HOTSPOT

Many would distinctly remember the complaints and regrets of supporters of then-independent opposition presidential candidate Leni Robredo about having only a few local allies, and the difficulty of picking local candidates to vote for.

Having local candidates would make local sorties and rallies easier to organize, because it would be a breeze to obtain permits and have the benefit of the local political machineries and networks of barangay leaders. Multiply this by 82 provinces, and by thousands of municipalities and cities, and you would reap either regrets of having no candidates at all or the joys of having a local slate.

This immediately came to my mind when one of her backers described the vice president’s resignation as education secretary and consequently her leaving the president’s cabinet as a sign that she is assuming the role as the leader of the opposition.

That may really happen, simply because that’s how politics and elections work. It is possible that the vice president may command the allegiance of many national and local officials, as well as potential candidates across the country – rivaling only the president’s echelon of alliances and coalitions.

If she ably leads a new (or old) political party or parties in coalition with a lot of incumbents, fields a complete slate, and shows to the Commission on Elections that her party has a considerable nationwide presence, her party may end up as the dominant minority party or at the very least one of the 10 major national parties entitled to certain perks in the electoral process.

Right now, it is a given that the president’s party and alliances with other parties would have a nearly complete if not totally complete slate of candidates, including reelectionist ones. The next biggest should be the opposition, but is it?

As far as ideas go, I still believe the title of the opposition should go to the party or alliances that challenge the administration on foreign incursions on territory, the economy, corruption, education, mass transportation, and the prosecution of the brains of the brutal yet failed drug war, among others. But sadly, ideas are not enough. The opposition must do their other political duties to deserve and claim with credibility the title of opposition.

It is nothing personal. The reason why we have parties is because they supposedly create candidates and contest elections, and not just hold beliefs. Most of the parties today are not greenhorns. Many have come to power, and know the value of having a fully functional party organizations and alliances. They cannot claim to be innocent and ignorant about the hard work needed to successfully join and contest elections.

The disunity of the Uniteam is good for the opposition and the public. The problem is worse if they’re together. But the shifting political landscape of the 2025 elections present a challenge to the oppositionist forces, with the vice president angling for opposition leadership.

What can people do? Supporters of oppositionist forces and independents can demand a new way of doing things, like open public primaries for the selection of candidates – especially if the national parties either cannot do so, or if they have questionable, opaque processes that end up with not-so-good candidates. All positions should be contested, and candidates should be fielded in every single race. The primaries could be organized by a new broad political movement or coalition. It could have co-leaders or a council of leaders. It could be a “big tent” type of movement or coalition united around a broad progressive, patriotic and democratic platform. Even fundraising could be democratized, and not reliant on donors from the upper class.
If not, the traditional political opposition must come out and lead. Beyond issuing statements, it must present a platform, a complete slate, and roadmap to victory. Anything less would be a disservice to supporters and to the voters. Worse, a void would potentially give the vice president an opening to seize the initiative.

Fast forward to February 2025, the start of the campaign. Who are in the administration slate, and who are in the opposition slate? Where do you belong? Who are your allies and friends at the national and local levels? What is your role in all these?

The answers to these questions are being written now as you read this. It is not too late to propose a new script and a new way of doing things to surprise foes, to capture the voters’ imagination and support, and to make politics work for us.