The son of the dictator and presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. took a huge lead in the recent survey released by Pulse Asia by 60%, which is seven percent higher than the previous December Survey. The trusted public opinion polling body states that this kind of number is historical.
In an interview with Headstart anchored by Karen Davilla aired on February 17, Alan German, a political strategist discussed the four M requirements when one is running for president – man, machinery, messaging, and money. In the case of Bongbong’s campaign, it seems that he nailed every M for his candidacy, which makes it more difficult for his opponents to even get closer to his standing.
The withdrawal of presidential daughter Sara Duterte and the president’s closest ally Senator Bong Go in the race favored the candidacy of Bongbong. The team-up of Marcos and Sara Duterte conveys a message of unity that helped solidify their voters in a geographic manner. Bongbong Marcos who is known for his voters based ‘Solid North’, strong electoral support of the Northern Philippines headed by Ilocandia of Ilocos Norte to the family of the late president Marcos, even it romanticizes so, will collide with Sara Duterte’s voters based in Mindanao. This coalition resulted also in Sara leading the vice-presidential bid, aside from the fact that she will surely gain the support of the current administration. Moreover, the BBM-Sara tandem created the biggest team for uniting all the powerful political clans with their respective political party to back their candidacy.
According to an analyst, the campaign messaging of Marcos is on the right track in creating this kind of lead three months before the election. The message of unity despite lacking plans seems an effective way for Marcos’ camp to encourage voters to support him. Bongbong proclaimed that he will not indulge in negative campaigning and retaliation from his critics, which he utilizes as a strategy to make his brand more convincing and appealing to the public.
The candidacy of Bongbong Marcos and his standing on the survey to the president is not surprising, since he and his family managed to garner their political careers ever since they have returned to the Philippines. They started it by dominating the government posts in Ilocos and stepping to the national scheme of politics through the candidacy of Bongbong and Imee Marcos as senators.
In 2016, Bongbong’s candidacy as vice president serves as the test run for his main purpose to reclaim Malacañang, however, Marcos lost with only a few votes to the liberal candidate Leni Robredo. But now, it is a completely different scenario with Marcos having invested and established his name again with the support of the administration. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had always expressed his praise to the late president Marcos for his good vision to the country and encouraged the public to find and elect another Marcos as president. Die-hard Duterte Supporters (DDS) sense that Bongbong Marcos is the ideal candidate to continue the legacy of President Duterte.
In the past years, the Marcos family regained their family name. People started romanticizing Ferdinand Marcos’ legacy. Social media, considering its wide reach to the public, had played a vital role in making certain people feel nostalgic about the late dictator’s term, claiming their regime as a golden year. The rise of the digital age serves as the battleground for Marcos’s army to easily create, control, and manipulate their claiming facts.
We cannot guarantee and proclaim Marcos Jr. as our next president given that the situation can change instantly, and the standing of the presidentiables will surely move. We must remember our past elections when the frontline of the survey failed to win, particularly the 2016 election when Mar Roxas was at the top of the game but was toppled by the previous Mayor from Davao.
The race is not yet over, it is too early in the game.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of POLITICO.PH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
J C M. Poblete is a graduating Journalism student from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and currently working as an intern at POLITICO.PH under PageOne Media and Communications Inc. He is the former President of SCRIBE-Journalism Society, the official and recognized journalism organization of Letran Manila. Aside from this, he actively represents his course in the student council to conduct events, seminars, and training to hone the skills of his fellow journalism students.
Photo credit: Facebook.com/BongbongMarcos