FROM a Facebook post the other day we learned that both the Ateneo de Manila University and the De La Salle University (ADMU-DLSU) managements are encouraging the fans (students and others) out to witness the resumption of the basketball rivalry between the two members of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) to wear the Leni-Kiko pink outfit. Clearly this speaks volume of the two educational institutions’ bias in favor of the Presidential and Vice Presidential tandem that is garbed with the signature pink.
But of course what can be expected from the schools concerned. Every election, especially for President and Vice President, they are always in the forefront of pushing for support of those they think are only rightful people to occupy the positions. They act as if they are the only ones that have the monopoly of correct judgment.
Honestly, we believe that the managements of the two leading catholic universities actually want to dictate upon those who have passed their portals to vote for the tandem they are backing up. Only that they are trying to tame down the possible backlash if they make the wearing of the Robredo-Pangilinan signature color mandatory. So, in order to shade themselves from the possible negative reactions they have to use instead the safer words “encourage the basketball fans.” That will give them leeway to wiggle out of “nega’s” way.
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Still from another Facebook post: Trolls apparently working for another candidate are saying that those who are backing candidates for President and Vice President other than the ones they are working for apparently belong to the “Gago’ng Society,” a term which is clearly a swipe at the trademark song used to highlight the candidacy of the front-runner in the forthcoming Presidential and Vice Presidential election.
So they believe that there are two or more different societies in the Philippines. And they who call the backers of the opponents of their candidates as the ones belonging to the “Gag’ong Society” are the only ones who belong to the legitimate and rightful social group of people. What a self-righteous assumption!
And they are doing this self-righteous claim of sorts even before their candidates win in the elections. So, what more will they do once their idols are in power?
It is our take that what these self-righteous members of the so-called non-“gago’ng society” are doing now in chastising the people who are voting for candidates other than the ones they are working for, speaks volumes of what to expect when their favored leaders move to Malacanang.
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In the past few days we had been moving around the various districts of Davao City to fulfill our commitment to visit churches as part of our Holy Week commemoration. Our trips give us the opportunity to look into how our candidates, especially those for Mayor of the city, are doing and faring in their campaign.
We have our visual observations on who has the most campaign posters, mini-bill boards posted or installed in publicly strategic places along the roads and highways, in the barangay centers and even on private houses. We are awed at how supporters of the front running aspirant and even his no-opponent Vice Mayoralty candidate have their campaign paraphernalia lording it over in almost every vacant public place in areas we have gone to.
What else will this situation indicate but the Hugpong Mayoral bet’s superiority in terms of resources both manpower or financial.
And to be honest we are saddened at our observation that all the other opposition candidates for Mayor including the most significant of them all, Ruy Elias Lopez, are so wanting in the visibility of their campaign materials. If at all, we have seen a few of these. But the campaign paraphernalia are literally buried or blocked from people’s view because of the immenseness of the number of posters, and other campaign materials of the more affluent and influential candidate.
We have also been monitoring the social media hoping that there are semblances of strong presence in the now more effective venue of campaigning. But so far we have seen nothing.
The election is barely three weeks away. Whatever remains of the time may not be enough to launch a more effective campaign that could turn the tide in favor of the candidates against the one that the administration is clearly backing. Again, this is another lost opportunity for a change in local leadership for those who do not conform in the ways of the current one.
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