The full political campaign has now started for the forthcoming elections. This after the Commission on Elections has opened the door for the local candidates to begin with their campaign.
As reported, Liberal Party gubernatorial candidate Hilario “Junjun†Davide III and runningmate acting governor Agnes Magpale will start their campaign today in Mandaue City. For their part, the camp of One Cebu under Rep. Pablo John Garcia and runningmate Buboy Durano will kick off a province-wide campaign in Boljoon town also today.
In Cebu City, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kausgawan and its rival, the Team Rama, are expected to barnstorm the barangays for their race for dominance at the City Hall. Political observers said it would be a tight mayoralty fight between Mayor Michael Rama and south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña.
With the start of the local campaign, we can only expect a full circus happening before our eyes. The mudslinging will intensify as candidates will leave no stone unturned in their heightened offensives.
For more than a month we will witness personal assaults to be used as platforms to court votes. Many candidates will no longer employ ideas that would have guided voters to choose the right leaders. Instead dirty tactics will only taint the air, polluting the minds of the masses.
But even before the start of the campaign period, candidates for local positions have already been launching their attacks below the belt. Some even went to the extent of filing cases against their opponents to gain the upper hand.
It is sad to note that while the country's voting system has already been modernized, candidates never learn to professionalize themselves. The quality of their campaign even plunges to its lowest level with mudslinging and personal attacks becoming the name of the game.
No wonder that it is only in the Philippines where electoral exercises are hugely costly and bloody.