, a registered voter and a resident of the country.

But if you look at the roster of Filipino statesmen from decades past, it is shameless for some of our current crop of candidates to think that they are qualified to be in the league of the esteemed men and women who, once upon a time in history, walked the august halls of our chamber.

These statesmen are the ones worthy of being called solons, which doesn’t just mean a legislator but a wise and skillful one. The term is derived from Solon himself, an ancient Athenian statesman, lawmaker, political philosopher and poet. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece.

Among our Filipino statesmen were Jovito Salonga, Lorenzo Tañada, Jose “Pepe” Diokno, Vicente Sotto (not Tito Sotto), Ambrosio Padilla, Blas Ople, Gil Puyat, Benigno Aquino, Eva Estrada-Kalaw, Rene Saguisag.

They must now be rolling in their graves, helpless in protecting the chamber.

It is we, the voters, who must do that now.

But why is it so difficult for Filipinos to vote for change? Why are we so afraid to vote, for instance, for those from the grassroots movement even though they are not well known? Why are we so afraid to vote for new names, new ideas?

Surveys show a disturbing trend. With the exception of a few names, traditional politicians dominate the surveys. Some former celebrities turned lawmakers, including those previously involved in pork barrel scams, and celebrity newcomers who admit not knowing much about lawmaking, are among those in the so-called Magic 12, according to the Jan. 25 to 31 OCTA Research Group survey.

Those in the Magic 12 come from the senatorial slates of the Marcos and Duterte camps.

A PNA article on the latest OCTA survey states:

“Nine candidates backed by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are among the probable winners in the 2025 Senate race based on the latest OCTA Research pre-election survey.

“The survey, conducted from Jan. 25 to 31, showed ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo as the most preferred candidate, topping the poll with 70 percent voter preference.”

Former senate president Tito Sotto III ranked third to eighth with 52 percent, Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. ranked fourth to 11th with 49 percent; former senator Panfilo Lacson at fourth to 11th with 48 percent; Sen. Pia Cayetano at fourth to 11th with 46 percent and former senator Manny Pacquiao at fifth to 12th with 45 percent.

Furthermore, Sen. Imee Marcos placed fifth to 13th with 44 percent, while Sen. Lito Lapid ranked fifth to 14th with 43 percent. Former interior secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. secured the ninth to 16th spot with 39 percent, rounding out the administration-backed candidates in the Top 12, according to PNA.

Three non-administration candidates also made the top 12 – Ben Tulfo (second to third with 60 percent); Sen. Bong Go (second to fourth with 58 percent) and TV host Willie Revillame, who is also running as an independent and is tied with Lacson at fourth to 11th with 48 percent.

The nationwide survey was conducted among 1,200 respondents and has a three percent margin of error, the article also said.

None of the progressive, grassroots or so-called opposition candidates came even close to the so-called Magic 12.

Filipinos prefer to vote for those who’ve been “tried and tested.” But what track record do our trapos have?

The responsibility of a senator is huge – creating bills, resolutions, conducting inquiries in aid of legislation and trying cases of impeachment, among others.

Every action or inaction will affect our country, our people.

What we really need are senators who are sincere and brilliant enough to help steer our country toward a better future; toward a society that will do away with the exploitation of man and reset the rhythm of our nation. We need men and women who are not driven by greed, lust, power or ambition.

We need to bring statesmen back to our chambers. We needed them yesterday and we need them more tomorrow.

As we go out and vote in May, may we remember the difference between a politician and a statesman, as wisely defined by the American theologian and author James Freeman Clark:

“A politician thinks about the next election while the statesman thinks about the next generation.”

*      *      *

Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.