Quo Vadis? Part 2

Negros Occidental was pink in 2022 but it is so pale.

Bacolod flipped from Robredo to Marcos in 2022 Election while Negros Occidental was "pink" but the figures were not as intense as the 2016 election.

***

After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news

to that city and made a considerable number of disciples

- From the First Reading 5th Sunday of Easter

***

Robredo got a total of 715,174 votes in the province in 2016 but she only got 527,321 votes in 2022.

In Negros Occidental, there were about 187,853 more voters who voted for her as VP but did not vote for her as President.

Marcos lost in Negros Occidental but the details showed that it is more favorable for him.

For 2022, Marcos got 482,344 votes compare to his 159,667 votes in 2016.

In other words, Marcos earned 322,677 more votes in Negros Occidental during the 2022 election.

Comparing the 2016 and 2022, Leni lost 187,853 votes while Marcos gained 322,677 more votes.

A significant number of Negrosanon switched to Marcos.

In short, between 2016 and 2022 figures, Leni got negative gain (losses) while Marcos got positive gain (wins) in Negros Occidental.

Negros Occidental was pink in 2022 but it is so pale.

***

Those who claimed that there was massive cheating during this election has yet to prove their allegations.

The burden of proof is on that side.

I am conservative in my political philosophy.

I believe in the integrity of institutions, even if it is not perfect, it is the best that we have at present. Unless, we suddenly find ourselves in Utopia.

If we want to have a credible election, then we need to demand authentic electoral reforms starting with how nominations of COMELEC commissioners to transparency in the codes used during elections.

***

There were already signs that Robredo will not win the 2022 election.

We just ignore it for various reasons. One of the signs is Duterte himself.

Duterte, even if he is accused of extra judicial killings of drug users and pushers, remains very popular.

A Social Weather Station (SWS) survey published in February 2022, showed that 75% of Filipinos are satisfied with Duterte.

Like it or not. An overwhelming number of Filipinos are satisfied with Duterte's governance.

This is the reason why Isko was courting the "endorsement" of Duterte, which he never got.

Leni by presenting herself as the "face of the opposition" is automatically relegated to the side of the 25% of Filipinos who are not satisfied with Duterte's government.

Thus, even if a certain percentage of the 75% switch to Leni, it is not enough to get the majority vote.

As the opposition candidate, she has no chance of winning against a very popular president.

***

Hundreds of individual priests and religious (both men and women) with a handful of bishops along with numerous institutions of learning endorsed Robredo for the presidency.

Yet, she lost to Marcos, who did not even bother to attend debates during the campaign period.

Without spiritualizing, the pragmatic end of endorsements (among many others like education and conscientization) is to gain votes.

You endorse a candidate in the hope that your influence as a clergy, religious or academe, will help increase the winning chances of the endorsed candidate.

Robredo lost overwhelmingly to Marcos.

Does it mean that the people are not listening to the Church?

Your guess is as good as mine.

***

After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news

to that city and made a considerable number of disciples...

***

One of my turning points in terms of thinking happened during my ministry in EB Magalona.

I was fetched by a "trucking" on my way to an area mass in an hacienda.

Along the way, I was talking to the driver. I asked him about his family and children. He mentioned at that time that his eldest son is about to graduate high school.

I congratulated him and asked him what college degree will his son pursue.

I am aware that haciendero offers scholarship programs to children of farm workers. He would send students to college to pursue any course they like.

I was thinking that maybe the driver will send his son to a Maritime school or an engineering college. After all, these courses are "golden tickets" out of poverty.

His response caught me by surprise. I almost fell off my seat.

He said that he will not send his son to college instead he will ask "Toto" (the hacienda owner) to allow his son to work as a sugarcane truck driver!

***

I realized that when I think, I think as a college educated person raised up in a lower middle class household.

Thus, I see the world from that perspective. And I was thinking that the truck driver also thinks that way. But, he does not.

***

During the campaign, many of us are thinking according to our own context.

The most passionate during this election are the college educated "middle class" who supported Robredo. Of course, there are also some elites who supported Robredo.

Many thought that the solution to our nation's problem is Leni and her plataforma de gobierno.

Thus, we were surprised that the majority voted for Marcos despite massive social media campaign and rallies. Robredo lost the election.

***

One of the possible reasons, is that we do not think in the way the masses think, speak and act.

Look at Duterte.

Why is he popular, despite all the allegations of EJK, corruptions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and impending economic crisis due to stagflation (high inflation, slow economic growth, high unemployment rate and high interest rate)?

Without oversimplification.

Duterte thinks, speaks and acts like he is one of the masa.

And the masa loved him and continue to love him for that.

To be continued... watch out for Concluding Part