By Reni M. Valenzuela
ONE thing that stands out in the just concluded midterm elections is the emergence of certain “weak” candidates as victorious. They had slim (or slimmer) chances of getting elected if surveys and general skepticism were to be used as bases.
Yet they made it, and they are many. The election results for them defied expectations, fake news, and surveys. They have been divinely favored no doubt. God is good.
I call such phenomena -- election “surprises and miracles.” A notable case in point is the top performances of underdog comebacking senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan in the senatorial race, second and fifth, respectively, as of this writing.
Another is newbie politician Chel Diokno as a representative of Akbayan, the group that surprisingly garnered the most number of votes among party-list contenders for Lower House seats.
On the local level, a prime example is the decisive upset of a member of the well-entrenched and political dynasty in Cebu, the incumbent Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, by neophyte and less known Pamela Baricuatro in the gubernatorial contest.
“Youth votes” or the Gen Z and millennials propelled Bam and Kiko to top spots, declared the two oldest active election watchdogs in the country, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections.
Wrong! It was God Almighty who did it for the two (and others), rather for the nation, because miracles may and can come only from Him, not from anybody or any group of people, much less NOT from a politicized church.
Answered prayer, somehow.
By the way, this freshly held exercise of suffrage by the Filipino people may be considered the best national election we have ever had, distinctly in the matter/aspect of administration and steadfast leadership on the part of the Commission on Elections. Kudos to its hard working chairman, George Erwin Garcia.
Congrats to the winners.