The final push for those who aspire to become senator

 

It's less than a week before the elections and candidates are making their last push to convince Filipinos to vote for them. Recent survey results have consistently shown a 9-3 result in favor of the Team PNoy coalition in senatorial elections. Among the more interesting battles will be number 1 and number 12.

 

If we look at the last SWS and Pulse Asia surveys, Loren Legarda is trying to stave off a challenge from fellow Team PNoy coalition members Chiz Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano for the number one spot. For the last slot, it looks like a toss-up between UNA’s Gringo Honasan, Migz Zubiri and Jack Enrile and Team PNoy’s Jun Magsaysay and Risa Hontiveros. What will make or break these two races? Some thoughts:

 

1.)  Unresolved, lingering negative issues regarding the candidates

 

Recently, Legarda was found to own posh New York City property that she allegedly failed to declare in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). She quickly denied it and said that this was just black propaganda by a Senate colleague, whom many construed to be Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. While Legarda and Cayetano are at it, Escudero has been accused of being a disrespectful drunkard by his celebrity girlfriend’s parents.

 

In the race for the last spot, Jack Enrile’s free fall from being consistently in the Top 5 during the early surveys to now being outside the winning circle of 12 can be traced to allegations that he murdered Alfie Anido and Ernest Lucas, Jr. during the Martial Law era. Despite his denials and bombardment of the air waves with his political ads, the public does not seem convinced that he belongs in the Senate. One thing working for him though is that one of his foremost rivals for the last slot, UNA partymate Zubiri, is also burdened with allegations that he benefitted from the massive cheating that happened in the 2007 Senatorial elections.

 

The way these candidates address these negative issues can make or break their respective campaigns in the final week.

 

2.)  Creative, clever campaigning with star power

 

For those jockeying for the last few slots, the only way that they will be able to get free media mileage in the final week of the campaign is if they are able to differentiate their campaign from the rest. This is perhaps why Team PNoy’s Hontiveros and Magsaysay are now working with the People Power Volunteers for Reform (PPVR) and the Yellow Ribbon Movement (YRM) to do a series of concerts all over the Philippines entitled, Rock the Vote. Aside form Hontiveros and Magsaysay, Rock the Vote will also carry Team PNoy’s Bam Aquino and Koko Pimentel.

 

This is the same strategy that Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan applied when he ran as an independent candidate in 2007. What is interesting in this series of concerts is that three of the biggest names of the country's three major networks have decided to join this campaign, namely, Kris Aquino of ABS-CBN, Sharon Cuneta of TV5 and Dingdong Dantes of GMA7. Rock the Vote will visit Dagupan City on May 6, Davao City on May 7, Batangas City on May 8 and finally, Cebu City on May 9. Will this be enough to help Magsaysay and Hontiveros make it to the Senate?

 

3.)  Endorsement of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and other religious groups

 

Just today I received a text message that INC has already chosen whom to endorse in the coming elections but history shows us that INC will only release its list a few days before election day. For those currently ranked between 10th and 15th places, a strong endorsement from INC and other religious groups known for bloc voting could be the game changer.

 

Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and is also the Lead Convenor of Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership.