Democracy’s miracle

Despite the odds, Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Mojica Garcia produced a miracle for democracy in a large country like the Philippines.

The May 12, 2025 midterm elections were the most fair, the most transparent, the most inclusive and the most peaceful ever in one of Asia’s largest democracies.

Voter turnout was the largest in history – both in number of voters (57.35 million) and percentage (82.3 percent of 69.67 million voters).

The count was also the fastest in history. In just two hours, the nation knew the winners, especially the 12 senators who will occupy half of the 24 Senate seats in the 20th Congress, thanks to innovation and technology procured by the Commission. And Garcia’s purposeful stewardship.

The high turnout means, Garcia says, more and more Filipinos have realized the power of their vote and the value of elections in securing a better tomorrow.

Remarkable was the huge turnout from the young, Millennials and Gen Z, often thought to be silent or busy with their private concerns. They went out and stood up for their right, for their future. They saw in their ballot its immense power to shape the present and lay the foundation for a better tomorrow.

Before joining Comelec, Garcia was considered the Philippines’ preeminent election lawyer. In 20 years of legal prowess, he had for clients more than 200 mayors, 38 governors, 83 congressmen and Philippine presidents.

Moving forward, Chairman Garcia wants deeper electoral reforms – to curb vote buying, poll terrorism, dynastic rule and promote inclusion to enhance and strengthen democracy’s finest rite – elections.

Presidential material

Meanwhile, his having topped the 2025 senatorial elections has nearly everyone taking a serious look at Lawrence Christopher “Bong” Go, 50.

Senatorial topnotchers usually are presidential material in the immediately succeeding presidential election. But few topnotcher senators manage to get elected to a higher office both for president and vice president. The presidency is destiny.

Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. defied the odds. He topped the senatorial election in 1959, with 41.62 percent of the vote. By 1965, he was elected president with 52 percent of the vote cast for president, the only post-War senatorial No. 1 to be elected president. Can Bong Go repeat an FM?

Asked about his presidential ambitions, he demurred, saying, “All I want to do is work for the benefit of our people.”

Bong Go is the senator with the highest number of votes garnered by a winning senator 27.121 million. Thats 47 percent of the 57 million voter turnout. And 6.15 million votes more than the votes 20.971 million of the second placer, Bam Aquino.

The 6.15 million is the largest ever margin by a topnotcher over the runner up. Bong Go captured the entire Mindanao island, two-thirds of the Visayas and had a strong finish (Top 5) in the big cities and big provinces of the main island of Luzon where he even topped in the Mountain provinces and Bataan in Central Luzon.

Bong Go’s secret? His Malasakit Centers. More than 150 Malasakit Centers helped 12 million Filipinos in 2024 alone. To Bong, however, hard work and concern for the people have endeared him to the Filipino people.

He has been serving the Filipino people for more than two decades. He began his career in public service in 1998 as the executive assistant of then Davao City 1st District representative and former president Rodrigo Duterte.

He became Digong’s most trusted aide when the latter became Davao City mayor in 2001 and president in 2016. In 2019, he was elected senator with roughly 21 million votes, third place.

As senator, Go authored or co-authored 32 laws and sponsored or co-sponsored 170 laws in the 18th Congress. As the chair of the Senate committee on health, he authored the Malasakit Centers Act. He principally sponsored 69 laws for the upgrade or establishment of several public hospitals in the country.

He authored the National Academy of Sports Act which gives the country’s most promising student-athletes quality secondary education while also helping them train for medals.

He is also an author and primary proponent of RA 11641 or the Department of Migrant Workers Act. His Super Health Centers offer health services including out-patient, birthing, isolation and diagnostic services.

Senator Go is seeking the provision of free annual medical check-up and comprehensive dialysis benefit package. He also filed bills for the establishment of regional specialty centers, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Virology Science and Technology Institute and grant of various benefits for barangay health workers. He flies the banner of Tapang at Malasakit to the Senate. He champions a government that claims to truly care for the people.

Courtesy resignations

President Marcos Jr. may have overdone the courtesy resignation gambit. People are now expecting a total or near total revamp of the Cabinet. A serious revamp means at least half or 12 Cabinet secretaries gone or repurposed. It’s no joke, as Sara would say.

It is not easy to change horses, especially at mid-stream. It is even more difficult to recruit new faces with fresh perspective.

The pay is miserly, P3 million, if you are honest. You have many bosses – No. 1, his relatives, your padrino. Radiomen wake you up at 4 a.m. Senators and congressmen demand jobs, deals, contracts, franchises from your department. Finally, you divest – for good, from your business, just to serve for what, three years?

Senators have the best job of all – P200 million yearly in pork, 20 jobs for your wards from each Cabinet department and you can rant and rant, without feeling responsible for it. And you can try impeached high public officials, including the president, vice president and Supreme Court justices. When Renato Corona was impeached, senators walked happily to their banks.

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