Notes on the elections

Tomorrow, the 12th of May, the campaign circus comes to an end, and the real thing begins. Will the winners really help the masses? Will the campaign promises be kept?

The elections, for sure, will herald a new era in the country’s political landscape.

But we have the power to make it better by not choosing trapos or washed out celebrities who merely entertain the people during campaign sorties or throw cheap jackets on unwitting prey as if they’re throwing bones for hungry dogs to devour, or the kind whose most memorable act in the Senate is to comb one’s mustache during a hearing.

We should look beyond popularity and politics or showbiz. We are not voting for the next TV show host.

Willie Revillame may be funny and entertaining for some people but if he does not have a platform at the Senate, as he has repeatedly said, what would he be doing in the esteemed chamber?

He wants to help the poor, he said. But anyone can do that freely without being elected.

On the other hand, I’ve recently sat down with some candidates who spent hours talking about their platforms. I’ve written about them in previous columns, including Camille Villar’s pitch for OFWs.

It is up to the voters to assess if the candidates’ platforms are worth their votes.

Abby Binay wants better PPP, LGU codes

Binay, who helped transform Makati into an even better financial hub, said she wants a better Public-Private Partnership Code to pave the way for a more efficient PPP process at the LGU level.

PPPs, especially in LGUs, have resulted in many infrastructure projects. In Makati, one concrete example is Makati Life Medical Center, a partnership between the city and the consortium of Life Nurture Inc.

One change Binay wants to see is for PPPs in LGUs to no longer require the approval of the PPP Center because it is the LGU that really knows what is best for its locality.

A better PPP Code, she said, would give LGUs more leeway to be more creative in their PPP projects – infrastructure that can boost local tourism for instance or other unusual but effective projects and not just roads and bridges.

She also wants a shorter period for the Swiss Challenge.

Binay also wants to have a new LGU Code, saying that the 1991 law is already obsolete.

One area she wants to strengthen for instance is the qualification of the treasurer. At present, she said the barangay treasurer’s qualifications are all the same, regardless of the size and status of the barangay, and therefore the amount of money that it earns.

This should not be the case, she said. The bigger the amount of money the barangay has, the more qualified its treasurer should be.

In all, Binay said that based on her experience as city mayor, she can help create better laws for LGUs if she wins a Senate seat.

Ping Lacson’s anti-corruption stance

The business community, meanwhile, are hoping that Ping will make it back to the Senate, especially with the precarious peace and order situation in the country.

As one tycoon said, they want him to create better laws to improve security and fight illegal drugs in the country.

In terms of anti-corruption, we all know that Lacson had his P200-million-a-year PDAF allocations returned to the National Treasury, saving the government P2.4 billion in 12 years.

He also authored, sponsored or co-authored many vital key measures, including the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and many others.

Heidi Mendoza, a newcomer

A young tycoon is also pushing for Heidi Mendoza, a former official of the Commission on Audit, who is running for the Senate. She is an advocate of good governance and a champion of procurement reform.

Aside from Mendoza, there are many alternative candidates voters can choose from instead of the more popular senatoriables, some of whom even have cases of plunder.

Fighting corruption at the LGU level

At the local government level, it’s hard to believe that Pasig City Vico Sotto, known for his good track record of governance and anti-corruption stance, is being challenged by a candidate who has doled out huge sums of money in ayuda and promises more.

In Cagayan de Oro, its former city administrator Teddy Sabugaa, in a press conference last April 30, revealed how a small group of individuals were used by City Hall to draw millions in public funds through questionable cash advances from July 2022 to March 2025, totaling to P694.6 million in cash advances. There were supposedly cash advances amounting to P208.7 million between July and October 2023, which closely coincided with the barangay elections.

Public officials and watchdog groups are now calling for an immediate special audit by COA to see if public funds are being abused by the CDO LGU.

Vote wisely

There are many more stories of corruption. It goes on and on.

On the other hand, history books tell us about the postbellum era in the late ’50s, early ’60s, when Filipinos were filled with hope and optimism.

Even the 1986 EDSA Revolution felt good, at least for a moment.

The older generation said that feeling was glorious – toppling a dictator and fighting the ills of society – and it felt as if they could live forever.

Today, as we grapple with the sad reality of our times, may we be reminded that this country saw better times. Our role now is to help our nation rise again. That, I have no doubt, is worth living for.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.