"Our youth and students want the Senate to be independent and progressive."
"Our youth and students want the Senate to be independent and progressive."
In just a few days, the results of the 2019 midterm elections will be known and we will, more or less, know the direction our country may be heading. A lot is at stake in this election. On this depends whether our democracy will live or remain in perpetual comatose; the Philippines will continue to lose territory and natural resources to China; the killing of innocents in the name of the war on drugs will go on; human rights, particularly the freedom of the press will be further repressed; more political enemies will be jailed; Vice President Leni Robredo will be impeached; and Charter Change and federalism will be rammed down our throats. It is with much trepidation that I will be awaiting the election’s results.
The latest official survey results are quite discouraging.
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) March 2019 survey showed the following as leading candidates for the twelve senate seats: Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Bong Go, Pia Cayetano, Sonny Angara, Bong Revilla, Bato Dela Rosa and Lito Lapid (tie), Nancy Binay, Jinggoy Estrada, Koko Pimentel, and Bam Aquino. Just outside of the winning circle but within striking distance are JV Ejercito Imee Marcos, and Francis Tolentino who ranked 13th to 15th respectively.
The Pulse Asia’s April survey is not much different. It had the following results: Villar, Poe, Lapid, Cayetano, Go, Angara, Revilla, Dela Rosa, Binay, Pimentel, Marcos, and Estrada occupying the magic 12 slots. Aquino, Ejercito, and Serge Osmeña occupied the 13th to 15 positions.
Both surveys foretell a landslide victory for administration candidates despite the fact that several of them have been implicated in graft and corruption case. These include Revilla, Estrada, and Marcos. Lapid’s wife, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to smuggling of tens of thousands of United States’ dollars in the US. Add to this, Dela Rosa led the bloody war on drugs that killed tens of thousands of poor Filipinos, while Go has lately been labeled as a drug lord by “Bikoy” who recently surfaced.
It is no secret that Cayetano, Go, Revilla, Dela Rosa, Pimentel, Estrada, Lapid, Marcos, Tolentino, and Ejercito are Duterte allies. Their victory will mean that Duterte will have a super majority in the Senate. This means that he will get whatever he wants from a stamp pad legislature.
All is not lost, however. The Filipino youth is sending us a very strong message.
If we compare the results of the SWS and Pulse Asia surveys with the actual results of mock elections conducted in many university campuses, we will find a big difference. Our young people’s preferences are clear: they do not favor this administration’s stooges. Instead, they are leaning towards progressive candidates in the opposition. Check the following winners in the various mock elections held in different universities:
Ateneo de Manila University—Diokno, Gutoc, Colmenares, Poe, Aquino, Hilbay, Roxas, Alejano, Tañada, Ong, Angara, Cayetano
De La Salle University Dasmariñas—Diokno, Tañada, Gutoc, Colmenares, Aquino, Hilbay, De Guzman, Macalintal, Poe, Ong, Alejano, Pimentel and Roxas (tie)
De La Salle University Lipa—Diokno, Poe, Aquino, Gutoc, Hilbay, Colmenares, Villar, Roxas, Tañada, Angara, Cayetano, Macalintal
Far Eastern University(FEU)—Diokno, Gutoc, Colmenares, Poe, Aquino, Hilbay, Roxas, Alejano, Tañada, Ong, Angara, Cayetano
Mapua University—Diokno, Colmenares, Aquino, Gutoc, Hilbay, Alejano, Roxas, Tañada, Poe, De Guzman, Osmeña, Angara
Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)—Poe, Tañada, Diokno, Gutoc, Aquino, Villar, Cayetano, Ejercito, Pimentel, Colmenares, Hilbay, De Guzman
Saint Louis University (Baguio)—Diokno, Poe, Gutoc, Colmenares, Hilbay, Cayetano, Aquino, Angara, Osmeña, Pimentel, Villar, Binay
University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman—Diokno, Colmenares, Gutoc, Hilbay, Aquino, De Guzman, Tañada, Roxas, Poe, Alejano, Macalintal, Binay
UP Baguio—Diokno, Colmenares, Gutoc, Hilbay, Poe, Aquino, Roxas, Tañada, Alejano, De Guzman, Cayetano, Angara
UP Manila—Diokno, Colmenares, Gutoc, Hilbay, Aquino, Poe, Tañada, De Guzman, Roxas, Alejano, Binay, Macalintal
UP Mindanao—Diokno, Gutoc, Colmenares, De Guzman, Poe, Hilbay, Aquino, Tañada, Cayetano, Angara, Alejano, Macalintal
UP Visayas-College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences—Diokno, Gutoc, Colmenares, Poe, Aquino, Hilbay, Roxas, Alejano, Cayetano, Villar, Tañada, Binay
UP Visayas Tacloban College—Colmenares, Diokno, Gutoc, De Guzman, Aquino, Hilbay, Tañada, Poe, Alejano, Osmeña, Roxas, Macalintal
University of San Carlos School of Law (Cebu)—Diokno, Hilbay, Colmenares, Gutoc, Poe, Aquino, Osmeña, Tañada, Cayetano, Pimentel, Roxas, Angara
University of Sto. Tomas (UST)—AMV College of Accountancy—Diokno, Gutoc, Colmenares, Poe, Hilbay, Aquino, Roxas, Tañada, Cayetano, Ong, Angara, Alejano
Wesleyan University-Philippines (Cabanatuan City)—Diokno, Poe, Colmenares, Angara, Cayetano, Aquino, Gutoc, Hilbay, Tolentino, Osmeña, Villar, Macalintal
The youth’s vote is overwhelmingly oppositionist. Otso Diretso candidates Chel Diokno, Samira Gutoc, Pilo Hilbay, and Bam Aquino won in all the 16 mock elections. The others, Erin Tañada, Mar Roxas, Gary Alejano, and Romy Macalintal won in most of these elections. Grace Poe also won in all. Neri Colmenares made a very strong showing by winning in 15 of the 16 mock elections. The others who made it to the list of the favorites of our youth are Sonny Angara, Pia Cayetano, and Leody de Guzman.
It is very telling that none of the rabid Duterte allies (Bato, Go, Marcos) won in ANY of the mock elections. The same I true with the likes of Lapid, Revilla, and Estrada. Indeed, the results of these mock elections is a resounding rejection of the Duterte administration. These inform us of the young people’s positions on pressing issues. They do not like how this administration is giving away our territories and natural resources to China. They are against the killings perpetrated by the police using the war on drugs. They are against the corrupt. They do not favor how Duterte is repressing human rights and killing our democracy.
Our youth and students want the Senate to be independent and progressive as shown by their choices for senators. Our youth is WOKE and RISING. This makes me proud. They are showing us the way and for once, let us listen and follow their example. Let us allow our young people to lead the way in ensuring that our country remains a democracy, our sovereignty is defended, and our human rights, respected.
Vote as our young people did in the mock elections. After all, we owe it to them that the country is peaceful and secure. They will take the responsibilities next.
It gives me hope knowing the our woke youth will stand up and rise for our country and people. Come May 13, emulate our youth. Vote for the progressive candidates they have overwhelmingly chosen. May our young people’s will prevail.
@bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook