IF THERE’S one key lesson that can be drawn from the May 12 midterm polls, particularly as far as the senatorial race is concerned, you cannot trust the popularity surveys made as late as the week before the actual voting to give you an accurate picture of voter preference.
Sure, we expected re-electionist senators Bong Go and Bato de la Rosa to be among the top three winners, as indicated in recent surveys.
But did we expect Bam Aquino to land at number 2, and Kiko Pangilinan at number 5, when they were both outside the winning column in most surveys? And another pro-Duterte candidate, Rodante Marcoleta, who had not even figured as a contender in recent surveys, would land at number 6?
Then there’s the spectacular fall of Bong Revilla, along with another re-electionist, Francis Tolentino, two candidates of the pro-administration coalition, the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas. Two other former senators seeking to return to the Senate, Manny Pacquiao and Gringo Honasan, also fell by the wayside.
Meanwhile, the progressive coalition Bayan Muna also failed to secure a slot in the senatorial race. However, anti-corruption candidate Heidi Mendoza and lawyer/labor leader Luke Espiritu both posted respectable numbers that could encourage them to take another stab at a Senate run in 2028.
And while at this, reports indicate that two senatorial candidates, Imee Marcos and Camille Villar, spent P3 billion each in their senatorial bids, but it turns out that they managed to land only in the last places of the race.
Our concern here is the composition of the Senate after June 30. If there are enough senators—at least eight—who would vote to acquit impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, then that would allow her to continue to use the second highest executive position to make a strong bid for the presidency in 2028.
A bright spot in the May 12 midterm polls is the successful run of former Senator and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima as the first nominee of Mamamayang Liberal.
The respected lawyer and victim of Rodrigo Duterte’s political vendetta for raising a furor over his bloody war on drugs from 2016 onwards is likely to make her voice heard when human rights issues are discussed in the House of Representatives.
Akbayan Party-List also snagged three seats in the Lower Chamber of Congress. Chel Diokno, son of the late Jose W. Diokno, brings to Congress a sterling reputation as a human rights lawyer.
While we welcome the electoral triumph of respected politicians who have proven themselves as staunch defenders of Philippine democracy, human rights and national sovereignty, we view with grave concern the apparent consolidation of dynastic rule throughout the country.
This does not bode well for the future of our democracy, particularly since our Constitution wants to prohibit political dynasties as contrary to the guarantee of equal access to opportunities for public service.