FEBRUARY 8, 2022 marked the official campaign season in the Philippines leading up to the May 9 Election Day.
As the candidates held kick-off rallies in different places of the country, all eyes are on the most important position that will potentially change the trajectory of the country, for the better or for the worse, depending on who will win among the presidential candidates vying to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte.
This is how international news agency Reuters described the five leading contenders for the Presidency:
Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
The 73-year-old senator and former Philippine National Police Chief has been in government for more than 50 years.
Lacson rose through the ranks in law enforcement starting off with a post at the PC Metropolitan Command (Metrocom) from the early 70s to Philippine National Police Chief from 1999-2001. He was a retired police officer when he ran for office and became Senator from 2001 to 2013, and again from 2016 to the present.
He was born in Imus Cavite and was educated in Philippine public school in elementary and high school. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Majoring in Philosophy at the Lyceum before going to the Philippine Military Academy.
If elected President, he wants to get rid of corruption and invest in health care and small businesses.
He chose former actor/comedian and now Senator Vicente Tito Sotto III as his running mate.
Manny Pacquiao
The 43-year-old boxing icon has earned the respect and admiration of people around for being the only man to hold world titles in eight different divisions. This achievement also made him win the hearts of the Filipino people for the “Pinoy pride” he brought to the country.
It is a rags to riches story for the Pacman who amassed wealth from the sport. After he became a born-again Christian, he said he wanted to give back to the people by literally giving away money and aid to the needy.
This calling also compelled him to join politics and served two terms as a congressman and is now a senator.
He retired from boxing in September and is now running for president with the campaign promise “to improve the healthcare system, eradicate corruption, spur economic growth and provide housing for the poor.”
Reuters reported that “Pacquiao was until recently one of Duterte’s staunchest supporters, backing his war on drugs and efforts to restore the death penalty, but their relationship has soured.” He also criticized Duterte for his close relationship with China.
He chose Jose “Lito” Atienza, a congressman and former Manila mayor and environment secretary.
Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso
His claim to fame before entering the political arena was his being the celebrity matinee idol they call “Isko Moreno.” Reuters described him as “The mayor of Manila and former movie heartthrob grew up in the slums, scrapping for leftover food in restaurants and collecting junk to help his parents.”
Isko reinvented himself, went to school to pursue higher studies that would prepare him for a career in politics.
Reuters chronicled that: “He became a city council member in 1998 and Manila’s vice-mayor for three terms before an unsuccessful run as senator. He was elected Manila mayor in 2019, beating incumbent and deposed former president Joseph Estrada.”
Isko won the respect of the people of Manila and of the nation for cleaning up Manila and restoring many of its historic sites.
Domagoso’s campaign promise: “Zero tolerance of Chinese maritime aggression in the South China Sea and his economic agenda centres on housing, labour, health and infrastructure”.
Isko chose Willie Ong, a doctor who has 16 million followers on Facebook looking for free medical advice.
Leni Robredo
Let me quote what Reuters stated:
“Vice President Robredo, 56, is the leader of the opposition and the only female candidate. A former human rights lawyer, she served as Duterte’s housing minister but quit after being excluded from cabinet meetings and has become one his staunchest critics.
“After condemning what she called ‘senseless killings’ in his war on drugs, she was appointed Duterte’s ‘drugs tsar,’ but he sacked her after just 18 days.”
Robredo is pressing for public sector transparency and has vowed to lead a government that cares for the people and to bolster the medical system.
Should Robredo win, she would be the third woman to lead the Philippines after democracy champion Corazon Aquino in 1986 and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001.
She is running with Francis Pangilinan, a lawyer and senator, and is currently in second place in the polls.
Bongbong Marcos
According to Reuters: “The namesake of the late dictator, Marcos, 64, is a former governor, congressman and senator who has emerged as a clear frontrunner in opinion polls.
“Since returning to the Philippines in 1991 from exile after his father’s overthrow, the Marcos family has sought to rebuild an image tainted by the elder Marcos’ often brutal rule and the plunder of billions of dollars of wealth.
“Known as ‘Bongbong,’ Marcos Jr. has named Sara Duterte-Carpio, Duterte’s daughter, as his candidate for vice president. However, the vice president is elected separately.
Popular with many younger people who were born after his father’s dictatorship, Marcos claims to offer a ‘unifying’ brand of leadership.
“Observers have attributed his lead in polls to a strong presence on social media, one that critics say is attempting to rewrite the family’s controversial history.”
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at [email protected], or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
