“Photos do not lie.”
I have been wondering why the Bongbong-Sara tandem has in all pre-election surveys continue to dominate the presidential and vice presidential surveys. My gulay, I have been analyzing this phenomenon, and I have reached the conclusion that it’s the confluence of various factors.
First of all, Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte-Carpio represent the solid north and solid south. By solid north, referring to the fact that Bongbong Marcos has the solid support of Ilocano-speaking Regions and two, the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), and the Ilocano-speaking half of Pangasinan, a vote-rich province, one fourth of Nueva Ecija, one fourth of Tarlac and a portion of Zambales, representing almost 4 to 5 million voters.
Bongbong Marcos’ supporters are not only Ilocanos in Metro Manila but the Tagalogs in the National Capital Region. In between the north and the south are Cebuanos, Sara being a Cebuana herself, together with the Warays in Eastern Visayas. Recall that Romualdezes come from Leyte. Don’t forget that the former First Lady Imelda Marcos is a Romualdez.
The solid south, of course, is Mindanao, 80 percent of Mindanao is Cebuano-speaking voters. And Marcos is a well-known name among the Muslims. Santa Banana, don’t you know that there are Ilocano enclaves in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat? The fact that the Bongbong-Sara tandem represents geographically and demographically all over the Philippines is a perfect combination of largest dialect speaking voters, to me, it is something that the other candidates and aspirants for president and vice president don’t have.
Another factor, which to my mind, favors the Bongbong-Sara tandem is the fact that no aspirants have caught the imagination of voters like the Bongbong-Sara tandem. Take note of the fact that no less than four large political parties have given their support for the BBM-Sara tandem. Santa Banana, when no less than the Lakas-CMD, the Hugpong ng Pagbabago and the Lakas ng Masa and the Partido Federal ng Pilipino that made BBM its standard bearer denotes the strength of the BBM-Sara tandem. Note that with the support of these four political parties, there must be a reason for it when no less than two former Philippine presidents combine to support the BBM-Sara tandem, like former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Erap Estrada giving their support. Can the other presidential and vice presidential aspirants have this kind of support? I can almost predict that soon enough even the Cusi-wing of PDP-Laban will support the Bongbong-Sara tandem with the endorsement of Duterte. That would be an indication of what will happen on Election Day.
Another factor why the Bongbong-Sara tandem appears at this point in time to be the runaway choice of voters is that no other candidate or aspirant, like Vice President Leni Robredo or Manila Mayor isko Moreno, or Manny Pacquiao and even the Ping Lacson-Tito Sotto tandem have caught the imagination of the voters. Note the difference between the BBM-Sara tandem between the second placer Robredo is close to 30 percentage points. Santa Banana, that represents some 30 million of the voting populace of 64 million.
Another factor in favor of the Bongbong-Sara tandem is the fact that Martial Law and everything that goes with it is already a discounted issue. Among the generation of today, Martial Law and all its implications are already a thing in the past. Only the leftists and the Yellows are bringing up this issue because of the fact that Martial Law in effect broke the backbone of the communist movement.
My gulay, there’s also the indication that with the combination of Bongbong and Sara, it is a strong leadership committed by a President and Vice President to confront the challenges that will confront them, especially the big challenge of creating jobs for people because of COVID-19. All these factors contribute to the fact that election poll surveys indicate that the Bongbong-Sara tandem as the runaway team on May 9, 2022. I would like anybody, experially the self-proclaimed political analysts to say otherwise to my analysis.
Photos of motorcades of Bongbong-Sara in Metro Manila are indications why Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte-Carpio appear to be the runaway aspirants for President and Vice-President. Photos don’t lie. All those indicate that the Vice President in 2016 was Marcos, not Robredo.
Santa Banana, at the rate the BBM-Sara tandem are going, there’s a possibility that for the first time in Philippine elections, we could have a majority-elected President and VIce President on May 9, 2022!
•••
In the wake of all the devastation that typhoon Odette has wrought in the Visayas and Mindanao, with so many lives lost, houses and infrastructure damaged, and livelihood lost, it’s time the Senate wakes up to reality and have the DDR or the Department of Disaster and Resilience must finally get enacted.
Yes, we have the NDRRMC already devolved into regional and provincial and cities, but it is only an ad hoc body under the Department of National Defense called upon in times of emergency dependent entirely on the DND budget. It’s time to have a separate department to strategize and focus itself to meet all the needs of all areas in the Philippines which, my gulay, are prone to disasters and calamities.
The lessons learned from all the cyclones and typhoons that have hit the country are very clear on the need for such a department with a budget of its own, and not dependent on donations and contributions from the private sector and foreign aids. We can no longer over-emphasize the urgency and critical need for a DDR considering the fact that the country is a disaster and calamity prone country. I’m only talking about the devastation wrought by so many cyclones and typhoons, together with floods and landslides. The fact is that we need the DDR like yesterday.
•••
The Philippine Statistics Authority explains the incidence of poverty in the country has risen, my gulay, to over 26 million Filipinos poor, Santa Banana, with half of them unemployed. The next President will surely be confronted with the biggest and greatest challenge that a national leader will have to face next year. With no less than 26 million Filipinos who consider themselves poor and with that number out of jobs because of the impact of the pandemic, the country will certainly need a strong leader. I don’t know if all the presidential aspirants realize what the country is facing when we talk of jumpstarting the country’s economy’s recovery. With no less than 26 million Filipinos within the poverty line and half of that jobless, the country may have to face not only the continuing pandemic but poor people who are getting hungry. Never in the history of the country have we faced such a problem, my gulay!
With these, I greet all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
