THE standing of the presidential aspirants vis-à-vis burning and fundamental issues facing the country today ranges from worst possible, traditional, unpredictable, best possible to best impossible.
The issues for which their stand and capability was rated include growing poverty, falling incomes and savings, small and medium businesses closures, no fiscal stimulus, no more pandemic assistance, and bloating debts, and on the more fundamental problems of a declining economy, rule of political dynasties, elite democracy, oligarch-dominated multi-party system, authoritarianism, and subservient foreign policy.
BBM is rated as the worst possible, Robredo is best possible, Ka Leody Guzman is best impossible, while Ping and Isko are rated as nothing new for being no different from traditional politicians, and Pacquiao rated as tabularasa, unpredictable, for having no consistent agenda and solid platform though with great sincerity and honesty.
This was the analytics, scenarios and rating presented by Sonny Africa, Executive Director of IBON Foundation, an independent research, think tank and advocacy development institution in a forum last Friday in Bacolod City hosted by Public Interest Forum (PIF), a new multisectoral and ecumenical group led by clergy, lawyers, youth, women and basic sector organizations.
Well, it is obvious. BBM does not have a clear and coherent development and governance agenda except for his empty sloganeering “babangon tayo,” hyped by his well-oiled survey ratings. With that, people suspect that what he will likely do if he wins is redeem his family’s rotten image, regroup-consolidate his family’s dynasty, strengthen fascist institutions, and attack those they perceived as their enemies in the name “new society.
Robredo is rated best possible. She has big chances of winning because she is not only perceived as the opposite of Duterte, she has good track record especially in advancing participatory governance and social security and development programs, and has clear platform for economic development, participatory democracy, anti-dynasty, and pursuing non-aligned foreign policy.
By all indicators, she is the best possible, on the winning track, and will likely score a major landslide over BBM and others. The major hindrance she faces right now is the massive vilification and disinformation drive against her by the powers that be, the apparent attempt to unify other presidents against her, and the Duterte’s effective control over Comelec, and other state machineries.
Ka Leody de Guzman, a labor leader of the Partido Lakas ng Masa, is so far the only one with a comprehensive agenda that address burning and fundamental issues of the country. He is back by his abled vice president Walden Bello, a political economist and long-time street parliamentarian, and scores of senatorial aspirant led by the courageous and fiery labor lawyer Luke Espiritu.
Ka Leody, however, has come with a right weapon at a wrong time and place. I know he and his team is aware of that. Nonetheless, his advocacy certainly will itch a good mark in people's consciousness and could go through long molding and honing till the opportune time has come. He is the best impossible for 2022.
Still, the problems that have built up for decades, and worsened under the Duterte administration cannot be remedied by any of the presidential aspirants, much less in one or two terms. They are so deep and complex that solutions need a good servant leader and a powerful mass movement of Filipinos transformed by a long and arduous cultural revolution.
If Leni wins, she could hasten the process. If the Marcos-Duterte tandem wins or any other combination, the country could be in for a long haul of system change movement. God bless us!*