Senator Bong Go’s withdrawal from the presidential race has entirely changed the political landscape in our election-crazy republic. The dominant political party that the President heads, although contested by a rival faction led by Senator Manny Pacquiao and Senator Koko Pimentel, has lost its presidential standard bearer.
Now it is scrambling to look for a candidate that it will endorse and hopefully save the PDP-Laban from totally disintegrating and vanishing from the political center stage. It does not even have a vice presidential candidate since nobody replaced Senator Bong Go after President Duterte abandoned his announced plan to bid for it and averted a head-on collision course with his own daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. The leadership of PDP-Laban, led by Secretary Alfonso Cusi, has itself to blame for this imbroglio. Consumed by its desire to perpetuate the Dutertes in power, it didn’t look outside the family (which includes Senator Bong Go) for its standard bearer. Senator Manny Pacquiao, who had made known his presidential ambition before anyone else, was not even given scant attention despite earlier encouragement made by the President. Initially, the Cusi-faction floated the tandem of Duterte-Duterte but when this was met with unfavorable comments, the party shifted to endorse Senator Bong Go to be its standard bearer with President Duterte as his running mate. From the very start, Bong Go had set the condition that he would only seek the presidency if the President would be his partner. Meanwhile, Mayor Sara, who had taken the position that only one Duterte should run for a national office, announced her decision to seek reelection as mayor of Davao City. However, it would seem that the ruling party had not given up its hope to lure Mayor Sara to be its presidential candidate so Bong Go, instead of running for the top post, had settled for vice president. But Mayor Sara firmed up her decision and filed her candidacy for mayor. To save the presidential slot, Senator Bato de la Rosa filed his candidacy for president under the PDP-Laban banner. The good senator did not conceal the fact that he was only a placeholder when he fielded a question from the media that it would be good if eventually Mayor Sara substituted him as the party’s presidential bet. Now we all know what happened. PDP-Laban lost Senator Bato, lost Sara to another party, lost President Duterte as the party’s vice presidential contender, and lost Bong Go as presidential candidate. The party lost its soul. I don’t know if we’ve all been taken for a ride or the PDP-Laban under the Cusi wing has been running around like a headless chicken. It typifies the best laid out plans of mice and men, leaving us to wonder what their plans are for our country in case they keep the helm of our government under their control for the next six years.
Without its own candidate, the Cusi-wing of the PDP-Laban has no other option but to adopt a candidate it will support in the next election. In an advisory released on December 1, Secretary Melvin Matibag said that the party and its members “shall support the best and most qualified candidates who are aligned with our mission to fight drugs, corruption, terrorism, criminality, poverty, and the establishment of a federal form of government.” He further stated that they “will endorse candidates for national positions that will embody the PDP-Laban principles.” Now, there’s a frantic race to get President Duterte’s endorsement. If before they dare not touch President Duterte with a 10-foot pole, some candidates are now anxious to get the President’s support. They are making a beeline to get an audience with the President to explain why they should get the presidential anointment. Others are more discreet and probably sent their emissaries to get President Duterte’s blessings; one or two of them have openly courted his political backing. Now they have changed their tone with a different kind of messaging when talking about the administration and the President’s management of our country. Whereas before they were unkind and harsh, now they are all praises for the President’s leadership and alleged accomplishments. Mayor Isko, for instance, makes no bones about his wish to receive President Duterte’s endorsement. In an answer to an interview, Yorme Isko admitted: “Kung ako ang mapupusuan nila, uy salamat, thank you in advance. Pero ayaw ko pa rin pangunahan sila until they say so. For the meantime, I’m always hopeful.” On the other hand, Pacquiao announced that he is open to a possible endorsement by the President in his 2022 presidential bid. “Kung ie-endorso ako, walang problema. Pagkakaisa naman ang isinusulong natin, kasi biblical naman ’yan eh. If a kingdom is divided against themselves, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided, that house cannot stand.”
Pacquiao met with the President in Malacañang last month for a renewal of friendship after the former had severely criticized Duterte for widespread corruption in his administration. In the case of Bongbong Marcos, it’s the President’s own daughter, Mayor Sara, who has been making the pitch for her presidential tandem. Congressman Paolo Duterte has already endorsed Marcos. It’s likely that Vice Mayor Baste Duterte is also supportive of Bongbong. Mayor Sara called on all supporters of President Duterte to unite in the coming elections and to rally behind Marcos.
Senator Ping Lacson, for his part, said he would not seek PDP-Laban’s endorsement after Bong Go’s withdrawal. He won’t do it because he claimed “it’s too presumptuous on our part.” But if Lacson gets the offer, I don’t think he would decline. After all, he has said that he is neither anti- nor pro-Duterte but pro-Filipinos. With respect to VP Leni, I believe there is no love lost between the top two officials of our land. If President Duterte will survey the landscape to consider his possible presidential anointee in the coming election, I don’t think VP Leni will be in the radar screen. And we don’t expect VP Leni to seek the President’s support. That would be a betrayal of her principles. Sleeping with the enemy and abandoning one’s cause is a fact of political life.
As the late Senate President Amang Rodriguez would love to say: “Politics is addition.” Winning a public office is a game of numbers and to hell with one’s convictions and principles. They don’t win elections. To the candidate, there is no substitute for victory. So what matters is to get the President’s endorsement—certainly a boon to one’s candidacy. And the President in his final act as a kingmaker on his way to his lame duck presidency will make the final choice as the popular ditty croons: “Three coins in the fountain/ Each one seeking happiness/Thrown by three hopeful lovers/Which one will the fountain bless?” And the hopefuls ask: “Make it mine/ Make it mine/ Make it mine.”