BY THE time this column hits the press, the winners in yesterday’s election will have already been known, although not necessarily officially declared.
In Davao City, it is very likely that former President Rodrigo R. Duterte and son Sebastian “Baste: won in the election unless the miracle that their nemesis had been hoping for happened. And since the elder Duterte is not around to take his oath and assume office, the possibility is that his son Baste will again be Mayor in acting capacity.
The Vice Mayor? Well, there is the possibility that nephew Rigo Duterte could be appointed mayor unless certain rules by the Department of the Interior and Local Governments (DILG) are bound to be violated.
As to the city’s three congressional representatives, it may be that there could have been a closer contest in the first and second districts. Therefore, it may take a little longer before an official declaration of winners is made. As for the third district, incumbent Sid Ungab was already at a clear advantage in terms of the wind-up of the campaign. Therefore, he could have handily trounced his opponents in Nonoy Al-ag and former Congressman Ruy Elias Lopez. Unless, again, some kind of miracles happened along the way.
As to the city Councilors we are certain that the winners could be dominated by mostly, if not all, members of the former President’s home-grown party, the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod. But of course, the possibility that one, two, three, or even five winners could be from the local opposition. And these “outsiders” may be in the third and second districts. One from the first district may barge into the winners’ list.
Among Senators it is our projection that the winners could be a mix at 8-4 in favor of the national administration bets. Or, it could be 8-5 still in the Alyansa ng Pagbabnago’s favor, with the very likely inclusion among the winners of independent Ben Tulfo.
We are, however, fervently hoping that candidates who are from the entertainment industry like Willie Revillame and Philip Salvador will not be among the winners. If they are, what is going to happen to our legislative branch of government, especially the Senate?
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As we have discussed in this column days ago, the rise of social media has virtually changed the landscape of the election campaign. Rallies or even gatherings like town hall meetings have become a rarity. Some candidates have even discarded personal visits in the various barangays in the city’s rural areas. They now leave it to the social media posts and vloggers, as well as trolls’ job to carry out their campaign in the households, as well as the individual voters.
If ever they hold rallies, candidates have grown very civil in their campaign pitches. They leave the vicious attacks to their hired vloggers, most of whom are hiding their real identities. And as we look at it the trolls or vloggers appear to be given by the candidates the license to do their thing in whatever manner they want it as long as it benefits the candidates and at the expense of the political foes.
And helping to a large degree the social media advocates of candidates, is the radio which also has a wider reach and do the candidates’ bidding as long as the price is right – ad placements and the discreetly “hired” trumpeters.
As to the candidates’ leaders at various levels, say in the barangays, in the whole duration of the campaign period for local elective positions that ended last Saturday, May 10, we never met a supposed leader who visited houses or initiated group discussion and pitching for their patrons.
The current situation is very different from what we experienced when we were new in Davao City and even after the EDSA, but before the onset of social media.
We recalled our father-in-law who was a trusted political leader of the late former Mayor Luis T. Santos. He not only visited every household in our barangays but also did some convincing pitches for his candidate, citing the good things he had done and was going to do. He leaves the households with members bearing no rancor against him, even if they were on the other side.
In these era’s election, the candidates are so trusting in the social media posts doing the talking and laying on the table – rather on the screen – their supposed platforms of government.
With yesterday’s midterm polls slowly dropping their curtains, we are certain that maximum utilization of the various social media platforms for the 2028 Presidential elections will already be off to a heated start. Or, has it already commenced?
