Scapegoating

There seems to be some hesitation to fully examine the results of the last elections in the mainstream media channels. This is because the results are damning for the sitting administration.

- ALEX MAGNO

Returning senator Panfilo Lacson broke the studied silence. He attributed the miserable performance of the pro-administration slate to the campaign organization's failure to deliver — notwithstanding its immense advantage in funding and logistics.

There is some ground for this conclusion.

The Alyansa candidates failed to rally the votes in the Visayas and Mindanao — including Eastern Visayas, supposedly the bailiwick of Speaker Martin Romualdez. This proved especially fatal for two Alyansa candidates — Abby Binay and Ben Hur Abalos — who built their political careers as local executives in the NCR and had limited reach in the south. They may have the competence to serve in the Senate. But they need a strong national campaign organization to get there.

There is an argument to be made here for reconfiguring Senate representation. For as long as elections for seats in this chamber are at large, the cost of campaigning will be prohibitive and celebrities with high name-recall will enjoy a premium.

Sensing he will be scapegoated for the miserable performance of the Alyansa candidates, Toby Tiangco called for a broader examination of the poll numbers. He blamed the political players behind the impeachment move of Sara Duterte as the ultimate culprits.

The Alyansa internal surveys, according to the coalition's campaign manager, showed a dramatic erosion of support in Mindanao since late last year, after the House impeachment moves.