Self-inflicted

It is important to listen to what Toby Tiangco is telling us. He has the ultimate insider's view of the dynamics explaining the administration's midterms debacle. For a politician, he is unusually candid.

- ALEX MAGNO

The debacle that met pro-administration senatorial candidates, in Tiangco's view, was largely self-inflicted. The turning point in the last electoral contest, he says, happened last February. This was when, after sitting on three versions of the impeachment complaint against Sara Duterte, the leadership of the House of Representatives suddenly produced a fourth version that is not substantially different from the ones earlier filed.

On the last day of sessions, the majority of congressmen lined up to sign the fourth version—obviously without the material time to read and study the document. The signed impeachment complaint was rushed for filing at the Senate, getting there just minutes before the close of business hours.

From that point on, the pro-administration candidates went downhill. Before the impeachment complaint was filed, nine pro-administration candidates were comfortably in the win column in Mindanao. After that event, only four were struggling above water among Mindanao voters.

Mindanao holds nearly a quarter of total voters. The voters in the island suddenly found themselves with a cause to fight for. Most of them voted solidly for the pro-Duterte slate. The same trend happened among voters in the Visayas.

By Tiangco's account, the pro-administration ticket did not even bother to hold rallies in Mindanao. The strong emotional response to the impeachment of Sara could not be turned back. Local candidates could not openly endorse the pro-administration ticket without courting a backlash from their own voters.