Would you vote for 13 comebacking senators?

new, something old, something borrowed. That could very well apply to the next set of winners in the 2022 Senate race. And because of popularity and name recall, the old ones, especially the sitting senators, will be enjoying the equity of the incumbents and the advantage of high-profile exposure.

Would you vote for former senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Loren Legarda, Gringo Honasan, Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Migz Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, Dick Gordon, Win Gatchalian, and Leila de Lima? My answer is no, not all of them. There are only 12 slots. Readily, I am easily convinced to support Loren, Chiz, Migz, Riza, and Dick. I am not yet sure about Sonny Trillanes, Alan Peter, Joel, JV, and Win. But definitely, I will never go for Jinggoy, Joel, Gringo, and Leila. I have my reasons. Don't just take my words. Scrutinize them yourselves.

Loren is on top for many reasons; her competence and track records both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives are nothing less than outstanding. She could have been a better vice president than both Noli de Castro and Jojo Binay. She has an unblemished character, an impeccable reputation and untarnished integrity. She has very strong advocacies along the lines of education, culture, arts, and even in education, health, and social welfare. In both houses of Congress, her track records indicate that Loren is pro-people, pro-human rights but with a balanced appreciation of the need for a strong government to protect the state from all external and internal threats.

Next is Chiz Escudero because of his intelligence, his legal wisdom and wit, sense of fairness and justice and defense for the poor without demonizing the rich. He understands the social, economic, and political realities and has always been competent to initiate and support legislation to improve the quality of governance both at the national and local levels. Migz Zubiri is not a lawyer but he is a very good majority floor leader who did his job with fairness and objectivity across many political divides. For a very rich man, he remains humble and never arrogant, easy to deal with and very approachable.

Risa is always the defender of the poor, the voiceless masses who are ignored, forgotten, or neglected. She is a fearless enemy of police brutality, extra-judicial executioners, and abusive, dishonest and neglectful public officials. Her performance in many Senate investigations displays how hardworking and meticulous she is in searching for evidence of graft, of reckless indiscretions and notorious incompetence. Dick Gordon is the boldest crusader against plunder, corruption and obnoxious stupidity in public service. We need legislators who are both competent, hardworking, brave, and smart like Dick, eloquent, gutsy, and full of wit and wisdom, albeit at times, he talks too much.

The rest have displayed either intolerable incompetence, blatant dishonesty, and vexatious haughtiness. They should either be ashamed of themselves or should be stricken by their conscience. If they really love our country, they should unburden the people of their unfitness and remove from the nation the risk of their winning again. The risk of their victory poses a grave and imminent danger to the well-being of the millions of Filipinos. The best gift they can give the people is to withdraw from their insatiable thirst for power, and go somewhere else if they have nothing else useful to do here.

"The best gift they can give the people is to withdraw from their insatiable thirst for power"