Campaigning as opposition Breakthrough

In an ideal democracy, political elections are the competition of political ideologies and programs. The final choice is given to the voters to determine which will prevail.

In this coming election, the main issues, at this point, seem to be corruption, with everyone pointing to the other as being more corrupt. Past elections usually were reduced to a contest between the administration and the opposition. The last election was an anomaly when a third party – Duterte – was able to win. Perhaps, this election will be the same. However, I think this election will follow the past historical trends when it became a contest between the administration and the opposition, with a third party as a possible contender.

The question now is, what is the role of an opposition party here in the Philippines? It should be a group that is prepared to present a different set of programs and policies from that being presented by the administration. It should have a message that is distinguishable from the administration.

During the campaign of Corazon Aquino and Marcos, there were a lot of issues on personality. However, the main theme was whether the people wanted a return to democracy or not. Somehow that message resonated throughout the next elections of Estrada and Arroyo.

Frankly I do not think the masses were in love with democracy. I believe that most people were really concerned with improving their quality of life. What is it that can bring to them dignity of life? What is it that can bring them out of the oppressive poverty that is their daily burden?

The years of martial law and dictatorship had only brought more hardships. It had reached a point when the Filipino people could not stand it anymore – a life without even any hope for a better future. So they turned to those who said democracy can bring the answers to their pain and helplessness.

Then came People Power and a return to some form of democracy. When others tried to restore the old ways of strong-man rule, the people again expressed their indignation on the streets.

Then came the election of Duterte with the promise of, again, a strong-man rule. This time the message won. Is the message still winning? That is for pollsters and political analysts to find out.

This coming election, the opposition must convince the masses that their message will give them a better future. What would be the new message and in what form will the message be conveyed is the political challenge.

The first hurdle is that any candidate running must be able to convince the electorate that they are not just substitutes for Duterte. Why vote for a substitute when you can vote for the real thing?

The second hurdle is that they must now show that they are in opposition not simply for the sake for opposing. There must be a message that they have the solution to the misery of the public and they can be trusted to implement what they have promised.

These are two very challenging and difficult tasks. Philippine political history is full of stories of great men who somehow never won the presidency.

In 1953, the Nacionalista Party was supposed to nominate Claro M. Recto as the presidential standard bearer. Instead they brought in someone from the Liberal Party whom they thought had a much better chance of winning. His name was Ramon Magsaysay. Recto was known for his great intellect and his nationalism, but these were not enough. Magsaysay was able to convey the message through his life story and public displays of being identified with the masses, like drinking water from the barrio wells. Then there was the image that he was just a simple mechanic and a guerrilla leader.

In 1957, Recto and Lorenzo Tañada Sr. formed the Nationalist Citizens Party and ran as a tandem. Here were two men of great intellectual and impeccable integrity. They lost and landed in fourth place.

There was a group of young leaders who were all veterans of the Magsaysay campaign. They were well known names like Raul Manglapus, Manuel Manahan, Jaime Ferrer and Terry Adevoso. But the Magsaysay magic was obviously non-transferrable and they landed in third place.

In the years that followed there were again men of great intellect and integrity who achieved greatness and fame, but they never acquired the presidency they longed for. These were people like Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga and Gerry Roxas. Instead a housewife captivated the attention of the public and became president.

Philippine history shows that it is possible for opposition leaders to become president – Magsaysay, Macapagal, Aquino. They were able to make the public believe in their capability and sincerity, mainly through their life stories.

This is not only in the Philippines. In the United States, both Trump and Biden used their life stories effectively. In Europe, Angela Merkel is the most classic example of a leader whose authentic life story of living in an apartment and doing her own shopping has helped keep her in power for 16 years.

The challenge for the opposition in this coming election is to have a program that will lift the people from their miserable lives to a life of human dignity, and to convince the people that he or she possesses the sincerity and the courage to implement the programs.

All of these messages must be conveyed through stories and especially the candidate’s personal life story. This is the Filipino way.

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