Sen. John Osmena during the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation into the $81 million funds stolen from the Bangladesh Bank and deposited into bank accounts in Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s Jupiter branch in Makati City.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Reelectionist Sen. Sergio Osmeña III has accepted his loss, a surprising one for a veteran politician and an incumbent at that.
“The Filipino people have spoken. We accept their decision,” Osmeña said in a text message to the Inquirer.
Osmeña has failed to barge into the top 12, staying at 14th spot for days in a row based on the partial, unofficial count of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). Fellow reelectionist Sen. Teofisto Guingona III was at 17th.
So why did these two incumbent senators with old political names and national prominence fail to make it to the Magic 12?
‘Drowned out’
Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes underscored the importance of incumbent candidates to remain prominent during the campaign period, otherwise they could be “drowned out” by other contenders.
Holmes said it was possible other contenders “may have engaged in solo flight,” that is campaigning by themselves.
But on top of coming out with advertisements, the candidates could have also linked up with party-list groups or allied themselves with local candidates, he said. He noted for instance that there were some sample ballots from local candidates carrying the names of one or two senatorial candidates.
All these, according to Holmes, help get voters’ support for candidates.
“The other candidates also maybe much more engaged, probably more industrious,” he said in an interview by phone.
Holmes also said support from the bloc-voting Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) could be a factor. Both Osmeña and Guingona were not among the senatorial candidates endorsed by the religious sect.
Of the 12 candidates endorsed by the INC, Francis Tolentino and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez failed to land in the winning circle, but they remained in the top 15.