By Gonzalo Duque

 

THE Team Unity forged by Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte makes them the pair to beat in the coming May 9 elections.  The latest SWS survey from January 28 to 31 showed  Marcos obtained 50% support while VP Leni Robredo garnered 19%; Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator Manny Pacquiao tied at 11%; and Senator Ping Lacson (6%).

I think the old man Marcos is sending a message (from where he is now) that to beat his junior, the opposition should put up a common candidate or else, it will surely lose the elections.

Remember that late former President Marcos was a shrewd politician who always loved to divide the opposition. He reportedly planted many from his own party men in opposition groups to keep them fragmented.  There was Doy Laurel heading the UNIDO ticket, the LP had the Kalaw Wing and the Salonga Wing. (I used to belong to the Salonga Wing).

Even when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated, the opposition was still divided. But when the opposition finally decided to unite for the snap election in 1986 (Cory Aquino and Doy Laurel tandem), Marcos struggled with a united opposition.  To cut the story short, Cory was seated as president after so-called people power revolution.

What’s the relevance of these to those aspiring to succeed Rodrigo Duterte? It means that if the other presidential candidates cannot get together to field a common candidate, they cannot prevent a Marcos from returning to Malacañang.

The opposition can do a cara y cruz or do a draw by lots five rounds and whoever wins, yon ang magiging kandidato laban kay Marcos. A one-on-one showdown will give the opposition a fighting chance like it did in the 1986 snap election: Cory vs. Marcos.

If they can’t unite, the opposition should storm heaven with more prayers for a miracle  to prevent a Marcos comeback in Malacanang. Only the CIA of America can spring a surprise in order to install a pro-USA president! (Since Marcos is perceived to be clinging dangerously close to China like Duterte, we cannot predict what CIA can do to achieve America’s objective).

The BBM-Sara tandem is already equivalent to 50 percent plus one statistically, meaning Marcos can become the first majority President after the EDSA revolution if the opposition doesn’t act to unite soon. But since the latest SWS survey was made prior to the start of campaign period, many say it can still change because as they say “politics is the art of the possible”.

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Here’s the latest on the budget brouhaha in the Dagupan Sanggunian. The SP invited officials of PhilHealth to clarify if the P6-M yearly budget for the enrollment of indigents to the health insurance program was used. To the surprise of Councilors Michael Fernandez and Chito Samson, not even one indigent was enrolled by the city since 2020 up to this day. And city hall is again asking another P6 million in the 2022 proposed budget also for this purpose. Anto la ya?

Without any health insurance for more than two years, how were the indigents of Dagupan helped vs COVID-19 pandemic?

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During the 2019 elections, a barangay resident in Dagupan told me this story. On the day of the balloting, ang kasambahay nya ay nagpaalam para bubuto sa Bugallon. Her amo asked her: “So, iha, magka-cash advance ka na naman?” She replied: “Hindi na po madam. May pera po ako, kasi  nakaipon ako ng P30,000 sa mga pakurong.”

The amo was shocked. “Ano, ang dami naman? Sa akin P10,000 lang”. The kasambahay replied: “Di po ba Maam, may first wave, second wave at third wave! Nakaipon po ako ng P30,000. (The irony of it was the kasambahay was not voting in Dagupan).

That’s how expensive elections had become in Dagupan. Candidates distribute cash – house to house – three times before the elections to ensure their victory. Imagine what can happen in this election where many either lost their jobs or are unemployed because of the pandemic. They will consider mortgaging their souls so they can eat three square meals a day even for just three days.

Vote-buying can’t be stopped because the law allows it. For instance, there’s one candidate harapang nagpapamudmod ng P1K sa mga tao, and when Comelec was asked if it can file a case against that candidate, it said nothing can stop the candidate from distributing his own money since the campaign period has not started.

Still the Comelec sees no violation when billboards and tarpaulins (many of them oversized) are already out even when the campaign period has not begun. Also, Comelec is turning a blind eye today to incumbent officials distributing personal ayuda before the campaign period for local elections but actually using public funds.

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