You can expect more billboards and posters, as well as advertisements in your favorite radio and TV programs starting Tuesday, when the campaign period starts for senatorial and party list candidates for the May 2019 elections.
And while the campaign period for candidates for the House of Representatives and local positions will yet start on March 30, you may safely assume that social media will be flooded with more political content. Social media, especially Facebook, has become a politician’s choice platform when putting out boosted or sponsored posts.
This midterm election will test whether the people will ratify the President’s all-time-high popularity by voting for the administration candidates, or go for the alternatives. There are three different administration senatorial slates: PDP-Laban, Hugpong ng Pagbabago and President Rodrigo Duterte’s Du It Pilipinas. And as if that’s not enough, the President also has his own chosen candidates, going around the country with Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino, endorsing them in every speech he makes.
The opposition has managed to land in only two slots in the Magic 12 so far. But if the last elections are to be our guide, these numbers may surely change as the May 13 elections draw near.
As voters, we must surely do our part in choosing the right people for the job. When we choose our senators, let’s choose people who know how to make laws, who have principles and are not just running to protect vested interests.
Sadly, to run a high-profile campaign for a national office, the cost is definitely more than what a senator can make in his six-year term. Unless they already pocketed Pork Barrel funds from their previous positions, or have millions or billions in their war chest from legitimate businesses, senatorial candidates often have to bank on the business sector to bankroll their campaign. And big businesses would love to put in money to a winnable candidate’s campaign for obvious reasons. In fact, some businessmen, who would rather not be mentioned, say the question is not whom to give but how much to give.
So we should use our mind in exercising our right to vote by scrutinizing the background of each candidate. And make it a point to have at least 10 other people vote the same way.
Only then will we be able to say we have done our part as voters to ensure clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful elections.
