HOTSPOT
If voting were held today, President Marcos Jr.’s new electoral alliance is on-course to dominate the 2025 national and local midterm elections.
Marcos himself boasted that he has been able to field candidates not just for the 12 Senate seats, but for all the over 18,000 posts to be contested in the elections.
That’s the sheer power of incumbency, one might argue. But that’s a difficult argument to make, simply because it is tough to argue against a winner. Marcos prepared for the elections, identified or attracted candidates for all posts, and started the campaign strong in his own terms.
The opposition whose leadership has alternated since 2022 between former Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Risa Hontiveros, and back to Robredo, managed to present a grand total of two candidates for the 12 Senate seats (Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino), and partylist groups Akbayan and Mamamayang Liberal.
Robredo’s 2025 candidates have said they are banking on nostalgia among voters who backed the lady-in-pink in 2022.
The Makabayan coalition has four partylist groups and 11 senatorial candidates. They are led by the master teacher-turned-congresswoman France Castro. Yes, that’s the woman who courageously exposed Vice President Duterte’s confidential funds and her tough questioning in hearings have ultimately led to a resignation and an impeachment.
It is to the credit of Makabayan that they nominated Castro, an undisputed opposition leader in the House and someone who came from the grassroots.
Castro is joined in the Makabayan slate by outgoing Rep. Arlene Brosas, former congressman Teddy Casiño, former National Anti-Poverty Commission secretary Liza Maza, peasant leader Ka Daning Ramos, transport leader Mody Floranda, fisherfolk leader Ronnel Arambulo, labor leader Jerome Adonis, Alyn Andamo of Filipino Nurses United, Moro leader Mek Lidasan, and urban poor leader Mimi Doringo.
Makabayan partylists are Kabataan, Gabriela, ACT Teachers and the comeback kid Bayan Muna.
Castro and Makabayan have a tough road ahead of them, not only because they mostly don’t have the name recall, money, resources and traditional political pedigree. Red-tagging is a huge challenge coming not just from the state security establishment, but also from rivals among traditional politicians of all stripes.
Luke Espiritu and Leody de Guzman of Partido Lakas ng Masa, labor leader Sonny Matula, and independent Heidi Mendoza are also proving attractive to many.
Months prior to the filing of certificates of candidacy, Marcos was busy overseeing or signing many agreements with political parties that now compose the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Was there something like that among the oppositionist forces?
It is not impossible to see a broad opposition coalition midway through the 90-day campaign, but only if the different forces find common cause, reject tribalism and sectarianism, and present voters a viable alternative. That’s the task of leaders and leadership, and that’s a decision for the leaders to make.
The sense of déjà vu is bound to be more stark when the campaign starts for the local level. Even the most ardent, non-affiliated, well-meaning Kakampinks would remember the huge difficulties from not having a broad national coalition, and without local slates and candidates to back campaigns in provinces, cities, municipalities, and neighborhoods. Of course, not just to support the national campaign, but also to vote for governor, vice governor, board members, mayor, vice mayor, and councilors.
Like most of you, I will try to fill the entire ballot, starting with 12 senators. I won’t vote not just for one, two or three. I will vote for 12 senators (starting with Teacher France!), and a partylist representative (Bayan Muna!), and also cast votes for all other posts.
A lot is always said about “voting wisely.” But not enough about wise and intelligent politics; starting with asking political parties and leaders if they fielded candidates in all posts; about due diligence in the endorsements, about developing and creating leaders; about coalition-building; about assessments of past failed campaigns; and the three G’s of guns, goons, and gold that mark Philippine elections.
The last thing people want to hear after they perform their civic duty of voting is to be blamed for the shortcomings or loss of political parties and leaders who decide without consulting or asking them.