Editorial: Opposition’s roster

Editorial Cartoon by Enrico Santisas
Editorial Cartoon by Enrico Santisas

A bit shortly after the Duterte-Pacquiao word match waned last week, the opposition coalition 1Sambayan seized the lull over the weekend to announce its roster of nominees for presidential and vice presidential posts in the 2022 national elections.

In roughly three hours of online streaming, the occasion managed to haul likes and views that hardly measure up by social media standards as viral, although still the lineup of speakers didn’t waste time in conveying the message—not just “winnability,” but also “character, capability and track record,” said its lead convenor retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio on their bets’ qualities. The chosen individuals, the coalition believes, are those who will give “the good governance that we deserve.”

The list emerged from a series of multi-sectoral consultations, covering the youth, women, farmers, overseas Filipino workers and health experts,” among others, said Carpio.

Although fluid for the nonce, the roster includes: Chel Diokno (Liberal Party), Sen. Grace Poe (Independent), Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto (Nacionalista Party), Vice President Leni Robredo (Liberal Party), Antonio Trillanes IV (Magdalo), and Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas).

Of these individuals, only Trillanes explicitly expressed interest for the presidency, but said he’d willingly back out if Robredo decides to take the helm. Senator Poe, minutes after the announcement, said she was not interested to run for President, adding that she’d rather spend her time in helping out address the pandemic. The senator ran for President in 2016, but lost to President Rodrigo Duterte and came only third, after LP bet Mar Roxas on second. Representative Santos-Recto also expressed disinterest over the presidency, adding that she’s set for more work in Congress and to help out in the vaccination efforts iin Lipa, Batangas. Representative Villanuena, lawyer Diokno and VP Robredo did not give any forthright answer to the nominations.

1Sambayan co-convenor former foreign secretary Albert del Rosario, though, said there may be new names to the list soon. The current list shows names of the administration’s fiercest critics and moderates, naturally so in politics to pull in as much swing votes into the coalition.

The names, however, do not frustrate any discerning observer who’d pick credentials over popularity.

Diokno, a long-time rights lawyer, ran under the opposition Otso Diretso, but lost in the 2019 elections. He had been chairperson of the Free Legal Assistance Group (Flag) and had been a staunch critic of the administration’s war against drugs and the perceived human rights violations that go with it.

Santos-Recto has 23 years of public service, from being chief local executive to congresswoman. Villanueva has been party list representative of the Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption. He had taken a strong position as a rights advocate against the government’s drug war.

The other names need not be highlighted as they have been perennial headline names in Philippine politics.

Meantime, on the administration side, while we hear of sinister ouster moves against party chairman Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who had been explicit in his interest for the presidency, and while the other bets, including presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, are still names afloat, the citizens need to set their minds on more rigid criteria for anyone aspiring to lead the country, someone who can give “good governance that we deserve.”

More than the wait-and-see is that mindset of skepticism against traditional politics.

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph