WITH the elections over, we are all back to our normal lives. When I open my Facebook, gone are litanies of propaganda espousing or bashing a candidate and the tirades back and forth between and among friends supporting or maligning their choices.
They say in the Philippines, after the counting of ballots, a candidate either wins or he is cheated. We saw among the political hopefuls the nobility in defeat and defeat of nobility.
Grace Poe exercised nobility in defeat when she conceded to Rodrigo Duterte. She was a revelation in this whole campaign. Being an “undecided voter,” I followed the interviews and debates on television. I doubted Poe’s capacity and her credentials to be my president being a newbie, but she metamorphosed like a graceful butterfly.
She knew her purpose for entering the fray, she was driven, she did her assignment on all topics and held her own during the debates. Up to the end, she remained true to her conviction and could not be swayed with allurements. I believe she made a statement for foundlings who should not be deprived of their citizenry. In the face of defeat, she was the epitome of her name – Grace, making her graceful exit in full regal nobility.
In a Shakespearian play, Mar Roxas would be a tragic figure. Born to local nobility, an autocrat or aristocrat in his ways as described by Lady Miriam in her interview, the two highest positions in the land seem to elude Mar like the plague.
We thought he was a runaway winner as vice president during the 2010 elections only to brushed aside by then Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay.
While Bongbong Marcos has been made to apologize for the sins of his father, no one breathed a word about Roxas’ grandfather, Amading Araneta. To a generation long gone, as written in the book “Barons, Brokers and Buyers,” on page 253, it is written that “The planters never hated anyone more than they hated Amading Araneta.” A nonagenarian said, “I will not vote for Mar because of his Lolo!”
I wonder why.
This time around, the presidency eluded Mar Roxas. Was it his repeated allegiance to the “Daang Matuwid” that brought him down?
As shown in the votes, it turned out that Malacañang is no Camelot, Noynoy is not the revered King Arthur and the most favored knight went down with the disappointments of the disgruntled subjects. But Mar in all his aristocratic breeding bowed out in a most emotional farewell with all the nobility in defeat.
The administration from Day One, or even before that, had a full court offense against Vice President Binay. Believing that he was the force to reckon with, everything even the kitchen sink was thrown in Binay’s way. Binay’s “nobility in defeat” conceded and called for healing and unity.
The vice presidential hopefuls have all exhibited nobility in defeat. You see a smiling Senator Gringo Honosan. Senator Francis Escudero is hoping that fellow “kasimanwa” Leni Robredo makes it. Senator Cayetano promises to help the presidency of his standard bearer.
Senator Sonny Trillanes did issue a statement that he will not be a hindrance to the reform initiatives of the president-elect. However, he did appear quite smug. Perhaps it is just his normal militant demeanor.
As said earlier, in Philippine politics, there are winners but no losers – only candidates who claim of being cheated. We see this now in Cebu and other parts of the country.
One thing we learn about campaign and elections, the crowd attendance and the pledges of support never translate to winning.
A victory will only be verified once the people have voted. Duterte and Roxas now know this.