UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Dr. Raymund W. Lo
In pathological terms, irreversible applies to diseases so severe that recovery is no longer possible. Let’s apply that to the political arena. The Marcos Jr. camp is saying the survey leads are such that there is no way for him to lose. But let’s look at past experiences.
In the 2016 elections, there were several frontrunners: Jejomar Binay (41 percent), Grace Poe (30 percent), and the incumbent administration candidate, Mar Roxas (20 percent). They all lost to Rodrigo Duterte, who only garnered 12 percent initially but won the elections. With presidential elections, certainty is not guaranteed by surveys.
The Marcos camp claims that he has a wide lead in the surveys, which admittedly was valid at the time they were taken and for the population surveyed. But contrast it with his rallies, where he repeatedly fails to draw big crowds. His refusal to participate in debates has also been seen as a red flag by his soft supporters. His numbers are starting to drop.
Now, let’s look at the second frontrunner, Leni Robredo. Her rallies have been characterized by large attendance and with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and staying power by attendees. This is seen all over the country, even in so-called Marcos-Duterte strongholds. The much ballyhooed “Solid North” and “Solid South” are solid no more, shattered by the 76,000-strong attendance in Pangasinan, and the 35,000-strong crowd in Tagum City, bolstered by the strong endorsement by Partido Reporma, headed by local stalwart Pantaleon Alvarez, known to be a political enemy of Sara Duterte. The most recent rally in Pampanga (GMA’s home province) drew 220,000!
Leni may be behind in the surveys, but there’s no denying the rapid momentum her campaign is gathering in what is being termed a people’s movement. The outpouring of support for her is from all sectors of society, with people shelling out their own hard-earned money to fuel the campaign with election paraphernalia, and others being more creative in putting out social media memes, painting murals, and campaigning house to house.
Where in the world will you see rallies mounted by different groups with no formal ties to the campaign and which time and again draw huge crowds? Where people come together in harmony, offering food and drink to each other? Where well-known artists, singers, and other creative volunteers offer their services for free to entertain the crowds and push the audience to vote for the right candidate? Where, instead of the candidates giving out campaign gewgaws, the attendees vie to present their gifts, big or small, to Leni? Where do you see witty placards guaranteed to elicit chuckles and guffaws? Where organizers try to outdo each other with the best campaign venues, decorations, entertainment, and grand entrances? Where there is friendly competition in getting the greatest number of attendees in their rallies in the so-called “Olympinks”?
Even obstacles fail to dampen the enthusiasm. Buses cancelled or stopped at checkpoints? No problem, we’ll walk no matter how far the venue is, or hitch rides on motorcycles like Leni did, or ride bancas on rivers just to get there and swell the crowds who don’t leave, come rain or shine. This is an unprecedented phenomenon, sadly overshadowed on the world stage by the ongoing Ukraine crisis for the world to take note of.
What is fueling this movement? I can only see a grim determination not to fall into the abyss of a second Marcos administration. A fear so great it haunts our dreams and turns them into nightmares. More than that is the deep desire to have a government that really cares for the people, especially the neglected, downtrodden, and forever marginalized sectors of society. One that can lift us out of a vicious cycle of poverty, poor health, and miseducation.
They speak of the Leni “magic” which fuels the above exertions. When she appears on stage, she is THE Rock Star, not just because of her popularity but also what she represents: decency, empathy, true caring, and for what she has done for the poor. Her supporters see in her who they themselves are – a decent, God-fearing person of great spiritual strength and determination to do good.
Some have said Leni’s campaign is rapidly gathering steam, surveys be damned. Others speak of a cultural revolution. Indeed, it is a cultural revolution that has sparked songs, paintings, sculptures, murals, dances, traditions, and giant tarps that drive the campaign to greater heights instead of the usual muckraking we have seen in past campaigns. It is rooted in the maxim Leni has enunciated: “Mas radikal ang magmahal.” Where the current administration fosters hate, division, and misogyny, Leni’s is a message of love, timeless and all embracing.
I shudder to think Marcos’ victory is irreversible, for truly it is one disease we need to recover from, not fall victim to. The antidote, it appears, is to spread the message of love and hope among us all.