The strategic value of a presidential endorsement

One can never ignore the tremendous impact of a presidential endorsement. It makes a lot of difference. An unknown entity can be transformed overnight into a political titan by the magic of the raising of his hand by the leader of the land.

What is the difference between Mar Roxas and Bong Go? Roxas was denounced by the president, while Bong was praised to high heavens. What makes Bam Aquino and Francis Tolentino different from each other? Well, Bam was derided by the president in his speeches.

Francis was described in the most glowing terms. And what sets Ronald Bato de la Rosa apart from Serge Osmeña? Well, the president totally ignored Serge, while he endorsed Bato as one of his chosen few. Man to man, Mar might appear as more competent, well-prepared, an experienced legislator, while Bong Go is a virtual neophyte in legislation. But Bong was endorsed. Bam may have experienced being an incumbent senator while Francis has no such credential. But Francis was endorsed. And so, there you are. That is the value of a presidential endorsement.

Now that it has been demonstrated, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that formerly unknown characters Bong Go, Bato, and Francis Tolentino are already senators, the same position that such political titans as Claro M. Recto, Jose W. Diokno, Arturo Tolentino, and Jovito Salonga used to occupy, we can say, without fear of contradictions, that a presidential endorsement makes a lot of difference. I submit that had the president remained silent relative to the candidacies of these three gentlemen, then they would never have reached the corridors of the Senate. Presidential endorsements are vital because we have a very popular president with a very high poll satisfaction rating across various niches in Philippine society.

In Cebu City, when President Duterte raised the hand of Edgar Labella, and later, of Mike Rama, that was worth thousands of votes. It demonstrated that Labella and Rama enjoy the trust and confidence of the highest official of the land.

On the part of Mike Rama, specifically, the act of the president in raising his hand was a presidential clemency for whatever blemish that was unwittingly cast because of past mistakes in the inclusion of Mike's name in the so-called drug list. From that moment on, the people came out in droves to support the LR team of Labella and Rama. In the province, had Duterte raised the hands of Magpale (his distant relative from the Durano Duterte side), Gwen would not be in the Capitol soon.

We should never underestimate the value of a presidential endorsement. President Duterte endorsed Vico Sotto and this young man defeated the well-entrenched, well-funded, and well-organized Bobby Eusebio of Pasig. The president endorsed Francis Zamora and that young son of Congressman Ronaldo Zamora trounced Janelle Estrada and ended five decades of the Estrada empire in the tiny city of San Juan. Janelle was the anointed daughter of Jinggoy Estrada who himself lost his bid for the Senate because, while his name appeared in the list of the Hugpong bets as well as the president's own list, President Duterte did not endorse Jinggoy the way he pushed for Bong, Bato, and Francis.

Of course, the president also endorsed Raffy Alunan, Freddie Aguilar, and Mangudadatu. But these three did not have the exposure that Bong, Bato, and Tol had. Presidential endorsements are valuable. But the bets endorsed must themselves also have the quality of being acceptable to an increasingly choosy electorate.