HOTSPOT
As I write this, the filing of Certificates of Candidacy and Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance by aspirants is in full swing at venues designated by the Commission on Elections. Many, or most of the declared candidates have been met with groans and moans.
While the filing period is still ongoing, nobody expects that an army of angels and saints would come down from heaven and present themselves as candidates to challenge those perceived as, or are themselves evil incarnate, so to speak, vying for the 18,000 positions at stake in 2025.
So far, the progressive Makabayan coalition is fielding an 11-member “Taumbayan sa Senado” ticket, an undetermined number of local candidates, and the partylist groups Kabataan, Gabriela, ACT Teachers and Bayan Muna.
The Liberal Party is fielding one senatorial candidate, adopting one more, and joining the partylist race with Mamamayang Liberal. It is unknown how many Liberals are running for local posts.
After belatedly notching a partylist win, Akbayan has announced that it has candidates for “hundreds” of local positions.
Magdalo is also rejoining the partylist elections, and a former senator identified with it is running for city mayor.
Partido Lakas ng Masa is rejoining the senatorial race with two candidates.
Certainly, there have been no publicized efforts for these five groups to form an electoral alliance or some sort of cooperation. If there were discreet efforts, they have apparently not (yet) been successful.
The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte and former President Duterte appears to have failed to attract national and local candidates. They don’t have a complete senatorial slate, and the pro-Duterte reelectionist senators are quickly falling out of the Magic 12 in the surveys. The Dutertes have been mortally wounded by the messy political divorce of the Dutertes with President Marcos, the damage wrought by pro-China policies, the arrest of Quiboloy, and the sensational House and Senate hearings, among others.
The administration is obviously the political force that’s most prepared going into the election season. The ruling Partido Federal ng Pilipinas forged alliance and partnership agreements with Lakas, National Unity Party, Nacionalista Party, and the Nationalist People’s Coalition. Ahead of the filing period, the president personally named the 12 members of the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” senatorial slate.
Most of the local slates and candidates thus far are identified with the administration coalition, with only a few exceptions.
There’s still time for the broad opposition forces to talk and find common ground. The LP has said something to this effect, with regards to a possible partnership with Makabayan. Akbayan is silent about this matter, and so is the right-wing Magdalo. It is not known if PLM is open to joining such a broad electoral alliance.
To be honest, it is already late. People are wondering why they cannot set aside differences and come to an agreement on practical matters and on common principles. If the administration can do it, the opposition should also be able to do it.
Maybe we should trap the party leaders in a room and not release them until they strike an honorable, progressive and patriotic agreement. What could they agree on is limited only by their openness. How about defending sovereignty and territory, ending foreign interference, providing economic relief to working people, reviving Philippine agriculture, supporting SMEs, holding the Dutertes accountable, bringing back the country to the ICC, abolishing the NTF-ELCAC, and reviving peace talks? If they think patriotism is most important today — diplomatically, economically, politically, socially, and spiritually — then they could name the election project “Koalisyong Pilipino para sa Pilipinas”.
They can agree to make all oppositionist local candidates get a fighting chance and perhaps score big local victories. They can cooperate so all oppositionist partylist groups could win. For the Senate race, they can adopt or not directly oppose one another. If they must fight, and surely there are reasons to fight, they could direct all their might at the administration alliance or the remnants of the once-mighty Duterte camp.
Perhaps former Vice President Leni Robredo, former Justice Antonio Carpio, Conchita Carpio-Morales, and former Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, and others could step in to broker coalition talks. This could be like 1Sambayan, but a lot more urgent, more inclusive and more experienced.
A coalition is still possible ahead of the Feb. 11, 2025 start of the campaign. But it is not only possible. It is a political necessity and a political obligation to voters who should be provided a democratic and national alternative.