BY ATTRITION

TRIMMING. The 20 names may soon be trimmed down, depending upon maneuvering and haggling by interest groups that push their own bets. Other party leaders such as House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and President Rodrigo Duterte will be heavy influencers on the final slate.

The other powerful determinant is how they will fare in the surveys. One by one, those who don’t rate will drop out or removed from the list.

Surveys have become an efficient tool in putting down excessively unrealistic aspirations. The sole basis is, sadly, familiarity to voters, not the competence of the candidate.