Switching sides

When two or more presidential candidates gather for a press conference, you know it is something serious. However, what happened during the morning of Easter Sunday was an issue that everyone can just pass. Some of my friends said that they could have just released their sentiments through email or called for a Zoom meeting. Now that we are slowly going into the new normal, topics that could be discussed online must be done so. It saves us all time and resources. The way the press conference was delivered the other day, it seemed like they had an abundance of both.

There were speculations that those who called for media attention wanted to throw the towel and switch sides. Apparently, that did not happen. In fact, they stated that they are not backing down from the fight and dropped the bomb on another candidate. They revealed that Vice President Leni Robredo wanted to "buy them out" from the presidential race so they would unite against forerunner Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. While the issue is alarming, there is not enough evidence to back up the claim.

Is it really ideal to switch sides by now? Practically speaking, so much has been wasted already. We are not just talking about time but the paraphernalia that were produced - from tarpaulins, posters, t-shirts and other merchandise that is deemed fit for the campaign. However, if the switching of sides would really make a big impact to the polls then the money spent would be irrelevant. Think of it as a big sacrifice for someone that you love the most. Wouldn't you disregard the money spent just to bring about happiness to this person? In this context, the one that we love is our country.

However, when there is no love involved, we would be in a big rut. For sure, some politicians and businessmen are looking into good investments for their future. Of course, they want a type of governance that would be in line with their agenda. At times, this agenda does not necessarily align with the principles of having a better country. It's like a game of monopoly. They look at the game board with critical eyes, looking at those where they can earn the most before putting down their funds.

Those who are actually being sacrificed are not the candidates themselves nor those who will be funding the campaign. The real victims here are the Filipino people who deserve better. A century after our independence, we are still moving slowly towards development. Our world loans continue to balloon with no concrete solution on how to address it. Economists say if nothing is done, we might end up in a very bad situation.

I still believe in the power of the people. What we see in the media may be directed by those in power, but the real power lies in every individual. The real score is not about who sided with who, but the choice of the electorate.