Despite the usual violence, the slow count, vote-buying and accusations of vote manipulation, there are some refreshing developments in the midterm elections. The most notable is that the Filipino voter no longer looks blinded by popularity. In some areas, even money politics no longer seems to work.
The clearest indication of change is the resounding defeat of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. Coming on the heels of his win over Mexico’s Jorge Solis and the usual hero’s welcome upon his return to the Philippines, Pacquiao’s loss to a young, petite member of the Antonino clan in General Santos was all the more surprising for his camp. A battery of lawyers may yet challenge the election results, but Pacquiao should know when to show sportsmanship and concede. Filipinos love him — as a boxer, not a lawmaker.
Except for Vilma Santos, who has had several years to prove her mettle as a public administrator before seeking the governor’s post in Batangas, other celebrity candidates have been trounced or appear headed for defeat. Some have openly sighed that they are suffering from the disappointing performance of other celebrities who have won public office.
As Santos has shown, not all celebrities perform badly in government. But the drubbing suffered by her celebrity colleagues is a welcome development for those who feared that popularity would always be the decisive factor in Philippine elections.
Even party machinery and large war chests are no guarantee of victory, as the defeat of Lilia Pineda at the hands of a priest who ran as an independent candidate in Pam-panga has shown. Father Ed Panlilio will have to quit the priesthood if the Catholic Church is serious about obeying Canon Law. And if the Church does not want to run out of priests, it will have to discourage the direct participation of its clergy in politics, which violates the constitutional provision on the separation of church and state. Still, the defeat of the influential Pinedas to a priest is a clear sign that voters want drastic change in Pampanga.
Across the country voters have managed to get their message across for change. This is evident in the emerging results of the race for 12 slots in the Senate, where voters have also shown that celebrity is no longer enough. Politicians ignore that message at their own peril.
