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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Next big show

Next big show

Published Oct 11, 2025 12:05 am  |  Updated Oct 10, 2025 06:29 pm
MEDIUM RARE
Retired banker. Retired soldier. Active entrepreneur. Off-and-on balikbayan. Retired politician. Me, the fence-sitter, observing, listening to them, waiting for an earth-shaking moment of inspiration or exasperation, neither of which seemed to be forthcoming.
The food arrived soon enough. White chicken, Singapore style. Lemon chicken, Manila style. Fried tofu. Mixed green salad. Lemon tea. For myself, congee (at high noon) with very thin, highly digestible slices of roast duck.
I waited for my friends to give a hint of which politician they could not stand, which one they approved of. No name or names were floated. When all the time I was hoping they’d say something about the most likely presidential candidate they had in mind, especially if that person also happened to be my (secret) choice for now; but no dice. So I kept my mouth shut, even when I thought that “my candidate” was someone with a seemingly trustworthy face (as I like to describe him). It’s true, how can you vote for a candidate whose face you simply cannot trust, simply because he or she does not LOOK trustworthy?
The retired banker was mum, even when I asked him (for a third time) if USD’s were a better investment than gold bars. The retired colonel said that even if it was true that he and his comrades were meeting regularly, it was all in the spirit of camaraderie (root word: comrade?). The lawyer was quiet. The ex-politician was too busy with his sticky-rice-with-mango to bother. The balikbayan mentioned one name, the one she would not vote for, “Never!”
Otherwise, everyone was busy with their food or cellphones; most of them did not share my premature interest in the 2028 elections, not even when I rued how a constituent of Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto who was notorious for her conspicuous ownership of luxury cars could have gotten away with her free and pretty umbrellas if fate had not stepped in to rain on her parade.
It was almost time to end the lunch, until the ex-politician reminded everyone: Bombard Comelec now, with citizens’ demand for an information campaign to reach every voter so they know what’s what and who’s who, their votes the result of an informed choice, not a wanton accident.
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