EDITORIAL — Upsets

The recent election saw huge upsets in Cebu City and Cebu Province.

In Cebu City, political veterans incumbent Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and former mayor Michael Rama lost to now mayor-elect and incumbent Councilor Nestor Archival. Archival got 256,197 votes, while Garcia received 134,404 votes, and Rama 90,916 votes.

In Cebu Province, political newbie Pamela Baricuatro secured the gubernatorial post with a whopping 1,107,924 votes over incumbent Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who only received 765,051 votes.

These were results many didn’t see coming. Certainly not with the clout and influence Mayor Garcia and Rama had, and certainly not with the reputation of Governor Garcia who has repeatedly trounced anyone who ran against her through the years.

It will take more astute political analysts a while to explain exactly what led to these results, but it would also be safe for us to hazard a few guesses:

It could be that the younger electorate --it was earlier estimated that Millennials and Gen Z voters now make up 63% of Philippine voters-- now favor a fresh face over what has been entrenched and recycled for a while. It could be that the standard campaign promises may no longer resonate with voters as much as these used to. It could be that a strong political name is no longer a guarantee of victory. It could even be that many want their local government unit to go in a different direction entirely, compared to where they see it going.

For whatever reason, there is no denying that the people have spoken.

Of course, we aren’t saying it will be the end for those who lost. Like a former president once famously said, politics is “weather-weather lang”. No political career is truly dead, except when that politician is really dead. We have seen this time and again with shrewd politicians who have managed to reinvent themselves after suffering what were seen as devastating losses or been at the receiving end of career-ending political maneuvers.

While these results are indeed upsets they’re not entirely upsetting for everyone.