“The mid-term Senate results suggest a clear mandate: move the country forward through cooperation, not confrontation”
The storm from the midterm elections on Monday, to the midpoint of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s six-year Constitutionally allowed term, has started to become calmer.
Before too long, the Commission on Elections, the government’s poll watchdog, will be able to complete canvassing the 175 certificates of canvass from Tawi Tawi to Batanes, including those from overseas, for the early proclamation of winning candidates.
Verily, this week’s political exercise was keenly watched by local and foreign observers, noting the developments that preceded the voting by more than 55 million, or 81.65 percent, of the total registered electors who cast their votes on May 12.
That’s 62 days after the former president Rodrigo Duterte, returning from Hong Kong, was arrested at the Manila airport on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by the Hague-based International Criminal Court.
The arrest prompted the Senate committee on foreign relations, chaired by presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos to conduct an investigation, whose result she submitted to the Ombudsman.
Under the Rules of the Senate, the committee handles all matters relating to: Relations of the Philippines with other nations generally, diplomatic and consular services, and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations of which the Philippines is a co-founder.
Many have submitted robotic, if automatic, reactions, calling these analyses of the just concluded political exercise.
Beneath the cacophony of differing opinions, one thing appears intelligible: the results are, in several respects, a quiet victory for the 69-year-old President Marcos Jr. and his administration whose term ends on June 30, 2028.
While the President appears satisfied with the results of the midterm polls, although only five of the administration candidates he endorsed won Senate seats, Malacañang warned, short of an explanation, it would go after “obstructionist” lawmakers whose purpose will only be to serve their own interests in the Senate.
Press Undersecretary Claire Castro did not name anyone, but clarified these “obstructionist” lawmakers are different from what she called the legitimate opposition.
With five senators from the administration slate – Erwin Tulfo, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Panfilo Lacson, and Tito Sotto – securing seats, the administration’s legislative agenda is in good hands.
These are seasoned political figures with broad national appeal and pragmatic stances that align with stability and continuity.
Add to that the return of Liberal Party stalwarts Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, both widely seen as moderates who are unlikely to align with the Duterte bloc, and a centrist coalition in the Senate seems to be forming naturally.
Interestingly, both Camille Villar and Imee Marcos, originally part of the administration lineup, became estranged and both were endorsed by Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter.
Villar’s election and Marcos’ re-election may well represent a political realignment. Whatever fallout may have occurred seems to have been rendered moot by their mandate from the people.
In political circles, there is growing talk the President sees the recent elections as a referendum for unity, judging by the mixed results.
The electorate appeared to favor balance over bloc voting – rewarding candidates from different ends of the political spectrum but united by reputations for experience and governance rather than populist rant.
The Duterte camp cannot claim victory. Losing seven Senate seats is seen by many observers as no small matter, and signals the so-called “Solid Duterte” vote may no longer hold the heretofore national influence it had despite the rankings of Senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa.
The public appears to have shifted gears, choosing leaders who reflect consensus-building over conflict.
The mid-term Senate results suggest a clear mandate: move the country forward through cooperation, not confrontation.
For the Marcos administration, that’s not just a win in numbers – it’s a win in tone.
For an exhausted electorate, the result of the political exercise might just spell out victory for the 117 million population, many of whom are mired in poverty.