Let’s hear now who the next president is
I heard that this week Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will visit Cebu island to endorse certain candidates. Her coming raises some questions in my mind, questions that I do not possess educated answers. For instance, does her endorsement carry any significant weight? Or, to the more curious perhaps mischievous mind like mine, why is she doing this? In the hope that the profound thinkers in our midst will start looking into this apparently novel political gimmickry, I intend to throw in some raw thoughts.
In our recent political history, we did not have a president who, while still sitting in Malacañang when a midterm election was held, had a son or daughter who was a city mayor. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III was unmarried when he became president. In her incumbency, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s son was a representative. Joseph Estrada got ousted from the presidency before a midterm election took place. The daughter of Pres. Fidel Ramos was not into elective position. Kris Aquino was (still is) in showbiz during Corazon Aquino’s term. So, as a daughter of an incumbent in President Rodrigo Duterte, Mayor Sara is the first.
The rise to power of President Duterte was equally unprecedented. His margin of victory over the vanquished foes was incredible. He was the first city mayor to become president of the republic. Until Duterte came, there was never a local talent and virtual unknown to be elected as the country’s chief executive. The presidents before him were prominent national figures. Pinoy was a senator. Gloria and Joseph were vice presidents. In the more remote past, Da Apo was a senator. Cong. Dado and Caloy were vice presidents.
I feel that the president has lost some of his ardent supporters in the A and B crowds who believed in his leadership. By such term, AB sector, I count among them intellectuals and independent private businessmen who would rather stay away from government deals than benefit from them. The thoughts of some of those I know, here in the cities and province in Cebu, no longer speak lavishly of him. In fact, I discern that they have begun to put a distance, in extremely cautious language, between them and their former object of affection. I imagine that if the president pushes the candidacy of such politicians as Imee Marcos and Bong Revilla, he will alienate all the more these disenchanted AB crowds enough to make them vocal and active opposition.
That is not what the president wants to happen. Rather than lose completely the trust of the intelligentsia and the business leaders, by proclaiming total support to politicians with perceptively stained character, he hopes to keep the adulation of these AB crowds in a delicate status quo. So, he throws Mayor Sara into the equation. That is why this Davao City mayor will come to endorse candidates whose past records do not inspire us. It must be in his mind that the charm of a lovely woman wrapped in a motherly language can cushion the harsh impact of his otherwise dictatorial imagery.
We can accept a wholesome Mayor Sara. Her political clout though is limited to Davao City. She has no voter base here in Cebu. We have not seen what she is as a leader enough to merit her as endorser for our votes. Too much assumption of self-importance is diametrically opposite to all known standards of humility. Indeed, how can a political non-entity (from Cebu perspectives) endorse known and popular politicians including re-electionist senators?
To endorse administration candidates running for senator is only a convenient cover. It is a political ploy to introduce her name in the national political arena. President Duterte wants to expose Mayor Sara to the electorate as his viable successor. That is the objective of the president. In other words the mayor is doing the rounds of actual presidential campaign three years ahead. If we entertain doubts, let us hear from the emcees of these campaign sorties and from the senatorial bets themselves the loud announcements “the next president of the republic.”
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