Just do it – PBBM

There were many varying interpretations on the results of the just concluded May 12 national and local elections. The results of the midterm elections are supposed to reflect the sentiments of Filipino voters on the performance of the sitting President. In this situation, the accomplishments – or lack of it – of the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) for the past three years. Hardest hit were the 12-man senatorial ticket that PBBM endorsed under the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.

In a podcast interview last Monday, PBBM offered his two “conclusions” on what possibly went wrong with his 12-man senatorial ticket cut down to half by Filipino voters. First off, PBBM concluded the May 12 election results showed that Filipinos were “sawang-sawa na” (fed up) with politics. “Ang mensahe, sa amin lahat – hindi lamang sa akin, kung hindi sa aming lahat – tama na ‘yung pamumulitika ninyo at kami naman ang asikasuhin ninyo,” PBBM explained.

And, PBBM further surmised, the Filipinos were “disappointed” with the government’s delivery of public services.

“Hindi nila nararamdaman at masyadong mabagal ang galaw nang pagbubuo ng mga project na hindi pa nila maramdaman,” PBBM pointed out. PBBM candidly admitted he, too, was disappointed.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) formally proclaimed last Saturday the winners of the senatorial race. Sworn in the “Magic 12” winners of the Senate race were five candidates from PBBM’s Alyansa and five from rival political parties. And two others, namely, PBBM’s sister, re-electionist Sen. Imee Marcos – a self-declared “independent” candidate – and Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar.

Sen. Imee and Rep. Camille, who both belong to the Nacionalista Party (NP), were personally endorsed by Vice President Sara Duterte in addition to her so-called “Duter-10” senatorial bets.

From the Alyansa ranks in the win column were, namely, former senators Vicente Sotto III (Nationalist People’s Coalition or NPC) and Panfilo Lacson (Independent), former Marcos Social Welfare Secretary ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo; reelectionist Senators Lito Lapid (NPC) and Pia Cayetano (NP).

The other five winners in the Senate race were: re-electionist Senators Bong Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (PDP-Laban); returning senators Bam Aquino (Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino) and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (Liberal Party) and SAGIP party-list Rep.Rodante Marcoleta. Go, Dela Rosa and Marcoleta were among VP Sara’s “Duter-10.”

So the final count of the Senate race was placed at 5-5-2.

But the Alyansa insisted that the administration ticket got seven slots to include PBBM’s sister, Sen. Imee and Villar. However, Sen. Imee earlier withdrew from Alyansa and declared self as “independent” candidate. Trailing in out of the “magic 12” circle in pre-election surveys, Sen. Imee even made a last-ditch campaign dig directed at her own brother’s administration. Sen. Imee lashed out that this “government is run by Romualdez and Araneta,” referring to presidential first cousin Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and PBBM’s wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

On the other hand, Villar conspicuously dropped out from the last stretch of Alyansa campaign rallies and did not show up at the miting de avance held in Mandaluyong City.

At the Comelec proclamation rites, Villar turned emotional in thanking her parents, erstwhile Senate president Manny Villar and his wife, Sen. Cynthia Villar, for making her “dream to become a senator, too,” like them. Tearing up, the 40-year-old mother of two thanked also her two brothers, one of them – Mark – is currently a sitting senator.

PBBM conceded he was a bit dismayed that only half of the Alyansa Senate slate won. “I wish we had better results,” PBBM quipped at the thanksgiving gathering after the Comelec proclamation of Senate winners.

Visibly frustrated, it cannot be denied the Chief Executive was hurting more due to the fact that three senatorial candidates from his own Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) did not make it. They are former Interior secretary Benhur Abalos, re-electionist Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino and former senator Manny Pacquiao. Except for Pacquiao, Abalos and Tolentino joined early last year the ruling administration party PFP. Pacquiao just signed up this year with the PFP, a few weeks before the midterm elections.

But more frustrated than the President himself perhaps are the candidates who have been topping the pre-election surveys. And more than frustration, the professional pollsters were shamed by the actual election results.

But the blame for much of the administration’s Senate slate debacle points straight in the direction of Navotas City Rep.Toby Tiangco as the Alyansa national campaign manager. Also a presidential cousin by marriage to a Romualdez, Tiangco countered that the heavy losses of Alyansa were mostly “self-inflicted” by the wrong moves taken even before the election campaign took off.

Tiangco pointed to factors “beyond” the campaign’s control, such as the impeachment drama and external political pressures as primary reasons for the mixed results. However, these excuses fall short when scrutinized against the realities of an apparent poorly managed campaign, internal divisions and a lack of strategic direction. As conductor of the administration orchestra, Tiangco must accept and bear significant responsibility for the botched Alyansa performance.

A key contributor to the administration’s lackluster performance was the failure to present a cohesive, compelling message. Despite a massive campaign machinery and ample resources, the slate struggled to unite around a single narrative that could resonate with voters.

Instead of rallying behind a clear message of governance and progress, Tiangco obviously ignored fragmentation within the Alyansa slate. Candidates aligned with rival factions, such as those endorsed by VP Sara, weakened the administration’s overall position. This left voters uncertain about the direction of the administration’s vision and led to fractured support for the candidates.

Another critical failure was the decision to reduce engagement in Mindanao, a region with a large base of Duterte supporters. Tiangco, instead of strengthening ties with Mindanao voters, easily gave up on the region, assuming that a loss was inevitable – losing without even trying.

To which we could only quote from PBBM’s podcast: “That’s the lesson we learned from this election. Don’t explain it to us anymore. Just do it. Nagsawa na ang Pilipino sa pulitika.”