Reflections on the midterm elections
The midterm elections have come and gone. The Commission on Elections has sworn in a new (or old-new?) batch of 12 senators; House representatives, including party list members; mayors; and other local officials. The strong surprise placements of former senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan caught everyone off guard, especially since survey firms showed a different poll scenario. For us progressives, their reinclusion in the Senate is a welcome breath of much-needed nontoxic air that, with fingers crossed, provides a more credible, less partisan, and more substantial legislative agenda ahead. The inclusion of lawyer Chel Diokno and former senator Leila de Lima as party list representatives radiate HOPE and substance for accountability and transparency of erring government officials.
The midterm elections yielded another welcome surprise in the person of Heidi Mendoza, #45 on the ballot. The former commissioner of the Commission on Audit ran a national campaign sans political machinery or backing of a major religious group, among other major organizations. Organic volunteerism and free space on social media, combined with her integrity, passion, and concrete platforms oxygenated her campaign.
She may have lost in her campaign for a Senate seat, but what a tremendous show of FORCE at 6.3 million votes! In Gen Z-speak, that is 6.3 million votes of woke voters. Voters who are not swayed by popularity, patronage politics, and political dynasties.
She may not have won this time, but there is victory in defeat. She has a three-year runway to increase her numbers. Until then, her purple sticker remains plastered on my car’s dashboard—a tangible reminder that there are still a few good men (or women) who are willing to fight for a better Philippines.
Pamela Claveria,
