"Let this be our rebirth."
"Let this be our rebirth."
Election fever has started in the middle of this pandemic. In less than one year, the Filipino electorate will choose a new set of public servants to steer our country, hopefully, to recovery. Recovery from the disaster brought about by COVID-19, and recovery from an administration that wreaks havoc by knowingly and willfully killing tens of thousands of Filipinos in the name of “war on drugs,” and nonchalantly giving away our territories to its friend, China.
I do not envy the good people who will run for elections intent to right the wrongs we now face. Their work is cut out for them. It will be very tough. Poverty is all over and this is the kind that we have never seen since after World War 2. Millions are jobless and families are going hungry. Many businesses have closed down and those that have not have suffered serious losses. Job generation is a real challenge.
Many of those who used to run micro-livelihood activities have also stopped and their small capital has been used for family needs. Many did not receive “ayuda” from government. Those who did are one in saying that what they received could not be enough for the more than one year that they have been without work.
Our local and foreign debt has skyrocketed. The next administration will have to find ways to pay up, and hopefully, not by incurring more debt.
This early, the ones that we hear eyeing the presidency are mainly those allied with this administration. PDP, Duterte’s political party even went as far as floating the idea of a Duterte-Duterte ticket. Gone are the days when PDP was considered as a progressive political party. That PDP officials would even think of doing this betrays how they belittle the Filipino voters. This is the height of nepotism and must never be tolerated no matter who are involved. We are, after all, a democracy and no family should be treated like royalty. To me, this combination is mainly an attempt to prevent the prosecution of Digong after his term.
Political maneuverings are now being done. It is possible that more definite announcements from the administration side will be coming during or after Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. This SONA is important not for what Duterte will say regarding the country’s status but for pronouncements relevant to the coming elections.
After this SONA Duterte will likely become a lameduck president. We may see more politicians begin posturing as independents. Some may even go as far as acting like opposition especially because of how this administration is mishandling the pandemic.
It will be interesting how Manny Pacquiao and Bongbong Marcos will position themselves should a Duterte-Duterte combination be firmed up. It appears that both are also bent on running. Pacquiao, of late, has been posturing as some sort of an “independent.” Meanwhile, there are ongoing barangay-level organizing initiatives for BBM.
On the other hand, 1Sambayan (pronounced as “isambayan”), the opposition aggrupation organized and led by former officials Justice Antonio Carpio, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales is also gearing up for the elections. 1Sambayan follows a more grassroots-and-non-government-organizations-based approach because it has among its members people’s and sectoral groups, NGOs, progressive movements, and political parties.
They are going full-blast in local chapter organizing in various areas. Simultaneous with the organizing are the sectoral consultations and town hall meetings that are developing 1Sambayan’s platform of government. Said platform will be presented to the candidates of the opposition. This ensures that issues important to the marginalized sectors and groups are prioritized. Moreover, the manner by which candidates will be chosen will be presented on June 12, coinciding with the country’s Declaration of Independence celebrations.
The differences between the administration’s and 1Sambayan’s processes are glaring. The former is arbitrary and personality-based while the latter is more consultative and builds consensus. The administration is personality driven while 1Sambayan is more concerned with real people’s issues. These differences alone tell us which group is more concerned about people’s problems.
While prospective candidates are now busy preparing for the elections, the same should be done by us, the voters. A lot rests on the elections. The kind of life we will all have in the next six years will be heavily dependent on who will be in Malacanang. The defense of our country’s sovereignty rests on who we will choose as president. We cannot afford to sit this one out. We need to be involved and we must choose well.
We need to encourage people to register so they can vote. New voters should know how important the elections are for their own future. Registering with the COMELEC is the first and most crucial step if we are to change the direction of our country. Our young people’s future will be affected by the next six years and it is our responsibility to make sure that those we elect will do right by them.
Those wanting to run for the election are now preparing, so must we. We should be ready to change the country’s course beginning May 2022. Let this be our rebirth as a nation.
@bethangsioco on Twitter; Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook