WHEN Sen. Grace Poe conceded on the day of the May 9 election after the numbers showed it would be mathematically impossible for her to overtake the lead of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and that she placed third after former DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, many kababayans in the Philippines were surprised. Surely this is something we often see here in U.S. elections, but in a country where there are only two kinds of candidates — those who won and those who were cheated, Poe’s gracious concession speech left many Filipinos perplexed, if not in awe.
Sec. Roxas and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano followed the very next day, congratulating their political opponents Duterte and Rep. Leni Robredo respectively, expressing their show of support for the frontrunners while urging their own supporters to rally behind and support the presumptive president and vice president, even when such honorable actions were based only on partial, unofficial returns.
There were many among those who supported these candidates who expressed disappointment, saying via social media that they felt betrayed and abandoned when their candidates conceded. They were expecting them to fight tooth and nail to the very end. For some, conceding was deemed as a sign of weakness.
On the contrary, I see the action of Poe, Roxas and Cayetano as a sign of strength and genuine love for the country. They ran for public office to truly serve the Filipino people and not because of the greed for power. They have given their very best in campaigns, trying to convince the voters that they were the best candidate to be the next president of the Philippines by presenting their vision, qualification, and platform. After the election, however, they understood that the election was not about them — it is about the respecting the will of the people upon whose sacred right of suffrage lies the foundation of a democracy.
The people have made their voices heard. The candidates who are true public servants then pivot toward helping the candidates elected by the people fulfill their campaign promises. They help in the healing process so the Filipino people fragmented by the election may begin moving toward unifying again as one nation.
Mabuhay kayo, Sen. Grace Poe, Sec. Mar Roxas, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. You have earned the privilege of serving the Philippines. You have earned the trust and respect of the Filipino people.
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
