INDEED, elections in the Philippines have always been a funfare and ruckus season, probably the most festive event in southeast Asia. Everybody is “goodtimed” by somebody. And at the end of the day, everybody seems happy for being somebody.
The local campaign kickoff rallies of local parties last March 25, 2022 especially in Bacolod City, may have brought varied impressions on the public.
To Bacolodnons who have witnessed and somehow enjoyed the growth and development of the city under Mayor Bing Leonardia leadership despite some of its unexpected shortcomings, the Grupo Progreso (GP) rally maybe the most impressive in terms of rally form and color, program, professional conduct of candidates, solidity and compactness of participants and campaigners, and overall depth of the activity in public plaza.
The Team Asenso Bacolod was also impressive, not so much for the performance of their candidates though some of whom are known as good and impromptu street talkers or so some impressions said, but more to artist Bamboo, surprisingly the star of the rather brief rally, whose rap music was so popular among the youth for almost a decade now, and obviously drew that night a relatively big crowd mostly youngsters from around the province.
Independents and newbie candidates likewise made their own official “debut”, though a bit lonelier and hardly felt, compared to big parties. Just the same, they are out to project themselves as beholden to no one and have also a big agenda to offer.
But as the wisdom from veteran politicians say, campaign rallies, caravans, barangay visits, handshaking and other meet and greet sorties, are only as good as selling a well packaged “balot”; the ultimate result is how much did it sell and earn?
In short, in the context of our prevailing trapo electoral system and dynamics, the candidates’ votes delivery in every precinct or clustered precinct is the ultimate judgment of the candidates’ organizational strength and social acceptability.
Of course, the one with the bigger warchest and scandalous loudspeaker has a bigger chance of winning. But time and again, in our characteristically trapo electoral system, the one with tightly-knit and efficient campaign machinery and vote delivery system on top of adequate resources, and friendly relations with those in charge of elections, have cutting edge and bigger chances of winning.
Does GP have the formidability and invincibility in all aspects over ABB? And vice versa? Well, only their respective frontliners and the general voters can tell. And they will make it known on the judgment day comes May 9, 2022.
I suggest that if candidates, especially the perennial losers, rascals and “hambogs” and newbies, want to win especially in Bacolod, one should stop bad and loud mouthing, and start to focus instead on solving statistical problems, and the hows of delivering decisive votes on judgment day.
I just pity the independents, a few of whom I know personally and with good development platforms but without established campaign machinery and campaign logistics; their campaign falls purely on conviction and advocacy. But who knows, or God knows, pure luck could still work for them.
God bless everyone!