With eight months away from the mid-term elections in May, things are heating up. Poll surveys are listing the names of the possible winners in the Senate race. The same goes for local government posts.
Election fever is upon us, indeed!
The Senate race is led by women. There are Davao City Mayor Sara Dutere-Carpio and Senators Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar and Nancy Binay. Another possible winner is former Senator Pia Cayetano. Other familiar names are Sonny Angara, Koko Pimentel, Serge Osmeña and Jinggoy Estrada.
These personalities have the advantage of awareness. I have been a journalist for over 70 years and I know for a fact that popularity is already winning half the battle.
But while I know that popularity counts for a lot, there are other factors: Credentials, advocacies, and of course funding.
Popularity may be a lot, but by itself it is not enough. I can only cite the case of the late movie icon Fernando Poe Jr. He was very popular but he still lost to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Voters obviously wanted somebody with better credentials and more substance.
Among those on the list I mentioned above, Villar, Binay and Pimentel are known for their own advocacies. They are well versed in government and the intricacies of legislation.
The race is tight, indeed, and those whose only qualification is loyalty to President Duterte likely will not make it. The Senate, now more than ever, needs to be composed of independent minds. We have no need for lapdogs —Harry Roque, Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa come to mind—there.
In Metro Manila, two cities are worth watching: Manila and Makati. In Manila, Fred Lim wants to return as mayor. Isko Moreno is also interested. But I don’t see how they can win against Mayor Joseph Estrada, who is doing a great job.
In Makati, the fight will be between two Binay siblings, Junjun and Abby. The odds seem to favor Abby as she is the incumbent mayor, but who knows?
The fact that former Vice President Jejomar Binay is running for Congress tells us that Makati is the city to watch. I expect him to win.
The elections will be a distraction from the problems our people are bearing.
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Presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio says she will seek reelection as Davao City mayor. But people will still consider the polls an acid test for President Duterte given the many problems hounding us.
What to me is tragic is that the Liberal Party cannot seem to fill its slate for the Senate race. Yes, there are Senator Bam Aquino, former congressman Erin Tañada and lawyer Mel Diokno. Aside from these three, who seem to be only relying on their surnames, who else is in the running? Even ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno did not want to be included in the opposition slate.
I said funding is a big factor. A senatorial candidate should have his or her own source of funds. They should not rely on party money or contributions. This is why I believe many candidates become allies of the incumbent.
In previous elections, a candidate for the Senate must have at least P100 million. For governor it’s at least P50 million. For mayors outside Metro Manila, perhaps P30 million. Surely if you don’t have money to throw around, don’t even think of running.
If you rely on contributors, say businessmen, then that begins the usual cycle of corruption and patronage.
This is why drug lords and gambling lords always dominate the political scene. This has always been the nature of our politics. How sad.
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The Armed Forces keeps talking about a Red October scenario. A coalition is out to oust the President, it says. The group is made up of the Liberal Party, the Magdalo Group and other critics of the President, and the communists.
But why will the Liberal Party connive with the communists?
Also, it has been proven that people power cannot succeed without the support of the military. Likewise, a military uprising cannot succeed without the support of the people. So what is the AFP talking about?
Mr. Duterte should really stop talking about destabilization. He knows too well that he has the support of the people. His ratings remain high. More importantly, most people do not like Vice President Leni Robredo.
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There is no mystery about inflation.
Inflation rises when the supply of money outpaces the production of goods. It’s just a matter of supply and demand.
Look at what happened when Typhoon “Ompong” struck Northern Luzon. With the destruction of crops and livestock, the demand for food rises, causing the supply of money to outpace supply of goods. And the supply of money comes from money in the hands of government.
This is the reason why in most countries, inflation is so low. Their governments do not increase money supply.
I laugh when politicians say that the US-China trade war or the soaring oil prices are causing inflation. What a ruse.
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