‘Stories, not issues, drive campaigns’

WITH candidates who have more “compelling personal stories” than platforms of government, the 2016 national elections present voters with a “depressing” choice of leaders who will run the Philippines in the next six years, analysts say.

“Platforms and ideologies of the mature kind are being sidelined to personalities, again, which is usually the case in the Philippines. But it is even more visible now, when in fact the country faces so many issues and challenges,” Antonio Contreras, political analyst and law professor at De La Salle University (DLSU) said in an interview with the Inquirer on Friday.

Beginning today until Friday, candidates for President, Vice President and senator are going to the main office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Intramuros, Manila, to file their certificates of candidacy (COCs), marking their official entry into the main races in the May 9, 2016, elections.

Comelec offices across the country will also accept the COCs of aspirants for various national and local positions.

A total of 18,069 positions are at stake, including those of the President and the Vice President.

Among those expected to file their COCs at the Comelec central office are Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas and his running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo; Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance and his partner, Sen. Gringo Honasan; and the team of Senators Grace Poe and Francis

Escudero, which is being supported by the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Senators Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV, who have announced independent runs for the vice presidency, are also expected to sign up for the elections.

 

Personal stories

According to Contreras, the top three contenders for the presidency—Poe, Roxas and Binay —each has a personal story that could capture the interest and sympathy of voters.

“Poe has an appealing narrative. She is an adopted child, a foundling who resided in the United States and later [returned] to the Philippines and renounced her [American citizenship],” Contreras said.

“Even Binay also has a good narrative. He is someone who rose from rags to riches and now viewed by some as one who has fallen from grace [because of the accusations of corruption],” he said.

Roxas’ compelling story, he said, is that of a loyal party member who once stepped aside in the presidential race to give way to President Aquino, his close friend and political ally.

“He is perceived to be someone who is weak or has no backbone and who always follows,” Contreras said.

“Candidates float or sink based on their narratives, not even on what they really stand for,” he said.

Plans of government

“But I hope when they have declared, and it is clear to us who are running, the media and society, the netizens and the citizens … can redirect the conversation so that it will no longer just be about personalities and personal stories,” Contreras said.

“It [should] also be about what they plan to do, converting their personal narratives into narratives for policies … for public interest,” he added.

Contreras said society must work together to shift the discussion to important issues that will face the next administration—the peace process, the territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations integration, K-12 basic education program, tax policies, political dynasties and even the country’s very poor Internet connection, among problems.

But he warned voters to expect “a very negative” campaign because all of the aspirants for the presidency carried “baggage” enough to last a season of mudslinging.

Contreras noted that Poe’s baggage was her citizenship and her lack of experience;

Binay’s, the allegations of corruption thrown at him, and Roxas’ burden, his supposed incompetence and ineptness.

 

Duterte’s handicap

Even Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is also expected to take a crack at the presidency, had a handicap— his alleged role in extrajudicial killings, Contreras said.

“All of them have baggage, which is really depressing. So Filipinos are always looking for a messiah. We are always looking for the least evil,” he said.

But Contreras said voters could compromise on “corruption, human rights violation and ineptness” because the Constitution and the laws would always be there to provide remedies.

If Poe’s questionable citizenship is ignored, however, “it’s assaulting the very shield that you can use to fight corruption, ineptness and human rights abuse,” he said.

Article VII, Section 2 of the Constitution requires a presidential candidate to be a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding the election.

‘Very striking feature’

Gerardo Eusebio, a political science professor also at

DLSU, agreed that the 2016 elections would be “depressing” because of the choices available.

Eusebio noted, however, that the 2016 balloting had a “very striking feature”—more candidates are running for Vice President than for President.

“It’s going to be very interesting as far as the vice presidency is concerned because this is the first time that there are more candidates for that post than for the presidency,” Eusebio told the Inquirer in a separate interview.

“It shows and validates how weak our party system is,” he said, adding that the system has merely become a “conveyance to get elected.”

“Perhaps, some think that if they run for Vice President, the chances of winning could be easier strategically,” he said.