Presidentiables

 BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

The run for the presidency for next year’s elections has become more interesting as more candidates declare their intention to run even as an opposition plan to field a unified ticket to challenge President Duterte’s anointed successor is becoming untenable.
    The latest politician to throw his hat into the ring was Sen. Manny Pacquiao. He hopes to add to his lucrative boxing career and lackluster track record as legislator marked by habitual absenteeism, a successful presidential run.
    Pacquiao had never been an opposition figure and allied himself with the President until it ran against his personal ambitions.
    His desire to run, has created a rift in the ruling PDP-Laban, the other half of which supports Mr. Duterte’s  run for the vice presidency to sidestep constitutional ban on a second presidential term.
    This faction of the ruling party has elected to support whoever Mr. Duterte picks to be his running mate—a position that has fueled speculation that involve his daughter and a former senator whose very name evokes memories of martial law from 49 years ago.
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In the meantime, the 1Sambayan coalition of anti-administration forces has been quiet. It had ruled out supporting Pacquiao, while Sen.  Panfilo Lacson, who has also declared his intention to run for president again after failing twice, has declined a nomination from 1Sambayan.
    They may yet agree on who among six nominees will be their standard bearer—but with so many other candidates outside of the coalition in the running, this may not be a unified front capable of overwhelming the administration ticket.
    But then, the notion of a united front in Philippine politics, with the notable exception of a few cases, seems illusory given the wide range of political views and ambitions of many personalities and factions.
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Mr. Duterte won only 39 percent of the popular vote in 2016. The late President Benigno Aquino III won 42 percent of the popular vote in 2010 and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo before him won the presidency with 40 percent of the popular vote in 2004.
    Even Joseph Estrada won with only 40 percent of the vote in 1998. Fidel Ramos won with only 24 percent of the vote in 1992, the first election held under the 1987 Constitution.
    We never had a majority president, although many of them behaved as if they had received that mandate.
    The opposition may yet pull off an upset in 2022 with a single, common slate, but history suggests that given the fragmented nature of our politics, the numbers are lacking for a truly unified front.
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This, as the tandem of Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso and Dr. Willie Ong to the presidential and vice presidential race in 2022 was announced.
    Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd, who is running as Lacson’s VP, when asked by supporters about possibility of electing a minority president in 2022, said, "It has always been the case since former president FVR (Fidel V. Ramos), except (former president Joseph) Erap's (Estrada) time."
    The ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has two sets of candidates to the nation's top two posts after it was split into two factions.
    The group of Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi chose Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go and President Rodrigo Duterte as presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively.
    Sen. Pacquiao leads the other faction together with Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 3rd.
    Former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has yet to accept the endorsement of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas to be its standard-bearer.
    House of Representatives' Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez said Moreno's choice of Ong was a "good" one.
    "I have known Dr. Willie, a close friend, as a decent man whose heart is in the right place," Romualdez, president of Lakas-CMD, said.
    "He truly cares for his fellowmen, and he has never wavered in his quest for a good government responsive to the needs of Filipinos," the lawmaker said.